Boca Chica 17 - Leaving Boca Chica

Boca Chica 17 - Leaving Boca Chica

So this week we received transfer calls and I´m getting transferred from Boca Chica. I leave tomorrow in the morning for an area in the middle of the capital called Villa Agricula. I´ve heard great things from other missionaries about the area and I´m moving into a house with all Latinos so looks like God is trying to tell me that my Spanish is still awful - and even though I´ve been out here for almost six months now - that I still have a lot of room to improve haha.

 

But this week was great for Elder Mendez and I. We had a lot of great lessons and I´m really sad I have to leave Boca Chica because the ward is really helping us out a lot with finding more families to teach and we have a ton of people we´re teaching that I´m really close to so it will be really hard to say goodbye.

 Elder Mendez and I at Martin's baptism

Martin was definitely our focus the majority of this week though, making sure he was prepared for his baptism and that everything was still ok with his situation spiritually. But he did great all week and on Saturday we had his baptismal service. A lot of the ward showed up to support him which really made us happy because his whole family lives in the United States and he lives alone here. So to have that kind of support and love from the church really meant a lot to him. It was a really spiritual experience and it was such a great time talking with him after in a lesson at his house about how he felt and what his goals for the future with the church are. He told us that he wants his family in the US to take the missionary discussions, so he´s going to call them and Elder Mendez and the other elder that is coming will work with him on that. But it´s always cool to see the change this gospel brings into the lives of those that embrace it and change and how excited they are to share it with others.

Another picture of us with Martin but with Maria also. She´s going to be getting a calling in the church I believe this next week and she´s preparing to go to the temple this next month to do baptisms for the dead. Over these past two weeks since her baptism, it´s amazed me how fast she´s progressing still and how much love she has for the church. It´s going to be hard to say goodbye to her and her family. 

Over these past couple days I´ve really been thinking a lot about the mission. About what it is exactly we do as missionaries, about all the things I´ve done and how I´ve changed over these past five months and with a lot of the experiences I´ve had and the things I´ve seen, I´ve come to realize that we really don´t do anything special. Sure, we´re missionaries that are called to preach the gospel 24 hours a day 7 days a week. But without the Spirit to guide us and without the help of God, this work and these two years wouldn´t be nearly as successful or beneficial. Just thinking about Martin and how what started his conversion to the gospel was a contact on the street. An impression of the Spirit, which really at the time was just a random thought that came to me in that moment that I needed to play guitar with him. It´s all God. God guides us. God prepares the people where we were sent to teach for us to help. Like it says it Alma Chp 24 verse 27 in the Book of Mormon that "God works through many ways for the salvation of his people". Those "many ways" may be a visit to someone that you feel is in need. It may be a smile you give to someone that´s having the roughest day. It may be being a friend to someone that doesn´t have many. 

 

We all can make a difference in people´s lives. We just have to be ready in the moment when the time comes to do it. I know this church is true and that God lives and I hope you´re all doing great.

Elder J. Taylor Graff

 

Matthew 4:19 "And he said unto them: Come unto me, and I will make you fishers of men."