This week was WONDERFUL. I have
been having a great time with Elder Thornton because he has the same
kind of humor and personality as I do, so I'm getting along with him as
well as I did with Elder Ericksen. It's funny how hard it is for people
here to say his name; it usually comes out as Torta, which means "cake".
We worked really hard this week, which felt very good. We
still contacted 121 people, and found a couple of families that don't go
to church and had great lessons with them, and ministered to a couple
of members, and on top of all that we even found eleven new people to
teach. All of that is SO cool, and I feel ridiculously good. I'm so
happy to be working as a missionary.
I think
one of the things that satisfied me most this week was cleaning our
apartment and sorting everything in it. We have weirdly huge piles of
clothing left from other missionaries, and I organized all of that; I
also swept the floors completely clean and towel-mopped them (which was
sorely needed), while Elder Thornton cleaned the insane amounts of mugre
("filth") out of the bathroom and off the oven and stove. Dang, we both
feel so very liberated after so much work. We barely slept this week to
get it all done, and we are pleased. After all that work, I felt like
we should dedicate the apartment, so Elder Thornton dedicated it. I feel
a peace there, now. It's not just a temporary abode, it's a home for
us. It's the first time I've felt that in a mission apartment, and I
like it a lot.
I was also honored with the
opportunity to dedicate the home of a member yesterday. We had
discovered earlier in the week that their home had never been dedicated,
so we said to the father that we could accompany him that Sunday (when
we had lunch with the family) to help him in that process. He agreed,
but when we got there he said he understood his place as the patriarch
but wanted me to do it. I was humbled by that. I remember I said
something special in that prayer: that that home be a place of refuge,
and that the Millennial Reign begin within its walls. I had seen a quote
recently from a prophet (I don't remember which), saying that if we
truly accept the real, full principles of the Gospel, and become
disciples of Christ, the Millennium will already have begun in
that heart, family, or home that accepts Him. That is inspirational;
when I ended the prayer, I saw that the father stayed kneeling, clearly
touched. That was a beautiful experience.
Just
let the record show that I am better than "well", better vivified than
"alive", and weirder than a half-turtle that doesn't exist. I am unique,
and I own it, and I am simply immensely happy to be here.
With love from the fake argentino,
Élder Hill
Foto: Yo y Elder Thornton (Ben said later that this photo was taken in the clerk's office at the church)
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