Oct. 25, 2010

Hola familia! To answer alisa questions, yes i know about those band things, cause Alayna sent me one a couple weeks back and told me about them. Pero i have not worn them cause it is against the mission rules. And to answer your question mama, about my baptism, I will tell you the things I remember. I remember the day before my baptism I was playing baseball with pops, and I got hit in the eye and so I had a giant black eye on my baptismal day. And I wish I could remember more of the actual day but I don't really remember the day at all. But I do remember that after I got baptized and I was changing back into my clothes, just how happy and warm I felt. I remember dad and, not exactly his face, but I just remember that I could tell he was so proud of me. And that I was so happy for that. I remember thinking along time after my baptism, about dad being happy and proud for me, and I realized that he was not the only Father I pleased that day; but how happy I had made my Father in Heaven. I also remember thinking about my baptism; here on my mission when I was at the MTC and for about two seconds I was jealous of those who had been baptized converts. They seemed to remember their baptisms really well and always had a cool story; and I was almost upset at the fact that I had been baptized then with no way cool story to go along with it. And I remember that it was then I realized how glad I really was that I was baptized when I was. And how much easier and better my life really was because from the time I was 8 I have been able to live worthily to have the H.G. with me. I remembered how when I was just a kid in Texas that I was able to stand and testify of the things I knew to be true, whether that was to my friends, school teachers, baseball coaches or baptists priests at a baptist camp. And how not once was I ever confounded by anything anyone ever said; sure maybe I didn't know the answer but I knew that I was part of the true church of Jesus Christ, and that if I prayed that God would give me the answer if I needed it. And I have had that same knowledge grow with me and stay with me till now and into the future. And now I am here now trying to teach people things that I had born witness to me ever since I was 8 and testified to all my friends about. But I hope that will do for my answer to your question mom. But now for my week. It was good with some major bumps and Irateness from Elder Nelson. We met with Catalina this week and she tells us how she now thinks she does not need to be baptized how she was already baptized into the catholic church and how really all the churches are the same because they are all good and worship the same God. So we talked to her about the authority and how that is the purpose of Joseph Smith and the role of the Book of Mormon and how in order to get an answer you need to read it and pray about it. How hard is that!!!!! Granted you have to do it with a sincere heart and with real intent( Both with the belief that you are going to receive and answer and with the intent to do what ever it takes to act on that answer) And so we invited her to read and pray every day this week, and that if she did this she would receive an answer from God. So we went over ther on Saturday to see how she was doing and she chupatized us! We saw her in her house, and she ran and hid, and told some guy to tell us she was not there! I was so IRATE!!! needless to say she had not kept her end of the promise. So Octaviano y Catalina will not be getting baptized this week. But we still want to talk to Octaviano and see what is really going on because he is always way cool and honest and will give us a straight answer. This week. But other than that dissapointment the week has been really good. We taught a couple way awesome people, and had some really way powerful lessons. In fact this girl named Leti after a really powerful lesson just completely opened up and told us how she just wanted to feel the way she did right then forever. But she couldn't come to church this week because she has a chupa boy friend how has got to go. She told us beforehand that she had already planned to go up to Pasco with his family sunday morning. Lame! Pretty sure there was no happiness in that trip haha. But I love the people here and I am so excited, and pops your right everybody has got there agency, and it wouldn't be the plan of God if it was any other way. It just makes it a little sad some times. But the times they excercise there agency in the right way is equally happy and 10 times more rewarding. Oh and a side not, my comp Elder Pound got his visa and will be heading off to Mexico tomorrow. So it will be back down to two full time missionaries here in warden. Love yall so much! thanks for yall's prayers and letters