What up!
So this week was a very stressful week. The truth is that every week is stressful... if only I could tell you all the problems that arise in a zone and how many things you have to figure out as a zone leader, and at the same time you have to keep your sector afloat and have to keep everything in order in your own life. The good news is that we survived the week and it looks like we'll be baptizing this weekend. Elder Montero and I get along great! I'm glad I get to work with him. We're trying to have 20 baptisms as a zone this month... the zone had 12 last month!
So, I think the first thing I want to talk about is the leadership meeting we had with president Woodward and his wife this past Friday. We went back to Santiago and we got to talk a little bit about the vision as a mission; which is teach repentance and baptize converts. Our mission is really, really, really good at getting into houses and being super direct with people telling them that they need to be baptized by someone who has proper priesthood authority. Which is only found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints, and they need to be baptized by immersion. Can't lie, we all get in and take out a picture of Christ’s baptism and then we are just really bold with people and we get them to commit to being baptized. The only way you can count a new investigator in our mission is if you extend a baptismal invitation... so that's why we do it. We always talk about baptism and the importance of being baptized by proper authority. In the consejo de liderazgo we talked more about repentance and how people really need to understand their relationship with God and they need to understand what Christ did for them so that they can be clean. It's such a simple principle and it's something I've taught a lot in my mission, but I realized that I really have no clue as to how I can motivate a person to act and feel the desire to repent and really fulfill their potential as a child of God. You can kick, scream, yell, and basically condemn a Chileno but most the time they really couldn’t care less if they're sinning or not. It makes my blood boil and it always will, but then I realized that the same exact thing happens with missionaries in my zones. You can kick, scream, and tell them to get their butts moving but they just will not do it unless they really feel the converting power of the Atonement. I can tell you guys that I have felt that converting power throughout my life but so much more on my mission. I've never been disobedient, I've never been lazy, but I have made so many little adjustments on my mission that now I have reached a whole different level in the way I teach and the way that I act. The problem is that I feel like I was born this way. I have always wanted to be better. I have always wanted to be obedient. If I run a 4-minute mile one day, I promise you that I won't be content... I'll want to go for 3:59 and then 3:58... that's just the way I am, and I will always be that way. I know that if I am content with anything in my life that I am not progressing, and I always want to be progressing. I know this is what the Lord put us on this earth to do. We always have to be progressing so that we are ready to meet Him again someday and be prepared to give an accounting of the things we have done in our life. The issue that I have is that 98% of all the people in the world just want to accomplish the minimum and then they're good. How do you motivate someone to act and really come to Christ is the question? The scriptures. Doctrine. Personal experiences. The spirit. All these things are great, but the only true way to do it is through love and charity. You just have to really, really, really love a person and desire that they become better than you are, and that's how you can help them feel the converting power of the Atonement. I know that I'm the way that I am because my Dad and my Mom have always loved me and wanted the very best for me. They gave me the room to I needed to grow and always loved me no matter what! They have taught me throughout my life how I can feel of my Saviors love and how to access that love. If I can show that same love to my investigators... we'll have more results. Obviously you have to look for golden investigators... but that's my thought for the week. 
I had another sad division with an Elder in our zone whose parents got divorced this past week and it took him completely off guard. It really breaks my heart to see elders suffering; especially when they're at the very end of their mission... he goes home with me. The Hermana's in our zone are super sick and can't even leave to work! I can’t remember the last time I was so sick I couldn’t or didn’t want to get out and work! I’m grateful for this blessing! Our investigators are good but the Sunday morning "flojera" took over again.
The funny news for the week is that on the way back to the coast on the metro a guy totally started yelling and cussing us out in front of everyone on the Santiago metro. Elder Montero had asked me early this week about my weirdest experience on the mission and he told me that he hasn't really had one. After the guy cussed us out and about punched us he looked at me and said, "Hay está su respuesta Elder Weaver." (There is your answer, Elder Weaver) The guy basically called us sapos (Frogs) and told us that we were from the CIA and we just send info to the USA about the Chilenos... then he told us to stop talking bad about Nicaragüenses. We had recently been talking about Centro Americano baseball players and Elder Montero told me that Nicaraguenses are great to play baseball... the guy was a lunatic and got in a puff about that. "Ustedes son sapos!!! (You are toads!!) Andan puro sapeando!" (They are pure eavesdroppers!) Haha!
Love the mission and love my Savior! I know He lives and that He wants us to reach our potential!
Elder Weaver
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