Villa Agricola 1 - Transfer Week

Villa Agricola 1 - Transfer Week

Hey fam -

 

I hope you all had a great week and are enjoying yourselves during Spring Break and everything that's going on right now.  I'm not going to lie and say this week was amazing and full of success because it really wasn't. It probably was the hardest week that I've had in the mission. 

One of my favorite kids in the old ward in Boca Chica, Esmerling, that came by before his school started to say goodbye.

First off, I left my first area, Boca Chica, on Tuesday. Monday night after Internet, I spent the entire night saying goodbye to members and the converts and investigators I had. It was a night when I definitely could have used a couple Kleenexes and some ice cream with a chick flick to say the least. It was probably one of the most emotionally difficult things I've done, to leave that area. To leave behind an area that my two companions and I helped build through hard work and God's help. We had so many great people we were teaching, the support and love from the ward, and everything was just really starting to settle in when I got the call that I was getting transferred. The people that I met and know now in Boca Chica will forever have a place in my heart. The humility of the members and people in that area really taught me a lot about the things that are really important in life and I have memories I will never forget.

 

 

Elder Alva, my new companion, and I. We took this picture about an hour and a half ago before we left for internet because we realized we didn't have any pictures together hahaha. He's from Peru and has 10 months in the mission. He's a character but he's really funny and loves dogs a little too much. 

Tuesday morning, I arrived here in Villa Agricola in the capital. The capital is a lot different than Boca Chica. It's the first time since the MTC where I've actually been around big buildings and nice houses. It's a lot like America but everything is in Spanish and there are stray dogs scattering the streets. The first day was rough because the people here just aren't as open and humble as the people in Boca Chica. They're well off and a lot of the people living here don't have time or don't want to hear about God. It's tough. But I know I was called here for a reason and that with hard work we can do miracles here.

But during this week when I was kind of struggling and having a little bit of pessimistic thoughts about the area, I really was praying and asking Heavenly Father for help. And the help came on Thursday night, when I found the book "As a Man Thinketh" that Papa Black (Bryant Black's dad) gave me. It's a small book about how we think is strongly correlated with success and our attitude in life. I stumbled upon this scripture in the book that changed my thinking and feelings about being transferred to this area that is Proverbs 23:7 which reads:

"Because how a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

It's very short and doesn't really seem like much, but it really hit me: my feelings, my attitude, and everything negative that happened this week really came from how I felt in my heart. I realized that I need to forget the things I've heard about this area and just lose myself in the service and teaching of the people here. It's difficult and won't be easy but I know that I'm here for a reason and that I have something to do here.

 

A couple elders in my zone in the Chinese restaurant where we ate today. Probably the first time since I left the MTC where I ate a relatively "fancy" or normal meal. There's a lot of nice restaurants here in the capital so that's definitely a plus about living here on Pdays. The one on the left is Elder Jeffers. He's the only missionary serving from his entire country. He's from an island called St. Kits and he was baptized a year ago. He put in his papers immediately after he was baptized so he could leave because he's already 26. He's legit.

I hope this week I can have a better experience and learn what it is I need to do here and why I'm assigned to this area. I love you all and hope you have a great week.

 

And sorry for the limited pictures, I don't carry my camera on me anymore because in addition to this area being one of the richest in the mission in parts, it's also very poor and dangerous in the streets in parts so we're encouraged to leave our things of value at the house. But I'll try and get in some pictures here and there to send.

Till next time,

Elder Graff

 

"Dreams are the seedlings of realities" - "As a Man Thinketh"