Well as I said last week I had changes! I'm now in "Tierra Nueva" (New Land) also called "Parroquia" (Pah-Roh-Kee-Uh). I'm now a District Leader and my new companion is Elder Leiva from Chile! He's 18 which is weird that he's the same age as my brother, but he's really super awesome. He just finished his training and now has 3 months in the mission. He's super humble and easy to get along with and we've become friends pretty quickly. He played semi-professional futbol in Chile. Dude has four hands I swear he's insane watching him play.
The new area is great. Its the first area I've ever had where the ward is super strong and we get a lot of help from them. A big part because there's at least 12 or 13 return missionaries which especially in Central America makes a huge difference.
I can also now say that the three areas I've been in in my mission have also been the three most dangerous areas in the mission. All the members joke with me about it when they hear about my previous areas. Pretty similar to Limon as far as gang activity and violence. The gangs ask for money monthly from every store and all the bus drivers. If they don't pay or don't have enough they kill them. Without really blinking an eye. Honestly I don't feel it at all though, everyone respects the missionaries and I loooooovvvvveeee making jokes with the gang members. Honestly its whenever you walk past them and ignore them and act scared when they mess with you so I've learned to talk to them and make jokes with them.
One of them challenged me to an arm wrestling match and I told him if I won he had to come to church on Sunday. So, obviously, I whooped his friggin can and his lil gang bangin self was sittin in the 3rd row pew in church on Sunday. Super dope.
We saw really so much success this week. So many miracles and investigators stepping up to the plate and coming through with what they asked them to do. One guy named Jose Maria came up to us one night super drunk. He's a complete alcoholic. Every night he drinks half of a flask of 36% liquor bottle and then wakes up at 4 in the morning to drink the rest. He asked us to help him and he has a serious desire to get his life back. He is a little nuts, but I can tell you he hasn't drank a sip of alcohol in three days. Pretty incredible for drinking basically a flask of almost moonshine every night.
Although I saw much success in my first mission and was fairly obedient, I can't really describe the difference in my second mission here. Especially this past week. I know why I'm here. I know my purpose and the things I have to do for myself while I am here. I'm not saying I'm this super amazing person or missionary by any means. I just know the change that I have experienced and really the difference in my mentality is night and day. I love this mission and I love serving these people and bringing them to the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
In Alma 36, Alma the Younger is telling his son Helaman about his experience when the angel came and rebuked him for trying to destroy the church. All his life as a young adult he went around teaching good people about the error in their ways and that there was no Christ and tried to lead them "to their destruction." Then the angel came down and struck him dumb that he could not move for three days. 36:12-13 reads "But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins. Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God and that I had not kept his holy commandments. Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto great (spiritual) destruction." Then verse 17 reads: And it came to pass that as i was thus racked with torment while i was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world." Verse 20-21: "And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! Yea, I say unto you my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy."
The experience that Alma had is one we can all relate to. I particularly can relate to this. I know the pains of sin. I know the agony it brings. But I have also experienced the joy in forgiveness and the joy in the knowledge that Jesus Christ died for me. We can all experience that same change of heart if we seek Him.
Here are some pics of me and Elder Leiva and then the sisters in my district. Also a hugeee ditch where everyone just tosses their trash... Guatemala lol
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Elder Gurksnis
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