Hump day

Hello, Everyone!

Sorry for not writing this week. But I am writing now!

I can´t believe it, but it has already been a year! A YEAR! The time has flown. Sped by. Someone has put the clocks on fast forward. I hope I can make the best of the year I have left. I like Rob´s motto, Sprint to the Finish. I know I´m not really finishing yet, but I feel it still applies. So don´t blink anyone, I´ll be there before you know it!

So this week, in fact tonight, about an hour and half ago, we had a cool experience with our investigator, Gonzalo. First a little background. He is 10 years old, and his Dad is a member. We have been struggling with them for some time now, even before I got here. At one point, his Dad (Damian) wanted him to get baptized, but he didn´t want to. We worked with him, prayed for him, and finally he decided that he did want to be baptized. But Damian chose that point to realize he wasn´t sure if he wanted to stay in the church, and was working some personal things out, and didn´t want his son getting baptized unless he was going to stay. It basically came down to him not having a job, and thinking Heavenly Father should provide him one to show him that the church is true, or something like that. We tried to explain to him that it didn´t work that way, and taught him all about sign-seekers and stuff, but all the same he kept waiting for that sign. It was difficult for us, knowing that he was preventing his son from being baptized by his stubbornness. But we prayed all the same, knowing as well that Heavenly Father has his own means of helping his children. So, after weeks of teaching, praying, and waiting, our prayers were answered. He got a part time job, started coming to church every week with his son, and is going to let his son get baptized.

Now, that is all well and good, but what if Gonzalo doesn´t understand enough to get baptized? Sometimes it has seemed that way, that he doesn´t understand or remember what we teach him. Tonight, while we were teaching, it was the same. He seemed to struggle understanding. We felt good while we taught, and when we finished, we at least knew that we had all felt the Spirit. To end we asked Gonzalo if he could offer the closing prayer. He was hesitant at first, but then Elder Hermosilla reminded him that he had promised the last time to pray this time. (A good trick to make kids pray, tell them they don´t have to pray this time if they´ll do it the next. It´s like taking away their agency! haha) Anyway he started praying, and instantly the Spirit about doubled, and through what he said we could tell that he did in fact understand exactly what we had been talking about (the Plan of Salvation). When he finished he was smiling, and we asked him how he felt. We could tell his response, ´´Good´´ was a huge understatement.

Sometimes it is hard to tell if someone is progressing in the Gospel. But Heavenly Father gives us the opportunities to see and feel the changes in them. They don´t have to go around talking and explaining the Gospel to understand and internalize it. He is only 10 years old after all, but he understands the importance of Prophets, Scriptures, and The Atonement. If all goes as planned, he will be getting baptized this Saturday, or the next.

I have been getting a lot of emails lately, and I love it! From Robert, Matthew, Sheyene, among others. I will be writing you all back, have no fear.

Have you guys sent that package yet? Just curious... I don´t know if it will get here in time if not. Oh well.

I got a package from Aunt Julie with more Vitamins. Thank you! I love you! And I was talking about you guys today. The Jones (the ´´senior´´ couple that works in the offices) were telling us about some changes with senior couples, and I got to tell them about how I was serving at the same time as my Aunt and Uncle, and my cousin! It was great!

Dad, thanks for all pictures! Keep takin´em and sendin´ em. I would like a good one with Ellie and her glasses...

Well, that´s all I got for now.

I love you all!

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