Things that have been reaffirmed in my mind right now:
1) There is no growth in a comfort zone, and there is no comfort in a growth zone. We offer higher knowledge and understanding. Many people reject this because it does not fit into their established world bubble.
2) People create their own version of truth. People have a tendency to believe want they want to believe. They convince themselves of the truthfulness of things with constant repetition and `logic`, which consists of whatever thing gives credence to what they want to believe, and that which refutes it they discard as rubbish. (You can see this in little kids, too. When they decide a toy is theirs and they are not going to share, they use the possessive. My truck. My toy. My barbie. When someone with higher knowledge comes along and refutes this knowledge--the parent--and says it belongs to them or a sibling, the child can react in one of two ways. They have entered a crisis. Basic truths of their personal universe have just been challenged, and proved wrong. There are therefore two options, accept or reject. Most reject. Once again they convince themselves the toy is theirs. Some will go into the fetal position and repeat the following: ``My toy. My toy. My toy.`` until they believe it. Rejection. Some will become angry and refuse to listen. Rejection. Some will get violent and fight against the truth and whoever said it. Rejection. Some, will say, "ok, this is not my toy, so what do I need to do then? Acceptance.) The ones who reach acceptance are the ones who repent and who change. I have realized that I only have 2 years here and do not have time to waste on people who refuse to hear. Those who see shall choose to be blind and those who hear shall choose to be deaf. Jesus said something to that feeling, but I do not remember how it was worded.
3)People believe want they want to believe. This world is set up very ingeniously. We are encouraged to believe falsehoods. Anyone who says differently is encouraged to do so. The basic norms of society are nonexistent. People create their own churches, religions, whatever they want. (For more information on this; please see info about the church of the giant flying spaghetti monster.) Anyone who speaks out is seen as offensive, behind the times, and basically an enemy. And why? Because Satan wants us confused. He wants us to use our free will (which he didn't want in the first place) to put us in a position worse than his. I am not the judge, but I imagine that outer darkness will be infinitely many times worse for those of us who receive bodies than for those who did not keep their first estate. Many choose to discount what we bring as of no importance. Cast not your pearls before swine, lest they trod them underfoot and turn again, and rend thee (more or less the quote, this is difficult translating from Spanish to English).
4)There are battles you cannot win. We are all going to die. Likewise, certain people would rather die than accept the minimalist belief in what we preach. I accept that. It is accepted. The lord does not waste resources on people who are unreachable. Jesus never said a word to Herod. Likewise, missionaries can not waste the lord`s time talking to people who repeatedly refuse him and his truths.
We walked to presidentes, which takes about 2 1/2 hours in the middle of nowhere, but we did it.
I have now officially been spit upon. Many of the rejections I received this week were stronger than those in the past. It is rather amazing how violent some people choose to be when two missionaries show up at their door and offer to help them with household chores. That I was not expecting. One of these told me he will never have time to hear us, and he was a baptized member that we wanted to visit to figure out why his family is not going to church.
The Paz Martinez family got married legally for our efforts to help them. Unfortunately, that is all we could accomplish it seems. The brother rejected us, and will not deign to see our faces or talk to us. The sister is confused now, and we are going to see if she prays in order to know if she needs to be baptized in the church like she wanted to. So, maybe I could not baptize them, but we helped get them married.
We provided service for a normal woman in the street--cleaned up her yard. Afterward, she gave us Little Debbies chocolate brownies and showed us the pool where her husband baptizes people during the summer. We also cut down a tree with a machete. The brother and sister are inactive members (more than 20 years) are not married, and we are going to teach the kids to see if they want to be baptized.
My time here is very interesting. I hope to be able to relate more good news next time.
Love,
Elder Scott
Saludos, Amor, y Todo que puedo ofrecer a tí,
Salutations, Love, and All that I have to offer you,
Elder Scott
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