Hello all! I hope that all is
going well back home and I am glad to hear that Mom and Dad enjoyed
their trip and made it back home safe. This past week was great and we
were able to have the confirmations of the baptisms we had last week. We
kind of hit a lull this week as we kind of baptized all our active
investigators... but it was all good because we were able to go out and
find more people to teach!
We found a girl this week whose name is
Maria. She rode by on her bike and both Elder Molina and I had the
impression that we needed to talk to her. We stopped her and talked a
few minutes and she invited us to her house to speak more. We went over
and after teaching her for a little while she told us that we were late.
We asked her late to what and she said that she has been praying that
the Lord would put people in her path that would help her have the true
Gospel of Christ in her life and that she has been waiting a long time
for us. It was incredible to hear her say that and she came to church
yesterday and loved it. She has a baptismal date for two more weeks and
she also has a huge family so we will start talking and teaching all of
them this week too and see what happens! It is incredible to see the
hand of the Lord in this work and I have no doubts that he guides us and
helps us to know where to go and with whom to talk as we do all that we
can do to find those people that are prepared to accept the Gospel. It
is interesting how missionary work has changed the past few years. We
don´t do any tracting nor many random street contacts like what so
common in the past. The vision now is that we always have a member with
us and we ask for referrals from every single person we teach, as well
as follow the Spirit, as we did with Maria!
Well other than being led by the Spirit in the work of the Lord
nothing else really new has happened this week. Just teaching,
preaching, baptizing, confirming, and loving every minute of it! We have
had some good times these past few weeks between myself, my comp, and
the other two elders that we live with. This transfer has been the best
one by far and we still have two more weeks left to get some more
success in. We are always joking around in our apartment and having a
good time. This past week we borrowed a maniquen (no idea how to spell
that) head from a member and made it look like someone was sleeping in
the bed of Elder Gallup (one of the other Elders I live with). When they
came back to the apartment he about died when he walked into the room
haha. He just kept saying "I don´t like this!" and pointing at his bed.
We got it on camera so it will be a good memory from this transfer
hahaha.
Well the weather has started to cool down more too. I heard that
things are finally warming up back home which is great. I guess in the
next few months we will have to change seasons once again. I am actually
really happy cause I hate heat and humidity! Our apartment has air
conditioning though so these past few weeks have been much more bearable
for that!
Between this transfer and the next we are going to be losing a ton
of missionaries. By the next few months the number of missionaries in
the mission will be going from 286 to about 250, where we are expected
to stay for the foreseeable future. My trainer who did my second half of
my training also goes home this next transfer so I will have to go to
the mission offices for the farewell and say bye to him in a few weeks.
Also I am pretty sure that my next friend to get back will be Donavan
Gualtier. I think he should be getting back in a month or so but I am
not sure I will have to email him and see. It is nuts to think that all
those guys are getting back but my time in the mission is flying by too
so I guess it won´t be that much longer till it is my turn.
I was
talking to a member this week and he asked how long I have been in the
mission. I told him 6 months and he was all like "oh so you aren´t that
new anymore." I was all like no I am still very new haha. But I guess he
is right cause a fourth of this experience of a lifetime is already
gone... I still feel like I just left the MTC haha. I guess I still have
plenty of time left but it is crazy to see it fly by. What is even more
crazy is that everyone says it only gets faster!
Anyway I hope that all is well for you all back home and that you
all are enjoying whatever it is that you are doing. As always I just
would like to testify that this truly is the true church of Christ.
Sometimes when we are members for a long time we forget how big of a
blessing it is to have the true Gospel of Christ in our lives and we
forget how blessed we truly are and sometimes the Lord has to help us
remember what it is to be humble. I just hope that everyone can always
remember what it means to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and
will always pray to our Father in good times and bad. One thing that I
have learned lately is that God truly is our Father, as literally as our
Earthly Fathers are our fathers. He loves us as a Father and only wants
the best for us, and he is always willing and ready to bless us, but
most of the time whether or not we receive those blessings rests on our
own actions and worthiness. I hope and pray that everyone will always be
worthy and ready to receive whatever blessings or work that the Lord is
ready to give us. I love this work and my mission and I am so blessed
to have such great family and friends in my life. Thank you all for all
that you do and I hope you all have a great week!
Love always,
Elder Zollinger
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