The Worst Week Ever

Welcome back! 


     Alright I'll be the first to admit that the title is a little dramatic. It's more of an attention grabber, but it's not far off. This ones gonna be long so buckle up. I got to meet the new mission president for the first time on Tuesday because we had zone conference. It was really good and I felt like it was God talking directly to me. The mission is in great hands because the new mission president and his wife, are incredible people. They know the balance of working hard and having fun and that resonates with me a lot. We had a great interview and we get along a little too well so I'm excited to continue to serve under his guidance and direction. After zone conference our week was a nightmare. I'll get into the more specific details later on, but it's really feeling like our work is in vain and nothing is coming out of it. It's been really discouraging and I've been losing motivation like crazy, but I know there's still a reason I'm meant to be here in Alpine, so I'm adjusting my approach yet again to find it. Giving up is never an option, but man sometimes it sounds like there's nothing left to do. 


      To kick things off with our week from outer-darkness, one of our two progressing people sent us the "break-up" text. Now I've gone through my fair share of hard breakups, but this one was by far the worst because there's more at stake, someone's salvation. Zach sent us a text that he prayed for an answer if the church is true like we invited him, and he said God told him to not meet with us anymore. To make matters worse he became incredibly hostile and started being very aggressive with Elder Greene and I. The moldy cherry on this disgusting dessert, he told us he only wanted to meet with us cuz he thought I was attractive and started calling the church an apostasy because of its views on topics related to same sex attraction. This was a sucker punch to the face. He was our only other progressing person other than Steph, and while he may have had his struggles, was promising. We taught him how to pray and recieve personal answers which worked in the past! He now has an incredibly strong testimony of prayer, so when he got his answer about the church, there's nothing we could do about it. It's his agency. So now we have really only 1 person were teaching, and an area of people who don't like us! Again giving up is not an option, and I'm not giving up on Zach either. I talked with him for HOURS and were on good terms now, but with love and patience, he will continue to grow that testimony he started growing already. It's his agency and I'm slowly introducing the church in conversations again, but to me it's more about being a friend and planting that impression and seed. 


      I'm still incredibly optimistic about Steph. She is the most prepared person I have met on my mission. Although we haven't met with her in 2 weeks, I have faith we will get her baptized like she wants. We've become close with her and she is super comfortable around us and with us, so thats good. I always love to approach the people I teach as if they were my family members who are struggling and wanting help and to learn more. I like to build my relationship with them on more personal levels so I can better help them spiritually, and this is the case with her. We go surprise her at work and on her dates with her boyfriend and anywhere else we can just pop in. We kinda started a prank war too, but I know showing her that we're just cool people who want her to be happy has been helping her a lot because she's told us. I think it's better that way with everyone because we have a reputation of scaring people away by being too prudish or proper and they get the wrong ideas. Missionaries are people too. 


      I was gonna rant more about my week, but this email is already a CVS receipt long. Basically to sum it all up, I am in a really big rut. Probably the biggest one I've ever been in. I got a lot on my mind constantly and at times it's overwhelming. This area is making things difficult as well. I love to be busy because I have less time to think, but this area is the slowest and most challenging area. So I'm dealing with personal battles and battles with Alpine, not to mention physical hurdles. It's a lot. Sometimes too much. But God's mercy is beautiful. Sure people don't come running to the font, or my problems don't just magically go away, but thanks to Heavenly father, I can push through and overcome my obstacles. A mountain feels more like a steep hill. A hurdle, a small jump. And a hard rocky path, a road. He knows better and he helps me become better. I have so much more to say so maybe I'll write another letter or save/ share it later, but I'm going to end It here. Thanks for all your support and for reading this far if you did. Remember God loves you no matter what. 


-elder jenkyboy 


201 state hwy. 118 Alpine, TX 79830 


Pics: (join the drive to see em there first) https://photos.app.goo.gl/nTrtQC69AyPUiJCa7
1: sister moment
2: mmmmm chimkin 
3: observatory type beat 
4: telescope like hubble 
5: chonken 
6: you're a star 
7: masked up 
8: it's topo time 







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