Week 9 in Campina

Week #96
11/9/15
Well, this week was a really good one. We had 2 exchanges, news with our investigators, and lots of new people to teach. We are discovering new ways to work better and focus more on our purpose. Things with my companion are coming along, and I often remember the year I ran cross country. At the end of each race you'd have to sprint, although you were tired and had already run almost 3 miles. Right now, I am sprinting, and cant give up.

This week we saw great progress with Andrea. She came to church, is reading from the Book of Mormon daily, fasted and payed her offering, and on her own time looked up the talk from the prophet from general conference, and watched it. It is such a blessing having been able to find someone who is so prepared to receive the gospel, and knowing that it was through our hard work makes it even better. She has a date for the 21st of November, and I don't see many obstacles at this point.

With Juan and Ana things have been more... interesting. Sunday and Monday (last week) we had good lessons, and although they hadn't anything prepared for their marriage they still wanted to get baptized on the 14th. They work in confection, making clothes. For the first few months, they were working with a lady who was really bossy, unkind, and demanding. Oh, she didn't pay well either. 2 weeks they stopped working with her, and found jobs in a factory on the other side of the city that would pay much better. We went as planned on Saturday, and we only got to talk with Juan. He told us that they had gone back to working with the first lady, and that they didn't want to keep gong to church and stuff. He told us that they had fought a lot, and that they were discouraged. It was not what we were expecting to hear, especially because they have been progressing really well for 2 weeks.
We told Juan not give up on his spiritual progress, and we just taught according to his doubts. They didn't come to church. Right now we don't really know what is going on, but I'm sure that they will make the right choice.

This week we had exchanges with the zone leaders, and then the assistants. I learned a lot about getting along with my companion and having better expectations. With the assistants (who was my zone leader about a year ago) I saw a better way to work. Working harder to find and seeing the unplanned opportunities to find, like knocking on a neighbors door when a lesson falls through. I also learned more about daily contacts. That we should keep daily contact with our investigators fro the first appointment. That will help them progress better, ad it will better help us see who is really looking to follow God, and who just listens to be courteous. (That happens quite a bit).
I feel like I am learning more than I have before in my mission, and I hope to put all of it into practice. I love this work so much.

I know that God loves us and that through diligence we can bring miracles to our lives. I know that as we consecrate our lives God can make us who He needs us to be. I know that Book of Mormon is Gods word, and that fasting has power.

Thanks for reading!
Elder Beck
Picture with the zone leaders, and an elder sent me an Inca cola!
those are hard to get here.