Flotas

Hi there family,

I think I would win a competition for the best companion. Elder Santos is the best. This week as we traveled to VillaMontes and Yacuiba I saw how hard he works even when not in our area. He always has ideas of how to be better and he easily makes any missionary laugh. It could be the worst day in the whole world and Elder Santos will be smiling and laughing about something. He is reverent though when he needs to be. He listens to me and to our investigators. He teaches me how to pray with real intent and I feel the spirit in his words as he teaches. We have similar ideas usually which helps us be more united. He works well with the members and makes them feel important. More than anything, Elder Santos knows who his Savior is and testifies of Him often. He understands his role and purpose as a missionary and he actively helps other missionaries understand the same. He loves his family at home and understands why he is here in Bolivia. He is obedient and obeys Gods will. 

This week we also went to Villa Montes and to Yacuiba. We went in what is called a Flota. A large charter bus that has 2 levels. On the way there it was really really hot but they turned off the a/c and I have no idea why!! Its about an 9 hour drive and we left at 9 pm and got there really early in the morning. We went to their district meeting and Elder Santos demonstrated in the both meetings how to direct a district council. I learned a lot from him and from the Elderes in villa montes. I then went with 2 Elderes. I learned a lot from them. It was super super hot. Like 40-41 degrees and really really humid. We walked a ton and had a great day. We taught a ton of lessons. That night we took a small trufi (like a minivan) on a 1 hr ride to the city of Yacuiba where we met up with the Zone Leaders. We then slept there. It was staring to rain when we got there but it was still super hot. We were sweating as we went to bed but the ZL told us it would get cold. I didnt believe them so about 2 hrs after going to be I opened the door to let it some air. I woke up freezing cold. From super hot it got super cold. The whole day it was rainy and wet and cold. A big climate change. We had a great zone meeting there too.

Then I went with Elder Evanson. I learned so much from him. He truly is a persuasive teacher. He showed with so much love to each investigator how to pray, read, fulfill their commitments. I was impressed. I tried to apply what I learned in our area when we got home and it went really well. We came home on a flota too. But this time it was super cold and never once turned the A/C off. I was soo cold. I couldnt sleep at all. We got home about 5 am and then we slept until 6:30. 

On friday when we got home, it was good to be back in our area. We worked like crazy and that night we had correlation meeting with the ward mission leader. We now have sisters in the ward too. Before, it was just us two. We divided the areas and the sisters are now where we were mostly working and focusing our efforts in (by the chapel). I feel good about it, just its been a rough weekend. All of our investigators are now the sisters. In ward council almost all of our families on the progress record were assigned by the bishop to the sisters. We moved over all the teaching records of our area book to their area book and we are left with just a couple records. It'll be a hard week where we need to find a ton of new families to be baptized in the area that's on the other side of the ward. Its going well though. We are excited to work with the ward even more.  I just wanted to be completely honest, its been rough these last 2 days. Elder Santos and I have been humbled by the experience and we are going to baptize every week in our area! 

This past week as I studied Alma 7:12 I learned a lot about Christ and His role in the life of all mankind. It is interesting how it says he will loose the bands of death. Not just one band but several. I thought about the reality of the Atonement and that He saves us not only from physical but spiritual death too. We were bound by the spiritual death that came as a result of the Fall of Adam and Eve. We weren't able to go back to the presence of God. We were also bound by the chains of physical death and could never have resurrected that came as a result of the fall of Adam and Eve. But He came. He took upon Himself death. He died to loose the bands that before held us captive. He knows our pains, weaknesses, desires, temptations, everything! He knows how to succor me and I feel my Saviors love as I teach, preach, and testify of Him. I also learned from Romans 6:8 about the symbol of His death and our death in baptism, I learned in 2 Nefi 2:8 about the power He has to free us from death, I learned about the meaning of mercy and grace and succor from Isa. 25:8, and I learned with more clarity that Christ is my Savior. My ponderizing scripture for this week is 2 Nefi 9:14. It talks about the judgement. I thought it would be a good follow up because I learned about how we return to the presence of God because of Him and now I am going to learn about how that moment will be. 

Hurrah for Israel!! 

Love you all lots,

Elder Gehring

 

Mi compañero y yo