27 April 2015 - A Challenging Week

(Sorry this is late)

Dearest friends and family,

This week has been challenging. I hope to soon see the rewards.

I wish not to complain, but at times it is necessary that people know the reality of the work. My new companion is...less than exactly obedient.

For those who are unaware, there is a major emphasis in missionary work on obedience. As missionaries, we are kept to very high standards and take upon ourselves a basic oath to live as apart from the world as we can. We are able to DO the work in our own way, but the work must be done and we must act according to our station. We have fun, but we are still expected to be exactly obedient to all the regulations set forth by the church in the missionary handbook. My companion, Elder Padilla, has trouble with this. 

Having more than a year and a half in the mission, he has effectively decided that leaving the house on time, getting home on time, listening to appropriate music, and doing proper study are not that important. I am not sure how to handle this, but I am in consistent correspondence with my mission president. This is my first, but will not be my last, experience with disobedient companions.

That being said, the guy isn't lazy when it comes to the work. We have been finding new people fairly consistently to teach and some of them are looking pretty promising. One family that I have been teaching for several weeks now, is starting to decline in their progress. This has made me sad, but I found guidance just recently through my studies.

In the book Jesus the Christ by Elder Talmadge, he explains, in detail, the Savior's parable of the Sower. He explains in the end, that while many people have the word planted in poor soil, that doesn't mean that that soil can't be tilled and made good for planting. I hope that our experiences with this family will help them refine their parabolic soil and come to understand the importance of the gospel.

Sé que nuestro Padre Celestial nos ama. Sé que tenemos desafíos en la vida para progresar y que podemos vencer estos desafios atra vez el expiación de Jesucristo.

Los amo,

Elder Lambert