This week was fairly interesting.
The problem is that we couldn't work in our area Tuesday or Wednesday. Tuesday we had a Tormenta Blanca in Bellavista and Wednesday my comp got sick.
The reason why he got sick is cuz we had to cancel lunch on Tuesday cuz it was gonna be late and we had to get to Bellavista. So we bought food to make in the apartment. My comp bought a kind of meat patty that wasn't meat, it was a soy substitute, and it made him really sick.
Anyway, before he got really sick, Wednesday morning we went to go do some service with two other elders in our district, we were putting that roofing up. That's what those photos depict.
And on Thursday we had Zone Conference, and it was a really good Conference. We talked about the Christ-like attribute of Virtue. Which was sorely needed. There's a ton of problems in this mission. Let's see if I can try and explain it.
Something that our Mission President keeps telling us that this mission is a "5-Talent Mission." Which has reference to the Parable of the Talents. Basically what it's trying to say is that we are blessed with a mission where people are more receptive that somewhere like the Netherlands. It's like that saying, "Everytime some missionary knocks on a door in Finland, Someone's getting baptized in Mexico." It's kind of like that.
But anyway, this creates an issue with the missionaries. Because of the focus on helping others, they justify being disobedience with the fact that they're baptizing. Something that a comp once said to me that had happened to him earlier in his mission really paints the picture:
They had just experienced a setback, and my comp said to his current comp "Creo que llegó la hora de ser obediente." (I think the time has come to be obedient)
His companion responds: "Callate, estamos bautizando." (Shut up, we're baptizing.)
Basically, as long as you're getting results, whatever disobedience is justified. But every time I hear that, something the Savior said comes to mind:
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall again the whole world, and lose his own soul?
There's a missionary who served in this area and baptized 14 people in six months, but that missionary wasn't obedient in this mission (He's well known as a disobedient missionary) and now we hear from his converts who have contact with him that he is inactive.
Therefore, it's not about the results. The Lord's work is going to move forward, no unhallowed hand can stay the progress. But we need to move along with it. The missionaries that are disobedient but baptize are missionaries who ride the current and then get off. They go through the mission, they don't let the mission go through them.
Now I'm gonna quote a little bit of Paul: 6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth.
I quote this because my companion was talking to me the other day about things he has learned from his companions. And he told me that he learned patience from me. Cuz as he puts it: "He visto a otros misioneros que están soportando la misión, pero usted ha superado la misión." (I have seen other missionaries that are just holding on until the end of their missions, but you have overcome the mission.) Basically he was telling me that I have allowed the mission to change me. And yeah, I find solace in that, if anything in the mission, I have at least changed a lot in the mission.
I love you all,
Elder Blaylock
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