For those of you, mostly my parents, who got another email before this one can probably guess at this blindside shot. For others, you'll find out later. It's so much more intriguing.
Tuesday was a busy full day! In the morning I studied Alma 13-15, but more than anything I love Alma 13, in which we learn more about the history of the Melchizedek Priesthood. If you study the chapter closely, there are lots of comparisons of Melchizedek with Jesus Christ. I invite you to read the chapter and search for ways in which you believe Melchizedek compares with Jesus Christ. If you study the scriptures wth that view in mind, you can see hundreds of comparisons of "normal" people to our Savior. Truly everything in the scriptures is a symbol of the plan of salvation. The lessons on Tuesday were also great!
On Wednesday before district meeting we had a visit with Gilda and Marian, our recent converts, and more than anything we talked about how they felt after being confirmed. It was really cool. They have also both finished 1 Nephi and our starting 2 Nephi! At this rate, they'll finish in about 8 months, which is awesome for the first time! The first time I read the Book of Mormon it took me a year... Last Saturday Elder Hatch and I were walking to a lesson and we saw a family walking down the same street as us, so we decided to contact them, and they said we could come back on Monday, so we went back and the dad wasn't home yet, so we went back on Wednesday and we found them! It just so happens that the father, Elfidio, lives and works here in the capital, and his wife and kids live in a department called Jutiapa and are only here for one week a year, and we happened to find and contact them the day they arrived and we were able to teach them twice in the one week they were here! God knows His children and He knows how to bring about their salvation!
Thursday was also a super great day!!! We had 5 lessons! By far the highlight was with our investigators Max and Xiumara! In this lesson we taught lesson 1, the Restoration of the Gospel, in fairly brief terms because the class of Gospel Doctrine on Sunday had already touched a lot of the main points. At the end of our explanation I asked Max if he believes that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and he shared with us an experience he had several years ago and we understood it to mean that Yes, he does believe that Joseph Smith truly was the prophet of the Restoration, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that we have living prophets on this earth. It was absolutely INCREDIBLE! In speaking about the Book of Mormon, he practically gave us Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk from the October 2009 General Conference in knowing that this book, the Book of Mormon, is far too complex for Joseph Smith to write it, and the only explanation for the Book of Mormon is that it is truly inspired of God!! So cool!! When we got home that night, we planned as normal and got ready for bed. At 10:27 p.m. we got a phone call from the Zone Leaders in which they said, "Elder Hatch, you have an emergency change. You are going to San Antonio and you need your bags packed and ready to go by Saturday morning. Elder LaPray, your new companion is Elder Flores." and that was the phone call. So, long story short, my companion is no longer Elder Hatch, rather Elder Flores from Panama.
Therefore, Friday was a rather sad day, knowing that it would be the last day Elder Hatch and I would have together. A lot of the members were rather sad to know that Elder Hatch would be leaving as well. Especially Gilda and Marian, our 2 recent converts. But, not withstanding all of the drama of that day, Elder Hatch and I worked hard and had an awesome last day together full of hard work and lessons!!
And Saturday Elder Flores and I had our first day together! Honestly, it was a pretty rough day. It was raining from about 3 until 9 and we were only able to teach 1 lesson and we tried going around to EVERY body. It was just not our day. But, I'm excited to work with Elder Flores! He has 2 months in the mission and he is really excited and enthuastic about the missionary work! We're going to do great things together, because that's what the Lord wants us to do! Sometimes I wish that I could see the end from the beginning as our Heavenly Father, but I know that He has put Elder Flores and I together for a reason, and I'm just going to work hard and hope that some day we find it all out. But if not, I will have at least given my best efforts to the work of the Lord!
Love,
Elder Andrew A. LaPray
Tuesday was a busy full day! In the morning I studied Alma 13-15, but more than anything I love Alma 13, in which we learn more about the history of the Melchizedek Priesthood. If you study the chapter closely, there are lots of comparisons of Melchizedek with Jesus Christ. I invite you to read the chapter and search for ways in which you believe Melchizedek compares with Jesus Christ. If you study the scriptures wth that view in mind, you can see hundreds of comparisons of "normal" people to our Savior. Truly everything in the scriptures is a symbol of the plan of salvation. The lessons on Tuesday were also great!
On Wednesday before district meeting we had a visit with Gilda and Marian, our recent converts, and more than anything we talked about how they felt after being confirmed. It was really cool. They have also both finished 1 Nephi and our starting 2 Nephi! At this rate, they'll finish in about 8 months, which is awesome for the first time! The first time I read the Book of Mormon it took me a year... Last Saturday Elder Hatch and I were walking to a lesson and we saw a family walking down the same street as us, so we decided to contact them, and they said we could come back on Monday, so we went back and the dad wasn't home yet, so we went back on Wednesday and we found them! It just so happens that the father, Elfidio, lives and works here in the capital, and his wife and kids live in a department called Jutiapa and are only here for one week a year, and we happened to find and contact them the day they arrived and we were able to teach them twice in the one week they were here! God knows His children and He knows how to bring about their salvation!
Thursday was also a super great day!!! We had 5 lessons! By far the highlight was with our investigators Max and Xiumara! In this lesson we taught lesson 1, the Restoration of the Gospel, in fairly brief terms because the class of Gospel Doctrine on Sunday had already touched a lot of the main points. At the end of our explanation I asked Max if he believes that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and he shared with us an experience he had several years ago and we understood it to mean that Yes, he does believe that Joseph Smith truly was the prophet of the Restoration, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that we have living prophets on this earth. It was absolutely INCREDIBLE! In speaking about the Book of Mormon, he practically gave us Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk from the October 2009 General Conference in knowing that this book, the Book of Mormon, is far too complex for Joseph Smith to write it, and the only explanation for the Book of Mormon is that it is truly inspired of God!! So cool!! When we got home that night, we planned as normal and got ready for bed. At 10:27 p.m. we got a phone call from the Zone Leaders in which they said, "Elder Hatch, you have an emergency change. You are going to San Antonio and you need your bags packed and ready to go by Saturday morning. Elder LaPray, your new companion is Elder Flores." and that was the phone call. So, long story short, my companion is no longer Elder Hatch, rather Elder Flores from Panama.
Therefore, Friday was a rather sad day, knowing that it would be the last day Elder Hatch and I would have together. A lot of the members were rather sad to know that Elder Hatch would be leaving as well. Especially Gilda and Marian, our 2 recent converts. But, not withstanding all of the drama of that day, Elder Hatch and I worked hard and had an awesome last day together full of hard work and lessons!!
And Saturday Elder Flores and I had our first day together! Honestly, it was a pretty rough day. It was raining from about 3 until 9 and we were only able to teach 1 lesson and we tried going around to EVERY body. It was just not our day. But, I'm excited to work with Elder Flores! He has 2 months in the mission and he is really excited and enthuastic about the missionary work! We're going to do great things together, because that's what the Lord wants us to do! Sometimes I wish that I could see the end from the beginning as our Heavenly Father, but I know that He has put Elder Flores and I together for a reason, and I'm just going to work hard and hope that some day we find it all out. But if not, I will have at least given my best efforts to the work of the Lord!
Love,
Elder Andrew A. LaPray
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