I promise that I wasn't writing at 2 AM last week. It might be because of the photos, but who knows. Así es Ecuador. I am doing fairly well this day. I went and finally got an eye exam and bought glasses, which will be ready Wednesday, so in a couple of days I'll be able to see again! Huzzah! This week we had three baptisms! It was very wonderful, and I'd love to send photos (because I have a few to send), but this computer doesn't want to read my SD card. Oh well. So we had three baptisms, but we didn't have any investigators come to church this week, which was kind of our fault I'd say. We didn't do our part to go by them or call them, and we should have planned ahead because we knew that our baptisms were going to be on Sunday morning. So, we shall learn from this and we shall do all that's possible this week to help our investigators attend church.
Congratulations to Elizabeth and her play! I'm sure that she did wonderfully and that she is an incredible actress. I can't wait to be able to see her in real life.
Also, congratulations to Jeffrey for being able to graduate with three years of credit from Seminary! That's pretty darn incredible. That will really serve you when you're on your mission Jeffrey. Just don't forget to continually study the Scriptures, because if you don't try to keep that knowledge, you'll loose it quick.
I've been really affected by the hardness of some of our investigators hearts these weeks. Well, they're kind of investigators. Anyway, during one lesson we watched a video called "Treasure in Heaven: The Story of John Tanner", which affects anyone who is able to feel the Spirit. We were watching it with a member family, but the husband of one of the daughters is very Catholic. When we asked him if he had any comment on the video, he said no, but in such a way that made it very clear that he did not want and would not talk to us while were there. I was left horribly saddened and fairly incredulous, because that movie makes me cry almost every time. Next we had an experience with a family that is Evangelist. We taught two lessons that were very powerful and in which you could see that the family felt that our words were true, but in the end they just didn't accept anything, and made it very clear that they would only receive us because they don't believe that they should turn away any type of missionary. Then, last night, we had another lesson in which the husband is very, very Catholic. He believes very much in the Virgin Mary and in the Child King Jesus, and he is basically imposing his religion on his family. We had taught his wife and his daughter twice before and they accepted a baptismal date de uno (at once), but this third time the wife had decided that because her husband was so Catholic that she couldn't be baptized any time soon. We taught him, and again it was a incredibly powerful lesson, but again we received the same answer as the Evangelist family. Those lessons made me so incredibly sad. We have all of the truth, and I know that only through the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ can anyone return to his Father in Heaven, and these people are so set in their ways that they won't accept the truth even when the Holy Ghost testifies to them. It frustrates me a little bit, especially when the whole reason that I'm here is to help people receive the same blessings that I have received and have the promise of receiving. Sigh. I guess all I can do is keep on trying and being patient with them. Not everyone is a "golden" investigator.
Well, not much time left. I hope that all is well with everyone. Oh, as you'll see, I figured out how to put on pictures, so enjoy! I love all of you very much, and I hope that you will all do your best to come closer to the Lord and learn His ways. I love you! ¡Chao!
Love,
Elder Schomburg
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