Buenos Dias!!
This has been a great sunny week here in Los Baños del Inca.
It appears that the torrential downpours have taken a break for Carnival
season here in Cajamarca because it has been nothing but sun all week. This
week Elder Zapatiel and I had a really interesting lesson with some
investigators. We had finished the lesson and we were on the way out the day
when one of the investigators starting to share about an article he read about
Jesus Christ and his life. It was a bit of a mudslinging article that he was
taking to be super factual. Elder Zapatiel, myself, and the member who was
accompanying us we just kind of laughed it off because we were ready to call it
a night, but the investigators got a little mad and began to ask us if
"all member of our church were so close minded". He really took us by
surprise because up until this point everything had been going so well. He then
went onto say that he does not really listen to my companion nor the member
because they are so close minded with their ideas and they are not willing,
according to him, to listen to new concepts. This little discussion really made
me think, "as missionaries are we actually closed minded?" That night
I had a long hard thought about this topic and I came to the conclusion that
maybe close minded was not the best word choice but rather steadfast in our
beliefs. In this world it is really important to listen to people and to be
willing to be flexible and open minded to new ideas and ways to see things, and
as missionaries we are always willing to listen and to not be too divisive on
many areas of conversation. However, that being said, our Heavenly Father and
Jesus Christ are people and have teaching that are eternal, in other words,
their teachings and doctrine never change. When someone receives a testimony
about a teaching of Jesus Christ through scripture study or prayer, no one can
change that testimony. It is between someone and God. No matter how many people
want to say otherwise when God has given me an answer, I cannot deny that
answer, nor that truth. When this investigator called us closed minded what I
think he really meant to say, maybe it just came out in a much more judgmental
angry tone, is that "wow Elders, you guys have really firm testimonies in
Jesus Christ, and nothing I can say or show to you guys can change that".
What was meant to be an insult was really a compliment about our firm
testimonies and that is something I am happy to hear.
In other news, this week is my week of vacations. Today we
are taking a bus trip to Trujillo for a conference and for a trip to the
temple. Wednesday we will be here and then on Thursday we
will be traveling to Celendin. Back here in Baños on Saturday.... but....
we cannot leave our room because Carnival will be in full swing here meaning
that if were to leave we would be soaking with either buckets of paint, burnt
oil, or have a few run ins with a few slightly drunk men. Hahaha. It is going
to be a very interesting and different week here in Los Baños del Inca.
Love,
Elder Vassau
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