Well, this week has been pretty good. Filled with all sorts of fun adventures.
Monday was p-day (obviously). We didn't do much ('cause there's not much to do here in Mazarron, so we chilled in the apartment and I slept a little bit, then we left to go teach and find. We saw P that night, who last week had had a relapse into alcohol.
Tuesday we went up to Cartagena and had district meeting. I assigned a couple of talks about setting and meeting goals, and the missionaries who spoke did a great job! Then I spoke about baptism. We set a district goal of 5 baptisms before the end of the transfer, and we were all feeling super pumped to go out and teach that day.
We felt the spirit so strong, and as we left we were ready to go. As a district that day, we set 3 baptismal dates. We set a date with our friend C, the boyfriend of Tatiana (a member who has recently started coming back to church). However, the date is for September, because they have to get married first... But that's alright! That's not the first family that I've taught and committed to baptism in that situation.
Wednesday we had a surprise meeting in Fuengirola with president Deere. It was a district leader's training, so I got to make the journey to Fuengirola yet again! That's all right. We had a great time, and I got to see a whole bunch of my friends that I haven't seen in many months. We all talked about how the mission has gone, and I feel like we've done pretty well as a group out here. Not a single elder from my group went home early, and the great majority of us are still holding out to the end (as in, not getting too trunky). Later that night we had a great meeting with president Deere, and he taught us all sorts of good stuff. We are really working hard on preparing the missionaries for the mission president change. We're excited, and most people are pretty sad that pres. Deere is leaving, but seeing as he goes home with my group, we won't have to go through the change.
Thursday I came home (as in, I went back to mazarron), and we had just a little bit of time to visit P and his family again that night. They're doing all right. We just wanted to help boost his ánimo and not feel too bad about not being perfect. We just wanted him to know that God is looking out for him, and that he will forgive us, because he loves us, even though we are just a bunch of hopeless sinners.
Friday we had a pretty rough evening. Everybody fell through on us in the evening so we went to a place called -las canchas- where all the South Americans get together to hang out on the weekends. It was a ton of fun! We played basketball and ate BBQ and got home exhausted. We saw a ton of our friends there, and we got a bunch of funny looks. Just picture me, red-faced and sweating, wrecking everybody at basketball, wearing a tie, white shirt and slacks. It was pretty great.
Saturday we had a lesson with a new friend of ours, A, who is a pastor at a local evangelical church. He is a great guy, and he seemed pretty open to listening to our message. He just doesn't understand why God would give us more scripture. He just kept on comparing it to a two cups and water saying "if I'm thirsty and I get a glass of water, why would I pour it into another glass before I drink it? It's all the same, the bible teaches us everything we need to know. Why would God give us another book?" Considering that all we really need to be saved from the effects of sin and the fall of man is faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, confirmation, and enduring to end, then yes. The bible teaches us that. Not very clearly sometimes, but yes. However, the Book of Mormon helps us understand the why, who, how, when of everything. And it is so much more clearly stated. (READ THE BOOK OF MORMON!)
Sunday was a good day, we had a baby blessing in sacrament meeting, and later bishop, who was here for the day (he normally meets in Cartagena, with the rest of the ward) gave an interesting/good Sunday school class.
Later, we went to the A's house (the really strong member family) to celebrate the baby blessing with the other family by having a BBQ. We were there for a while, so I had to do district numbers in their backyard, where I got reception. However, the moment I finished numbers I got nailed with a water balloon. And another. And a bucket of water. My goodness, I was soaked. However, instead of turning the other cheek, I quickly found a three gallon bucket, and managed to avenge those wrongs done unto me. It was a great day, haha :)
Anyways. Today was the most boring p-day in the history of the world. EVERYTHING was closed. Stupid holidays...
I am so excited to get home and see you all. Start making lists of questions to ask and things to talk about, because I am going to want to sleep for at least 3 days after getting home, haha. Make sure you're ready to share the gospel, too!
District Leader training!
¡Os quiero mucho!
Elder Oliver
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