Literally. So to start last week, I slipped in the rain and fell right on my back (and got winded so I lost my breath for about 30 seconds) so the rest of the week was me trying not to hurt my back more. Luckily my companion had a home made heating pad, which he made out of sewing 2 socks together filled with rice and then we heat up in the microwave. Because I´m basically an expert in back pain already thanks to the mission, I knew kind of what to do (and not to do) so we took it slow this week. We still were able to leave and go out, but only to the appointments we had already set up since last week. It was frustrating because the whole zone is growing and finding more people to teach and baptize and we got stuck with nothing. As I was laying there, I was asking "Why? Why now? I just want to end well. I´m doing my best to stay focused on the mission and not think about the end. I´m working harder than ever before and there is so much to be done, but I have to stay in bed. Why has everything that could go wrong these past few weeks gone wrong?" and I didn't really get an answer for awhile. Then on Sunday, it was another week of people telling us they'd come to church and then not come and it was kind of sad to see almost no one in the gospel principles class. But at the same time I kept thinking "We've already committed this much to work outside the villa, why would we just give up?" and then I just felt good. I felt at peace that what we're doing is going to pay off, and even though I not might see it, the ward will, and that´s what´s important. Whether we have 10 or 0 baptisms, we've worked so hard and will continue, and some very valuable lessons have been learned, and will continue being learned.
Most of the time we focus on the destination or the end goal, like for example on a road trip from Utah to Canada. It was easy for me to only think about getting to Canada to take the cruise and enjoy the vacation that I was starting to not be able to appreciate all the points in between, from the amazing scenery to the conversations with my family and grandparents. At one point my grandpa even took a detour to have a more scenic drive, at first I got impatient then I realized the lesson that he was trying to teach. That's how life can end up, we can focus on the destination being heaven and we forget that we came here to get experience and to learn to prepare us for the destination, not just show up and get to the destination as quickly as possible.
I came here to baptize, that is my commission, but more than that it is to invite others to come unto Christ and that very much involves helping others on a journey of change and that's where the lessons are learned and the joy is felt. It has taken me 21 years to figure that out, that life is just made up of a bunch of experiences and how we enjoy them will determine how much we get out of life. We´re still going to work hard to do out part to baptize, but this week has given me peace in my efforts and I know that nothing is wasted.
Pics- Soccer, dinner, and the homemade heating pad
-Elder Steele
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