25 July 2016 - Tough week, but worth the lessons learned

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was tough, but worth the lessons learned.

Thursday was an extremely tough day. We got home feeling like we hadn't really been able to do anything. BUT I had hope that Friday would be an awesome day. That is usually how it works: one really bad day and then the next day is great. This time, it was not so. Friday was even worse. We had three appointments in a row in the morning. We hurried out of the house to get to the the first one on time.....and our progressing investigator was taking a shower......we try to get to the second appointment early and the Less active sister is eating in preparation to leave the house. We go back to the first appointment and he had left for a job interview. We go to the third appointment and she was leaving in that moment that we arrive. Apart from all that nonsense, we start going and looking for people on our "potential investigators" list, and all of them had been contacted the previous change and didn't want anything. It was extremely stressful. Then, on Sunday, none of our investigators go to church. Things were rough, but I learned something important from it: Patience.

Yesterday, as many of you know, was Pioneer Day. I had a lot of time to ponder on the meaning of this day. I thought a lot about the faith and courage of my early pioneer ancestors. I thought about the trials that the Willie Martin company went through and then compared it to the things I deal with on the mission. I thought about the persecution that the early saints lived with on a daily basis. When I got on the mission, President Swapp asked me about my pioneer heritage and I made the off hand comment that I hoped that I could develop even a little of the faith that the pioneers had to have to cross the plains. He looked me in the eyes and told me "You do Elder. You do have that faith." I pondered on that statement and decided that I would prove Pres. Swapp right. This Sunday was one of the most challenging of my mission, but I passed through it with calm and hope. I really learned a lot about patience this week. And I am grateful for the opportunity to learn that my Heavenly Father sent me, as well as the incredible example of the early pioneers.

Se que este es la Iglesia del Señor. Se que estamos edificando Sion cada dia en este obra. Se que Dios nos ama y es nuestro Padre Celestial.

Los amo,

Elder Lambert