The Rolla Holla: The Rolla Holla! Saturday, October 24, 2009

Back on Track

I set a resolution this week. I decided, I WILL NOT let my head touch my pillow until I have done 3 things: written in my journal, prayed with my companion, and sincerely, soul-searchingly, and with all energy of heart, said a personal prayer. Since I made that resolution, I have not missed a day, and I have SEEN so clearly that God is pouring out blessings as a reward.
This week was infinitely more satisfying. We worked hard and saw the results. Elder Vail told us last night, during the nightly “tell stories about your day” session, that we are experts in finding young, golden families. This week we found 3 that resemble Marcial and Saide. They welcomed us in with arms wide open, offered us water, listened to and enjoyed our message and got fired up about doing what it takes to get an answer from God. As Marcial and Saide continue to progress, now filling out a chart we made up to develop habits of reading, praying and family night, the fruits of our labors LIGHT THE FIRE inside to continue striving and sweating even if only to help “the ONE.”
As my time here at the office surely winds down to it’s end, I have also decided to learn Guarani so I can use it out in the field. The lady who makes us lunch here in the office so that we don’t have to leave is teaching us a little bit each day. I like to learn little phrases that are funny or that help in the work: “Arundeve peteí mensaja porá’ite va” means “we bring a beautiful message”, or “Anga che kuña taí ove a paga ta ndeve,” which means “I’ll pay you when you are young” (to an old person, or, in other words, I’ll never pay you). Those good ol’ Guaranies, just have hilarious ways of saying things.
Today, Elder Frutos took a moment to explain to me how GREAT the mercy of God has been from Adam up until our time (Moroni 10:3), and how we need to at least show a FRACTION of that mercy to those we love. He learned the lesson powerfully because of those moments when he didn’t have patience with his kids, and now they are distanced from him, and respond more to their mother. It must be a painful regret, looking back at something now impossible to change.
Sometimes we get that feeling: those moments where it hurts us so badly that we aren’t something more; that we couldn’t DO more; that we fell when it was so important that we stood strong; we were harsh when tenderness was needed most.
This morning the Spirit touched my heart, and I was almost brought to tears by the realization of the people I have hurt in my life, both before and during the mission. The pain was a refreshing one, because it led to the ABSOLUTE determination to do better. In those moments, my mind always asks: How? I’ve tried so many times before. What will be different now? The answer is always the same: Christ will help me. That ´s why He´s here, by my side—that’s why He came! I know He will change me as He has before, and I will be a “new creature,” escaping the weakness and corruption of the natural man and feeling the happiness that I can always take with me—a constant possession. I love you family, and hope that we all grow in Love and Obedience to our God.
Elder McCarty
057 Catching Cocroach: we wanted to see if we could catch it without it flying out at us. Eventually it did and we ran away screaming. Then, Elder Vance snuck up on it and caught it.

029 He is a less active family we found, I may have told you the story: we felt like we should go see a new part of our area, and it turned out to be a ghost town. On the way out, we decided to contact this random house and it turned out they were members that were baptized a year ago in some other ward and had lost contact with the church! Crazy!