El Ejido
Elder Ruiz, Sam, me
Saturday, February 11, 2012
EE 20
Hello.... 8 Feb 2012
So how are yall doing!! I haven’t heard much from yall. Momma I got your letter, thank you for sending that! I have a couple letters I need to send out to everyone.
This week has been a little slow. My new comp doesn’t have the energy that Alexis had so I kind of have to pick up the slack. But that’s okay I’ll learn from it – we are all different. However, my comp teaches like no other. He can talk about anything he wants to and can convince people into doing anything. haha.
We had an awesome lesson this week where we invited the Vargas family; they are converts of about 6 years to the church and are really awesome. We invited them to come teaching with us to one of our investigators. The investigators are a young couple named Yajaida and Richard. While walking over to their house we explained to the Vargas family what we were going to teach and what they could do in sharing their testimonies, etc. Welp, we thought that we had it planned out perfectly. Sometimes coaching the families we take with us helps the discussion stay on track and in a reasonable time frame. So we started the lesson – the lesson was on the Book of Mormon - and honestly right in the middle of the lesson Sister Vargas (Dolores, the mom ) stops us and starts to explain how the Book of Mormon and the Bible are like a family, and how they both support each other, which is true … but then she went off into wonderland talking about how she has 4 kids and none of them do anything wrong and how old they are and how they grew up.... she talked for about 5 minutes, and then she finished. I thought, Oh my where did that come from? As far as our part of the lesson went it was close to a disaster – completely off of where we wanted to go with the lesson… but, when we looked over at Yajaida and asked her a follow up question, she answered our it, then went off about her family as well. I don’t know if our lesson even mattered, but what Hermana Dolores said did! and it’s what Yajaida needed to hear. It’s crazy because I was so nervous at the time, wondering what the heck - but then we realized that all of that needed to happen. Sister Vargas later said that she felt prompted to talk about families - pretty cool! ha.
Also there was a baptism this weekend with the other Elders of Pueblo Nuevo. They had it in our chapel because their building is getting air conditioning installed. They got there on Saturday at about 6:00 pm and we showed up just a little later. When it got close to seven no one was there from their ward to show support. They were so embarrassed. So I got on the phone and invited our whole world to the baptism. They had to get their Bishop there so it would be valid- dot the I’s and cross the T’s - but wow at exactly 7:00 pm three families showed up and we had a baptism and it was perfect! Our ward is really coming around.
We have a sad situation as well with a couple that we are teaching. The girl is 19 and the guy is almost 30 and they have a 3 year old kid together. He wants to get married, but she wants to be a teenager still and do things – not be “locked down”. So we are still trying to put it in her head that she needs to face the consequences and reality, ha, and become the Mom and example for her son, and how she can’t really just do whatever…. she is having the hardest time trying to figure out what she wants to do. Having a baby that early in life kind of takes away a bunch of options and realizing that is really hard for her!!! Play now pay later- yup kind of difficult when the bill is due, no?
We finally had a full sacrament meeting for like the first time since I’ve been here. We worked so hard the last week to get the members.... no the investigators, but the members to church, and wow they came. We had about 85 people in sacrament meeting, it was sweet! It would have been great if any of our investigators showed up. but what do ya do - shoulder to wheel, right!
Welp,,, happy February , best month in the world, full of love and .... Grandpa Francom’s, David’s, and my birthdays....
LOVE YALL
ELDER GRINER
Friday, February 3, 2012
EE 19
Hey guys! 2/1/2012
Mira. yo tuve un sueño....... ( I had a dream ) hahahaha
Wow it’s been a good week and I have learned and felt a lot. Elder Alexis was transferred and called to be a zone leader. My new comp is Elder Ruiz! He is a Dominican and a really cool guy. He’s the new district leader, and is almost dying in the mission (his 2 years are almost up) but I’m excited to work with him – another native, that really helps me with the language and with learning about this place and its people.
During this week we had a couple experiences that have really changed my mind about being a missionary, and have helped me think of what I want to achieve as a missionary. Elder Alexis helped me realize that I need to set goals and work to achieve them.
We were in a lesson with a family; the Moms’ name is Alexandra and her son is Miguel. We talked and talked and talked about life and school and everything outside the topics of the gospel just to get an outlook on her life. When it came time to talk about the gospel I was at a loss of words, but I still struggled through what I wanted to say. After the lesson and feeling the spirit and all of the missionary stuff, I finally stopped and asked my comp, what in the world do I need to do to be better at this whole thing. He simply told me, it’s all about your study and the goals you have. It’s true; I realized that if I want to get better, I have to work for it. Dad that is something you have always tried to tell me; that nothing great comes easy. We have the Griner curse/blessing – we are really good at some things and it’s the measure of the man to work hard and not be satisfied with good. Sometimes in my life things have come easier than others. Here, right now I need to work to become better than good! Elder Alexis helped me realize that.
Haha, about the dreams; this week has been a week of dreams, about every morning my comp would tell me about a dream he had just had! One morning the first thing that I heard out of his mouth was "I placed a baptismal date last night " haha, and then that night Manuel told us about another dream that he had that I won’t even try and explain that one. haha
We are trying to get Mildred and her live-in, whom I have talked about before, married. We are also working with him to stop smoking so they can get baptized in the next month. We had the opportunity to do some service for them and put a door handle on their door. After we finished she wanted to talk, but we couldn’t because there wasn’t another male in the house. I felt terrible – rules are rules and for a good reason - but they are doing good and progressing.
I don’t know if I told yall about Veronica or not, she is the niece of one of our stronger members and we have been teaching her for a little while. She’s 19 and was going to the institute with the single people haha, I don’t know what to call them in English (YSL institute) but ya. She has been visiting the church a lot. We got a call from her aunt and I guess that she told her that she didn’t want us to pass by her house anymore, but that she would read and visit the church on her own. We’re still praying for her and passing by her house to find out her concerns to stay in the battle. It’ll be good,
For right now I will stay here in El Ejido, enjoy the people and members, and have fun and do my best as an Elder and as Elder Ruiz’s comp. I really like my area and I’ll be sad when it’s my turn to get transferred. I have at least another 6 weeks here – that will make 24 weeks in this piece of heaven!!
Bye bye fam! Love to all
_______________
ELDER GRINER
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