Key to SUCCESS in Lo Prado is SERVING!

August 5, 2013

Hey Everyone!!

This week went alright. It was great to get to know my companion, Elder Diaz, a little better. He's an obedient missionary that has the desire to work. He's learning everyday! I'm working on encouraging him and teaching him how to make contacts and talk to people on the street. If only one of us is preaching this gospel, we get half the results!!!! Results will come with a little bit of time. It's fun for me to be able to humbly help Elder Diaz along in his training process.

Elder Jenson and Elder Diaz's sector map of Lo Prado 2

Lo Prado is a lot different than any other ward that I've been in. There's a lot of older members here and not very many youth (like there's literally 50 grandma's and grandpa's in the ward out of like 70 that attend church). Elder Diaz and I were able to get to know the members in the ward this week by passing by their houses and offering to do service for them. We actually served an older lady here this week and she was very grateful for our help and she started to give us references like crazy!!! The key to success is definitely serving the members of the ward.

There aren't that many investigators in Lo Prado 2 right now. It seems like the missionaries have been teaching these investigators that are not progressing for a long time and they continue to lack the desire to be baptized. I guess the missionaries were hoping that the investigators would want to progress after a while. My companion and I have decided that we need to stop passing by the investigators homes that aren't progressing right now and start finding new faces and investigators to teach. Elder Diaz and I started searching a lot starting Saturday and will continue to search this coming week and in the weeks to come. I know the Lord will provide us with those that are ready to receive this gospel and be baptized.

Ok...so Elder Diaz and I taught only 14 lessons this week. We had 7 with a member and 7 other lessons. No investigators came to church this week. We had more references contacted (11) and were able to do a bunch of contacts to find people to teach. Elder Diaz and I found 8 new investigators and our MED last week was 329. We still had a MED of more than 300 which is the norm, but that's pretty weak if you have 300. It was a bit of a difference from me teaching 25-32 lessons per week, having 5-9 investigators in El Salto to coming here with little success....again. I can't get down though because that's not going to help anything. I just have to serve the Lord with all my heart, might, mind and strength and He will provide. He promised blessings if we obey him, we just have to fulfill our part and obey him.

5 of our investigators Elder Diaz and I found are Columbians! Seems like Columbians are very open to the gospel message. The investigators names are Marta, Dora, Ivonn, Erika and Jon. Jon is a Columbian gangster. When Elder Diaz and I were talking with him for a little bit he agreed to hear our message. We ended up talking with Jon for a good 45 min and he had a lot of questions. It was cool to talk with him. Marta, Dora, Ivonn and Erika all live together and have been living in the Lo Prado area a very short time looking for work and having a hard time finding some. They all were pretty receptive to our message but all are preoccupied with finding work. They didn't come to church yesterday because they all got sick with a nasty cold....bummer. This Sunday Elder Diaz and I are hoping that they all come to church and will secure that commitment this week so they can feel the Holy Spirit this Sunday and decide individually to get baptized.

Interesting Fact: My district is pure Sister missionaries!!!!! I have all the 8 Sister missionaries in the zone in my district. There names and sectors are:

Los Mares: Hna Saandoval and Henriquez
San Francisco 3: Hna Macetas and Arroyo
Curacavi 1: Hna Hernandez and Rodriguez
Curacavi 2: Hna Yupanqui and Romero

Interesting Fact #2: Elder Diaz and I are the only Elders and I'm the only one from the US!!!!!

Highlights/Thoughts:

Can't believe I've been out on my mission 14 months!

El Prado 2 is safe. There are a bunch of people who live in our house (obviously our place is separate, but its like a bunch of little apartments in this building). Here's the tour...

 

 

Lo Prado 2 kitchen

 

 

 

 

My bunkbed!!! I'm on the bottom :)

 

 

 

 

SOOOO here's my new shower...5 star! haha. I have to hunch over every morning and how about that shower curtain that comes up to my waist!!! Not to mention the water is barely luke warm. I also have to bend over to go to the bathroom. I wonder how much Taylor would love this house....?

 

 

 

Here's my favorite part of the house, our little patio. Thought I'd get some sun here and read a church magazine with my 2.5 liter of coke. Sounds like someone I know.....

Tar keep preparing yourself for this great opportunity you will have to serve in only 3 yrs from now. Pretty crazy! Love you Tar and hope you have a great week!

 

Well, I hope you all have a great week. I'm sure going to be workin my tail off here to find some people to baptize!!!! I'm doing well :) Nothing better than being a missionary and sharing the gospel with those around me.

I love my forever family!

Love,
Elder Jenson