So, interesting week. Number 7 in the Field which is one longer
than an ordinary transfer which is 6 weeks. It is due to the Holiday
season or something and the transfer before I arrived was only 5 or
something. Anyways, Friday we received the call for transfers and Elder
Marble is leaving Mercedes...It's weird because normally one companion
helps you with your first 2 transfers because you have what they call
the 12 week program to finish. Now I get a stepdad in the mission and he
will finish my training. That makes me a bit sad because I love Elder
Marble and his goofy self. What's worse is that now I have to work the
area as the one who knows it. Meaning, my new companion doesn't know
anyone or anything about El Centro and so he will be depending on me as
his Jr. companion to show him what's going on and all that stuff. As you
all probably know, I have the worst time with directions and here in
south Texas there are no mountains which makes it even worse. I feel
like I can mostly get us around but at times I am still completely lost
as to where I am. So this next week is going to be a long and hard one.
Also, the last few days we have been going around so that Elder
Marble can say goodbye to all those he baptized here in Mercedes since
July and all the members he has grown to love and it made me realize
that some of them don't seem to have a lot of Faith in me. This was
expecially expressed through Mayra Guerrero these last few days as she
seems to grow more and more concerned at the news of Marbles departure.
She doesn't think I have enough experience to help her as much as Elder
Marble has and her daughter Regina brought the point home with a comment
of, "Oh now you are going to have to talk more.". It's put me to think a
lot about this last transfer and how I was getting a bit complacent
with Elder Marble taking the lead in our lessons. This seems natural to
me as I am the very Jr. companion and have a lot of learning to do about
being a good Missionary but I guess it has come back to bite me. I am
nervous at the prospect of showing my companion the ropes in the area
and I realize how little faith I have in myself. Last night as I was
laying in bed thinking about this I thought to myself, my faith should
never ever be in myself, faith in myself will get me nowhere. My faith
needs to be in the Lord because as we learn in the scriptures, "All
things are done in the wisdom of he". He knows what he is doing and so I
just need to trust in him and that is a very hard thing at times
because I don't like walking up to doors of strangers to try to convince
them to let me into their homes to share with them what they think they
already know. I am not a great spanish speaker and so it is hard to get
points accrossed as I would like them to. But God and his son both know
what is best for me and if I will surrender myself to them I will be
guided and helped.
This last week not a ton has happened with many of our
investigators. Juan is super Happy Christian but I won't give up on him.
Norma did receive the Holy Ghost yesterday as she was confirmed and so
now she is truly counted among our family in the church and that brought
me great joy. The Guerreros have been progressing very well except for
Josue who has not come to church for 3 weeks. We truly need to help him
in particular understand that he can't be baptized with his family
unless he himself does everything required. We did find out however that
Mayra has had a few "problems" that may impede the baptisimal process
and so we need to try and get them sorted out soon. Her and her husband
David did raise the money necessary to get married and are just waiting
the 72 hours required by Texas law to sign their marriage certificate. I
have great faith in that family and that they will be soon entering
into the covenant with our Lord. We are trying very hard to find new
investigators but many people have given themselves to the "Valley"
sickness. "There is only one God, it doesn't matter where you go. God is
in the trees and the grass and my bed. I am part of Gods church, so are
you and you. I don't need to worship him in a church because I have
accepted him and as long as I talk about him and believe in Christ I
will be fine." False...False...False it is rough at times here to shake
them of this viciously false doctrine and many times people don't let
words escape our mouths before they have slammed the door in our faces.
But, we have begun finding five miracles a day and writing them down and
that has helped lift our spirits.
Before I go I wanted to share a few comical experiences we have
had. One a run-in with a very drunk man we have crossed paths with many
times named Jesse. Or at least we thought that was his name. The other
night in his drunken stupor he explained to us that he was in fact the
archeangel Gabriel and that he was going to teach us the gospel. Also,
we have found out that Mexican women love Elder Marbles nose as one of
the women in the Spanish Branch admitted to him that it had been the
subject of conversation among the Women of the Relief society and the
Young Women...weird but super funny to hear her tell him it was
beautiful and that she wished she had one like his. Finally and possibly
the most comical experience was the night we told Mayra to pray about
Thomas Monson and that night she had a dream that she was Married to
Elder Marble...Awesome.
Elder Bassett
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