Dear Family and Friends!
Well, I'm just gonna jump right into writing you guys because now I have less time on the computer! President lowered the time on the computer for our benefit to be better and more obedient missionaries! And I love being obedient!!
So this week was insane! Seriously!! We went like 100 miles per hour and then Sunday it kinda all stopped us like a brick wall! But it was still amazing!
Well, to first start off, Tuesday, we had another Consejo de Guerra where the zone leaders and the assistants talked with President. Well as for the state of the mission we aren't doing that great! We had 92 baptisms in November, 42 baptisms in December, and now we only had 38 baptisms in January. We are lowering and it's bad! President shared a lot of problems that are passing through the mission right now and sadly there aren't a lot of missionaries converted to being obedient. And for that disobedience we are receiving the consequences! So we are gonna be even more obedient! And we put that in practice a lot this week with Elder Goates and Elder Smith!
And even worse is that even though we still had a low number for the total of last month, our zone of Talagante didn't have a single baptism. A whole zone! I just don't know how that happens! But as a companionship we are putting into practice Jacob 1:19. We are taking upon ourselves the responsibility of that because that's just not acceptable! So we decided we need to step it up and look for some baptisms and some miracles!
The next day we taught Rodolfo and Loreto. We finished teaching them everything in that single lesson. It was a powerful and doctrinal lesson! Ha ha, but then we threw in the baptism interview questions and they all responded correctly. We then read Mosiah 18 with them and then challenged them to get baptized. They were a little taken back but at the same time they knew that they know these things to be true. After a lot of mediation, Rodolfo opened his Book of Mormon hoping to look for a sign when he came upon Mosiah 18:27 where it says that those that have should give more on their part and those that have little, give little. Rodolfo took that as a principle of where much is given, much is required. He told us that we have given him a lot of blessings and knowledge of this gospel and since he has been given this opportunity to have the gospel in his life, he too is required to act on his part. So he told us that they were ready for baptism!
It was amazing! I'm so grateful that he opened up to that scripture and that the spirit testified to him of what he should do! We were sooooo pumped! We got so excited and then challenged them to get baptized for that weekend! They accepted and then we left. But as we left we looked at the time and it was 9:22 and we only had 8 minutes to get into the pension. . . and we were sooo far! But we remembered the importance of obedience and we ran! And I don't think I have ever run so fast in my life! I think since we were on a little spiritual high from the lesson that helped us to have the energy to get in on time. And we did it! I don't know how because usually from their house it's like a 25 minute walk, but we ran and ran!! Truly, I know the Lord saw our efforts and helped us get in on time!
Then the next day we finished teaching them everything. That day, Thursday, President called us and said he wanted to work with us that day, which he hardly does, so we were super surprised but he didn't have enough time to make it out to Talagante. Then Friday came along and they had to do their interview! And that's where we saw a little opposition in the process. We were at the church when they sent a message telling us they weren't gonna go. We were so confused so we took a taxi and rode out there. We entered the house and they were fighting a little bit. You could see how Satan has his power to impede people to come unto Christ. They were just arguing because Rodolfo punished his son for leaving the window open and Loreto thought it was too harsh of a punishment and then they started to fight. I was dumbfounded. I literally asked them if they were gonna lose their salvation over a dumb open window. Ha ha, I wasn't gonna risk it for anything else so I just told them straight forward. They realized it was dumb and got all ready and went to the church and they all passed their interviews!! Woo hoo!
Then we get to Sunday! Really, we couldn't believe how we were about to pull off this baptism even when only 2 days earlier they didn't even have a baptism date. But truly the Lord was helping us a lot this past week! But long story short, Loreto's mom is super Catholic and came over Sunday in the morning and tried talking them out of it all so we had some problems with that because that was during the reunion sacramental. And if they didn't show up for the sacrament meeting they wouldn't be able to get baptized. Sadly, they got there for the last hour of church and then we had to explain how they weren't going to be able to get baptized that day. It was pretty sad telling someone that. I have never had that experience in my life, but they accepted it and they are ready to get baptized this next week! So next Sunday we are having 3 baptisms!! Woo hoo! We are soo pumped!
Really, we saw a lot of miracles this past week! We are gonna change this motion we are having in the mission right now and we are gonna take out the trash and have a lot of success! I know it! And I know it all comes down to our obedience! I love being a missionary! I love the guides we have as missionaries that really help us to be the best we can possibly be! I love my Savior and I love serving as His representative!
Love Elder Cowan
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