Dear family,
Well, maybe I should tell you nothing about my investigators. It seems like every time I mention in my email someone who seems to have legitimate interest in our message, they change THAT day!! Last Monday, Elder Araya and I passed by Horacio's house and he sat down and just said, "I am not going to continue with this." I was absolutely stunned. We didn't even know what to say. We talked to him about his interest, what he thought of church, his feelings, whether he had specifically asked God to know if it was the truth or not, etc. And he just contradicted himself over and over and told us he had made the decision to continue with his church. So we told him to pray that night and ask God if he should continue listening to our lessons and attending church with us and he said he would. The next day, we were on divisions (two elders left again to check houses in other parts of the mission) and I was with the Assistant, Elder Bills, and when we passed by, the same thing.
His problem is that he has no real interest in changing. Even if God wants him to. The interesting thing is, we're not going to get an answer if we're not ready to accept what it is. Why would God answer if he wasn't willing to change upon receiving the answer? And logically, it could possibly just be the fact that Horacio DID receive an answer from God but was so comfortable with what he already believed, that he was unwilling, or unable, to recognize his answer. If he could understand that he can be as comfortable as he likes in his church but that it doesn't matter because God doesn't direct his church through a living prophet and twelve apostles who have the Priesthood authority like He did in ancient times, he could maybe understand that God wants him to continue listening to us and attending His church. So hopefully someday, he will feel the desire to listen to the missionaries again when they pass by his house.
For now, Elder Araya and I are having trouble having success because we never work together!! I worked three days this week without him because of the crazy office things going on this transfer. BUT the other two missionaries in the Ward had an amazing baptism this Saturday. They had been teaching this family for 5 months now and the parents finally got married and got baptized this weekend!! They use to be SUPER anti-church, anti-everything that has to do with the missionaries. What happened was that they allowed their children to all go and get baptized. A couple of children three years ago, and two more two months ago. So over time, Elder King and his companion taught them and they began to come and read the scriptures and they are now the most amazing, strong, changed people I have ever seen in my life. The man went from being the most proud man ever who 5 months ago beat his children daily, to the most humble, kind, faithful, and amiable man in the ward! It's great. And now the members are super animated and we're going to work really hard to help them all understand that we can continue to help people in this way if they start to share the restored gospel with their neighbors, their families, and their friends. Because anyone can change. And it's not the missionary’s job to find them. It's the members.
The church campaign in Arizona sounds super legit Dad. We are constantly giving out cards to everyone we meet that have the mormon.org website link on the back. I think that'll be great for people to actually develop some interest or at the least, curiosity. Too many people are very ignorant about what we believe and why we do! As for gringos (or yankees as they say here) and Latins, it's about half and half in my mission. I am ALWAYS speaking English. It's pretty bad haha. Of the 8 of us that live in the house together, Elder Araya is the only native Spanish speaker. So he's learning more English than we are Spanish. Yes it was pretty gross in the house mom but if you saw Argentina, you would see that their definition of dirty is far below ours. But we've cleaned out a TON of garbage and junk that had piled up so the house is much nicer now!!
Anyway, I was going to add things to that list, mom, but failed to write them down so now I can't remember!! But if I remember during the week, I'll make a list! Thank you all for your letters and encouragement!
Until next week,
Chau!
-Elder Ryan Garrison
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