So... This week we have transfers, and its mine turn to leave... wow. This has to be one of the hardest parts of the mission. I have been in Latina for 4 months and two days now. And even though it doesnt seem like a whole lot of time this place has really become my home. the ward has become a family for me, my companion is my best freind, and the converts have become my brothers. For some weird reason it feels like im at the point of being dropped off at the MTC again, there is a huge void ahead, and im not sure what it holds, all i know is im going to charge into at full speed like i did before and trust the lord is on the other side.
In Latina I have grown so much. Some say that the Mission is Life and if that is so I have grown from 10 years old to 20 years old here in Latina, Its here I was a ´teenager´ in the mission and learned how to speak, how to walk, how to conduct myself. I cant beleive that i have already had 6 months in the mission... 1/4 of ´Life´ has already passed right before my eyes.
this week has been a week of wrapping up everything. we had more lessons this week than in all the other weeks of my whole mission. and we challenged more people to baptism this last month that all 5 months before put together. Right when i feel like we are going to change the world the world has changed on me haha. Part of me would like to feel like its not fair but the other part knows that its more than fair, and that the Lord is in charge.
Somethings that have really brought me comfort this week. On my mission plaque I asked that they put the scripture D&C 6:32-37 the lord explains in this scripture that what one sews he will reap and that one should not have fear to do good. This has definately been the case here. I think i can leave this area and honestly say that i have done everything that i have been able to do. even though i wont be able to see the results or the people get baptized i feel confident i did my part.
the other thing that has really brought a lot of comfort is talking to our ward mission leader. He said that this área has really changed in the time that i have been here. that before i came it was closed and a few other missionaries had opened the area with only a few baptisms, and that Elder Larson and I have been able to prepare it even more and that we are going ot see many more baptisms.
Im sad to leave and i will be praying for the people here. But i know the Lord is calling me to another place and im anxious to see what experiences lie ahead.
I sent a letter home about goal setting this last month, and i want to share the results of our labor. Our zone had set a really high goal of baptisms this month and we had prayed fervently to know if we should set a goal as high as we did. We felt impressed that it was the right thing to do. We have worked as a zone really hard together to realize our goal, and to be honest, we didnt make it. some might look at our zone and think we had failed this month because we didnt make our goal, BUT this last month we led the mission in baptisms. We had the highest baptism amount that we have ever had before.
The power of goals is great and the power of goals with inspiration from god is greater.
I love the quote that ´two men can acomplish ANYTHING together, as long as one of those men is god´
I know this is true, i feel like all too often we forget god is all powerful and sometimes the only that is lacking in miracles is our faith. (we must remember that all things will be accomplished according the will of god as well)
this week we found a man that has been inactive for two years. well... i shouldnt say we found him, he found us. we were walking in the street one day and this man came up to us on a bike and began speaking to us in broken english, he told us he was baptized in our church and he would like for us to come to his house to talk to him more. we tried to go to his house the following sunday but we were swamped with appointments, we finally had time this sunday to go visit him and what he told us broke my heart.
He told us that he was a convert to the church and explained how his freind introduced him the missionaries. The missionary who baptized him is named Elder Scott from California, Im assuming he has already returned home. He told us that elder Scott had become his best friend and they shared a lot of good times together. He said elder scott went to his house every week and they would teach the gospel in english and spanish and Genaro (thats his name) would help them with their spanish and read the book of mormon with them. He would often tease elder scott and tell him that he should marry a girl from peru and live here in Latina.
After his baptism Genaro went on a trip and Elder scott was assigned to a new area, but before he left we tried to contact Genaro and when he couldnt find him he ended up leaving a note.
Genaro pulled out an old sticky note with a message written on it. it said that elder scott was glad to have genaro as a freind and that he needed to continue in the faith.
Genaro told us that he tried to talk to Elder scott but he had lost contact. Genaro looked as if he was about to cry, i think i have only begun to realize the importance of the missionaries to the converts.
Genaro told us that he was afraid that we had forgotten about him. and he was waiting all day on sunday to talk to us and when we didnt come he was really sad.But he was glad we came this sunday.
I hope and pray that the people i have taught here will never feel forgotten
Love you all
Always turn outward and keep smiling
The Lord is in charge.
Love Elder Bunker
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