Hello!!- August 27, 2014

Well, another week in Bella Vista. We have been working, and it has been pretty interesting. Sometimes as missionaries we need to go and get to know a part of our area which we havent ever touched, and it ends up being really impossible to do mission work... and it gets pretty interesting when you spend a few hours there. But yeah, took upon us another part, and we have spent a couple days trying to work there and there wasnt much. It is pretty interesting to see the same people within 5 or 10 minutes walking distance, that just are so different in their opinions about things. The poorer people let us in no matter what, like 90 percent of the time, and the rich let us in like 15 percent of the time. So my companion and I were asking if there would really be much importance in going over to this new area, but we will see how it goes since people need the gospel, we will see. 

But there are a few families that have problems to get baptized. There is 1, Tania and Wandy, who are just waiting on a Birth Certificate error (theyve gone to church for 8 months already), then Vives and Mercedita, who need a lot of preparation (knowledge wise), and then a less active and his wife, Winnifer, who need to get divorced and then married. And divorce is really expensive here! So those are a few of the things I found in arriving to Bella Vista, but that is how life is. 

We had a meeting as all the leaders in the mission with President Douglas to talk about why we arent having the success that we really should have. I feel like it is a lack of maturity in a lot of missionaries. Not really maturity in personality, because I cannot criticize others in that sense. I am up there in those immatures. But sometimes I have seen in the mission that we dont have our things straightened out. We need to disobey to have fun. WHY ARE WE HERE IF WE DONT WANT TO KEEP THE RULES?? I sometimes wonder that. If we enjoy the things of the world MORE than the things of the mission, WHY ARE WE HERE?? And these are things that we need to figure out, everyone for himself. But the hard things is helping everyone have that same goal. We talk a lot about unity, but we dont practice it much. It all begins with the individual. 

Thanks so much for all the support! We are working hard out here, and I am so excited to see what the Lord has in store for us this week!

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAMILLE!!! I love Camille because she loves me so much. Even though I may not be the best brother, she worries about me and always makes sure that I am ok. She has written me every week for more than 13 months, and it amazes me to think that she does it all out of a love unfeigned. 

Love you all!!

Elder Dallin Murphy