I started out this week doing an interchange in La Ligua. It was fantastic for two reasons--first off, I was in La Ligua two areas ago, about seven months back. I got to see a lot of the people I knew and loved, including B, a recent convert who is about to hit a year being a member, and President G, the branch president. Walking through the streets was as delightful as being able to go back into a beautiful dream that I had woken up from and thought I had lost. Secondly, I was with Elder R, from Rexburg, ID. I think if you interviewed him, wrote a newspaper article about him, and then changed his name to mine you wouldn´t be too far off. We are about as alike as any two people I have ever met, from perspectives to taste in movies to homeschooling (even though he was only homeschooled 2 years).
I taught English classes for the second time as well, I sure had a blast teaching, but the students were completely different--a man who lives in Missouri and her grand niece who wants to learn English and travel the world came, not one of the four people from last week was there.
I believe I have talked a good bit about C, well this week we started talking to two of her brothers, E and P. I have a really good feeling about both of them, I think they are going to end up listening to us and wanting to follow the good example of their sister, tonight we are going to go watch a movie with all of them and celebrate Carolina´s birthday.
We also helped F and A to move on Saturday morning. We started out not having any idea how we were going to get all of his furniture from their old apartment to the new house, when out of the blue a really nice guy with a really big truck came over and helped us get it all over. But it was a fun project, it made me think about all of the moves that I had helped Dad with when he was Elders Quorum Pres.
One of the most beautiful experiences of this week has been teaching JC, his wife L, and L´s daughter V. L and V are long-time members (V recently went to efy, came back on fire with the spirit and ripped down all her twilight posters (go her!)), JC went to church a while in the south and came for the first time here this week. We have been talking to him about how reading the Book of Mormon can help him to gain a testimony and about the importance of being baptized. Yesterday, I asked him if he had prayed and asked God if the Book of Mormon was true, he said something like, "I haven´t asked yet, because I know once I do He´s going to answer me and I´m going to have to act on His answer." But, I have no doubt that he will pray and ask soon. Such a great family.
Something that I believe very strongly is that, for every missionary, there are people waiting for him (or her) in his specific mission, in every area that he is assigned to. I feel that, at some point in the pre-earth life, I made a promise to JC and F (and to many other people) that I would go looking for them as a missionary of the restored gospel. I am so grateful for the privilege I have to be a representative of Jesus Christ, that I can go bring this message of joy and happiness to so many people.
Viviendo el sueño,
Elder Jason Ray
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