We are working toward the middle of winter now and I think I seriously underestimated how much I would suffer from the low temperature when I was packing last year right after summer was over. Two sweaters will be fine, I thought to myself, and if it's cold, then I'll just deal with it. Wrong. Wrong, wrong wrong. So wrong. Did I mention that I was wrong? I eventually got to the point where I would ask for sweaters from the members (who were more than happy to donate to a poor missionary). So now I am a bit warmer and like an Ogre, I now have layers. But my hands... Yes, my hands continue to suffer. My trainer had given me an excellent pair of gloves on the onset of my mission, which I lost after he left. Elder Gila then gave me a pair, but I lost those, too. I guess my hands were just meant to be cold. Don't expect me to find time during to day to get gloves or have money to buy them! I am a poor missionary who has to work! Do you know how much time I would lose if I took time to buy gloves? Too much! We must work!
The changes this week brought four new missionaries in our zone. Like they are called greenies in the United States as new missionaries, they are called golden in South America (at least Uruguay), or "oro." So we got four new oros and they have brought an excellent new zeal and energy to our group of hard workers. I feel as if the quality of missionaries has greatly improved since the age changed. Maybe that's just me. Maybe it's just my mission. But the missionaries that we receive are fantastic! And they come in by the truck-load now, so the mission is really going upward.
We are still working with our investigators and helping them realize the importance of coming to church. We can only bear so much testimony until we realize that they just won't progress, though. Sometimes it's difficult for a missionary to extend a commitment (such as a baptismal commitment) because they know that the person will say no. The missionary might refrain and just wait a while, thinking that the person has to be more prepared to receive the invitiation. The truth is that if a missionary bears sincere and faithful testimony to his or her investigator, then the Spirit will be present. If the Spirit is present, then the commitment should be extended. There is no question. The Spirit will testify to the person that what they are being invited to do is true. The person may reject the testimony, though, and reject the invitation. This simply means that they are not ready to hear the Gospel. The reason the missionary might not extend the invitation is because he knows that if and when they reject it, then he'll have to drop his investigator. And if he has to drop his investigator, then he'll have to find new people to teach. And finding new people to teach is the most difficult and exhausting thing to do. But that's the work of a missionary. So we as missionaries have to learn to be bold and loving. And we have to be willing to keep searching no matter what the circumstances are. And we have to be willing to extend commitments when the Spirit is present. So Elder Gila and I continue to work! And we love working together. He is the best. We will do what it takes to invite others to come unto Christ. We love these people and desire their salvation and blessings. Todos se tienen que bautizar. Sí o sí. I love this work! And I am having the best time of my life in the service of others. I must now go and serve the beloved children of God.
LOVE,
Elder Plautz
The fotos:
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| the first is a pensive Elder Plautz in Florida, next to Piedra Alta |
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| second is me with Elder Gila. But a witch used a spell on us. We got better. |
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