Hey Family! I love you!
Sorry that I cut off my email so quick last week, I ran out of time a little faster than I thought I would. Unfortunately I think that`s going to happen again this week, as the mission secretaries and President Baldwin sent everyone a lot of emails in preparation for a big event comming up in the mission. President Don R. Clark, our Area President here in Central America is coming the Mission Guatemala City Central for a tour. He is going to be present in many of our Zone Conferences at the end of the month, and as a General Authority he is to be well-treated and well respected. We are all shaping ourselves up in our behavior, our numbers, and our etiquette so that we give a good impression on President Clark. In conjunction with all these reforms, President Baldwin has been using his time traveling the mission, giving instruction, and setting new goals for the mission. We have instituted what the Quorum of the Twelve call the ¨Rules of Excellence¨ for all missionaries, all over the world. We are all to teach 20 lessons as a companionship, each week. Also we are to have 90% of our progressing investigators in the Sacrament Meeting each Sunday. And additionally we are to use the baptismal commitment invitation in 75% of all the first lessons that we teach to new investigators. Also, this morning, Elder Child told us in District Council that we have two more Rules of Excellence to institute in addition. We are, as companionships, to find 3 new families or 10 new investigators each week. Finally, we are to set, individually, a goal of the amount of new investigators we are going to find for the REMAINING time we all have in the mission. If my goal is going to be the bare minimum, my number will be about 740 new investigators from now until April 5, 2011. That`s a LOT of investigators! But I think I`ll be able to do it with faith and obedience...maybe. =P Just kidding, I have faith that if this is the Lord`s will, I won't just meet that goal, I`ll surpass it.
I have learned much so far in my mission about the Atonement of Christ and the application it has to me, my family, and the rest of our human family in the world. Maybe at the cost of study time that could have been spent focused more on my investigators, I have come to know the tip of the iceberg of the meaning of the Atonement, and am now starting to dive deeper, to understand and apply more. I still have a long way to go, but at least I have two parents and a whole Church of leaders and authors to help me keep learning until I`ve really got it down. Needless to say, if I allow the knowledge that I am now gaining to really plant itself in my life, to really effect every facet of my person, I know that I will come home a different Preston William Tucker than when I left on the mission. Honestly, I dont know if I can say that I will be COMEPLETELY different, but I can say that I will welcome and love this change that the Savior is affecting in my life. Now my focus has changed though, and I am now committed to really BECOMING a missionary, and I am starting to study for my investigators. I enjoy the work and the companions I have the chance to work with; they teach me often and I learn much each day. But please, if you have lessons, scriptures, advise, or counsel that you believe I would benefit from...do NOT hesistate to send it my way. I NEED to change if I want any chance at spending the rest of Eternity with you all, and that`s what I want, so help me get there please! =)
Alright, a little bit of bad news from the mission field here in La Sonora. Otto Lopex got work! But it`s in a bag factory and he now works 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, for dirt cheap, and he isn`t home enough for us to teach his family during the week. Also, his wife is still working every day, including Sunday. This means two things, we have to depend on their faith and works that their testimonies will continue to grow, and they also will not be able to get baptized this Saturday. This was very bad news for us here in La Sonora because we were very ready and excited to have a handful of baptisms after having a whole change with none. However, we will continue to teach them when they are available, and I believe in about three weeks we will be able to baptize them all together as a big, newly-washed family! =) I dont know...I have to be optimistic, otherwise...bad things might happen on both ends. However! Sister Carol Paz WILL be getting baptized this weekend, and she is very excited about it. She told us that she`s getting baptized, even if she has to do it in secret! haha! What a trooper! She`s awesome, and Mom, I think you two would get along famously! She has two teenagers that listen to us, and we`re hoping to baptize them before the end of the change (November 16th). Time has flown this month and we`re almost to Halloween. I`m sad that I`ll miss the festitivies, but I know that you all will make them up to me when I get home! AKA...I expect a HUGE party! ;P
I got Kim`s letter this week, and I loved the words I received. Not all of it was the best news, but I was still extremely stoked to see her name on the envelope and read her news over and over during this week. Kim, I`ve already sent you a letter back. It`s two pages, and will probably get to you in about another week and a half. I think you`re going to like what I had to say, and you`ll definately be reminded that...I love you! I miss my whole family, and I know that you`re all fine, but still I want to advize you to stick to the Spirit. Go to Church, read your Scriptures as a family, have Family Home Evening, and enjoy your time together! Heavenly Father ordained family existence for a reason. It`s a gift for us all, and we better start enjoying/appreciating it, or else He might not think we want it anymore. I`ve learned this much thus far...we are blessed when we keep the commandments, our blessings are lessened and even taken away when we don't. Show Heavenly Father you care, and He will return the Favor. This is my Testimony, and I share it with you in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Love Always,
-Elder Preston William Tucker
=D
No comments:
Post a Comment