Hello world! This week was really good! We had 3 baptisms! Hernany age 21, Kely age 17, and Maria age 48. They are all doing super good and were so ready for baptism! :) We also had a lot of appointments fall through, but I'm learning to just move on. :)
It's tough to know what to write every week because something that was cool to me might not be the same for you guys!
This week we had our zone leaders come do divisions with us! (My old comp Elder Camargo and I got to work together again!!! :)) I learned a lot with them, and I have gotten so much better! Two things I learned with them are: 1. Stay calm, even when the appointments fall through, the Lord is still in control! 2. Be yourself. People need you! They need someone that they have confidence in and then they will ask questions!
We started teaching Hernany's mom! One night we were waiting outside the interview and sitting on these concrete steps in the dark, and her mom walked past and was super embarrassed because she didn't have a light for us or chairs and that the house was not "nice." She just kept apologizing, even when we said it's alright! But this was an opportunity to tell her that God does not look on what we have in this life, but on our heart. After we said this, she says "If you guys really don't mind, come up and talk with us." So when we went up the stairs and into this little room with a bed and two chairs (with just enough space in between for our legs!), we started to talk about Christ and what's important in this life, and what we need to do! Then she really opened up, but we had to go do another interview, so we remarked her (set another appointment) and it should be really good! :)
We also have been teaching this lady that is super excited about the gospel and wants to get baptized, but she needs to get married first, and her boyfriend is less than excited. They run a bar inside their house, but we are working with them, and it should be good. One day we walked past and the door to the bar was closed, but in the boards of the door was stuck one of our pass along cards! The one that has Christ's picture on it! So every time you pass that door, Christ is right there!! :) Super cool! We did not mention that, it was all her doing!
We have another lady who has been making excuses to not talk with us, and for her daughter. One day we caught her in the road and talked with her. At the beginning she kept dodging questions, but when we started asking about what she knew about Christ she started answering, and then we got talking, and!..... Finally marked a time to sit down with her and her family!!! Do not underestimate the power that Christ has! :)
That's about all for this week! I will take notes next week and give better details, alright? I would love it if all of you would send me a little message about what's going on in your lives, and even little details that you guys think are nothing! Thanks! :)
Love,
Elder Naylor
Monday, February 24, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
Parables...
So this has been a good week! I am sorry the computers are not uploading pictures very well, but I will figure something out! This week was a tougher week, but was still really good! Elder Duca and I have been working hard to grow our area (because the work got split in two) and it's been tough, but we are starting to make some progress!
This week I have two analogies to share with y'all! :)
2. The other: a few months ago, a member told me about how he is the best jockey on the island. He told me a story about how the gun went off but his horse stayed in the shoots. He still ended up winning the race! The reason he is so good is because when the race starts, he throws the reins over the horse's head and does not use them. At first I thought "Why? You don't have control?" But he went on to explain that the horse runs more naturally when you don't use them, so he runs faster. If you pull on the reins even a little, you pull on the bit and the horse pulls up a little. The spirit is the same! Even when we think we are right and are helping or doing good, sometimes we can hold the Spirit back! We need to do everything in our lives to be worthy of his help and then get out of the way when he tries to do something, or DO what he tells us to do!
That's what I wanted to share with you all this week! :)
Love,
Elder Naylor
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Yeah. ;)
For this week, we had zone conference, and we ended up being out of our area for three days! (Not super happy about this...), but it was really good. We had some really good trainings and I had the opportunity to sing for half the mission!! :) It was kind of nice to perform again! :)
But something I want to say to the whole world... If you are in charge of people or information that will affect them, do not hold back information or be unorganized!!!!!!!!!! We spent 4 hours in a huge city with all of our stuff, and making a million phone calls because of this!!! I was a little bit frustrated!
They finally put minis in our area! What this means is that my comp and I are split and are working with people who are not missionaries. These members have enough free time to be full time missionaries. We do this because my misson is all islands and lots of people need to move or whatever.
So I am now working with a native caboveriano! :) He is cool, I really like him! :) We also had the baptism of Denise!!!!!!!!!!! yes!!!!!!! So happy about that! After a few big lessons, she finally committed and followed through!
We had two golden people fall into our laps, and they will be baptized here in two weeks! Keli has had all of the lessons from a member and the first thing she said when we talked is, "When can I get baptized?" And Claudio was a hand off from some elders in Praia and he is awesome!!! So that's what happened this week! :) I will send more pictures when the internet is faster. It's been super slow lately...
But something I want to say to the whole world... If you are in charge of people or information that will affect them, do not hold back information or be unorganized!!!!!!!!!! We spent 4 hours in a huge city with all of our stuff, and making a million phone calls because of this!!! I was a little bit frustrated!
They finally put minis in our area! What this means is that my comp and I are split and are working with people who are not missionaries. These members have enough free time to be full time missionaries. We do this because my misson is all islands and lots of people need to move or whatever.
So I am now working with a native caboveriano! :) He is cool, I really like him! :) We also had the baptism of Denise!!!!!!!!!!! yes!!!!!!! So happy about that! After a few big lessons, she finally committed and followed through!
We had two golden people fall into our laps, and they will be baptized here in two weeks! Keli has had all of the lessons from a member and the first thing she said when we talked is, "When can I get baptized?" And Claudio was a hand off from some elders in Praia and he is awesome!!! So that's what happened this week! :) I will send more pictures when the internet is faster. It's been super slow lately...
fica fixe!
Elder Naylor
PS (from mom).... It sounds like he received more packages and letters from Christmas, but there were very few details (other than candy and letters) to be able to tell from who and/or what... So thank you to all!!
Monday, February 3, 2014
Go Seahawks!! Thank you for Christmas letters/packages...
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I love my Hawks even in Africa |
So
we have been working really hard with Denise and Joakim, and we thought
we were going to have them baptized this week, but on Thursday
night (the last possible night they could say yes or no) they both
fell through, and Denise had said yes earlier that day!!!!! And Joakim is so ready! He just won't take the last step! Yeah, not a very happy Elder Naylor that night... I just wish they could have the faith to take the step and receive the blessings that are waiting for them.
The next day we were at district meeting, and we got a message saying we have to go to Sao Vicente the next
day!! That took us out of our area for two whole days!! Ahhhhh. But! The
meeting in Sao Vicente was really good, and I learned a ton of good
stuff!
We came back and were able to save some of our appointments, and church on Sunday
was the smoothest running it has ever been!!! :) So yeah, this week we
have to go back to Sao Vicente (taking the dumb boat that makes me super
sick) and that will take up more time, but this one is with the
president so that will be good! :) That's all for this week! :)
fica fixe! Monday, January 27, 2014
7 Months!
This has been a really good week! To start off, we had three baptisms this week!!! Cely, Ana, and William!!! They are doing super well, and Ana has literally been telling everyone she sees to get baptised!! :) So this week we are pushing really hard to get Denise and Joakin baptised. They are both 100% ready, they just won't say yes, so we are going to help them clear up any doubts!
The
work here in Ribera Grande has been going really well, and the future
is looking bright for this area! We still have not been split yet, and we
are waiting to see what happens, but we keep getting calls like it will
be soon!
We have found some new people to teach, but we will need to sit down with them a little more to find out if they will be good for the future! It's kind of nice and kind of not, but all the people here will talk with you or let you into their house. But a lot of times, they have no intention of making any changes! Sometimes I wish they would just say "I don't want to talk you." It's weird, but we lose time sometimes teaching people who are not going to progress!
This week, something I learned is that you can always find answers and comfort in the scriptures! I have been kind of stressed lately (lots of work that needs to happen w/ investigators and the mission area), but I know I can find answers in the scriptures, and I am so grateful for that! :) I wish you all the best, and hope that you have an awesome week! :) Fica Fixe!
We have found some new people to teach, but we will need to sit down with them a little more to find out if they will be good for the future! It's kind of nice and kind of not, but all the people here will talk with you or let you into their house. But a lot of times, they have no intention of making any changes! Sometimes I wish they would just say "I don't want to talk you." It's weird, but we lose time sometimes teaching people who are not going to progress!
This week, something I learned is that you can always find answers and comfort in the scriptures! I have been kind of stressed lately (lots of work that needs to happen w/ investigators and the mission area), but I know I can find answers in the scriptures, and I am so grateful for that! :) I wish you all the best, and hope that you have an awesome week! :) Fica Fixe!
Love,
Monday, January 20, 2014
Staying in Ribera Grande!
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| Check what I did with the family Christmas card |
This last week was a good week! We are set up to have 4, maybe 5 baptisms next week!! I'm really looking forward to that! :) Cely and Ana will be the first members here in Povoaçao. William is this kid who has been coming to church for 6 weeks, but we only started teaching him two weeks ago! Man, he is a super stud!! Then Joakim and Denise are maybes. We have been working with them and they are ready to go, they just haven't accepted the date yet... Any prayers for them would be greatly appreciated!!
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| You don't drink water unless it goes through here |
From: "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" by Kevin W. Pearson! The whole talk is super good! And all of April 2009 (Ensign magazine) for that matter!! :) He said:
"We do have a choice. We get what we focus on consistently. Because there is an opposition in all things, there are forces that erode our faith. Some are the result of Satan’s direct influence. But for others, we have no one but ourselves to blame. These stem from personal tendencies, attitudes, and habits we can learn to change. I will refer to these influences as the “Six Destructive Ds.” As I do, consider their influence on you or your children.
First is doubt. Doubt is not a principle of the gospel. It does not come from the Light of Christ or the influence of the Holy Ghost. Doubt is a negative emotion related to fear. It comes from a lack of confidence in one’s self or abilities. It is inconsistent with our divine identity as children of God.
Doubt leads to discouragement. Discouragement comes from missed expectations. Chronic discouragement leads to lower expectations, decreased effort, weakened desire, and greater difficulty feeling and following the Spirit (see Preach My Gospel [2004], 10). Discouragement and despair are the very antithesis of faith.
Discouragement leads to distraction, a lack of focus. Distraction eliminates the very focus the eye of faith requires. Discouragement and distraction are two of Satan’s most effective tools, but they are also bad habits.
Distraction leads to a lack of diligence, a reduced commitment to remain true and faithful and to carry on through despite hardship and disappointment. Disappointment is an inevitable part of life, but it need not lead to doubt, discouragement, distraction, or lack of diligence.
If not reversed, this path ultimately leads to disobedience, which undermines the very basis of faith. So often the result is disbelief, the conscious or unconscious refusal to believe.
The scriptures describe disbelief as the state of having chosen to harden one’s heart. It is to be past feeling.
These Six Destructive Ds—doubt, discouragement, distraction, lack of diligence, disobedience, and disbelief—all erode and destroy our faith. We can choose to avoid and overcome them.
Challenging times require greater spiritual power. Consider carefully the Savior’s promise: “If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moroni 7:33).
I humbly declare that God, our Heavenly Father, lives and loves each of us, His children. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He lives and personally leads His Church through President Monson, His anointed prophet. Because He lives, there is always hope smiling brightly before us. In a household of faith, there is no need to fear or doubt. Choose to live by faith and not fear. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen."
That's all I have for this week!"We do have a choice. We get what we focus on consistently. Because there is an opposition in all things, there are forces that erode our faith. Some are the result of Satan’s direct influence. But for others, we have no one but ourselves to blame. These stem from personal tendencies, attitudes, and habits we can learn to change. I will refer to these influences as the “Six Destructive Ds.” As I do, consider their influence on you or your children.
First is doubt. Doubt is not a principle of the gospel. It does not come from the Light of Christ or the influence of the Holy Ghost. Doubt is a negative emotion related to fear. It comes from a lack of confidence in one’s self or abilities. It is inconsistent with our divine identity as children of God.
Doubt leads to discouragement. Discouragement comes from missed expectations. Chronic discouragement leads to lower expectations, decreased effort, weakened desire, and greater difficulty feeling and following the Spirit (see Preach My Gospel [2004], 10). Discouragement and despair are the very antithesis of faith.
Discouragement leads to distraction, a lack of focus. Distraction eliminates the very focus the eye of faith requires. Discouragement and distraction are two of Satan’s most effective tools, but they are also bad habits.
Distraction leads to a lack of diligence, a reduced commitment to remain true and faithful and to carry on through despite hardship and disappointment. Disappointment is an inevitable part of life, but it need not lead to doubt, discouragement, distraction, or lack of diligence.
If not reversed, this path ultimately leads to disobedience, which undermines the very basis of faith. So often the result is disbelief, the conscious or unconscious refusal to believe.
The scriptures describe disbelief as the state of having chosen to harden one’s heart. It is to be past feeling.
These Six Destructive Ds—doubt, discouragement, distraction, lack of diligence, disobedience, and disbelief—all erode and destroy our faith. We can choose to avoid and overcome them.
Challenging times require greater spiritual power. Consider carefully the Savior’s promise: “If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moroni 7:33).
I humbly declare that God, our Heavenly Father, lives and loves each of us, His children. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He lives and personally leads His Church through President Monson, His anointed prophet. Because He lives, there is always hope smiling brightly before us. In a household of faith, there is no need to fear or doubt. Choose to live by faith and not fear. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen."
Pictures to come!
Monday, January 13, 2014
January something... :)
Hey all! This week went really well! We finally got the work really rolling here in Ribera Grande and the work on our chapel is moving great! We should be in there by the end of January! We have a few investigators that are progressing really well! The promising ones are Celly, William, Joakim,and the family of Joakima (5 members.) It still amazes me how many golden people we find in this area!
My comp and I know that on the next transfer our area is going to be split, so we will both be getting new companions. :) I don't know yet, of course, who my new comp will be, but there is one elder who I would call my best friend in the mission! :) His name is Elder Drawe, he is from Saint George, and he is such a stud! I love that guy and we would kill it if we served together! :) We just get along really well! :) We will do stuff after the mission-already planned! :)
We also had a boss (good/great) branch activity that really brought our branch together! Something we have really been needing! :)
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| Is it bad if i take advantage of leaving my house with out my normal look? ;) |
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| in a tree |
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| The Trail |
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| Us on the Trail |
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| branch activity |
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| pool |
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| branch members |
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| pool again |
My most inspirational moment of the week: Studying 1 Corinthians, Chapters 1,2,and 3!!
I love it out here, and wish you all a great week! fica fixe!! (by the way that is my new catch phrase! It means "Stay cool!" :))
Love,
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