Elder Brandon Leslie: Week #18

Hey

All is well here in Tuxtla Chico. I´m still working hard and doing my best to give it all to the Lord. This time is his and I strive everyday to conform to his set pattern of living (rules and all). It is humbling to know that he trusts me ( a 19 year old kid) to do His work and through the process change into a 21 year old man. I am grateful for the experiences I am having and I can´t really say that I look back with regrets. In the moment, yes this work is hard. Of course, it is. We get up at 6:30 sharp, literally work all day, and go to bed at 10:30 sharp ( meanwhile obeying specific rules that include extreme limitations to music and other entertainment). The now is still tough but the yesterday is growth manifested in making now a little easier. I am stronger every new day to bear the various burdens that come my way. I say all this because yes, this first month in Mexico was pretty tough, but here am now. I can understand and communicate with the people here. Can I communicate and understand perfectly? No, and at times I need a bit of help, but for the most part I can do what I have been called to do and it´s all because of the work I have already put in.

This week there wasn´t a whole lot of success but we continue on searching for those people who really want the truth and joy in their life and are willing to do something about it. On Friday we had our last lesson with a girl named Monica. During the lesson she kept referencing scriptures from the Bible that I¨m pretty sure don´t actually exist and was hung up on the Trinity as one being. God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three seperate beings working for the same purpose: our eternal happiness. She wasn´t getting it and after too many scriptures and way too talking we asked her (not the first time) if she had prayed about it. No, of course not. She said she wanted to know which church was true but when we asked her if she would attend church this Sunday she said she couldn´t because she was going to attend this other church. There wasn´t any logic and she was confusing. So, at the end we asked her if she would close with a prayer. She kept saying no and that one of us should. We persisted and so did she. Not praying in front of us means that she definintely is praying to know the truth for herself when we aren´t with her. I finally was moved by the spirit to bear my testimony. I felt power of my testimony fill my sould as stood as a witness for truth. It was a special experience for me. These feelings, however, were not mutual and she feel anything (so she told us). We then left her house and do not have plans to come back. Afterwards, I felt like I had done all that I was required and that I could do. She chose to ``reject this glad message´´ and her choice of rejection is beyond me.

We press on and continue working.

I did get to celebrate the New Years though! I woke up at 12 to an insane amount of fireworks, looked at my clock, said happy new years to myself, and dozed back to sleep. Yeah 2011! hahaha

Take care everyone and Happy New Years!

Elder Leslie

IMG_0076 Taken from a border city called Talisman. You are looking at me (of course) and Guatemala

IMG_0077 A sign welcoming you to the state of chiapas in mexico