March 5, 2016
Sorry for not writing last week, I just didn't have much time and it wasn't the most interesting week anyway. But something cool that happened last week was that I had two super cool meetings with phone companies because I am in charge of all the phones in my mission and President asked me to basically work my magic and see if I could figure out a better plan for our mission and how to save money. So I made some calls and organized two meetings. One with the company we have now, and the other with the rival company. It's basically like Verizon and AT&T. So with the company we have, I had them explain to us all the feature of our plan in details, asked them many questions, many of which were questions my president wanted to know, and I told them the complaints we have and reasons for why we are thinking of switching to the rival company. There were two representatives from the company, my companion and I, and two representatives from the church headquarters from the Capital. They were basically like my lawyers, hahaha. One of the guys was super clear with me before the meeting that all questions I had, I had to ask him first and any questions the people from the company asked me, I had to look at him first for approval to answer. It was super weird haha, but it was because he was negotiating and stuff and he is specifically in charge of doing that. It was pretty cool and interesting haha. In the second meeting, it was way more relaxed and it was basically a representative of the rival company explaining to me her offer to us that was a plan customized specifically for our mission and the info I gave her a few days in advance. And then I got my business man personality on and started negotiating and telling her the things I liked and the things I felt could be better and the things the company we have now does better for us. So then she made even more offers and honestly gave us such a great offer by the time we finished. The other two missions have that same company and similar phone plans, so she really wants us to have it as well. It was a total of 4 hours! The meetings lasted that long haha. So now we will go back to the company we have and tell them to make us a better deal, or we are going to switch probably. Then I brought all the info to President this week and now it is up to him to decide what to do. So yeah, you can say I am totally a business man now ;) No, but after, I was thinking and thought how cool it was/is that I am able to participate in these types of things and learn all this. It really is the best of both worlds because that was all in the morning, and then in the night, we are out in the streets of our area like normal missionaries preaching and teaching and helping others come unto Christ. Pretty cool. I also thought it was way cool that Heavenly Father has blessed me and blessed me so much especially during the meetings with the gift of tongues. It was a super professional couple of meetings and the language isn't nearly the same that we hear and speak every day in the streets and with the people in our area. Especially because there is so much slang and weird words here. So I thought it was so awesome that I was able to understand everything perfectly and speak really well to them and negotiate business-wise and all.
So
our area has been a mess this past month because the whole month of February, it is the month of the carnival. Basically every Sunday the whole month, everyone and their mother goes to the carnival. But it is
no Del Mar Fair, it is like crazy! It's not quite as bad as Brazil
during their carnival season, but it's up there! The people go crazy,
drink lots, do bad things, less clothes on the women. I could go on...
Just not a good environment for missionaries. Or really anyone. So last
Sunday was the last and biggest Carnival Sunday of the year because it
was their Independence day. You can only imagine... Our numbers were
very low! Doesn't help that the carnival is held in the dead center of my
area!... That really was the big problem for us. There were roads we
could not even go down. At one point, we had to stay inside the house of
a new investigator after ending the lesson early because we literally couldn't hear ourselves talk because the carnival isn't just in one spot,
but they march down every road in our whole area. Insanity. But thank
heavens it is all over now!
But something awesome was that
Teobaldo, the old man who at first progressed so well but then got sick
and for a while didn't progress, he got better recently and we invited
him to church and HE CAME!! We were totally not expecting him, but on
Sunday morning when we entered the Sacrament room, there he was sitting
next to a member he knows!! He came all by himself too! We were so
happy! And he seemed to really love it! So I am way excited to see him
tonight to see if he will come again tomorrow. Pray for him!!
Our
other investigators are doing alright, but Carlos (the guy who got hit
by a car and broke his leg) and his wife Maria are doing really well!
Carlos has all the time in the world to read now because he cant leave
his house, so he promised us to read everything we give him. And he has
been doing really well with it. We asked them what they understood
about what they read about the restoration and they had a pretty good
understanding of it. So now it is just up to them to find out for
themselves through prayer, faith, and searching the scriptures if it is
true or not. We will set a goal for baptism with them hopefully tonight.
Just a goal though, I don't want them to be freaked out or anything.
Just a goal so they can work to get their answer before the date we pick
for them.
So this
is my last week here in this area and as the office elder. I am so
excited to leave haha. I know that sounds bad, but after 8 and a half
months, it's time. I'll miss Betsy, the truck we get as office elders
and AP's, but Betsy will be in good hands with Elder Reeves. I am so
stoked to see what Heavenly Father has in store for me and the people he
has prepared for me to find and help live the gospel and have greater
happiness and more blessings in their lives. I have been stressing out
and way nervous about where I will be sent and stuff. I feel like I am receiving my mission call again! haha. But I fasted and prayed about it a
ton and I feel confident that wherever I end up is where I need to be
and I will grow the most and find the people who are ready to accept
this true and wonderful gospel. I am so stoked and ready to keep giving
it my all, even without the current responsibilities I have right now. I
know I will be so blessed if I do. I only have three transfers left, So
I will make them count! Some missionaries start to get trunky and think
about home when they are this close to it, but I refuse to be that way.
Don't even talk to me about home because I am already here. The fire is
large and it's only getting larger baby!
My PDay will be on Wednesday again. So until then, This is Elder Greer signing out.
Much love. Wish me luck!
Elder Greer
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