The Lord works in his own time.

Well I am almost at 6 months. Only 4 more days!!! Crazy how fast the time flies by. I can still remember opening up my call. That was almost a year ago too, crazy!! Oh so one little thing at the start, if you buy me some movies can you tell me which ones you are going to buy so I don’t buy them here. And one I would really like is the doctrine and covenants one. I like that for sharing with investigators and members. And ya that’s all I think.

Well this week... I will start with last Monday. So after internet we went to the Cancha which is a huge outdoor market where there sell almost everything and its super cheap, like it’s huge. Like 4 km square more or less, it’s huge, and super dangerous because people mug you there so we always have to go with a member so they protect us and we avoid the sketchy parts. So we went there and we were shopping then I started feeling sick, so I took the things I bought out of the bag and just started to walk around with the bag, then about 30 minutes later after walking with the bag I puked my brains out, it was so gross. It even came out my nose. That’s the first time that’s ever happened. They were some people nearby that were quite disturbed by that and said some means things but I didn’t care. But I felt quite better after I puked so I continued to have fun on P-day, but as we got back to the apartment I started feeling gross again so I laid on the bed and well I fell asleep at about 7pm until 9am the next day. It felt quite good. Then on Wednesday we had the area seventy come and give us a great message all day about how we can improve our areas and what we need to do to become more successful, it was great, I’d love to share all my thoughts and feelings about the conference but it would take a while. Then Thursday we had a baptismal interview with an investigator, well the pre interview so we went over everything that we had taught and everything was awesome, as we were leaving the door he said " oh by the way my mom said I have to wait to get baptized until she gets back" we thought maybe a week or so but she won’t be back in the country until next year. That was quite a disappointment and I was really discouraged because everything was going so well and he is 18 so he doesn’t even need permission. I was actually really upset. Because everyone says that obedience is the key to having success. Me and my companion have been getting along and following the rules and doing everything like we are supposed to and not seeing any results. And I don’t know why, even the people we think are great and going to get baptized fall through on us and we are losing investigators like crazy and its really getting frustrating.

BUT! I know that the Lord works in his own time and in his own ways and maybe this is just a little trial of our obedience, if we will keep being obedient even though we aren’t having success and not really getting the results that we want. There is a scripture in Mosiah 4:9 I think, it is where it says we don’t always understand the ways of the Lord. This is one of those times, it would be really nice just to get what I want when I want it, but sadly that’s not how life works, we need to be patient and just do the things we are supposed to and eventually the blessings will come.

 

I don’t know why I’m having lots of trials right now but I know that it’s for something and to make me stronger and know how to handle these situations and maybe help others in the future who will go through the same thing.  I don’t exactly know but what I do know is that it might not get better but it will get easier. If that makes sense.

And one of the pictures I’m sending is of cows. Why? Because I ate one of their tongues for lunch on Saturday, not very delicious, but I ate it because the members told us it was expensive.

Well that’s my week more or less. Oh and also a scripture I’d like to share is in Jeremiah 16:16. Read it and ponder it. Are we fishers or hunters? Waiting for people to come to us? Or going out and getting the job done?

Love you guys have a great week talk to you soon

Elder Grigor

 

Elder Grigor drinking "Mate" a herbal tea.

He says that it is really good

 

"Mate" - love the cup!

 

Elder Grigor ate cow tongue- " not so delicious"

 

 

 

Sometimes it's the little moments that are the best!

Our Zone before Transfers

 

Elder Grigor with his new "son" Elder V.

 

Elder Grigor and Elder V. with a family that they are teaching.

 

Well first things first. I don’t know if Sister Dyer sent that picture of me and my new companion but yes I got another companion. 3 companions in less than a month and a half. Kind of crazy. Last Monday night they called and told me that I would be training again and my other companion is going to another area. So yes I am still in my same area and with my 4th companion. So now I have 2 sons. Well sort of, Elder V.  my new companion had one transfer in Peru waiting for his visa so I am finishing his training. He is from Lima, Peru and he is my first companion that isn’t from Bolivia waiting for their visa for Venezuela. He is a really great guy and I think we should have some success together.

Well not much happened this week, on Tuesday we kind of just went around and said goodbye to some of the members, then Wednesday all day I was in the meeting getting some training more or less and then met my new companion. Then the rest of the week we went out and worked and we actually had a pretty successful week. Nothing really major happened that I can think of right now but lots of little things happened that we really cool. Sometimes it’s the little ones that are the best. One for example we were just walking and going to an appointment and we saw a guy sitting on a stump who honestly looked kind of scary and I was just going to keep going because we had an appointment. But my companion stopped to talk to him and we ended up talking for about 45 minutes with him and then his wife came later and we started teaching her too. We were talking lots about the bible and he was agreeing with everything we were saying and said he believed in the same things.  Then I felt I should give him a Book of Mormon and explained that Christ came to the Americas also and that the Book of Mormon is proof of that. That changed the whole conversation and it looked like he about to cry and he said that he had been waiting to hear this. He had always thought that Christ came here as well but had never really had proof or no one had ever really talked about it. He was so grateful for that information and we are going to continue visiting him and teaching him even more. The best part is that when we went to the appointment they were busy and didn’t have time that day so if we would have kept going it would have been in vain and we would have missed this opportunity to share the gospel.

There are lots of times that happened in the mission and sometimes I don’t really realize it, we will be walking to an appointment and we end up talking to someone in the street and then when we go to the appointment they are busy. Also there are times I feel I should talk to someone but I don’t because we have an appointment and then when we go they are busy. So now I am really trying to just talk to everyone especially when I feel prompted to do so, because maybe it is that moment that the Lord had put them in our path to be able to hear the gospel, we never know. That’s the hard part too is that we never know, but we just have to go with our gut, it never hurts to try.

Well that’s pretty much it.  I love all the picture and I can’t wait to hear from you guys again, love you all and I’ll talk to you soon.

Elder Grigor

 

I wouldn't want to be anywhere else

Well this week we had transfers, well last night actually. We slept over at the zone leader’s house last night to find out the transfers. I’m training!! Big surprise haha, but technically I’m training for the first time. My companion isn’t technically a missionary in this mission yet so we have to go Wednesday to a meeting and I’ll get some training to become trainer and then they always bring all the missionaries together and announce the new companionships so they will announce us as if we don’t know each other and I’m meeting him for the first time. It’ll be pretty funny I think. I have one friend from my group Elder H. from Utah coming to the zone so that will be pretty fun.

My week this week was much better, I didn’t get burnt and I actually left during the afternoon which was nice. Although it was a lot more tiring it was a lot more fulfilling. There’s just something about working all day, every day that just feels so good. When we have to go to doctors’ appointments or do other things like that sometimes it just feels like we aren’t doing much and losing time. Every now and again it’s nice to have a break but it just feels so much better to get out and tract and work and get things done!

I’m going to share two pretty cool stories that happened this week that I thought were really cool. We were walking one day and decided to knock on a door, the lady that answered said she was busy and that we should come back another day (like most say) I didn’t really want to come back because I knew she would probably just say the same and that we should come another time, but something was different with her so we came back this week and she was very nice and let us in the house. Turns out she is a less active member of about 20 years or so. She said the missionaries haven’t visited them in years and they didn’t even know where the chapel was. So as were talking we found out that her husband and kids aren’t members so we started talking to them. For being less active for so long she sure had quite a strong testimony of the importance of the church and of baptism and is really encouraging her family to consider it. Which is an amazing blessing for us to have someone else encouraging them also. I’m really excited and grateful to be able to teach this family and hopefully reactivate the mom and introduce her family to the church. Who knows what would have happened if we didn’t knock on that door at the time we did, definitely inspired by the Lord for us to be in the right place and the right time. Another awesome story that happened to us is we were looking through the area book for old investigators who had attended church before and had baptismal dates and trying to find out why they fell through and really just what happened to them. We wanted to go to this one family who had attended before and had dates and everything but it didn’t really say why they stopped coming. So we decided to go find a member who lived close to them so we could go visit them and see how they are doing. We knock on the door and to our surprise the family that we were looking for was living with the member. They had been kicked out of their house and this member took them in and provided a place to stay and put their things until they can find a place of their own. The other thing we didn’t know is that they had come to church the week before and we didn’t even recognize that they weren’t members and no one told us they were investigators but when we found them this week we recognized them. So this investigator is single right now and has 5 children, 3 of which are over 8 and all want to be baptized, the problem is their mom. She is single and having lots of problems with her ex-husband and right now she is just kind of confused and frustrated. She thinks that baptism is important and told us that one day she will but right now is just a crazy time. So right now we are trying to help her in any way we can and the member that she is living with is a big help and really encouraging her to come to church and to listen to the missionaries which is awesome. I believe with a little bit of time she will be ready and willing. It’s amazing to see these little miracles that turn into huge blessings. Just having the idea to knock on a door or look through the area book. And now we have some great investigators who are progressing and it’s great!!

But the mission isn’t always like this sadly.  I wish it was. Everyone before the mission said it would be the hardest thing that I’ve done so far but I didn’t really understand in what ways. At least for me the hardest and most saddening part is going to investigators houses and they aren’t home, then we go somewhere else and they are busy, they we contact someone in the street and they don’t want to listen. It’s really hard sometimes because I just want to help and share the wonderful gospel but there are many who don’t want to listen. That’s what makes me the saddest, just trying to help and being rejected and sometimes I feel like I’m unsuccessful. Especially when I see others having so much success. But, I’ve been reading Jesus the Christ lately and its really been an eye opener and as helped me understand as I’m learning more about his life and ministry. He spent all his time and energy trying to teach and help the people and they rejected him. He did not have it easy and yet he was the perfect teacher. It kind of puts things into to perspective for me. There are going to be people who reject us, who mock us, and insult us. Sadly there are going to be people who accept but then fall away. But what makes it all worth it is that there will be the elect few that will accept with all their heart and give everything they have to serve our master and that what makes it all worth it to me. 

I’m really am so grateful to be in the mission growing and learning and experiencing all of this. It’s really something that I just can’t describe, its hard and frustrating but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Love you guys lots, talk to you soon!!

Elder Grigor

Elder Grigor and his companion

Striking a pose in Bolivia

Drinking a LARGE pop and eating a LARGE burrito

Elder Grigor loves jumping over things- this time it's his companion!

This coming from a guy who would NEVER pose for a picture at home!

Elder Grigor with his Trix and a new toy!

Elder Grigor and his "son" walking along the roads in Bolivia.

Favorite picture that he has sent so far!

Elder Grigor beside a scripture statue

Elder Grigor with his new DVD player and cell phone

I think he is pretty happy about this!

 

 

 

 

It never hurts to take a chance

Well this week not much happened actually. I with give a whole overview basically. Well Monday like you know, we went to Tunari up in the mountains and I got super burnt, like probably the worst burn of my life, seriously. I am still super red and my face is pretty raw because my face is peeling for the second time now. Tuesday the Zone Leaders thought it would be better if I didn’t go out in the sun during the day so I went on splits with Elder Vasquez and we did the finances for the zone and then went to the offices.  So all day Tuesday I just kind of tagged along and didn’t do much. While I was gone though my companion and Elder Hul went to visit an investigator that we have. He always comes to church and his brother is a member but he isn’t and I never really knew why. With my other companions they just said that he doesn’t want to get baptized and that his parents won’t let him. I always thought that was a little weird and always wanted to talk to him and see what’s up so I set an appointment for Tuesday. Even though I couldn’t go my companion went and they started talking about baptism and if that is something he wants to do. He said that it would be a great idea and he just turned 18 on Thursday so he can decide for himself and doesn’t need his parent’s permission. I thought that was super awesome and he is really excited to get baptized now.

Then Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday they told me I had to stay in the house in the afternoon until about 5 when the sun started to go down. So I just chilled and watched some movies that the zone leaders had. One was a video from the MTC when Elder Holland came and spoke, then I watched a movie about Gordon B. Hinckley, and a few other ones that I forget. It was kind of just a boring week and I just did things to pass the times like watching movies and reading.

I also had to go to the dermatologist on Thursday so they could check out my face. The lady said my face was horrible and she gave me some nice creams and lotions to put on my face and now its feel a lot better. We waited like 2 hours to go in for a 5 minute appointment. Quite frustrating. So because of all that we didn’t have a chance to get much work done but it was still a pretty good week. I’m looking forward to the next week; hopefully it will be a full week where I don’t have anything that will get in the way of doing missionary work. In the last month I don’t think I’ve had a full week because of me getting sick or my companion getting sick or my companion running away and stuff like that. It will be really nice to have a full week where we can just find and teach. Next Sunday we also find out transfers. The President told me already that I’m staying with my companion in the same area but they are still fun just to see where everyone else is going and what they are going to be doing and everything.

One cool experience that we had this week was visiting an investigator named William. He has a wife and 3 kids. Right now we are really trying to find fathers and families. We went to his house on Saturday and he wasn’t home and then Sunday we decided to go back and really talk with him for the first time. An appointment fell through so we decided to go and visit him. I don’t know why but we just went to his house and it was the national "no car" day so almost everyone was home it was great. So we ended up talking to him, well more like he talked to us for over an hour telling us how he wants to change his life and be a better husband and father for his children and he is super open to finding a way to change his life. Well at that moment it was super easy to testify of the gospel and the power it can have in our lives. I feel that he is ready to accept the gospel in his life and he is really eager to learn more and how he can help his family. And we found him only by walking down the street and just felt like we should knock on his door. Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like I am being guided by the spirit because it’s just something small and usually comes in the form of my own thoughts and sometimes I don’t just recognize it but I just do it. That’s something I’ve been learning on my mission; just to do whatever comes to my mind and trust on those feelings and promptings. It never hurts to take a chance. 

 

Now a funny story. So the picture I sent of me in the door is when we were walking back from a lunch appointment with a member. We always get the 4 Elders together so we were coming back and Elder Vasquez thought it would be funny to knock on this house because it’s pretty old and looked like no one was home so he just did it as a joke. What they didn’t know is that I was sneaking around back to see if anyone lived there, luckily they didn’t so I went through the back door and then started making some noise so they thought someone was coming. Then I came and opened up the door and pretended to be a confused investigator opening the door. They had no idea and thought that it was someone actually coming to the door. I thought that was really funny. I laughed for quite a while. And yes my face is super red. 

Well that is my week more or less, great to hear about you guys and see the pictures and everything. Love you guys, have fun this week, oh and it’s a lot cheaper to send packages to the states from here so can you send me the address of the cabin so I can send things there?? Talk to you guys soon!! 

 

Love Tyler (Elder Grigor)

 

 

"I got super burnt last Monday because I forgot sunscreen.

Here are the stages.

Super red, kind of tan, then peeling. Super fun....

 

 

 

 

"I got a new nametag made because I lost mine. I got them to write

a scripture on the back of a plaque I already had. It cost 30 Boliviano 

for the new one and 10 Boliviano to get the scripture. It should say

3 Nefi 5:13, I don't know how it got messed up, but oh well. 

 

Walking down the dusty roads of Colcapirhua, Bolivia.

 

Elder Grigor walking home from his lunch appointment.

 

Elder Grigor pretending to be an investigator that lives in the house.

 

Elder Grigor: Bolivia Cochabamba Mission 2013-2015