On Tuesday we had the Multi Zone conference. My companion and I were asked to give a short presentation/demonstration on how to teach Lesson 1 (the restoration) to a member and get a reference from them without asking, “Hey, do you have a reference for us?” in front of the 3 zones. We KILLED it! It was a super spiritual presentation! The “member” we were teaching was Elder Stroud. I recited the first visión, then we shared a scripture and in the end we gave him a Book of Mormon to give to his friend “Marc”. It was funny because Elder Stroud's first name is really Marc. My companion didn't know that, so I told him right before the demonstration, “Hey let's use the name of Marc for the member's friend.” Hahaha, Elder Andrade was the first to say it in the presentation. Right as he said it, Elder Stroud goes super red and surprised then looks right at me. I wink at him, and he sits there trying to hold in his laugh in front of half the misión and President Rios, hahaha oh boy, that was good!
The group we taught for the Multi Zone conference.
With a few of the elders from the conference.
A few more missionaries that were at the conference.
The next day I went OFF in my studies about faith for our investigator, Henry, and it was bomb!! I first pulled out the GEE - Guia para los Estudios de las Escrituras..only in Spanish scriptures (Guide to the Studies of the Scriptures) and I found a bunch of great definitions and examples. Then I found Alma 32:40-43, which I never honestly realized was so cool. (40. And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life. 41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing upunto everlasting life. 42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruitthereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst. 43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.) The lesson with Henry was awesome! He had read Ether 12 and is seeming to change a bunch. Hopefully we can get him to come to church next week.
We also had a bunch of lessons this week, 4-5 a day.. which is like 2 above average. Plus we had the majority of them with members present.
On Friday we went off cleaning and organizing the room (like I do with every new room I get.) It's super clean now, easier to feel the spirit. Later that day we had a super great lesson with Mariaelena. We just planned on verifying her OLA - orar, leer, y asistir (pray, read, and attend.) She invited us in and we asked about her Book of Mormon studies. She told us "bad..", because her brother stole her Book of Mormon to read and left to Chao haha. So we gave her another one. When we gave it to her I gave her a tarjetita (little card) to mark the page. When I do that, I usually give one with the picture of Jesus in Gethsemane, Comparision to the Book of Mormon and Bible, or Christ in the Americas. This time I felt different for some reason and felt impressed to give her one with a picture of the temple. When I did, she asked what that was and commented she had seen it before. We had a great opportunity to talk about temples, their function and mainly about eternal marriage (which she was VERY interested in.. she is 23 and co-living right now..) I teared up, being super spiritual and we could just see her light up as we spoke of eternal marriage.
Later that night when we got to the pension's house, Franco, one of Elizabeth's returned missionary sons.. and the oldest, was flipping through the channels on the TV when I heard “duh duh du duh duh DUHHH.” Dang right, Fox Sports was showing Thursday night football.. Chiefs vs. Raiders.. I don't even like the Raiders but I couldn't help but tell him to leave it there while we ate, super apostate… BUT what can you do? Second time I had seen football in straight a year and a half! Got a good 10 minutes of the 2nd quarter. Love it.
Onto more missionary stuff - the next day I went on an interchange with…… Elder GREER! Yup, who woulda thunk it? Met before the mission, sat next to each other on the plane, companions for a day. Super great day. I felt super bad though.... we went to the house of one of his investigators and a 5 year old girl answered the door and goes, “My parents aren't home.” I knew a lie when I heard one. I go, “Don't lie! Your mom is here!” She goes, “No she isn't.” I go, “Yes she is! Where is she then?” She goes, “En el cielo…. (in heaven).” Yep. I about punched myself in the face. Hahaha super funny, but wow, I felt like a tool!
On Sunday it was the National Censo (counting everyone in the country) so we couldn't leave the house until 5 p.m. Hermana Ana brought us pizza on Saturday for our lunch though, and we made really good pita bread, tuna, cheese, and ham sandwiches. Basically an extra p-day so it was good.
Also we saw some straight miracles on Sunday. We first had a super good NDH (family night) with la familia Robles and they gave us Panetón después, which was awesome. Then one of our investigators took us to his friend's house, (we only had 5 new people for the week up to that point.) We knock on the door, he lets us in.. 7 people in the house! Two escaped, but we got 5 more new people to teach. It was a super awesome miracle we saw! Not only that, they were skyping their daughter that's in Argentina with her husband. First lesson over Skype, pretty cool. At the end of the lesson I go, “I wish I could give you guys this folleto (pamphlet). Maybe I'll try to throw it through the screen”, then I pretend to do it. She then reaches down and pulls out Lesson 1, hahaha, we DIED! I guess the elders are visiting them there in Argentina. They said they hadn't been able to visit with them recently but now they are going to contact them again, thanks to us.. the Lord works in mysterious ways!
Anyway, bouta play futbol, frisby, and football as a Zone. Love it. Been a good week! Oh yeah, I'm getting the language down a TON. My companion told me this week I'm one of the few Gringos he knows with super good grammar. That made me feel good! Anyway, love you all!
Ya boy, Elder Rokovitz
Ya boy, Elder Rokovitz
With the mom who has the son in Cam's mission from my story last week.
With Elder Velasquez who made me sick during leg workouts last week.
Chillin' with my boy Leam, Freddy and my companion. (This is our investigator Laura's son and her brother-in-law)
Found this chancho (pig) this week..... it almost bit me!
Elder Andrade with the pig.
He is a big dude!!
Painting at the bishop's house. This will be the sister's new room.
It can be a messy job.
"Señor de los milagros" (Lord of the miracles) came by when I was on my interchange with Elder Greer.
