July 8, 2009

Well, one more week has gone by and things are going pretty good. We had a pretty good week this week. We received some pretty good blessings but we also had some difficult days. And right about now I am trying to remember just exactly what happened this week. But what I can remember was that it was a pretty good week. But I hope that everyone doing good. It seems like everyone had a great pretty good Fourth of July. I wish that I could have been there with you all but it isn’t exactly an option as a missionary. But I think that I did have a pretty good Fourth, Elder Milkanin and I sang the National Anthem which is just about all that we can do to celebrate. But yeah….on to the news of the weekThis week we started teaching a new investigator, Brisola. He is a young man that is really interested in the gospel and believes that the church is true. He went to church with us and is progressing really well and is wanting to join the church. So we are going to continue to work with him and see if we cant mark is baptismal date here pretty soon. The only problem is that he lives with his girl friend and she is pregnant so they will have to get married if he wants to be baptized. But things have been going great with him.We did have a great week with Carla´s family. They are starting to make more progress. Alzenira, the mother, really liked the message about the family and then on Sunday we decided to follow the guidance of our president. I received an email from president on Wednesday last week and he recommended that we read the Book of Mormon with them and pray about the Book of Mormon with them. The lesson actually started out horrible with them saying a bunch of ridiculous crap about the church and spirit wasn’t there. We answered their questions and stupid comments about the Book of Mormon. But it wasn’t helping because the spirit wasn’t there. But out of no where I don’t even remember what my companion said, but he said something and when we said it the spirit entered into the room. We testified about the Book of Mormon and with the spirit still in the room I asked Sildo, the father, to offer a prayer and asked God if the Book of Mormon is true. He did as I asked and the spirit was so strong. Even I received another answer that the Book of Mormon is true. I actually have never felt the spirit testify to me so strong about the BOM. After the prayer the girls were crying and I know that they felt and so do they. It was an amazing experience. But the parents didn’t feel anything. I even asked them if they were going to go to church and they said I don’t know. But the girls said yes. After the lesson we went home to grab some things for church. And we went to church. We passed a few houses first to grab some people but no one wanted to come with us. And when we arrived the Carla´s parents hadn’t arrived yet. So I figured they weren’t going to come but they did after the first hour. And well as it was fast and testimony meeting everyone bore their testimonies. I went up and I bore my testimony about the mission and how I have never felt so much joy in my life and sadness at the same time because of the people that accept and reject the gospel. And afterwards I sat down next to Alzenira and she turned to me and asked me if I feel sad after leaving their house sometimes and I told her yes. And I bore my testimony again to just her and after I got done talking with her, her daughter, Carla, got up to bear her testimony. And while Carla was talking, her mother started to cry. Her mother for the first time was touched by the spirit. It was awesome. We went back to their house last night to have her mother sign the paper for the girls to be baptized because the girls want to be baptized. Her mother said that she isn’t sure if the church is true. But she has a lot more of an interest in learning about the church she asked for the Church´s internet site and she even kept one of the Baptismal Papers and signed it. After signing it she looked at me and said I am going to keep this one. So that when I get baptized it is already signed. So she admitted that one day she will get baptized. So things have been going well. The girls will get baptized on Saturday and sometime in the future that parents will as well. Things have been going great. After she signed the papers my companion and I stayed there just talking with her for the longest time. And it was an awesome talk. I have to thank my Father in Heaven for touching her heart. After trying for so long He finally succeeded and I am receiving the blessings.I also had the opportunity to teach a little bit of the gospel in English. For the first time in forever, and boy was that hard. It has been forever since the last time that I spoke English to an American and I struggled A LOT. We ran into the American from Kansas on Monday night outside the house of a member waiting for our family night to start. And he told me that he was on a mission and he just wanted to argue with me but I didn’t let him. I just chatted with him and then started to teach after he said what he wanted. I struggled but was able to teach a little bit of the gospel in English. And it was a little bit interesting. He said a lot of truth as he talked with me, but he was missing a lot of the truth as well. Where just a lot of holes in what he taught, missing a lot of the truth. He believes that he are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, which is true. But he doesn’t understand that we are saved by His grace after ALL that we can do. But I didn’t want to argue with him, I know that it was just going to cause problems. So I didn’t say anything about that. Just bore my testimony about Jesus Christ. But things have been going really well.We are also having some great success with the guy on the bike´s, Rosemir´s, family. The last time I was at their house I felt like I needed to invite them to be baptized, so I did and everyone accepted. So they are going to be baptized on the 25th of this month. They have been progressing pretty well. Even a member that has been helping us with them went to their house and had a family night with them without even warning us. But it turned out to help a ton. Things have been started to go a little bit better here. But that could change at any second. Because not everything is going perfect, the branch hasn’t been helping us very much and we have been having problems with the leaders. They just like to tell us what to do and just wait for us to break a little rule to judge us and criticize us. They worry way to much about what we do and not enough about the branch. But we are trying to work things out with them. But yeah things have been going good. I don’t really have time to go into details of the problems. But it has been difficult.But I hope that everything is going good for you mom. I sure do miss you and I wish that I could have been with you on the Fourth. But next year I will be there. And it sounds like Kaya will be coming home pretty soon so you won´t be alone any more. But I enjoyed you letter and the pictures. The city looks gorgeous and so does timpanogas. My companion enjoyed the pics too. But I love you and I miss you and just try and send the memory card when you can. I love you and I will talk to you next week. And send Melissa Louder a hug for me.
Thanks love you mom and send everyone else hugs as well.