Elder Carver Bruce Black: Week 30

Machala- La Paz

So this week has been super crazy, and I don´t have a lot of time to write home. I wasn´t even able to print and read the emails this week, I just skimmed them over. Í will respond to any questions that you have next week. So I had transfers. I am now in Machala. My sector is called La Paz. My new companion is Elder Rojas and he too is from Lima Perú haha. So this morning I had a 3.5 hour bus ride from guayaquil to Machala. I live in a house with just my companion, and it is super hot here as well. We are pretty close to the ocean here in this sector. It has been crazy packing and unpacking and saying goodbye briefly to a few families. I got the call Sunday at about 2:00 when they told me that I had transfers. Anyways, don´t know much about my new sector yet or the people here, so I will send more info and pictures next week. So general conference was super duper good. We tried to get it broadcast for us gringos in english, but we had to sit with our investigators, so I watched it all in spanish. I was super worried at first that I wouldn´t understand it very well, but I did. It was great. I did miss a little bit being able to hear the actual voice of the apostles and prophet, but its ok. I learned a lot. Also, the whole deal with the ministering thing will be different. So I will tell a few last stories about Puerto Nuevo. So this week not a lot happened. It was crazy with going to the temple, and transfers, and conference. However, on Friday we felt to knock a door. We knocked and we just asked a simple question and they opened the door and let us in. We talked a bit about the plan of salvation. Not sure what will happen with the family because I´m not there anymore, but anyways... Also, this week we took a TON of taxis back and forth from our sector to the stake center to watch the conference. I always share the gospel with the taxistas even though a lot of them reject. I started talking with one of them, and I was just asking questions about his life, and he started telling some personal stuff about struggles he was having. I was able to share the hope of Jesus Christ. We talked for a while, and he almost started to cry. He said that he didn´t know if God was hearing his prayers, and I told him that God put us in his taxi and that we were his servants. We ended up writing his info. down to visit him but he lives in another zone. Not sure what will happen, but I think he will accept. He ended up not charging us as well. So not much time, and life here is super crazy right now with transfers. However, we have 2 investigators named Melany and Arelis. They are progressing well and came to 4 of the conference sessions. Arelis basically told us that she wants to get baptized. I can´t tell the whole story right now, but we found them by knocking doors. One night we had a few extra minutes. The door to a house was cracked and I felt that I should knock it. A subtle feeling. So I did, and it was a lady that was grumpy and evangelic. She asked what we wanted and I told her we wanted to share a message with her about Christ. Long story short she accepted us and told us that she wanted us to teach her grand-daughters. Now we are teaching them and they are progressing. Also, I said goodbye to a few people very quickly because there isn´t really time to say goodbye. Anyways, I said goodbye to familia montenegro and gave them pictures and a letter. Only Veronica and Mikayela were there, and they started to cry. Then Elvia Montenegro and Anita called me that night to say goodbye and they too started crying haha. It is a bitter sweet moment. There are so many good people in Puerto Nuevo. I love being a servant of the Lord.

To end, my heart goes out to the Grover family, and the community. Cordell passed away 6 years ago as well. HOWEVER, I testify with all of my heart that God has a plan...a perfect plan. We will indeed see our loved ones again some day. I KNOW IT. And if we follow Christ in this life, we will be able to live as a family forever. Life is full of heart ache and pain. There are ups and downs. But the gospel of Jesus Christ gives me so much joy, because I know that there is a plan. I know that there is a Savior who overcame sin and death. He truly overcame the world. As was said in conference, that is the greatest gift of all. We can overcome anything in this life. Sin, pain, grief, sorrow, afflictions, anything. We just need the faith. The faith of a mustard seed. Faith can move mountains of sorrow, and doubt. I know that Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know that He lives and loves us too. My thought from conference is to do the little things. My challenge as well is to do the little things. Little things truly bring about great things. Read the scriptures individually and as a family. Pray individually and as a family. Have family home evening. All of these things will bring about great blessings. I never understood it very well until I arrived here in the mission. And now my eyes have been opened. It is hard, but I am in the Lord´s care. I am ever so happy and honored to be His servant. I love you all soooo very much!!!!! Christ lives! What joy this sweet sentence gives. When we do the things the Lord asks. When we choose to do the small things, we receive great blessings. The small things are easy to do, but easy to forget. Just don´t forget them. Love you!!!!

Elder Carver Bruce Black

Garbage in the streets ugggg