2-19-18 777/ My recent convert is Jesus/ There is a secret Police / I'm going to live with monkeys Malaga Mission Week # 30

February 26, 2018

What's up everybody! This week has flown by, just like this past transfer. And here we are again, but a ton of stuff went down this past week so I'll try to keep it simple and exciting.

So recent convert Roman, he kinda disappeared for a little bit and didnt tell us much. We met with him this past week and everything seemed normal until he told us he had an idea. We sat down on a bench and started talking about it. He had this drawing to explain it all and he practically wants to create a new church almost completely like ours except with him at the head and it's more of a monarchy. Super strange and super weird, but the best part is he thinks he is Jesus Christ reincarnated. And he asked our other recent converts Samuel and Hong-Chun to be Adam and eve and me to be Jospeph Smith haha. We all, rather politely, declined the offer.

Then a little later in the week we had another strange appointment. We met with a man who's has a voice in his head! A voice that's not his own. So he began to explain how there is an elaborate, completely secretive, police force that by using technology investigates every person in the world and then punishes them mentally and physically using this technology. We tried to explain that Satan and his angels are always working to get us down, and discourage us, but that through the atonement of Jesus Christ (not Roman) we can be healed and these pains we feel can be lifted, and taken from us. He was pretty set on the whole secret Police but agreed to read and pray so all is well haha.

Saturday morning I was studying when I received a call from our mission president, President Anderson. He informed me that i would need to pack my bags because after 6 months in Murcia it was time to leave. I was pretty sad becuase I have a lot of love for the people here and also a lot of friends, but nonetheless I will be headed to Algeciras, right next to the Rock of Gibraltar with all the monkeys, which is right above Africa. So for that I'm pretty excited and also because it was Elder Benedict last area which is pretty cool so he already filled me in on a bit of it. Now comes the twist, I will be headed down there to finish the training of a new missionary. His trainer is finishing his mission this transfer, so I have to finish his training. So that will be interesting as well! Currently im on a bus to Malaga to go get trained on how to be a trainer haha.

This week too as I've been reading I came across this from Elder Richard G. Scott:

“You may ask how can one determine when a tradition is in conflict with the teachings of the Lord and should be abandoned? That is not easily done. I have found how difficult it is as I work to overcome some of my own incorrect traditions. … Customs and traditions become an inherent part of us. They are not easy to evaluate objectively. Carefully study the scriptures and counsel of the prophets to understand how the Lord wants you to live. Then evaluate each part of your life and make any adjustments needed. Seek help from another you respect who has been able to set aside some deeply held convictions or traditions that are not in harmony with the Lord’s plan. …

Sometimes we may have to give up, or sacrifice something that we think is very important to us, when in reality we are going to receive something so much better. Habits, preferences, and especially, customs, are touchy subjects but we need to have the faith to follow the Lord no matter what "tradition" it meams givimg up.