Week 6 update

So this past week was a wet one. I don't know if it was record rainfall here but if it wasn't it was close. We had a couple of days where it rained for awhile. It wasn't anything like home, but for here it is a lot! So much it was coming down the mountains. And when it rains excessively a couple of places just flood, there isn't really anywhere for the water to go. It is a valley after all. But that was interesting. Everyone here was really appreciative of the rain though. They need it for their farms. So it was nice. Plus when it rains here the temperature drops off. It will cool down like 20 degrees and stay fairly cool for the rest of the day. Which is nice. It dropped from the low 90's to the low to mid 70's. So we liked the cooling effect. But that was the weather. It is usually pretty sunny though. Because of the mountains around us storm systems usually blow around us a lot.

Anywho, we got out transfer calls yesterday. My companion and I are staying together. He was made the District leader for a newly created district. So it us and 3 other companionships  in our district now. Which is cool. This is his last transfer and then I will for sure be getting a new companion next transfer. But this past week was really good. We have slowly been building our teaching pool back up. We had some really good lessons with some potential investigators and we have some follow up appointments this week. We also have some pretty good referrals to track down this week. So that should keep us busy. 

We have 2 kids that we are teaching that are getting baptized this Saturday. One is 11 and the other is 9. They are brother and sister. They are super smart kids. They remember everything we teach them and actually answer questions and read and pray. It is amazing to me how simple it is to teach them. We are also teaching 2 other kids. And it is remarkable how willing they are to learn and act on the things we teach. They don't fight against anything we teach them. It is amazing to me how willing they are to learn and not reject. They don't have any prejudices or preconceived notions to hold them back. But it brought to my mind what the Savior taught "for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." We teach them so simply and they get it. That is the amazing thing about the Gospel. It is simple. We make it complicated! Almost every Sunday in church you hear people ask a question and then someone else will answer and say "the primary answers." And then they ask for something else, some other answer. Those are the only answers. They are the only ones that matter. Reading the scriptures, pondering, praying, following the commandments. Sometimes in life we have complicated hard questions, and I know for myself I thought that since the question is complicated, the answer had to be equally as complicated. NOT TRUE! We need only look to Israel during the time of Christ. They sought complicated doctrine and proscribed laws. They reveled in their complicated laws and outwardly exclaimed their "righteousness" in practicing such. And when the Savior came they turned a blind eye and a deaf ear and did something that no other nation having witnessed such miracles could have, or ever would have, done. They crucified the Only Begotten of the True and living God. They allowed their hearts to be hardened to the truth and simplicity of the teachings of the Master. They rejected him and killed him. The Savior taught simply, and his doctrine is simple. Always remember that. We make it complicated. He made it simple. It isn't hard, it might not be as easy as we would like, but it is not hard. I know that as we strive to keep those simple commandments, we will be blessed and strengthened to do ever greater things. We are built line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little. There is no other way it can be. 

But until next week, I love you all and wish you all the best.

-Elder Valentine