Week 13 in Manzanares

Week# 19

4-28-14

This week went well. It was normal. It rained again, which was amazing! Its super hot again, but a day of rain was really nice. Elder Hurtado and I are working hard. Most every day we come home tired. Its good to know that we are working hard.

This week we discovered that another family we are teaching is married. I guess people think they're not married unless  a priest does a ceremony, but we are teaching 3 married families, which is a miracle because nobody is married here. So that's super cool.

We are working really hard. This week we did pretty much everything to get our investigators to church, but only one came. It was a little disappointing and sad. I got a little frustrated because of that yesterday because of it, but realized that it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if I don't have baptisms and converts, or people at church or good numbers. I cant control that. All that matters is that I put in my best work. I'm going to let my happiness depend on how tired I am at the end of the day. 

This week in the missionary manual (rulebook) we read the beginning where it says that this time I have is extremely short, and that it is a privilege to serve with all my time and efforts. That was really cool to read, and it made me think that my mission is going to end one day, and I am going to look back on these 2 years forever. I guess I have really developed a better desire to work hard and obey more. I love to see how I am being changed out here. 

I have realized as well that speaking Spanish in lessons really makes me rely on the spirit for guidance and inspiration. It is cool to know that in lessons words just come to my mind to say, and I know after is was inspired.

The English class is going well, I am learning to prepare the classes better. Its really hard to teach English, especially in Spanish. I realized that I'm not too bad at teaching the gospel, but wow English is hard to teach. Attendance is improving, so that's awesome. 

Sorry there are no pictures, my SD card still has a bug, but I hope to fix that soon. I feel I am really becoming focused on the work here, and it is amazing. Like Gordon B. Hinckley said, its easier to live the law 100% than it is to live it 98%. I think he said that. 

I know the work of salvation is pressing forward. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can have the burden and sorrow of sin taken away, and what a great blessing that is! I hope that we can all read the Book of Mormon daily. The Book has power, and I know it blesses lives.

Thanks so much for reading!

Elder Beck