April 29, 2013

So another week down and I have no idea where it has gone. This week has been a slower one and Some interesting things have happened. First off, I hit my 6 month mark and there is a picture of me destroying a really ugly nutcracker tie. After burning it, it wouldn't stop playing it's song. It was a musical Christmas tie and I hate it because it is possessed but it's dead now....I think. Also Elder Guillette left and Elder Paulsen moved in next door, Elder Paulsen was in my MTC District and we have had a blast since he moved in. Elder White became our Zone Leader and he was also in my MTC District and I love him to death he is hilarious. We got two new green sisters that Sister Sanders is training and one of them, a sister Wiser, says that her Mother is a Bassett and that they have family in Ogden. She asked me if I knew the Bassetts in Utah and I just went, "Uhh, I am the Bassetts from Utah." I guess they are related to Stan and something Bassett I dunno but she might be a cousin or something so if someone would do some investigating that would make our conversations a lot less awkward and I would appreciate that. Also, have I ever mentioned that working with Mexicans is a lot like working in a Novela? It's dramatic at times and everyone knows everyone and has a history with everyone but when you ask them for referrals they say, "I just got here." Or, "I don't ever leave my house." Or, "My mom is in the shower" Then you find out that your Recent convert knows your investigator because she buys tea from her and because their Mutual friend Melissa and your investigator got into an almost fistfight at Zumba. But because your investigator is pregnant, her friend actually did the fist-fighting as a stand-in and that is the reason that Melissa goes to the different Zumba studio. Drama.

Also, a lot of our investigators have flaked out on us and stuff and so our pool of investigators is shrinking rapidly and I feel a finding week coming on. That is always fun, walking around in the blazing heat talking to random people hoping they don't hate you because you worship Johnson Smith, which is two last names by the way and makes no sense as a real name. However there are definitely those prepared by the Lord that you have the pleasure of teaching and that is what makes it all worth it.

Maria Guerrero is getting Baptized this next week, if and only if her son gets home. We will find out today whether or not he gets to come home so I am praying for a miracle, because our God is most certainly a God of miracles. She is a great lady and we have finally gotten to the point where baptism is imminent and we are so excited for her. It has been a long time coming. like 3 months.

Juan Arriaga is still crazy but he is pretty intent on giving the Lord a true repentance so that he can take the step of baptism. The Zone Leaders have been on us for getting him a Baptisimal Date and so they committed Elder Charles our District Leader to go on an exchange with us to a lesson with Juan to set a BD. We ended up sitting outside Taco Mart on benches, all four missionaries and Juan talking about Baptism and he used the Book of Mormon against us in showing that Repentance needs to come before Baptism and that he can't set a Date. Juan is a brilliant man, and a crafty one at that. You can't trust him, it's his eyes, and his sneaky feet. But he did tell us that he knows baptism is coming soon so we are on standby. Elder Ellsworth did tell him that we would go running with him at 5:30 in the Morning so that he can spend more time with the Lord's representatives. I was unhappy because there are few things I hate in this world and running happens to be one of those things. So more on that next week I am sure.

Felipe and Beatriz are in a rough spot, I don't know the whole situation but we got a text yesterday and they have been behaving strangely this whole last week and we are under the impression something bad is happening. It is not really my place to say so pardon me for being brief but I am not sure if we will be teaching them or not anymore.

That really is all the investigators that I feel as though we can count at the present moment. Our Recent converts are doing awesome, yesterday I shot darts and Josue and it was fun. I love that family a whole lot and they are making leaps and bounds in their gospel lives. I am so proud of them and their desires to be better.

My family I love you all and am super happy to hear about all the good that is going on, the sports, the cancer charities and stuff, keep it up enjoy life it's short and it's meant to be enjoyed. Just remember the purpose we have in this life is to prepare to meet the God that gave us life. It sounds as though my challenge was left undone, and so I am putting an extension on it and will be following up on it again so please read it. If not I will have to pray that birds attack you all in your sleep and that is scary stuff. Don't be afraid however to go the extra mile and find opportunities to serve others and to invite them to church and all that awesome stuff. Don't be afraid of the Gospel or Sharing it with others, it isn't ours to keep to ourselves.

The church is true and the Gospel is meant to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable and I know that to be true. I know that God lives and loves us and that Christ his son, came to Earth to atone for us all. I know that he is the same yesterday, today and forever and that in these the latter days he called Joseph Smith to be his prophet and revelator. That through him the fulness of the Gospel has been brought to the Earth and that through an unbroken line the Priesthood has been properly past down as well as the prophetic keys now held by our Beloved Prophet Thomas S. Monson. This is my testimony, in the Sacred name of our savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

P.S. Oh real quick before I go I have a riddle. A man was laying on a plain (A flat surface not an airplane) dead. There were found 53 bicycles around him. How did he die?