12 April 2010

Hola Buenas Dias Mi Familia Amada!


Well hello there everyone. Isn't life just so great? I hope we all treasure our lives and blessings every day! Because life is so awesome. I love it here so much in Lincoln. Our numbers this week we're pretty much #1 in the zone or maybe the mission! We taught 16 lessons to new investigators, 6 with a member, and 8 to a less active. That is ridiculous huh? That’s 12 more lessons than the standard. We just had a great week. Specifically, one day was awesome. I think it’s because of the weather. It’s quite warm and humid here! Right now it’s probably about 80 degrees and 80% humidity. But, hey, it’s cool. I really enjoy the good weather. It makes life just happy, doesn't it? I'm always smiling now. We were teaching an investigator the other day and he asked, “Why don't you go to strip clubs and gamble?” We both said, “Well, although that may make you happy for an hour, we choose to be happy forever.” And it’s true. I've never been happier! It’s just so awesome doing the work of the Lord out here. It’s just so great! Well, I'll get started on my weeeeeeeekly update!

Tuesday - So this day started with a district meeting - a combined one, at that. It was really good. It was about getting our investigadores to church, which is the hardest thing to do out here. Seriously, we could set anyone for baptism, but if they don't come to church, it can't happen. So, yeah. The other training topic we had was about being worthy to have the Spirit of the Lord with you at all times, which, for me, I have always struggled in my life with that. Because I have never really known what the Spirit is. But out here, I have noticed a crazy difference and I can recognize it more. It’s so awesome. District meeting was great. After, we went to good ole Taco Bell! It was good. Then my companion had a meeting with the ZL's for like an hour. I was so bored. My comp is DL, by the way, and he's actually a really good one. He's a lot like me. We are really getting along. We are teaching very, very, well together. I mean, sometimes I get lost in my Spanish, but he helps me out a lot. After a long day of trying to find people, we went to the two appointments we had set up for the night: Rosalina, Lupe, and Karen, and the other, Hector and Julie. We showed up at the girl's place. They weren't there. Boo. So we went to teach Hector, who is usually there. He is our closest investigadore to baptism. He talks about it all the time, but he wants to go to strip clubs. We told him bluntly that he's an idiot. He's 17, so he's chillax, but we taught him about the gospel. He really knows what he needs to do, but just having a hard time. We're going to try to set him for baptism this week. He has been to church every week for like the last month and a half, except yesterday. But, this week, we're taking him to the Trail Center in Omaha! So hopefully he'll feel the Spirit enough there to get baptized.

Wednesday - So we went to see a few people early afternoon and they weren't there. But we ran into a past investigator of Elder Moore's from Omaha. So that was random. The guy said, “Hey I know you.” and Elder Moore replied, “I know you too.” So we're going to go back and see him. It was random. After that, we had dinner with Hermana Kreber. She's way cool. She's the one we had dinner with on Easter. We had pizza. It has been a while since I’ve had pizza. It was really good. After that, we had like a 2 hour correlation meeting. It was forever. In Omaha, it was different. This one, we went into depth on like every person we had taught the week before. It was so crazy. I asked why was that so long. Elder Moore just said, “I know, we need to change that.” Which is true. So Wednesday was a pretty boring day.

Thursday - So this day was the best day of the week, by far! We woke up and just knew it was going to be a good day. We woke up and ran first. We didn't like that, but it was still good. But then, after morning stuff, at 12, we went with another couple of Elders to Crete, Nebraska. It’s this small town, but full of Hispanics! They were supposed to open up this area this transfer, but it didn't happen. So anyway, we got there at like one. We split up. I went with Elder Bahlmann, who actually came out with me on the plane. So we started walking on the good ole Nebraska dirt roads! Then we met up again, after an hour, at the car and got some water and left again. By the end of 4 hours of tracting, each group had taught 6 lessons each and GQ'd at least 6 more. It really was a place prepared by the Lord. Seriously, everyone was interested. So we're thinking about starting a branch out there, because no one there wants to drive 45mins to Lincoln. But, really, everyone was listening. I had no idea if I made any sense in Spanish. But they answered and asked questions. So it’s pretty cool. They were all Spanish too! So, yeah. We have a whole new teaching pool just in Crete. They are going to open it up as an area next transfer, so that should be cool. So after having that wonderful day, out there in Crete, we had dinner and then went to the church to have a fireside, for the youth, about sharing the gospel. We had little workshops and my companion and I taught about personal preparation for sharing. So the first two groups went great. I really felt like we influenced the people. But then the last one was just like teenagers. Oh my. If I wasn't a missionary, I would have laid into those kids. So disrespectful. I was upset. Toward the end, this girl said, “Can I leave?” My companion said "Yeah, do what you want. I don't care. I could be teaching someone who actually wants to be learning about Christ right now." Then I followed "How do you think the prophet would feel if he were standing right here?" They said, I don’t know. So I said. "Disappointed." And that’s how the fireside ended. It just makes me sad to see how much disrespect kids have for people. It really made me notice something. We all need to buck up and listen. Because, somewhere down the road, it will help us. And if you're a leader, take some initiative to talk to those youth who are being disrespectful. Because, honestly, they weren’t wasting MY time, they were wasting the Lord's time. I just had to vent about that. It was a great day, otherwise.

Friday - So my companion had a meeting with all the leaders in the zone - for like 3 hours. So Elder Bahlmann and I tried to find some Hispanics. But it didn't really work out all that well. We talked to a few, but no one was outside. After the meeting, I had exchanges with Elder Petersen for the day. He is way hilarious. We had a fun time. We didn't teach anyone, but we knocked on like 30 doors before dinner. Then we had this delicious meal! It was good. After dinner, we talked to this black guy. He pretty much wouldn't be quiet about how we are stupid. We were just laughing. He was telling us what we believe and how being a Muslim, stage 4 vegan is the way to go. Some people are just hilarious. They are just funny. He told us all this stuff and then he kept asking where everything started. Just dumb stuff. It was something to laugh about. I've learned to just laugh things off now. When people shut doors in our faces, I just laugh. So we learn to laugh and just be happy because it makes everything ten times better! After the day of really talking to no one, we just switched back and we fell asleep at like 9:30. We were so tired!

Saturday- That day we went out with this 18 year old member. He's our ward missionary. He's going to be so prepped for his mission. He comes with us once a week! We went and visited his friends and a bunch of people. We pretty much GQ'd and knocked doors all day. But it was fun! Then Efrain took us to Golden Corral. I didn't get sick. I have a stomach of steel now. Because I eat habeneros and hot stuff now. We taught Hector again though. It was a lot better this time. He committed to reading, praying, doing the right things and being a good person. It was good. I don't remember much else from that day. We hooked up with Fidel and went and visited some people he knows too. It was a fulfilling day. Our teaching pools have like quadrupled in the last week.

Sunday - Nothing much happened. Went to church, like normal. It’s weird with only like 20 people having sacrament in the relief society room. But, yeah. The rest of the day was just visiting less-actives. Not much. We had lasagna for dinner. A member from this other companionships ward gave them two lasagna's. We didn't have a dinner, so we went there. We called the whole zone looking for a meal we could eat, because eating cereal and vegetables every meal gets boring. Plus, it’s Sunday. We deserve a good meal! Anyway, that’s all for this week.

Well. I have basically no time left. But I love you all. Thanks for all your love and support for me. It’s just so awesome to have family and friends at home who support a mission. But you don't have to just be home - do some missionary work too! We are all supposed to share the gospel! So do it! It will bring joy to your life as it has brought joy to mine! I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week!

Love always,

Elder Bradley Don Rigby