eMail of January 25, 2010

I had a great week. On Tuesday we took an investigator to have an interview with the Bishop, and after the interview decided to accept the gospel. Yesterday her husband came to Church and asked some things that showed he is preparing to accept baptism as well and he talked about the responsibility he feels. The only problem is that they need to get married, but they both understand why they need to now. We are excited for the family though and we are hoping everything will be said and done here in a couple of weeks.

During Church I met up with a family that I had taught before and a daughter just after I left had gotten baptised. Another lady was baptised from my first ward, someone that I had met and taught a year ago. Back then she was Catholic and said she would attend us but not listen. Now she´s a member. At night we had the baptismal service for Constanza which went very well. In truth all of this was amazing and I feel happy. The Lord continues His work and shows His love. I am grateful to be here. I love you all and would write more, but I am short on time today. I love you and hope that everyone continues to have fun.

Here are some of the pictures of the last few baptisms. The first is Alexandra, the second Cristian and the third Constanza. There are also my last comp and my current one. Enjoy!

eMail of January 18, 2010

The members are feeding us well. I always have sufficient to eat and rarely go hungry for too much time. Usually it´s a feeling of having eaten too much.

As for some experiences, probably the best experience this week was on Friday. Thursday night we were talking with an investigator that wants to get baptised but isn´t married. There was a Stake activity on Saturday to go to the Temple but he had to work, but we decided to set up on Friday a tour with the Sisters in the Temple. So we set it up and the next day called him. He couldn´t go on Friday for a complication but his wife said that she still wanted to go. We went with her and she had a great time. She was asking questions like "how soon after I get baptised can I go to the Temple" and such. In fact as we were leaving, we saw a couple leave the Temple having just been sealed. It went perfectly and the Spirit was strong.

The work is moving forward, and now we just need to help this family become the family the Lord wants it to be. That was really a great experience. I am feeling like they are going to get baptised any time now, they just have to get married.

Truth be told, there are many miracles rolling forth right now in this mission. In one ward an Elder Trumbo, the same one I lived with my second transfer, and Elder Caligari from Urugay already have 5 or 6 baptisms this month. The zone already has more baptisms than it did the whole last transfer half-way through. The mission has doubled the number of baptisms since President Laycock got here. It is truly amazing to me. The Lord is moving forward His work and cutting it short in righteousness.

Personally I feel great and am learning better how to fully give myself over unto the Lord. I´m also learing about the absolute necesity of baptism and the gospel. It is true, if I know anything now, I know it´s true. Through the power of the Holy Ghost I know it is true and through that same power I learn the truth of all things.

Well, I love you all and am glad to hear that you are all doing well. I hope and pray that every one of you continue to learn and have fun. By the way, if you want to know what true joy is, look up the definition in True to the Faith. ¡Chaoito!

eMail of January 11, 2010

I´m glad to hear that everything went so well. That is great that Caleb is going to get his Star. Well, I forgot to bring my camera with me again so I will have to do it next week. But anyhow, I am doing great. We still have a baptism for the 24 and hopefully some more the next week. We are going to have to fight for it though. Most of the baptisms we do are on Sunday.

As for some cool experiences, I must say that this last week I have felt the guidance of the Spirit more than ever. Many great things happened, but also some not so great. The Spirit warned us of a couple things, with out investigators. There was one who gave us a cold shoulder that nearly got baptised just before, but we felt that it was going to happen the day before.

In the other direction, we were looking for people to teach and we thought of a convert that has been less active, so we went by. She wasn´t there but we went next door and met a lady that said that she believes in the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith but has never been baptised. We also had a bunch of references to go by and we went by one during the week, but the girl said that she couldn´t at that moment. I felt good about it so we kept going by after we didn´t find her again. Yesterday we went by and her Mom came out and said that her daughter wasn´t there, but she also said that she is a member that has been inactive for 11 years. Hearing that I felt really good about everything, the family is truly interested in living the gospel and accepting it in their lives. Well, there are a couple of cool experiences with the Spirit.

Also once this week both of us, my comp and I, studied the same subject about the Spirit, without planning it before. The Spirit guided us both to learn about the same thing and it helped our studies so much. I feel so motivated right now and grateful to be here. I am where I need to be and am grateful. I love you all and hope that you can feel the Spirit´s guidance like that always.

eMail of January 4 2010

It seems more like the true reality is over and we just have to come back to earth. The meetings in my ward here are at 11, so we are opposites right now. My first ward here and this ward are both in the Chapel, and so I got to see a bunch of familiar faces. It was great to meet and talk with many of the families and people I had worked with and taught before. I saw Marcos, who was baptised in April last year. I felt so happy to see and talk with him.

I also found out that the mother of a convert that I had taught all that time ago now has a baptismal date for the 24th. I could hardly believe it. She really didn´t want anything to do with the Church being Catholic, but through faith it seems all that has changed. The last time I saw her I decided to ask her why she thought her son had joined the Church. She explained it and I saw some hope. Now its becoming a reality.

I am so grateful to be here. However in the end it seems like I am here for nothing more than to enjoy the ride as the Lord performs His work. All you have to do in the mission is work hard, rely on the Lord, be happy and more than anything love the people. The Lord does the rest. For example yesterday. Yesterday was the baptism of Christian Diaz a 9 year-old whose dad is becoming active again after 11 years. For the baptism we had set up everything and a few things fell through. However, everything was provided for and it went smoothly and powerfully. It was a great spiritual experience. Christian himself ended the service with a prayer, having all his family and many friends there, and said during the prayer that he wanted that
"everyone be baptised like me." His mom started crying who also is inactive for 11 years and everyone was silent and felt the Spirit. It was such a simple and powerful prayer.

Just after the baptism we had to plan a "sector slam," where the whole zone of missionaries came into our sector to tract. Our original plan fell through and couldn´t work, so we improvised to tract the whole section in front of the Church. We had great success and a lot of work to do and people to find. Including we found at least one baptism. One person accepted to be baptised the 24th. It was amazing and I felt like what Nephi must have felt, going into Jerusalem not knowing beforehand what to do.

Sometimes we have just got to do our best, then let the Spirit guide. Truly I am grateful and excited to be here. I hope that everyone is as happy as I am, and that they are growing a testimony as strong as mine. It is a very sure foundation knowing that Jesus is the Christ and following His teachings. I love you all and pray that everything is going well.

Happy New Year!