What makes a person a true convert to Christ?

This is my question of the week. Living on an Indian Reservation, the common answer to why things are done a certain way is, "This is our ways". I am not sure that someone saying that really represents any truth to what a person really believes here. It sometimes comes across as an excuse for doing things that make no sense, or have not been thought out real well. In the scriptures we are told that the "Traditions of the Fathers" will be a stumbling block.

When you live with a group of people steeped in "Traditions" it is easy to sometimes be critical of the things they do. I was taught to turn things back on myself when I question why others do things I do not understand, or cannot follow their reasoning for continuing down a path that is not getting them what they truly want. For instance.....I think to myself,, "Do I have a belief about something that has no foundation in truth, but because I am not willing to change, I rationalize why I continue to do it or believe it?"

Like why did I procrastinate getting my Christmas Cards out again this year? This happens every year for some reason. Analyze that someone. Anyway, why can't I figure this out and start writing Christmas Cards around Thanksgiving instead of having this anxiety hanging over me when I continue to put it off. Here it is almost the end of January and my cards will go in the mail this week finally. So if someone can help me out, I would appreciate it! (I have no idea when my mother used to send cards out, so I cannot use my mother as an excuse!)

Now, when it comes to being truly converted to Christ......how does, or when does this happen in someones life. Thirty four years ago I served a mission in Italy. The people there were so steeped in the tradition of the national religion. It was very hard to share the gospel there, and to have people allow us to teach them. Now the church is strong and big enough in Italy they are building a Temple in Rome. When did the church really take hold?

The thing that is frustrating with being on the Indian Reservation, is to realize that many of the people here were baptized at some point and are no longer not only not attending church, they are having alcohol problems, family problems, etc. Why have they struggled to stay strong in the gospel? There have been a ton of missionaries come and go here, and yet things never seem to be able to maintain themselves on a church level. When does a change happen in a group of people that things really stick?