In three days I will have spent half a year here in Georgia. It seriously feels like yesterday I was riding in the car with Elder Hansen and Heimuli to my very first area. I just can't imagine what it is going to feel like when I hit that year mark. I wonder where I'll be, but most importantly who I'll be. My new years goals are kind of vague, and I should probably be more specific in setting them. The main idea of my goal is that I want to be a better person. I do have a few specific things that I'd like to focus on, but I don't think I'll share them here. I don't want to change by focusing inward and picking out the specific things for me to work on. I want to change by focusing outward and helping others. I think that is a key doctrine that the Savior teaches. So that is exactly what I am going to try to do. I am going to try my hardest to forget myself and my problems, and focus on helping other people. I know that when I do that I will grow much more.
This week has been a pretty tough week. We haven't been able to meet with the Roldans for 2 weeks now. They left on vacation for Christmas and now they are working 16 hours a day 7 days a week. They do the taxes for most of the Hispanics in the Atlanta area. So we don't know when will be the next time we can meet with them. We are working very hard though and came across a few new people who seem pretty interested in the Church. The Lord has really blessed us in this area. We are consistently finding people to teach. They kind of just pop up out of nowhere. I know that the Lord is placing people in our paths.
I feel like I am slowly becoming a better missionary. I am getting pretty good at talking to people about the Gospel. One thing that President Harding is really pushing is being BOLD. "Boldness = Clarity" he says. I believe he is right. I think that I have done pretty well in being bold. At the start of my mission I was way to scared to ask someone about their religious background or ask what they think about us, but now I will just go ahead and ask. Fear I feel is still holding me back from sharing the Gospel with some people... I need to work on that and just not scared to talk with anyone.
We have recently been doing our morning companionship studies in the morning with Brother Asper. He has been a convert for a year and a half now and loves to study. He is probably one of the most well educated men I have ever met. He is so kind and love sharing with us the things he has learned. He gets so excited about missionary work it is kind of funny. He is like a kid in a candy store when we find someone new. He comes on team ups with us and helps us out with anything we need. He is really the most charitable man I've ever met.
The members of this ward are really amazing. I love them so much. They have really grown to love Elder Armenta and I. We really work well together and get along with everyone. Things in this ward have really changed. The work is really moving forward here. When I think back of what this area used to be, and what it is now. It is just a total difference. Even if I don't baptize anyone in this area, I will know that I have done some good in this area.
President Harding sent out two Book of Mormons to each companionship with a marking guide for our new years goal of reading The Book of Mormon again. In total they probably shipped out about 330 Book of Mormons. They shipped them about 10 days ago and no one has received their Book of Mormon. All they received was a ripped open package with the marking guide, no Book of Mormon. I don't know how whoever did this knew what was in the package, and I don't know why they would do this. It is clear to me that Satan is a very real person, and that he really will do all that he can to stop this work from moving forward. I just hope that no other mail gets tampered with.
Well that is about all I have to say for this week. I hope to have more exciting things to read about next week.
I love you all so much. I miss you all so much.
-Elder Ryan Romero
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