Cáceres Round 2 🥊🥊

Transfer News:

We're staying!!! Cáceres round 2 baby, same comp, same area, a whole different energy. Lokey Cáceres might've won the first round, but round two is knockout sí o sí. Everyday is getting better and better and this last week was genuinely very fulfilling.

Unfortunately we lost Elder Zuniga down in Badajoz and he is being replaced by Elder Bringa who is in his 3rd transfer. It's a young team this year, but lots of potential! (My comp has more time on the mish than all the district combined).

Not a lot of photos this week, but lots of great work. We were pretty busy which helps everything to be more fun. Our go-to this week was meeting our friends in the park, and walking over to the chapel. It's an easy way to introduce the church and we're pros now as we probably did it at least 5 times this week. 

We had exchanges with the ZL's this week which was such a blast! They are wonderful missionaries and helped us so much. I was with Elder Pavon from Honduras. About every contact we made was also from Honduras, which made it super easy. In fact, we met this lady and were walking with her, inviting her to church. She is super super nice (Everyone from Honduras is an angel, but her especially) and we follow her into a fried chicken place. We tried to tell her, we didn't want to take too much of her time, but 5 minutes later we're sharing a meal together that she bought us. Ended up talking for about an hour and hearing her whole story. Such a wild contact, but so sweet. People like her make the work so much fun. That day, with Elder Pavon's help ofc, we found 30 people, which very well may have been more than we had found all transfer -haha (If you're a missionary in South America reading this please don't laugh) I learned so much, especially how to be bold and talk to everybody with a confident smile. 

This Sunday we went up to Plasencia and talked to a bunch of people. Plasencia is difficult because there is no group there, but there are a few members. We try our best to support them, while we work to build a group. While we were up there we also talked with a new friend who has a problem with drugs. As missionaries, sometimes there is really heavy stuff and we meet people with really heavy burdens. When these moments come, sometimes our promises and simple gospel truths ring hollow. After all my pain, and sorrow, how can two young kids help me find solace? The truth is we can't, but we testify of, and carry the name of, the one who can. We shared with our friend this scripture from Alma 36:

"18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

 19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. 

20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!"

This message of change, of joy and light doesn't fit in a world of pain and darkness. It doesn't come in this world. That is what makes it so life-changing. 

Something else a little heavy this week, sorry don't mean to be down, our less active friend a few weeks ago reached out to us asking for help. He was very poor, and just needed some light in his life. We invited him to church and walked with him last Sunday. This last Thursday, we found out he had died. We're not exactly sure what happened, we think it was just in his sleep, but it was tragic to hear. While not healthy to dwell on, we thought about what more we could have done to help this man. We're grateful that his last Sunday on this earth he was able to participate in the sacrament, but how heartbreaking to know that we could have supported him even more. All I want to say with that is just please do all you can everyday to be a light. Everyone you know has struggles, ones that you will never hear about. Our goal in this life is to walk each other home. Please don't show up to the party without bringing anybody else. Heaven will be heaven because of the people, not the place. Do your part to make this earth a little more like heaven. 

Not sure how it connects, but I really like this scripture

¶ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Elder Dougall