Wise Purpose

 

Our transfers this week went a week longer than normal because the new North Americans got delayed a couple of days flying in. I did not think much of it because I doubted that it would affect me in any way. I remember when I found out that I would be delayed for the second time. At that point I didn't think I would ever come. From time to time I wonder what would have happened had I arrived in this mission on time.

The Lord commanded Nephi to make two sets of plates in Chapter 9 of 1 Nephi for a "wise purpose" that Nephi at the time didn't know. The Lord’s “wise purpose” in having Nephi create two records became clear centuries later. After Joseph Smith translated the first 116 manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon, he gave the pages to Martin Harris, who lost them. But Nephi’s second set of plates covered the same time period, and the Lord commanded Joseph Smith to translate these plates rather than retranslate what had been lost.

There were a lot of loose ends that I just couldn't tie up in the last 10 days I thought I had in Hunter Lake, Nevada. I needed that time to see my trainer again. I needed that time to say goodbye to the ward properly. If I had left when I was supposed to I would have missed so many things I wish I could have stayed for. There was a "wise purpose" in my delay in Reno at that time. I was caught between a companion that was blatantly disobedient and another that was painfully obedient. They have since told me that they would not have survived without me had I not been there. My mission president at the time told me that the reason I was still there was because I needed to be. He also told me that I would look back on my time in the Nevada, Reno mission with content and that I would cherish the time I had there. I kind of hate to admit it because I have always been told to never look back, but I think about it every day. I was there for a "wise purpose".

But I am not there anymore.

President Hansen sent me a letter this week saying that Elder Chamorro would be transfered. He has been here for a long time so it wasn't a huge surprise. I am going to be leading the area with another Yankee. 

Yankee is what Paraguayans call North Americans or really anyone who has lighter skin. However, they pronounce it like "junkie." I guess I thought every American was a drug addict and that the whole country was infatuated with this idea that all Americans are "junkies."

In my letter President Hansen stated that he had full confidence that my companion and I "can have success" in this area. It's definitely a can because I think he is as almost as new as I am. 

If I had found this out a day before Elder Chamorro left like I was "supposed to" I would have freaked out. There's no way I could lead an area I barely knew in a language I can hardly speak. But this week, as we wandered the streets I took good notes of everywhere we went. I wrote down as many words as I didn't know. I tried to say anything I could in a conversation. I started to understand people that I could not understand before. Things didn't seem like as much of a whirlwind anymore. 

I am convinced that the reason or "purpose" behind those Americans getting delayed was because poor Elder Johnson needed to get it together before leading Encarnacion Rama 1. 

This week has been filled with little things like this. I put a grocery bag in my shoulder bag weeks ago because I thought it might come in handy later. I completely forgot about it until I was on exchanges this week with Elder Meaurio and we got a little lost and stuck in the rain. Our phone would have probably gotten ruined but that grocery bag I saved from the "la familia" down the street kept it from getting wet.