It has been a very, VERY interesting week. First and foremost, WE BAPTIZED!!! This baptism makes this the most successful change I've ever had! Win! I would love to put the picture, but for some reason it isn't showing up, so...deal with it. His name is Ricardo. He's an old man that really wanted to be baptized, cuz he used to be very much a drunk. But...he's repented! All is well!
Want to know a fun thing that I started doing this week?
Well...I started reading the BoM out loud during language study time. It was
cool...I started reading the intro, and the testimonies of the 11 witnesses,
and a short summary of everything, and about half way through the summary, I
realized something. I realized that there was not a SINGLE word in ALL that I
had just read that I didn't understand! Every once in awhile, I just have to
stop and think...WOW! I SPEAK SPANISH! When did this happen?! HOW did this
happen?! It was just one of those kind of surreal moments. I've been having
those a lot lately.
Ok...I can't decide whether to start with the ridiculousness
that happened on Sunday night, or my spiritual thought that I wanted to share
with everyone............
Think I'll start with the tontería. So...on Sunday night, at
about 8:15 or so, I decided I REEEEALLY needed to find a bathroom (Why is it
that a lot of my stories begin like this?). We were near the church, so we
decided to head on over to see if, by chance, there was someone there. As we
walked by, I heard the companion of Elder Peña, Elder Cruz say, "Hey Elder
Hopper!" It kind of surprised me that he was just sort of hanging out in
the church. He was with this 18 year old in our ward. I knew that they were
doing divisions, so I asked what was up! He said, "Well...we were going to
meet Elder Peña and the other kid here at seven o'clock, but they haven't
shown." So...we're an hour and fifteen minutes into Elder Peña being lost
from the world. So, I sent Elder Cruz and his kid to go and check where they
had appointments that day, and their close by investigators to see if they had
heard anything. I was a bit frightened for him at this point. My companion and
I hung out at the church, waiting for him to get back. At about 8:30, Elder
Cruz came back, without word. Now I was really worried. So, after waiting
another 15 minutes at the church, hoping he'd show, we decided to say goodbye
to the kid Elder Cruz was with, and go home and call President. At 9:00, TWO
HOURS after he was supposed to show up, there was still no sign from Elder
Peña. We were calling the kid that he was with, but he wasn't answering the
phone either. So we called the kids mom. No answer. I REALLY started to worry
at this point. You must remember, as well, we hear of kidnappings here
literally probably about once every other week. So...TWO HOURS after the
appointed time, I was REALLY nervous. So I called President and explained the
situation. His exact words, "Ooooooh this isn't good. This isn't good at
all, Elder Hopper." He asked if we had searched all the places that we had
already searched, and just kind of shut up for a second. After saying how bad
it was once again, I asked, "So...what do I do, President?" Kiiiiind
of desperately hoping for guidance. He told me, "Call your Bishop. Get
leaders of the ward out looking for him, in GROUPS. DON'T LET ANYONE LOOK FOR
HIM ALONE." So, in about five minutes, I had four search parties
consisting of the Bishop, the Ward mission leader, a member of the High
Counsel, and the Ward secretary out driving the streets looking for our little
wayward missionary. By now it was about 9:15. President called me back and told
me, "Look...if it's a kidnapping, I'll be getting phone calls from the
kidnappers very soon. Look for him till I get that call." Then he told me
to say a prayer, and get out looking for him myself and the other two elders.
SO. At 9:25 or so, we left the colony where we live, with four other search
parties driving the streets of San Jose Villa Nueva, looking for this massive
gringo who is just a lost puppy right now. Right as we walk out of the gate of
the guarded colony where we live, he comes walking on up as if nothing is
happening! I throw my hands in the air, EXASPERATED, and say, (and I quote)
"BRO!!! WHERE THE FREAK HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!??" I have
never had the conflicting emotions of punching, and hugging someone so strongly
in my life. He looked VERY confused. I then promptly informed him that we had
FOUR search parties out looking for him! He told me that his watch said that it
was only 8:30! He was SO confused as to what the problem was! I told him that NO!!!
It's 9:30!!!! So, I called the Bishop, and he asked me
to call off the search dogs, which I did. Then I called President to inform
him. He. Was. LIVID. He asked me, "WHERE HAS HE BEEN?!!?" I told him,
in a very timid voice...well...I don't know! Would you like to talk to him? In
a very stern voice he said, "YES. GIVE HIM THE PHONE." I very gladly
handed the phone off. Elder Peña explained what happened, and everything turned
out OK...but...man...scared the pants off of me! I NEVER want that to happen
EVER for reals! President then told Elder Peña that he already had "Church
security" deployed...not sure what that means, but...kind of cool that we
have our own security team as missionaries! We've been looking over our
shoulders for the past two days looking for the people who constantly follow
us! Haven't seen anyone yet. But...All's well that ends well!!
So...this week I realized something. As a missionary, it is my job to testify
of Christ ALWAYS. But, being in a one million percent Christian nation, where
everyone thinks they have Christ in their hearts, you kind of lose the focus on
that every once in awhile in testifying of the BoM, or Joseph Smith, or
whatever else! So, this week I have been putting an emphasis on testifying of
Christ. It has been amazing. I have noticed that the Spirit is in our lessons
more, and the other things that I testify of after ALWAYS have more power!
So...I just want you ALL to know that I KNOW that Christ is our Savior. He
literally came to Earth to die for us. He didn't HAVE to do it, but he came
below all things to suffer for all of us, and I KNOW He lives today. This is
HIS church, and we will be able to come closer to him every day by reading His
words, and praying and asking Heavenly Father for help to be able to do it. The
key is OBEDIENCE to his laws. Obey, and we will see the blessings, and we will
feel Christ closer to us every single day. I KNOW that these things are true,
and I am SO VERY grateful for them every single day. Try to go out of your way
this week to testify of Christ. Do it just one time, and I KNOW you'll feel
some sort of difference in your lives.
I love you all. Have a wonderful week. Rainy season began yesterday with a FAT
rainfall, so...here we go!!!
With a TON of love,
With a TON of love,
Elder Hopper #2
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