Week Fourteen!

This week I was studying a lot in the New Testament. I love Luke 5. Simon Peter had been out fishing all night long, with nothing to show for it. No fish. Peter is a professional fisherman who knows the lake, the winds, the fishing patterns. All logical reason says there is no fish in that lake. For heaven's sake, he had been throwing his net out and bringing it back in all night and there was nothing. In verse 4, Jesus says to him "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught." Now here is Christ, a carpenter, who had likely never fished in his life, giving direction on fishing to a man whose livelihood is fishing. Peter answers "Master we have tolled all night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net."  Now what was Simon Peter's reward for obeying the direction of the Savior, no matter how illogical it seemed to a mortal's mind? They "inclosed a great multitude of fishes" so much that they had to "beckon unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them." There were so many fish that they "filled both the ships, so that they began to sink." Simon Peter was so amazed that he "fell down at Jesus' knees." "He was astonished, and all that were with him." This miracle had such a faith-building impact on him that  when they got back to land, "they forsook all, and followed him."

 Either we can be like Simon Peter, or we can be like the world. We can do as the Savior asks, even if what he asks of us seems silly to us. We can be humbled and remember that he has much more knowledge than us. We can keep the commandments and follow Christ, or we can not. However, when we don't, we are keeping ourselves from receiving those blessings that He has prepared for us. If Simon Peter had not followed the direction of the Savior, he would never have seen those fish. His faith would be less. Because he did, even though it went against what he knew, he was blessed beyond belief. 

Those same blessings are waiting for us. To Simon Peter, a fisherman, two boatfulls of fish was probably the greatest thing he could imagine. Now to me, that just sounds smelly and gross. He has different things waiting for me, and different blessings prepared for each of you. The greatest things that you could ever imagine. Maybe that's two boatloads of fish, maybe it's that A in your hard class, maybe it's the promotion at work, maybe it's to have enough money to buy food for your family for the rest of the month. This real-life example shows us that truly if we do what the Savior asks, He will bless us with blessings we cannot imagine. We will be so filled with blessings, we won't even have room enough for them, just as the boats began to sink because they were so filled with the blessings.

Anyway not much happened this week. We went to Dolores (literally translated Pains) for a Choque Fuerza (Strong Crash), which just meant we contacted all day because the missionary work is struggling in that area. I left my jeans in the chapel that day, because we had been doing service in the morning, and they got stolen hahaha. So now I have no pants. Good thing 99% of the time I wear skirts anyways. 

Also this week I received a set of sheets in the mail and I have no idea why or from whom. We call them the mystery sheets. Also, a few of the members here have started calling me "Mi Gordita" or pretty much "my little fatty." But also some of them tell me I am too skinny and then feed me cake. I´m okay with it. 

This week will be my last week with Hermana Dixon because she is going home next Wednesday. I feel a little ripped off that I only get 5 weeks with her, because she is the best companion I could imagine. I just love her so much and she is an incredible missionary. Next week I will be writing on Tuesday instead of Monday because we will have changes, and then I will be able to tell you who my new companion is and if I had to leave Mercedes. 

The work here in Mercedes is progressing slowly but surely. We had to drop a  few investigators because they weren´t progressing, which was really hard for me. But I know that their time to accept the Gospel will come. We had an investigator come to church with us this week! Her name is Noelia and she is doing awesome. She hasn´t had an easy life, but has been able to find peace through the Gospel. We´re working harder than ever and are excited to see the progress in the future.

Love you all!

Hermana Kaylee Marsh