Week 47

Branch conference activity in Retiro

Alright! Time for another week report!

This week was an interesting one because we had our branch conference! It was the 2nd anniversary of the chapel here in Retiro! (The branch is so young) The activities kind of absorbed the whole week, and that gave us little time to do everything necessary. These are the activities we had:

1. Family Home Evening (In peoples own houses.)

2. Sports activity

3. Doing visits

4. Talent Show

5. Family Home Evening (in the chapel with everyone)

6. Devotional

7. The Conference

I’ll describe what happened for each

1. We had planned to go out and have a FHE with the Campos family, and with Miriam and Estefania combined. We prepared a short lesson and some things to share earlier in the day but surely enough Hermano Campos gave us a call just before the FHE to cancel it. So we went around and got our contacts visited Miriam and Estephania, as well as German.

2. Our sports activity was a ton of fun. We shuttled everyone down to the gymnasium and had the activity there. We had relay races, played soccer, other various games, and had a giant asado with choripanes! (a barbeque having sausage sandwich things). We had a ton of people show up. There was at least 35 people there. Some people who haven't come to Church activities for ages showed up as well. It was a good time getting to spend time together.

Sports activity

3. The visits went well. I went on a split with our elders quorum president, Juan Lastra. We went out to visit the Saldañas and the Sepulvedas but no one was home. We tried all of our backups but no one was home. We went back and met up with everyone else and headed back home. It was a pretty laid back night. We had a good time.

4. Our talent show was some good fun. We headed to the gymnasium for this one as well. The talents from each of the organizations of the branch were pretty, well, just telling jokes and acting out some cheesy skits. They were pretty funny though. The best one, in my opinion was when the young men, Pancho, Felipe, German, Luis, and Michol went up on stage as One Direction, and the young women started attacking them and just played out a funny concert scenario. It was pretty funny. Elder Martinez and I went for the musical numbers. (hehe... That's my kind of thing). For our first number we played my arrangement of Nearer, my God to thee on my charango and Elder Martinez played his guitar. For the second number I played Brightly Beams our Fathers Mercy on the guitar. It went really well. I REALLY REALLY REALLY miss that sensation of playing music in front of people. It’s always a good time. We finished had refreshments, the youth started a game of futbol, and then we went home.

5. Our FHE in the chapel was really good. It was really spiritual. We watched one of the bible videos from the church, the one about Christ suffering in Gethsemane. We talked about that for a good while and then we played games and ate refreshments.

6. Saturday morning we went out and had a service project and went out and cleaned the main street by picking up garbage. When we finished, we cleaned up the chapel and prepared it for the devotional we had later in the evening.  We had a good devotional. Simple messages were shared and it was a good evening with lots of people in the chapel.

Service project

7. The conference was great. I’d say it was a success! It was just a bummer to come so close to the goal of attendance and barely miss it. We had 61 People in church. All the less actives that always come didn't come, and all those who usually come didn't come. The Saldañas and the Campos both came. We had various other people come that have previously sworn never to return to the church. It was good to see so many miracles throughout the week. It was a big push but I’d say in the end it was worth it.

All the activities were a blast. Elder Martinez and I are just exhausted from so much that happened. We are so drained from all the prep that we did for the conference.

The best part of the week was just seeing people who haven't gone to church or haven't shown up to activities, actually arrive. It was cool to see that by reaching out and by using the support of the members can make a big change in a dying branch. There is a boost in the chapel now. It clearly feels different. I am content with what has happened with all my time here. The week made everything different. I really have developed a relationship with a lot of people here. They are my brothers and sisters. I love them and it is such a pleasure to serve them.

This week will be good. I will be focusing on saying my precautionary goodbyes to everyone. We will have an activity this Thursday to say my goodbyes with everyone! Just as a precaution due to the clues and things we have heard. It will be tough to leave, but I will be so grateful for an opportunity to get out and work hard in a different area. It will be good to break out of a routine here.

The week went by really fast. It’s cool to see time speeding up, but it’s scary as well. I have been working on really enjoying my time here.

All in all, I can do nothing without the help of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. It is so interesting to be in a position where I have no idea what to do, and be completely dependent on them. They truly can guide us and help us if we let Them. It is so real, and I love sharing the sacred truth that they are real, and that they love us. I am so grateful to have all that I have, to know the sweetness of the plan of salvation, and to have the hope that the Gospel brings in my life. I am grateful to share it. I hope that we can all cherish what we really have and follow the counsels of the Savior and his servants the prophets in all that we do.

Thank you so much for all you guys do. I feel your support, and it helps me to keep going every day. I miss you terribly, and I wish we could share our experiences more thoroughly. You are everything to me guys. I love you all so much more that I can express. I hope you have a good week, and enjoy all that happens, the good and the bad! Until the next week!

Elder Ethan Haws