La gente esta muy loca (August 18, 2014)

So, we had a pretty crazy, yet pretty normal week here in Pueblo Nuevo. Yes, that is to say that every single week is a pretty crazy week here. We generally say the name of the title of the entry every single day. In fact, to prove it, we made a video of knocking a door. It was quiiite funny. I would send you all a copy, but well...I can´t. Just gotta wait a year!

With all of the craziness, I had a lot of experiences worth sharing, but to keep it quick I will share two small ones and then a big one.

First off, I got sick after I ate a very humble dish of Ají de Atún. It is like my favorite dish Ají de Gallina, but it has tuna. It caused me to become so sick that I had to sleep with a THICK blanket, my sweater, jeans, and socks. I was ready to die belly-up in the oceans of Paita. But, I am better now! (ish)

We also had a cool experience with prayer, where I taught a single mother with her 3 little kids the importance of prayer. They had lost the keys to their house and were searching all afternoon until we came. I instantly said, "did you pray?" Obviously, they didn´t and so we prayed.  Literally 4 minutes later, we found the keys. And that is why we pray, folks.

And then...sacrament meeting. I almost blew a fuse. No one was in the casa capilla at 10 AM (when we start) and so I started calling members at home. One family said, "Oh, I am sorry. I DIDN´T KNOW THERE WAS A MEETING TODAY." I was like, "What the freak??" Then, another family came in WITH THEIR WORK CLOTHES AND GOODS TO SELL. What lack of respect. But that isn´t it. 2 of the 5 Elders (which is a position in the Priesthood, not only for missionaries but for Priesthood leaders) did not come because ONE WAS SLEEPING AND THE OTHER WAS DRINKING.

Ladies and gentlemen. If you thought Jeffery R. Holland knew how to burn people in English, then you should have seen how I burned these folks in Spanish. I spoke to the group about a story in the Book of Mormon of a fellow named Lehonti who ended up dying because he gave into a little temptation. I pointed (indirectly) out the people by using selling and buying on the Sabbath as a temptation, drinking with friends and family as another, and well just plain laziness. The commandments DO NOT change. I think I said that like three times. Anyways, let´s just say I was full of the Spirit in a righteous fury, and I ended my talk with a powerful scripture from the Bible with another fellow who was tempted to leave his high position to basically sin. In Nehemiah 6:3, Nehemiah said simply enough,

"I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?"

Amen, hermano. We do not have time to sin. We do not have time to work on the Sabbath day. We do not have time to be lazy and say, "well everyone else is doing it, therefore I can too." The Lord will come soon and we just do not have time to be dumb and take the commandments for granted.

Yes, it was a crazy week, but I am eternally grateful for being here in Pueblo Nuevo. It is a fantastic blessing and will provide me with a powerful testimony for when I come home.

I love you all and pray the best for everyone! ¡Cuídense mucho!

- Elder Dax Rich