Hello Family!
I always love P-days because I get to check up on my family and hear from you guys too. We have had little success but we've worked so hard.
A sister went home from our zone this past week. She had a family death and only had a month-ish left in her mission and so she went home. That area is closed for the time being. Not only is that really hard, but we only have 3 pairs of Elders that are actually working really hard. The others are Planching (not working hard) and we know because they complain about their areas, rarely have lessons and then tell us all their problems which wastes precious time. My ZL (Elder Coombs) was talking to Elder Underwood today (other ZL) and gave Elder Rincon and I a really good compliment. He said that we were his boys in the zone and that we worked hard in our area regardless of challenges. That was an awesome moment that made me smile.
Honestly, this week has been really rough and filled with blessings too. It hasn't been rough for me but I am pained when I see the struggles of others. I have spent sooo many hours thinking to myself about what I can do to help. I look everyday to help someone. I want so badly for people to understand but they don't understand! Agency: The phenomenon of a person which can either lead to sadness, darkness and chains, or to love, life, hope, and freedom. Do I have permission to smack some people with an Understand-Me Stick??!!!
I talked to Bishop Molina this week and he read the scripture in DyC about Christ bringing a sword into the world. He then told us to be more bold with the less-actives to get them to come back to church. That night I had a dream that was just sooo powerful and I woke up feeling awesome! I dreamed that we went to the temple here in Honduras and when we arrived, the sun was setting right behind the Angel Moroni and then the Angel Moroni lowered his trumpet, turned it into a golden, bright sword and raised up high as the world around the temple grew dark. It was pretty cool in my dream.
So on another note, I played the piano this Sunday and gave a talk. I tried printing off the Parable of the Keys in Spanish that Kristen sent me but it just printed off junk and we didn't have time to go back to the Cyber so I translated it all into Spanish (yea! I did it and it made sense!) and everyone liked it. One of the members asked to borrow it as we were leaving the church because she was going to another meeting and thought it would be perfect to share. So, she has it still :D
We visited Andres and Carolina with Hno Nuñez on Friday and that was really powerful too. They told us they wanted to live the commandments and that they wanted the best for their little girl and so Hno Nuñez laid all the cards on the table and it was just awesome. He used an example with his hand: if your hand represents the family and each finger is a member, then when your hand is open and apart it's easy to make one of the fingers hurt really bad. But if your hand is in a fist, no one can make your fingers hurt by pulling on them. The tighter the fist, the less your hand can get hurt.
Our Ward Mission Leader has been having family issues this past week and they haven't gone to church and we haven't been as successful in Kbranch this week. They are the point of the spear in Kbranch and we need them. Hno Nuñez also gave them the talk too, which I hoped helped them. Their daughter is not doing or being the person she needs to be. She's run away, wears a cross necklace during the week (but not on Sunday's... go figure) and she is not being a lady but an object for other guys. It's really sad. The ward is working hard to help her now. All this just happened this week. It's like I wasn't the only one that was feeling all the temptations and depressions of Satan this week. The whole area was affected. I don't know why but it made a difference.
Then on the bright side, we had six investigators come to church! Guillermo started smoking again (and trying to hide it from us and the members) but he came to church still! We are trying to find him during the week when he has time so we can help him and so that the ward can help him.
Some other thoughts from this week:
We are to go forward and never look back, doubt or deny the faith. It all starts with looking back. What happened to Lot's wife? She looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Salt is referred to as a sweetener to the earth in the scriptures but it is also bitter. While she had the sweet light, she also fell and became bitter at leaving her home (wickedness) behind. When we leave sin, we better really leave it, and never look back to imagine with longing, our sins. Let us change and be servants of God. His yoke is easy and his burden is light.
Thank you Mom and Dad for the thoughts and help. I'll be reading and studying more this week in your letters and insights. It's rough but life is rough. Sometimes I wonder, why do I fall? But then I realize it's because when I reach for the Saviors hand, in the midst of the stormy sea, I will become better. All things work together for good.
"Believe in miracles. I have seen so many of them come when every other indication would say that hope was lost. Hope is never lost. If those miracles do not come soon or fully or seemingly at all, remember the Savior's own anguished example: if the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in happier days ahead." -Elder Holland
Love you Lindsay. You are in my prayers. Hope is never lost. You can Do It!!!
Love you family, and thanks for all of your letters!!!! OXOXOXO I don't have time to write you all back but I read every word!
Love,
Elder Tuft
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