So this week was a week. It started out with our ensayo (that means practice, in case you wanted to know) for the musical number for the mission tour in San Fernando. It was our second practice and the song already sounds so good. Did you guys look up the song? Do it. It is sooooo amazing. Elder Morales (piano) and Hermana Singleton (violin) are literally musical geniouses, and Elder Bustos (the other vocalist) is pretty much already a professional, so I just play it cool and sing when I'm told=) It is really such a side experience. Let's hope these sorts of side attractions keep up for the rest of the mission!
After the practice we then headed to San Isidro for interviews with Presidente Smith and his wife! We got to eat tacos =) and Pte Smith whipped out the Tobasco (Argentines are so anti-spicy it's almost ridiculous) and we convinced Elder Boccazzi into putting some on his taco, where he just about died. =) I promise I am really nice to him! I had really great interviews starting with the one with Hna Smith. I think it was mostly a get-to-know-you and a how-are-you-doing with all the demands of the mission. We already had the getting-to-know-you part down (Hna Smith thinks it's so cool that we are related, because it is!) but we got to take the time to talk about how I meet the emotional demands of the mission. It was a good moment of being able to see how the challenges I've faced in the mission really shaped my character into a really happy fellow. I have really learned that I can just do what I can do, and I leave the rest to God, even when it is hard and it seems like other people have more success. I am learning and growing, and have a great life, so why should I waste time being sad?!
After that I had another good interview, this time with Pte. Smith. He helped me out with some questions I had with investigators and gave me some good advice as to better help bring people to repentence and conversion. He also 'prescribed' to me a list a scriptures, one of the which was John 15. I had read it before, but this time it really hit me. This scripture talksabout Christ being the 'vine,' which I am pretty sure in this text it is referring to the larger, main branches of the tree. Anyways Chirst is calling us to be good, fruitful branches that some forth from the vine. Those that do not bring forth fruit shall be cast off. And burned. The Savior's plea in this chapter is that we abide with Him, which is then supported by the future results and consequences of this discipleship. To abide with Him is to recieve all blessings, to be fruitful, to have our prayers answered to dwell in His love, to have a fullness of joy, and to be called His friends. To NOT abide is to be cast forth, withered, and cast into the fire and burned. And that does not sound all that fun. So, what is the secret to abiding in Christ? Simple. Keeping His commandments. What are His first and greatest commandments? That we love HIm and love others as he loved us. So that was the first bout of revelation this week. LOVE OTHERS GUYS
The second bout came this morning, the Savior is our SUBE. I was reading about the importance of the Book of Mormon, and I was wondering, ''How can I make this easier to explain/understand. And then came the revelation (listen up good this is gold): God is our Father and wants us to be able to get to his home. But he lives far away and we don't know how to get there. So he gives us map and directions, which are the Gospel of Jesus Christ! And this journey we have to do a lot of things, we have to take the subway. the train, maybe a bus here and there, and we don't have the money to pay for all this travel. That is where Christ comes in! He is our SUBE card, which is this card we have here to pay for all public transit. He promised to stay full of cash as long as we follow the route he has shown us. We might not always understand all the directions, but as we place our confidence in Him he will guide us and show us that we are on the right path. GUYS I HIT THE SPIRITUAL LOTTERY HERE.
Apart from all that, we had a pretty challenging week. Pretty much everything, EVERYTHING fell through, and we have pretty much nothing now in our area, but I know as I try to do my best, it is going to be okay, and I can do this and be happy! I am putting my confidence in my Heavenly Father and my Savior, and they are helping me grow and develop as I show them my faith.
I hope you are have a really great week and that you all show your love for others to trust more in God's plan than your own. He is smarter than you!
Okay that is all. See you all soon enough!
Atentamente,
Elder Hardcastle
1. My son Elder Boccazzi, my adopted son Elder McBride, and I. I don't know what they were doing with their heads... but yeah.
2. Some of the best cereal here is made by the 7th Day Adventists #ibuyitanyways
3. Another great tie found after the feria on Saturday.
4. Deviled eggs for some holy missionaries. Notice the egg yolk on my fingernail #madefresh
5. This cool tower that has an abandoned amusement park underneath. Apparently you can see Uruguay from the top of this tower, but we couldn't find out how to get in=( I was really wanting to go up too. Oh well. Also I was thinking about Sarah Palin saying ''You can see Russia from my house'' when we were trying to figure out how to get inside.
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