Elder Braxton Shoemaker

Week #44: ¡Los Escogidos!

Wow what is up everyone?! How was everyones week?! Hope everyone is doing fan-freaking-tastic. This week was really awesome in Uruguay. We found an awesome family of 7 that is just so willing to listen and tallk with us! We have our challenges with them, as they are usually never in town on the weekends, so getting them to church will be the hard part... but as they have honest faith and desire to follow Jesus Christ, they will fullfil what God has in store for them in this moment.

Something Ive learned so clearly in the mission is the concept of humility. I learn it from both the good, and bad examples. This family is just an awesome example for me. From the first time we talked to them, they just wanted to come to the activities in the church and learn about Christ. As missionaries, our job is to find "the elect". In DC section 4, it says the harvest is white, already to harvest. The missionaries, are harvesters. We come out here for 2 years to find the people that God has prepared, and we teach them, and then we baptize. Really simple as that honestly. But I love the fact that in section 4 it says the field is "white". The field is not yellow in need of watering, nor is it brown and needs help in anyway. The field is white. Many people that we talk to are willing to listen to us, but not willing to do anything on their own to come closer to Christ. These people we could say are in the field that is yellow, in need of some watering...but our job is really just to find the people who are ready to accept this gospel and make a promise with God to serve him to the end.

Maybe to some people, that seems harsh...that we don't spend our time on those who aren't ready for baptism right from the start. It is true, that with a lot of time, we could probably help them join the church...but as missionaries, that isn't our job, that is God's job. He will prepare them when they are ready for the gospel and missionaries in the future will come during their harvest and teach them the gospel.

Missionaries have such little time to find the elect, that we cant spend our time begging people to come to church. The elect, will listen to us, and act on their own part...and eventually, they will walk to the baptismal font, rather than having us push them in.

I love my life as a missionary! I've never found greater satisfaction in my life. I truly get to be the front row spectator to the people that God has prepared to accept His gospel. I'm just simply here to harvest and find these people. ¡Que recordemos el campo ya está blanco, y siempre hay mas almas para encontrar! amo a cada uno de ustedes! tengan una buena seman