Hey Family!
This week, I got to admit, was hard but it always is, but the weekends make up all the difference. I LOVE THE MISSION!!! It is tough but it is good for me. I just admire those missionaries that give all they got and never give up and always smile (like Monson) that kid seems like he is having the time of his life, Oh man I can just imagine us both as companions WE WOULD CHANGE THE WORLD!!! HAHAHA I want to be just like that but sometimes I get so overwhelmed that it makes it hard to be happy. I am really improving (I think).
Things happen that I can’t control and really it’s something that I’m learning here in the mission because a lot of stuff does happen. The mission is the hardest when you try to do everything on your own because I AM NOTHING WITHOUT THE HELP OF GOD. It is true that when I try to work my butt off and do everything I can, it’s still is not enough, it never is enough. It’s not even enough when my companion and I are both working hard because the people are still going to reject us, they are going to make fun of us, and then we get discouraged. This week I learned how to ask for Gods help, and he helped me. We still didn’t complete all of our companionship goals, because my companion doesn’t want to work, (at one point he wanted to go home) but I completed all of my personal goals. I just wish things were quieter and I can find a reverent place to communicate better with Him, but He knows I’m trying and I know I’m trying so that’s what makes it enough.
Well I just want to recount of one of the many awesome experiences this week.
Last night, we just taught a in-active family that haven’t been going to church for about 7 years and I talked with them for 3 hours and we pretty much resolved everything, they thanked me and told me that they will see me at church.
After we left we still had a ton of contacting to get done and my companion didn’t feel like doing anything. So I start contacting people and I had a really good feeling this whole day, and I have to say, it was God’s love that I was feeling inside.
Well, we were passing by some houses and there was a group of women sitting outside so I start talking with them, they didn’t want to listen, they said they were busy talking, and so I said "Okay, well do you have any questions that you would like answered before we leave?" One lady was sitting in the chair with this group of ladies and the whole time never said anything until I asked if they have questions, she looked up at me and asked "Who is this Joseph Smith?"
I told her, he was a prophet called of God sent to restore the church of Jesus Christ to the earth and we represent this church. Then she said, “I’m a pastor of my Christian church and there is no where in the Bible that says "Joseph Smith" .
"Yes I know, its like in the Old Testament it doesn’t say Jesus Christ, only in the New Testament.
She sat there for a bit, and they I started "Hermana, we believe in Jesus Christ that He is the Son of God and that he originally formed his church while he was upon the earth and that after his death of Christ and His apostles, His church was taken from the earth".
"Today we have prophets, men who are special witnesses of Christ, who testify of Christ, that He lives, that He loves us, and that He speaks to us through his prophets."
She then wanted to know how we have prophets and they let me sit down in the chair with them.
So I taught her from the beginning of how Jesus Christ organized his church, that there was a great apostasy, and how it was restored. I then started to tell her by the "fruits of the prophets you will know" (ha-ha I don’t really remember what that verse is in English but in Spanish it is "por los frutos conocereis"
I taught her of the Book of Mormon, that the angel Moroni revealed the location of where the plates where hidden to the prophet Joseph Smith.
As soon as I said "angel and reveal" she started to look for something in the bible flipping through the pages and I was thinking "oh man what she doing now?" (She seemed to have a scripture to contradict me and tell me I’m wrong but I had some too, but more I had that I had the help of the Holy Ghost). She then read me the scripture that says something like "and if a man or any angel FROM HEAVEN reveals a different gospel then what we have been taught, let him be accursed."
I knew this was one of the scriptures that had changed its meaning during the great apostasy, so I told her "Hermana, do you thing God would send down one of his angels to tell a lie?! " "This boy, Joseph Smith, saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ… I know that...it is no lie, do you really think I would leave my country, my family, and come to Nicaragua to tell a lie?" I looked her straight in the eye and I told her "I know this church is true and that Joseph Smith was called of God to restore the gospel, and you can know for your self by reading the Book of Mormon…the fruit that testifies of Christ.
She looked like she was going to cry then she put on an angry face and told me "THE BIBLE IS THE TRUTH" then I said "Im sorry.....and Im sorry to all the rest of you sisters if I offended anyone, but without a prophet of God, who talks with God, to tell you what the bible really says... you will never know the truth.
I then shook everyone’s hand and left.
I felt really weak after and sad…I know that they felt the spirit cause my companion did ( he was whining the whole day and after the lesson, he kept quiet for the rest of the night)
Well I’m almost out of time. I love you all and thank you for all your prayers, love and support.
Elder Buck
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Good Experience This Week
Hello Family,
I’m glad that you enjoyed my stories from last week! Haha. No we haven’t seen Antonio since he ran away from us. We didn’t have any baptisms this week, just a confirmation for Antonio (Sr.) who wasn’t confirmed because he was sick. With my companion, we had some problems but I just need to make the change and just forget what happened and help him and if he doesn’t want to change I just need to set a better example.
Oh sweet, thank you I will be looking forward to the package! Ha ha that is awesome that Tanner sang a song to win tickets to the Monster Truck Jam! Did you get video of him doing it I would love to see it. Where was it at?
Yeah I too have made new goals of things that I need to do for this year that I want to improve. I am glad the family it is doing that too. Ha-ha I never knew that I had a unique way of writing letters??
I almost have my Patriarchal Blessing memorized only have 2 or 3 paragraphs left. Yeah I pretty much have all of my lessons down in Preach my Gospel. To be honest, really I have never thought of home or what I need to do when I get back. I guess I should start doing that right about now.
Okay I’m sorry I don’t have much time to write anymore. We get one hour but we also have a letter that were suppose to type up and mail to our mission president too. This week has been different….I’m always experimenting new things and different ways to improve. But now I understand better what I can do, where before was really confused about what was really important.
President Fraatz came to our area and gave the speech of how crappy we are doing and what we can do to do better. I felt good because he wasn’t only speaking to me but my entire zone and we do need to do better. But then after wards we had interviews. Everyone was all nervous but I’m always able to keep myself calm because “if you’re prepared you need not fear”. But I got to tell you, after that interview I felt like crap…I was the very last one to go out of 20 missionaries. When I went in, he was already mad at the rest of the missionaries. So he really he didn’t help me any…I’m trying to love and respect him, but after that interview it was hard.
There is going to be big changes in the mission this year. They’re going to separate Nicaragua into two missions in July and President Fraatz will be going home in May (he ends his 3 years then) so that will be different.
Other then that I had some pretty good experiences this week. While we were out contacting in the street one night, a young man named Gustavo came up to me, and just wanted to know who we are and what we do. So we set up an appointment to go to his house and teach and share what it is we do. I left him a pamphlet to read and told him to read it before we come and we will explain whatever questions he has.
When we got to his house (in a richer community) His sister was out side watering the lawn and we talked with her and invited her and the mom to join us in the lesson. Then we taught them all of the restoration lesson but they didn’t seem to interested or didn’t listen very well. Then a friend of the family came, named Maria and she has received all the lessons and everything with the missionaries about 5 years before. But something happened with the missionaries and she never saw them again. She helped us out a lot to explain what everything meant and we set up a visit to return another day.
Well two days later we came back and supposedly everyone forgot we had a visit with them so only Gustavo and his sister Yaudi were home. We asked them if they read the chapter in the Book of Mormon that we left with them and they didn’t. We read it together (3 Nephi 11). Then after I told them that to know if this book is true that they needed to pray and hen I felt that I should pray with them. So I asked them “do you really want to know if this book is true”?? and they said yes. I said okay and I told them to kneel down and told them they we will pray to know if it’s true. They told me that I should pray for them and so I did. I asked Heavenly Father to bless them with the answer to know if the Book of Mormon is true and the rest I don’t remember what I said but I prayed for about a minute.
After I asked them if they felt anything and nd they both said that they felt something in their hearts and couldn’t explain. So I told them that it was the spirit testifying to them of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. That was the awesomest experience that I have had so far here in las Mercedes. I don’t think I will forget about that experience.
I thank you for everything always.
Love,
Elder Buck
I’m glad that you enjoyed my stories from last week! Haha. No we haven’t seen Antonio since he ran away from us. We didn’t have any baptisms this week, just a confirmation for Antonio (Sr.) who wasn’t confirmed because he was sick. With my companion, we had some problems but I just need to make the change and just forget what happened and help him and if he doesn’t want to change I just need to set a better example.
Oh sweet, thank you I will be looking forward to the package! Ha ha that is awesome that Tanner sang a song to win tickets to the Monster Truck Jam! Did you get video of him doing it I would love to see it. Where was it at?
Yeah I too have made new goals of things that I need to do for this year that I want to improve. I am glad the family it is doing that too. Ha-ha I never knew that I had a unique way of writing letters??
I almost have my Patriarchal Blessing memorized only have 2 or 3 paragraphs left. Yeah I pretty much have all of my lessons down in Preach my Gospel. To be honest, really I have never thought of home or what I need to do when I get back. I guess I should start doing that right about now.
Okay I’m sorry I don’t have much time to write anymore. We get one hour but we also have a letter that were suppose to type up and mail to our mission president too. This week has been different….I’m always experimenting new things and different ways to improve. But now I understand better what I can do, where before was really confused about what was really important.
President Fraatz came to our area and gave the speech of how crappy we are doing and what we can do to do better. I felt good because he wasn’t only speaking to me but my entire zone and we do need to do better. But then after wards we had interviews. Everyone was all nervous but I’m always able to keep myself calm because “if you’re prepared you need not fear”. But I got to tell you, after that interview I felt like crap…I was the very last one to go out of 20 missionaries. When I went in, he was already mad at the rest of the missionaries. So he really he didn’t help me any…I’m trying to love and respect him, but after that interview it was hard.
There is going to be big changes in the mission this year. They’re going to separate Nicaragua into two missions in July and President Fraatz will be going home in May (he ends his 3 years then) so that will be different.
Other then that I had some pretty good experiences this week. While we were out contacting in the street one night, a young man named Gustavo came up to me, and just wanted to know who we are and what we do. So we set up an appointment to go to his house and teach and share what it is we do. I left him a pamphlet to read and told him to read it before we come and we will explain whatever questions he has.
When we got to his house (in a richer community) His sister was out side watering the lawn and we talked with her and invited her and the mom to join us in the lesson. Then we taught them all of the restoration lesson but they didn’t seem to interested or didn’t listen very well. Then a friend of the family came, named Maria and she has received all the lessons and everything with the missionaries about 5 years before. But something happened with the missionaries and she never saw them again. She helped us out a lot to explain what everything meant and we set up a visit to return another day.
Well two days later we came back and supposedly everyone forgot we had a visit with them so only Gustavo and his sister Yaudi were home. We asked them if they read the chapter in the Book of Mormon that we left with them and they didn’t. We read it together (3 Nephi 11). Then after I told them that to know if this book is true that they needed to pray and hen I felt that I should pray with them. So I asked them “do you really want to know if this book is true”?? and they said yes. I said okay and I told them to kneel down and told them they we will pray to know if it’s true. They told me that I should pray for them and so I did. I asked Heavenly Father to bless them with the answer to know if the Book of Mormon is true and the rest I don’t remember what I said but I prayed for about a minute.
After I asked them if they felt anything and nd they both said that they felt something in their hearts and couldn’t explain. So I told them that it was the spirit testifying to them of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. That was the awesomest experience that I have had so far here in las Mercedes. I don’t think I will forget about that experience.
I thank you for everything always.
Love,
Elder Buck
Monday, January 25, 2010
Good Week!
Hey Family!
Yup, it was a good week here. Yes, I did hear about the earth quake in Haiti. I heard the states sent a ton of money for repairs and food. Yep that is true they need to be ready, if you’re not prepared you are wicked...jk ha-ha. Well thank you for answering those questions in my last letter, I feel better. Well it has been a very good week. My companion and I are awesome now we don’t have hardly any problems.
I also had some awesome spiritual experiences this week.
1. My companion and I were trying to find a recent convert who never goes to church and is never home. So when we got to his house his mother was there and she is not a member, so of course she didn’t answer the door when she saw who we were. I’m standing out in the hot sun trying to talk to her and she was just ignoring me….so then I saw this fairly old man sitting on his front porch making a net of some sort. We walked over to talk to him and he was a really nice guy. I was just talking to him making conversation trying to get him to have confidence in us. (cuz here missionaries are just like robots, they say their thing and then leave…while I at least try to get to know the person, understand their needs, their circumstance, find out about their religious background.
He said he goes to a church called “Pentecostal” which I really don’t know too much about. But he started asking questions about Joseph Smith and things like that. I was explaining it all and he seemed interested but in the end, he wasn’t. So I said, “Well, if there is anything you want us to do to help you out we are here for you” and he’s said “I know” then he just paused like as if he was thinking about something. Then he said “I guess we will really know the truth in the last days” and I said “yes we will”. His eyes start feeling up with tears and then he looks at me and tells me “thank you, because no one does what you missionaries do” (I wanted to cry to) that hit me so hard.
After we left I kept thinking about what he said and my companion was totally zoned out that whole time so when I asked him how he felt when the old man was talking to us, he had no idea what I was talking about. I really want to talk the man again and we always pass by his house, and whenever we do I ask his how he is doing and if he needs anything but he always says no. ha-ha
2. My other experience was this: We have another family who are recent converts named Leopoldo and Janeth (there an elderly couple) and a couple of weeks before we were teaching their son Antonio and we left a Book of Mormon and told him to read it and pray to know if its truth before we come back the next visit. When we returned the next week and talk with him and I asked him if he read the Book of Mormon. He said he did. Then I asked if he prayed. He said he did. Then I asked, “Did you receive an answer?” He said he felt some kind of sensation in his heart that he never felt before. I told him that’s the spirit testifying of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
Then we asked him if he had questions before we started to teach. And he asked what the “war in heaven” was and I was like whooooooa….where did you hear about that? He’s said I read it in this book and then he shows me the book and it was the new Principles of the Gospel that all the members got for the year. He had read half the book and wanted to know about the Doctrine and Covenants and all this stuff. (Usually we don’t explain the Gospel Principles until after the person is a member but I felt that it would be right if I did) After we taught the discussion I asked him “Do you believe what I told you is true” and he is yes.
Then I start talking to him about baptism and then ask him if he wanted to be baptized and he told me no… So with a couple of questions I found out he knows what he read is true but he doesn’t want to leave his current church. Then I asked him, “What do you look for in a church and after many answers he said “salvation”. I told him with salvation there are many sacrifices that we need to make in order to obtain it. Leaving his church would be one of them. I told him to pray about it and when we come back the next visit to tell us what he felt. Well we went back and when he saw us coming he ran away. Then his mother told us that he doesn’t want to continue lessons with us….I felt horrible, the rest of that night I felt horrible. He knew it was true HE RECEIVED AN ANSWER, but doesn’t want to believe it.
I had more experiences but I don’t have enough time to write all of them at this time. We only get one hour and I still have to write a letter to the president tell him how I’m doing and send my numbers for the week. I have it all written in my journal. It has been a really good week. We had one baptism “Antonio” and we will try to get another one for this week “Domingo”.
I love you all and thank you for everything!
Elder Buck
Yup, it was a good week here. Yes, I did hear about the earth quake in Haiti. I heard the states sent a ton of money for repairs and food. Yep that is true they need to be ready, if you’re not prepared you are wicked...jk ha-ha. Well thank you for answering those questions in my last letter, I feel better. Well it has been a very good week. My companion and I are awesome now we don’t have hardly any problems.
I also had some awesome spiritual experiences this week.
1. My companion and I were trying to find a recent convert who never goes to church and is never home. So when we got to his house his mother was there and she is not a member, so of course she didn’t answer the door when she saw who we were. I’m standing out in the hot sun trying to talk to her and she was just ignoring me….so then I saw this fairly old man sitting on his front porch making a net of some sort. We walked over to talk to him and he was a really nice guy. I was just talking to him making conversation trying to get him to have confidence in us. (cuz here missionaries are just like robots, they say their thing and then leave…while I at least try to get to know the person, understand their needs, their circumstance, find out about their religious background.
He said he goes to a church called “Pentecostal” which I really don’t know too much about. But he started asking questions about Joseph Smith and things like that. I was explaining it all and he seemed interested but in the end, he wasn’t. So I said, “Well, if there is anything you want us to do to help you out we are here for you” and he’s said “I know” then he just paused like as if he was thinking about something. Then he said “I guess we will really know the truth in the last days” and I said “yes we will”. His eyes start feeling up with tears and then he looks at me and tells me “thank you, because no one does what you missionaries do” (I wanted to cry to) that hit me so hard.
After we left I kept thinking about what he said and my companion was totally zoned out that whole time so when I asked him how he felt when the old man was talking to us, he had no idea what I was talking about. I really want to talk the man again and we always pass by his house, and whenever we do I ask his how he is doing and if he needs anything but he always says no. ha-ha
2. My other experience was this: We have another family who are recent converts named Leopoldo and Janeth (there an elderly couple) and a couple of weeks before we were teaching their son Antonio and we left a Book of Mormon and told him to read it and pray to know if its truth before we come back the next visit. When we returned the next week and talk with him and I asked him if he read the Book of Mormon. He said he did. Then I asked if he prayed. He said he did. Then I asked, “Did you receive an answer?” He said he felt some kind of sensation in his heart that he never felt before. I told him that’s the spirit testifying of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
Then we asked him if he had questions before we started to teach. And he asked what the “war in heaven” was and I was like whooooooa….where did you hear about that? He’s said I read it in this book and then he shows me the book and it was the new Principles of the Gospel that all the members got for the year. He had read half the book and wanted to know about the Doctrine and Covenants and all this stuff. (Usually we don’t explain the Gospel Principles until after the person is a member but I felt that it would be right if I did) After we taught the discussion I asked him “Do you believe what I told you is true” and he is yes.
Then I start talking to him about baptism and then ask him if he wanted to be baptized and he told me no… So with a couple of questions I found out he knows what he read is true but he doesn’t want to leave his current church. Then I asked him, “What do you look for in a church and after many answers he said “salvation”. I told him with salvation there are many sacrifices that we need to make in order to obtain it. Leaving his church would be one of them. I told him to pray about it and when we come back the next visit to tell us what he felt. Well we went back and when he saw us coming he ran away. Then his mother told us that he doesn’t want to continue lessons with us….I felt horrible, the rest of that night I felt horrible. He knew it was true HE RECEIVED AN ANSWER, but doesn’t want to believe it.
I had more experiences but I don’t have enough time to write all of them at this time. We only get one hour and I still have to write a letter to the president tell him how I’m doing and send my numbers for the week. I have it all written in my journal. It has been a really good week. We had one baptism “Antonio” and we will try to get another one for this week “Domingo”.
I love you all and thank you for everything!
Elder Buck
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Baptism!
Hello Family!
That is so weird, that it is rainy and cold in Arizona, cause here it is HOT AND HUMID today ha-ha. Hey I want to put this part in before I forget. You don’t have any photos on the blog spot for people to see, and I sent a lot, please post them for me.
Yeah, lucky me, I got (had) another bot fly, but I put Vaseline over it because duct tape doesn’t exist here, so it smothered it and then it came to the surface to get air and I squeezed it out. IT IS SO GROSS! No the Latinos don’t get them, I think they like the American bodies more (or at least mine, none of the other American missionaries have had them either) :(
Wow that will be awesome to have five new shirts! THANK YOU! Um…something else you can send…..well I am down two four pants…. I’m sorry when I have an area were they at least have decent clothes they ship me off to another place so I don’t have time to go shopping for clothes. Where I am at now, there is no place to find pants or shirts in my size. You are sending the box at the right time. Thanks!
The baptism that we had this week was only for Nora. The rest fell through so we are going to try to get them baptized next week. We do the baptism in another area called Waspan here in Nicaragua (it’s the church house of my district leaders) They also had baptisms the same day so it was really good.
We attend church just a couple of block from our house. The church we attend does not have a font. It is actually a really cool church. It’s small but pretty. For the baptism day we started at 8:00 am so we wake up at 5:00 am to gather people to come to the church in the morning. AND THE WATER IN THE SHOWER HERE IS SO COLD IN THE MORNING WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA….I HATE TAKING SHOWERS IN ICE COLD WATER!!! Ha-Ha
Yeah I got to admit opening up an area is hard work but cool at the same time plus I have a new companion who also doesn’t know the area. This area and church is the most organized of all the churches in Nic I have gone to. They all know what they are supposed to do to fulfill their callings and they help us out as missionaries A TON! It is a ward with a Bishop and 2nd counselor (we don’t have a first counselor) and there are 6 return missionaries here, so they know their stuff ha-ha.
How was my companion…………ha-ha oooooh….he´s good ;)
He loves to blame everything on me and say everything is my fault. I am pretty much training him because he hardly knows the lessons. So when we teach, after I’m done talking I bare my testimony and look at him (to give him the sign to start talking) and he just sits there and raises his eye brows at me (which means I wasn’t listening, what am I suppose to do) He doesn’t listen to me or the investigator that were teaching. (Afterwards he whines and complains saying I didn’t let him talk and that I just talked the whole time) He just sits their chews nails, puts his feet up on the investigators table and is just a rude, inconsiderate little guy….but…I still love him (or trying to anyway).
I am reading a lot about charity…and studying a lot of the life of Jesus Christ, and how charity is the pure love of Christ. And how people beat him, whipped him, spit on him, and he suffered them…..I thought “Man what am I whining about, compared to Christ, Joseph Smith or the apostle Paul, I know I can put up with my companions crap. The only part that is sad and the hardest for me…IS HE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING OR ANYONE his is the most inconsiderate fella I have met. When we teach I try to teach and actually showing that I care for the person. He told me he teaches so our numbers don’t look bad and so he doesn’t get yelled at by our leaders. When he told me that…..I had to count to 10.
I started to question him then and asked “Why are you here?” and he told me “Cause I have to be here” and I asked “What are your desires?” he told me “To baptize.” and then I asked “What else?” (Silence…..) Then I said “That’s the thing, if you want to baptize you’ve got to show the people you love them, you whine about them being so hard hearted… not wanting to listen to you.” Then I said, “Why should they even listen to you?” (Silence) Then I told him, “They don’t need to have a reason to listen to you, if all your going to do is invite them to church (because you feel you have to), teach them (because you feel you have to), baptize them (because you feel you have to). Don’t do it because people tell you to do it, but do it because you love them, care for them, want to help them. He got mad….shut down…quit. But that was the only way I know how to explain it to him. ;o
That was yesterday after teaching, and when we got back to the house he didn’t want to plan for the following day cause he was too tired. UGH?!?!..I WANT A COMPANION THAT WANTS TO SERVE LIKE HE’S SUPPOSE TOO! Ha-ha…..don’t get mad at me…I’m learning too!
I’m so happy that all of you are happy. I CANT WAIT TO GO GET BACK AND TALK ABOUT THE GOSPEL WITH DAD!!! I LOVE THE GOSPEL AND I LOVE LEARNING IT!!! Last night and the night before and before and before….I was up late reading gospel principles. I have a huge library list of books I want to read when I get back home that we can’t read here!!!
You can do it Carly! I have read the Book of Mormon 3 times in English and 1 time in Spanish here on my mission and now I’m studying every verse and references… IT IS SO COOOOOL!! HAHA AND GUESS WHAT…..I HAVE 11 MONTHS IN THE MISSION FIELD, WOW!!!!
I love you and will work hard for all of you!
Elder Buck
That is so weird, that it is rainy and cold in Arizona, cause here it is HOT AND HUMID today ha-ha. Hey I want to put this part in before I forget. You don’t have any photos on the blog spot for people to see, and I sent a lot, please post them for me.
Yeah, lucky me, I got (had) another bot fly, but I put Vaseline over it because duct tape doesn’t exist here, so it smothered it and then it came to the surface to get air and I squeezed it out. IT IS SO GROSS! No the Latinos don’t get them, I think they like the American bodies more (or at least mine, none of the other American missionaries have had them either) :(
Wow that will be awesome to have five new shirts! THANK YOU! Um…something else you can send…..well I am down two four pants…. I’m sorry when I have an area were they at least have decent clothes they ship me off to another place so I don’t have time to go shopping for clothes. Where I am at now, there is no place to find pants or shirts in my size. You are sending the box at the right time. Thanks!
The baptism that we had this week was only for Nora. The rest fell through so we are going to try to get them baptized next week. We do the baptism in another area called Waspan here in Nicaragua (it’s the church house of my district leaders) They also had baptisms the same day so it was really good.
We attend church just a couple of block from our house. The church we attend does not have a font. It is actually a really cool church. It’s small but pretty. For the baptism day we started at 8:00 am so we wake up at 5:00 am to gather people to come to the church in the morning. AND THE WATER IN THE SHOWER HERE IS SO COLD IN THE MORNING WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA….I HATE TAKING SHOWERS IN ICE COLD WATER!!! Ha-Ha
Yeah I got to admit opening up an area is hard work but cool at the same time plus I have a new companion who also doesn’t know the area. This area and church is the most organized of all the churches in Nic I have gone to. They all know what they are supposed to do to fulfill their callings and they help us out as missionaries A TON! It is a ward with a Bishop and 2nd counselor (we don’t have a first counselor) and there are 6 return missionaries here, so they know their stuff ha-ha.
How was my companion…………ha-ha oooooh….he´s good ;)
He loves to blame everything on me and say everything is my fault. I am pretty much training him because he hardly knows the lessons. So when we teach, after I’m done talking I bare my testimony and look at him (to give him the sign to start talking) and he just sits there and raises his eye brows at me (which means I wasn’t listening, what am I suppose to do) He doesn’t listen to me or the investigator that were teaching. (Afterwards he whines and complains saying I didn’t let him talk and that I just talked the whole time) He just sits their chews nails, puts his feet up on the investigators table and is just a rude, inconsiderate little guy….but…I still love him (or trying to anyway).
I am reading a lot about charity…and studying a lot of the life of Jesus Christ, and how charity is the pure love of Christ. And how people beat him, whipped him, spit on him, and he suffered them…..I thought “Man what am I whining about, compared to Christ, Joseph Smith or the apostle Paul, I know I can put up with my companions crap. The only part that is sad and the hardest for me…IS HE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING OR ANYONE his is the most inconsiderate fella I have met. When we teach I try to teach and actually showing that I care for the person. He told me he teaches so our numbers don’t look bad and so he doesn’t get yelled at by our leaders. When he told me that…..I had to count to 10.
I started to question him then and asked “Why are you here?” and he told me “Cause I have to be here” and I asked “What are your desires?” he told me “To baptize.” and then I asked “What else?” (Silence…..) Then I said “That’s the thing, if you want to baptize you’ve got to show the people you love them, you whine about them being so hard hearted… not wanting to listen to you.” Then I said, “Why should they even listen to you?” (Silence) Then I told him, “They don’t need to have a reason to listen to you, if all your going to do is invite them to church (because you feel you have to), teach them (because you feel you have to), baptize them (because you feel you have to). Don’t do it because people tell you to do it, but do it because you love them, care for them, want to help them. He got mad….shut down…quit. But that was the only way I know how to explain it to him. ;o
That was yesterday after teaching, and when we got back to the house he didn’t want to plan for the following day cause he was too tired. UGH?!?!..I WANT A COMPANION THAT WANTS TO SERVE LIKE HE’S SUPPOSE TOO! Ha-ha…..don’t get mad at me…I’m learning too!
I’m so happy that all of you are happy. I CANT WAIT TO GO GET BACK AND TALK ABOUT THE GOSPEL WITH DAD!!! I LOVE THE GOSPEL AND I LOVE LEARNING IT!!! Last night and the night before and before and before….I was up late reading gospel principles. I have a huge library list of books I want to read when I get back home that we can’t read here!!!
You can do it Carly! I have read the Book of Mormon 3 times in English and 1 time in Spanish here on my mission and now I’m studying every verse and references… IT IS SO COOOOOL!! HAHA AND GUESS WHAT…..I HAVE 11 MONTHS IN THE MISSION FIELD, WOW!!!!
I love you and will work hard for all of you!
Elder Buck
Double Click on the Picture
Double click on the picture and it will take you to my album and pictures of the baptism of Nora.
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| Las Mercedes |
Monday, January 11, 2010
Happy Monday!
Hello family!
It sounds like everyone is good and happy! I’m doing well...ha-ha that’s not completely true! I got another Bot Fly in my other leg (oh look twins!) I managed to kill it and now it’s healing up well and the doctor said today that I will live (sigh…) It’s just another trial and something to learn from.
BUT MY HEALTH AS OF NOW IS FINE! NOTHING IS WRONG!!!
One Christ like attribute that I am learning and practiced this past week was my patience. This new companion that I have needs a lot of patience. He gets mad, depressed, discouraged pretty easy, but when he works he does a good job. He likes to blame everything on me, and says I talk too much when he doesn’t talk at all. He is an only child and before the mission he said he just played video games and soccer...didn’t work...didn’t study…?
But all in all he’s a good guy that’s just learning how to be a missionary. I think of all the little things that happen over time that we get mad at, they are usually stupid. If we get mad we can’t have the spirit and if we can’t have the spirit, we can’t work and if we can’t work we are just wasting time. I decided to be a lot more pro active, so when he gives me crap I just ignore him and when he doesn’t work, I work harder.
I reached all of my goals and accomplished all I wanted to do this week (as far as missionary work) so I feel awesome with myself. I didn’t have any problems with temptations, nothing.
Last night we came back to the house early, so my companion could use the bathroom. He was upset about something, I asked him but he wouldn’t tell me. I was sitting on my bed waiting for him, and I was thinking about all the stuff I wanted to accomplish that day (we set as goals) that we weren’t even close to achieving. It was already 7:00 pm and we stop working at 9:00 pm. I thought to myself, we still have two hours to complete our daily goals that we weren’t even close to achieving them. When my companion came back out of the bathroom, he was all negative about not having enough time to complete our goals. I was thinking to myself, "I have a freaking worm living in my leg that hurts just to walk, I have a head ache and a sore throat and I want to go to sleep, but not once have I complained this whole week". So I said, "Look if you want to have a crappy day, and think you’re going to have a crappy day, then you’re going to meet crappy people who are going to do crappy stuff and you will end up having a crappy attitude about the mission and life. But if you want to have a good day you’re going to have a good day, so stop complaining and make the difference."
He was mad after I said that but he understood. So when we left our apartment for the last two hours of the day I worked my butt off to contacted and talk with every person and achieved my goals. But the thing that I had to show patience with was my companion getting prideful and started comparing what we accomplished that day against what the other elders did and was kind of rubbing it their faces. (I guess it bothered me that we could have accomplished even more if he had tried to do his part) So I told him " Elder you have to be more humble and give an account of thanks to Heavenly Father, cause frankly....you didn’t do it yourself!” Ha-ha
Yeah, so now we kind of got a weird attitude to one another but I still treat him nicely. I’m trying to do more things in a more positive way and it’s working well for me and hopefully my companion will do the same and we will accomplish a lot more together.
Right now we have 2 baptism dates planned for this week
January 16
Nora
Evenor
Antonio
January 23rd
Domingo
Cliford
Samantha
Marta
As of now all them are positive and Hno. Domingo is just an awesome guy! He knows so much from the Bible he is practically a Mormon, just not baptized. We gave him the Book of Mormon and the first lesson and he accepted baptism. I have great hopes for this guy.
Still don’t have pictures of my new area…sorry, I will try to get some soon. Just got the one of my other Bot Fly leg.
Love you and thank you for everything. Be careful Kade! Carver and his family I want you all in one piece still by the time I get back. Love you mom and dad and everyone that reads this letter.
Elder Buck
It sounds like everyone is good and happy! I’m doing well...ha-ha that’s not completely true! I got another Bot Fly in my other leg (oh look twins!) I managed to kill it and now it’s healing up well and the doctor said today that I will live (sigh…) It’s just another trial and something to learn from.
BUT MY HEALTH AS OF NOW IS FINE! NOTHING IS WRONG!!!
One Christ like attribute that I am learning and practiced this past week was my patience. This new companion that I have needs a lot of patience. He gets mad, depressed, discouraged pretty easy, but when he works he does a good job. He likes to blame everything on me, and says I talk too much when he doesn’t talk at all. He is an only child and before the mission he said he just played video games and soccer...didn’t work...didn’t study…?
But all in all he’s a good guy that’s just learning how to be a missionary. I think of all the little things that happen over time that we get mad at, they are usually stupid. If we get mad we can’t have the spirit and if we can’t have the spirit, we can’t work and if we can’t work we are just wasting time. I decided to be a lot more pro active, so when he gives me crap I just ignore him and when he doesn’t work, I work harder.
I reached all of my goals and accomplished all I wanted to do this week (as far as missionary work) so I feel awesome with myself. I didn’t have any problems with temptations, nothing.
Last night we came back to the house early, so my companion could use the bathroom. He was upset about something, I asked him but he wouldn’t tell me. I was sitting on my bed waiting for him, and I was thinking about all the stuff I wanted to accomplish that day (we set as goals) that we weren’t even close to achieving. It was already 7:00 pm and we stop working at 9:00 pm. I thought to myself, we still have two hours to complete our daily goals that we weren’t even close to achieving them. When my companion came back out of the bathroom, he was all negative about not having enough time to complete our goals. I was thinking to myself, "I have a freaking worm living in my leg that hurts just to walk, I have a head ache and a sore throat and I want to go to sleep, but not once have I complained this whole week". So I said, "Look if you want to have a crappy day, and think you’re going to have a crappy day, then you’re going to meet crappy people who are going to do crappy stuff and you will end up having a crappy attitude about the mission and life. But if you want to have a good day you’re going to have a good day, so stop complaining and make the difference."
He was mad after I said that but he understood. So when we left our apartment for the last two hours of the day I worked my butt off to contacted and talk with every person and achieved my goals. But the thing that I had to show patience with was my companion getting prideful and started comparing what we accomplished that day against what the other elders did and was kind of rubbing it their faces. (I guess it bothered me that we could have accomplished even more if he had tried to do his part) So I told him " Elder you have to be more humble and give an account of thanks to Heavenly Father, cause frankly....you didn’t do it yourself!” Ha-ha
Yeah, so now we kind of got a weird attitude to one another but I still treat him nicely. I’m trying to do more things in a more positive way and it’s working well for me and hopefully my companion will do the same and we will accomplish a lot more together.
Right now we have 2 baptism dates planned for this week
January 16
Nora
Evenor
Antonio
January 23rd
Domingo
Cliford
Samantha
Marta
As of now all them are positive and Hno. Domingo is just an awesome guy! He knows so much from the Bible he is practically a Mormon, just not baptized. We gave him the Book of Mormon and the first lesson and he accepted baptism. I have great hopes for this guy.
Still don’t have pictures of my new area…sorry, I will try to get some soon. Just got the one of my other Bot Fly leg.
Love you and thank you for everything. Be careful Kade! Carver and his family I want you all in one piece still by the time I get back. Love you mom and dad and everyone that reads this letter.
Elder Buck
Monday, January 4, 2010
I Am Back In Managua!
Hello Family!
Interesting New Year but I am safe, happy and healthy. It sounds like you guys had a nice boring New Year compared to here. It was super crazy, there were a ton of fireworks, fire crackers, anything that explodes. I tried to sleep at 10:30 p.m. but at 11:30 p.m. they lit off a ton of fire crackers and woke me up so I didn’t sleep much that night.
New news: I will be getting a new mission president in May. I HAD CHANGES last Wednesday. And now I am in Managua again, in a zone called Bello Horizante, and my area is called Las Mercedes. IT IS AWESOME!!! I LOVE IT HERE! We eat with a family that is so cool! The members help out a ton and I got a new companion.
My companion is Elder Sandoval, he is from Guatemala and is super cool! He was in my old zone in Jinotepe but now we both changed areas and he is my companion! I didn’t have time to take pics of my new area, here it’s pretty dangerous as far as the people…but I love it!
After the New Year partying was over we have recommitted the members to come closer to Christ and live better lives. We have big plans for this area. This area has been closed down for a year and we are here to re-opened it. All the members here are still awesome, and they actually have a ward mission goal! Right now I’m living with my zone leaders until we find a house. My zone leaders are Elder Rodriguez (who also was my last zone leader in Jinotepe) and Elder Baker.
I love to teach too. I taught the gospel principles class here on Sunday, but it was a little different. We found 3 new investigators and invited them to church and 2 of them were Jehovah Witnesses so they were super confused. One visitor was scared of the thought of going to heaven, so we will help them understand that heaven is the ¨good place¨ and hell is the ¨bad place¨. I’m not really sure what Jehovah Witnesses believe but I sure was confused about their comments.
So I have some good news and I have some bad news……I got my big suitcase back from Puerto Cabezas at changes last week (that’s the good news) and I was going through my items in my suitcase and for the second time in my mission things were taken out of my suitcase! (that’s the bad news) I lost 2 brand new never been opened white shirts, 3 t-shirts and 2 of my gym shorts. Stinking thieves….I was kind of mad but then I thought “It’s only a trial GET OVER IT, LEARN FROM IT, AND MOVE ON”. Please send replacements!
I read that you were worried about me dad, don’t worry I’m fine. I’m loving what I’m doing and as long as I’m being obedient and doing what I’m suppose to the Lord will protect me. Well I’m in a new area, with a new companion, with a new year. I’m going to make miracles happen here. Ether 12:12 as long as I have the faith.
This is for Grandma Eliason…Grandma I LOVE YOU! Thank you for your letters that you always send me I’m sorry I haven’t written back… I don’t have time, but thank you for everything! I love you all and thank you for everything sounds like everyone I doing well. I would like to hear from you Carver and family. I hope all is well and happy.
Elder Buck
Interesting New Year but I am safe, happy and healthy. It sounds like you guys had a nice boring New Year compared to here. It was super crazy, there were a ton of fireworks, fire crackers, anything that explodes. I tried to sleep at 10:30 p.m. but at 11:30 p.m. they lit off a ton of fire crackers and woke me up so I didn’t sleep much that night.
New news: I will be getting a new mission president in May. I HAD CHANGES last Wednesday. And now I am in Managua again, in a zone called Bello Horizante, and my area is called Las Mercedes. IT IS AWESOME!!! I LOVE IT HERE! We eat with a family that is so cool! The members help out a ton and I got a new companion.
My companion is Elder Sandoval, he is from Guatemala and is super cool! He was in my old zone in Jinotepe but now we both changed areas and he is my companion! I didn’t have time to take pics of my new area, here it’s pretty dangerous as far as the people…but I love it!
After the New Year partying was over we have recommitted the members to come closer to Christ and live better lives. We have big plans for this area. This area has been closed down for a year and we are here to re-opened it. All the members here are still awesome, and they actually have a ward mission goal! Right now I’m living with my zone leaders until we find a house. My zone leaders are Elder Rodriguez (who also was my last zone leader in Jinotepe) and Elder Baker.
I love to teach too. I taught the gospel principles class here on Sunday, but it was a little different. We found 3 new investigators and invited them to church and 2 of them were Jehovah Witnesses so they were super confused. One visitor was scared of the thought of going to heaven, so we will help them understand that heaven is the ¨good place¨ and hell is the ¨bad place¨. I’m not really sure what Jehovah Witnesses believe but I sure was confused about their comments.
So I have some good news and I have some bad news……I got my big suitcase back from Puerto Cabezas at changes last week (that’s the good news) and I was going through my items in my suitcase and for the second time in my mission things were taken out of my suitcase! (that’s the bad news) I lost 2 brand new never been opened white shirts, 3 t-shirts and 2 of my gym shorts. Stinking thieves….I was kind of mad but then I thought “It’s only a trial GET OVER IT, LEARN FROM IT, AND MOVE ON”. Please send replacements!
I read that you were worried about me dad, don’t worry I’m fine. I’m loving what I’m doing and as long as I’m being obedient and doing what I’m suppose to the Lord will protect me. Well I’m in a new area, with a new companion, with a new year. I’m going to make miracles happen here. Ether 12:12 as long as I have the faith.
This is for Grandma Eliason…Grandma I LOVE YOU! Thank you for your letters that you always send me I’m sorry I haven’t written back… I don’t have time, but thank you for everything! I love you all and thank you for everything sounds like everyone I doing well. I would like to hear from you Carver and family. I hope all is well and happy.
Elder Buck
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