I got here and instantly went to work. I'll give you a little summary, first of the activities we had this week, then of the people that I have met and that we are teaching.
Tuesday, I had to wait two hours for a bus so that I wouldn't have to take it alone and then it was a two and a half hour bus ride to get to Linares, my new sector.
Wednesday morning we had District class. It was good. As a mission we are trying to have the district leaders focus more on the people and brainstorming ideas as a district to help these people progress. So our district leader did that for about half the class and then had us do a crazy contact activity. It was fun.
Thursday we had to leave our sector at about 6:30 in the afternoon to travel to Concepcion for a capacitation the next day early in the morning. But as the bus ride is super long we had to leave early in the afternoon. The bus ride was alright, I was able to study the Book of Mormon and really get involved with Captain Moroni planning his righteous strategies. For a bed I had a hard wooden floor and it might be that I am getting old, but the next morning my back was sore.
Friday was the special capacitation, we talked about the focus of the mission and how we can improve. The real focus was the need that the mission has of leaders who adopt the vision of the Lord. If the leaders don't do it first we can not even hope to gain the promised blessings. I think all left with a firm desire to adopt and carry out the vision of the Lord for our mission. That is something that each of us should do, pray fervently to know the Lords will for us. As Joseph Smith counseled John Taylor, many times the spirit will prompt you to do things that don't make sense and that you can't comprehend, but as we act on the promptings of the spirit and live the vision of the Lord, we will be blessed and will prosper.
Skipping to Sunday at church I think it was probably the weirdest first Sunday I have had in a new branch. My companion has a tradition where he stays standing until he feels a distinct prompting to sit next to someone. Well, as I didn't know anyone I decided to go and sit next to an older gentleman who was all alone. About five minutes after the meeting started a group of young woman (I think his granddaughters) sat next to us in the row, another group sat in front of us. During the meeting the man stood up to give his testimony and when he returned to sit down, the man sat in a different seat!!!! He abandoned me, as I sat in a sea of young women I decided that it was time to abort. My companion was trying not to crack up....
That was my first week here in Linares, now for some of the people:
Elder McIntyre he is from California and this is his last transfer in the mission that is to say that he goes home when Naomi goes home. He is a funny guy and although he talks a lot about home, he is still working and we are going to keep it that way.
Manuel: He is going to be baptized this next Saturday, he is solid. He has a strong testimony and loves the change the gospel has had on his life. He is 28 and single.
Alegria: hes a member who we ate with this week, when we ate with him he joking told me that it was a tradition for the new missionary to wash the dishes. Well I like that tradition, so I washed to dishes, the whole time he and his wife apologizing and telling me that it was a joke. Sorry, but nobody jokes about service with me.
Elder Hutchins
