Resolutions are interesting things. Everbody makes them. We’re getting ready to make a whole list of them with the coming of the new year. But do we really understand what it means to make a resolve? This week I have been struck over and over again with the importance of being slow to make and determined to keep resolutions in order to become more like Jesus Christ. Slow to make them, because when hastily set, they really don’t mean anything, and determined to keep them, beceause that determination is what really brings us lasting happiness and peace in the end.This week has been one in which the Lord has made me strong in my weakness (Ether 12:27). I don’t know if I told you about the problem with the family we baptized, that had a fight with one of the great member families of the ward. Most of all, it was just a big misunderstanding. With the help of the Spirit, my companion and I were able to carefully handle the delicate issue. I felt especially prompted to invite the long time ward member family to write a letter of apology and to warmly invite our converts back into friendship (since before, they had been the best friends and greatest support to our converts). Really, the misunderstanding and getting unjustifiably angry happened on the part of our converts. But I have learned that often he who is not at fault is also most able to fix the situation through humble apology. They did, and the situation was resolved. I was overcome with joy to see them return to church and to see the brightness return to their eyes. God truly guides us as we humbly serve him in order to bring to pass his work and glory. On the lighter side, this week we took Elder Vail’s nametag hostage in the office. We had a whole prank planned out since we locked him in one part of the office. We were going to change his desktop screen to show the picture that I’m attaching and then make our demand. Anyhow, being the escape artist that he is, he got out and walked in on us in the middle of our schemings. Sometimes amidst the hard work and hurry of office life, we’ve gotta have a little fun. Speaking of failed plans, we tried to have a family night Monday with the Montiel Family (converts from about 6 months ago). We took a DVD player and the Restoration DVD but forgot the remote! So, we couldn’t change it into Spanish. We toyed with the idea of translating as we watched it, but just decided to come and do it another night. We ate the brownies I’d cooked and taught a quick lesson. Then, as we got ready to go (our time to be in the house was near) the mother of the family brought out dinner. Oops. We told her we couldn’t but she insisted, again and again. So, we ate a little bit, quickly, and complimenting the food, asked if we could take the rest to go in my brownie pan. We ran to the car, with the other Elders that had been waiting for us and sped home. After it all, we made it home just 10 minutes late. We’ve also been seeing some great success among those lost sheep of our ward. I mentioned Hermano Dure who overcame his addiction. He’s now brought all 4 of his boys back to activity and we’re even hoping they’ll be able to come out with us and help us in the work. We visited the Romero Family as well this week. They have a hard situation in which they have to pay a lot towards the wife’s health condition. The Father of the family has little education and has to drive cattle trucks to make the necessary income, which won’t allow him to attend church. It is so hard to see these families that have such difficult situations and to know what they could do to get the Lord’s help in overcoming them. Sometimes, though, we can just love them, and encourage them, and pray for them to overcome. I am so happy to be in the Lord’s work and to see it from this perspective—an opportunity I NEVER would have had anywhere else. I know I’m where I am supposed to be.
I love you all so much!
Have a great week!
Elder McCarty
120709 009 Cool paintings on a wall in our area.
120709 025 Almost falling in a 3 foot hole. They often put sticks in these that stick up like 2 feet so drivers know to avoid driving there. In this picture, the tire serves that purpose.
120709 035 A cool sunset after a rainy day.
121209 003 This is where we go to pick up the mail every week. Looks like Harry Potter.
121209 012 The plaza inside the mail place down town. Pretty cool
120709 021 Sitting on top of an old building structure. There are lots of these here in Paraguay.
120509 038 We took Elder Vail’s Nametag hostage.
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