Letter #38

He receives letters. ( I asked if his companion received letters and support from his family, because he is the only member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in his family.) Originally they didn't want him to go, but they let him go. His family doesn't really support him, they write him. His girlfriends family has supported him a lot. Carlos... I don't think he will progress. The other 10 (investigator's) are two families of 5. One family has difficulties understanding, but they want to learn. The other family is a bit more difficult. They have a lot of questions and they have a daughter who doesn't believe in God and a gay son... They gave us food for free today. Its funny though, I think the gay dude has a crush on Elder Scott... I left the puzzle because I didn't have room. Now we have to wash our own clothes on p-day, so from now on we will only have about 15 minutes more or less ( to do anything except study and prepare for the coming week). 

For my studies I just read the scriptures and preach my gospel. Sometimes the pamphlets. We can only read certain books. I read a bit of Jesus the Christ and found that it doesn't help me much to teach the investigators so I don't read it. (I don't have it either). We aren't allowed to read that book of Joseph Smith.( The History of Joseph Smith by his mother Lucy Mack Smith). Only Jesus the Christ and 2 others that I don't remember. The mission is super strict with what we can do. 

That story is crazy, I didn't know about the Far West war. ( An excerpt from a family history story that I sent.)

This week was interesting. We found less actives by contacting people in the street. One is a family of 11. 5 of them are members, so we hope to be able to teach them. We taught them once and they said we could pass by their house to go to church. We hiked 20 minutes uphill to get there to find that they "had already left and we would find them there" they didn't show up. The other we found is named Juan Camacho. He is a drunk who lost everything. His family, house, and job because he was a drunk. Well now he drinks more because he is depressed. He just wants friends and hope. 

We visited another less active family the familia Rodriguez Mosqueda. I got mad for the first time in a lesson. We came in with them to teach them and they wouldn't let us talk. They sat there complaining basically about how other members aren't perfect and so for that they won't go to church. They did that for about 45 minutes until I had had it. I interrupted their complaints and asked them (a bit aggressively which isn't good, but like I said I reached my limit) "Whose church is it?" That shut them up and they responded that its Christ's church. Then they started to apologize for not letting us talk and the hermano began to tell us about the spiritual power that missionaries have. He said he wants to feel that.....and then said he will Never return to the church. That made me really sad because they are a sealed couple.

The invitation, think about whose church it really is and what that means to you.

Love you

Elder Finlinson

Three "Generations". Elder Morfin (trainee), Elder Finlinson, and Elder Candelario (Andrew's Trainer)