March 12, 2018
“An 18 Year-Old Marriage Counselor”
Dear Familia, Amigos y el Mundo,
Hey sorry that I didn’t say anything last week…but Ethan my man! Happy birthday! Love ya kid!
Ok now where do I start? Well, I got 2 whole days with my cousin Sam (Elder Stewart) in the mission soooo that’s pretty rad! Boy oh boy does it just bring back memories and I also think it’s great because we can help each other out. Elder Stewart is a great missionary and I do think we were both called here together for a reason! But man was it just fun to be with him! I love him to death! Now let’s get to the meat of this week....
So, Evelyn Y Pastor.... we come back from our Multi-Zone Conference and the next day we had an appointment with Evelyn to help her submit the proper papers for her wedding and all that jazz. Well, she seemed a little tired at first and you know that’s kind of normal. Then she told us what was really going on. I don’t know if I want to share all of the details but basically Pastor is having a few doubts and it’s been a little hard on him. This past week was a little rough for them both...So, we talked to her a bit and set an appointment to talk with them the next day. And let me tell you that it’s hard being an 18 year old boy who has had absolutely no personal experience having a serious relationship such as marriage, and then being expected to counsel with people and help them clear up their doubts. I mean I never even really had a serious girlfriend let alone a wife! Yet, here I was sitting with these two adults helping them with their marriage! Evelyn was really distraught. She started off with the prayer and then expressed her feelings. She said that she had read the scripture story about Jesus and Mary when He asked her why she was crying. And Evelyn expressed how no scripture has ever hit her harder. I don’t know why but it was really hard for me to discern her thoughts that day. I usually am right on but, this time it was really hard. But, I kept trying to go by the Spirit. She eventually told me how she has a lot of doubts too. She’s worried that if she gets married it will tear her family apart. I guess her mom does not like Pastor and marriage is the last thing that she wants for them. So, she got really worried. And she started to really cry. I really tried hard to express how much of a blessing marriage is and could be to her and her families lives. I explained how obviously I don’t know everything and that I’m not married, but I do know one thing and that is that I love my family and I love my parents. I know that having a family and being married wasn’t always easy for my parents, but I do know that in the end of every day we do love each other and that we have received innumerable blessings from their choice to be married and raise a family. I know that there is more joy, happiness and blessings within the family and within marriage.
We then got to talking with Pastor. He was definitely acting different. And so once again we had to dig deep. We started by just listening. He’s worried that when he gets married something bad will happen. For example, he thinks that she will leave him or something similar. Well, my comp took the reigns this time and helped him to realize that everything will be fine, and we showed him how much Evelyn truly wants to marry him. Here’s the thing, we had to teach a bit of repentance too. He had some really bad doubts earlier in the week and we had to tell him that if he really wants to make things work out that he can work with his future wife to become twice as strong. Well, eventually we ran out of time. My comp asked if we could do a kneeling prayer. My first time in the mission with investigadores (investigator’s) in a kneeing prayer. The Spirit was strong before but during this prayer it was even stronger. I am so glad my comp was there to help me out. I still don’t understand Spanish 100% and I am an 18 year- old boy who knows nothing about marriage. When that prayer was done we left and just talked about it. I mean man that might have been one of the hardest decisions that I’ve had to make. But, I am so grateful that we followed the promptings because it seemed to work. We came back to their house on Sunday for lunch before church and Pastor was normal. He was really happy and he told us how everything was better. Whatever the Spirit testified to them worked, because I think everything is fine! Now we are just waiting for their wedding date!
Speaking of weddings, our zone leaders had a wedding with two of their investigator’s and it was amazing! I mean how can you not feel the Spirit when someone completes a commandment of God!? It was great! Really! Then, in the night we had their party and that was crazy! Colombians party that’s for sure! We had the party in the church and it was so much fun. It was a little hard that we can’t dance and that we can only sit and watch but it was still fun! Ha-ha! All the missionaries want weddings now. I think even more so the Elders than even the Sisters, ha-ha!
Well, let’s just say this week was good! What did I learn? Follow the Spirit no matter what! In this case of Evelyn and Pastor it really helped clear up some of their doubts! I love how the Spirit works in our lives! Follow the promptings of the spirit and you will see miracles!!
Love you all,
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