The best... or the worst...

September 26^th 2011

The dice in the air

this last week is either numbered one of the best weeks of my mission or one of the worst....the dice are still in the air.

last Monday after playing softball with another zone my companion was messing around and fell and sprained her ankle really badly, so badly that she had to be off of it for one entire week! this last week we had 3 baptisms scheduled and a ton of work to do! so everyday we had to find sisters of the ward to stay with her and sisters to leave with me to teach...difinitivamente it was a week to remember. God had a huge part to do this week and he came through (surprise!!!) I was able to leave and visit people everyday sometimes i had to talk the entire lesson but other times a returned missionary could leave with me and take part in the lesson. in one lesson i had a sister from the ward that didnt have any experience as a missionary and a recently returned missionary, our ward mission leader...it was really weird because the lesson played out like he was my comp. bouncing back and forth teaching the plan of Salvation....i kept expecting to hear Hna. Estradas voice and then i would hear his...WEIRD!!!!! also our neighbors have like three families living in one house and they have a ton of kids, and they helped us EVERY day to watch Hna Estrada after school. a blessing straight from God. on Wednesday Hna Estrada and I were both going insane me from stress and her from having nothing to do in the house all day...she read half of Alma in one day...we read chapter 6 in preach my Gospel, especially about patience....we decided this really was the test of the week. the ultimate test of the week happened yesterday when i arrived at the house of Alex, Alejandra, and Katherine without my comp. to pick them up for church (the three that were going to get baptized) when alejandra answered the door she told me that only she was going and that the other two didnt want to go to church and didnt want to get baptized..!!! (the day before i asked them all how they felt and they all said yes!!!!!) i prayed harder than i have ever prayed in my life and went in to talk to Katherine and Alex, i started talking to Katherine when her mom told us that she was not okay with the baptism now and that they need more time and......yeah...... we read scriptures together, prayed, talked and cried and in the end Alex and Alejandra came to church. we talked some more and after church brought their mom to the church to talk with the elders while me and two recent converts went to work things out with Katherine....after testimonies and scriptures and hyms and prayers we found out that the real problem is that Kathrine didnt want to get baptized with her sister....that was it!....so we changed her baptisimal date to wednesday and we all went to the church and Alejandra and Alex were baptized and their mom felt the spirit and started to cry and now she wants to get baptized.....!!!!!! how awesome is that!!!!!!!!?!?!?!?!?!?

it was either the best week of my mission, or the worst...i guess it just depends on how you look at it....

Hola family and friends!!

September 19^th 2011

Hola Family and Friends...

not much to say this week. ...we had the baptism of Abigail yesterday!!!!!! it was beautiful! and we are working hard to complete with the other five...every baptism is a miracle and every miracle needs prayers to happen! please pleas please pray for our investigators...i love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!

Sonia Velasquez

Mauricio Velasquez

Alex Diaz

Alejandra Diaz

Katherine Diaz

"Hello Beloved Family and Friends!"

September 12^th 2011

"Hello Beloved Family and Friends!"

We have six baptismal dates!!!

i want to thank each and every one of you for your prayers for me and for our investigators...BECAUSE WE HAVE 6 BAPTISIMAL DATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO! yup yup yup. its pretty exciting. our lìder misional gave us a thought yesterday that i cant to share with you all because, true confession, i havent written in my journal in over a month...or two...and i dont want to forget this idea, because its really good....ready?

Christ can do everything. nothing is impossible for him. for us, walking on water, healing the sick, moving mountains, are miracles. it is impossible for us to do these things with our own power. but not for Christ, to do these things is as easy for Him as it is for us to breathe. He can do everything. However there is one thing that is a true miracle for Christ and that is when somebody has a change of Heart. when somebody decides to repent and change their own life. this is a miracle for Christ because he will not, he cannot, obligate a person to change. He cannot make a person repent. so everytime we witness a change of heart in somebody's life, everytime we have the opportunity to witness a baptism, we witness a true miracle for Christ. How beautiful is that!?! I know that the work that i am doing is the best work one can have the opportunity to do. to help people change thier lives... i witness miracles everyday.

Miracles right and left

Especially right now i am seeing miracle right and left. we are teaching the Velasquez family and they have accepted a date! the 26th of September! Sonia is all for it, this is the date that she felt when she prayed about it. Mauricio is still a little shaky, he needs prayers, he is putting forth effort, yesterday we passed by to see how everything was to go to church about 45 minutes before and he was still asleep, i didnt think he was going to come, but he did! and they go to every single church activity during the week if they are not working, and we visit them at least three times a week (if not four or five) they are awesome! so please continue to pray for them. Also their kid, Abi...she was going to get baptized with them, but she wants to go to the Temple on the 24th, which means she needs to get baptized and confirmed this week...so she is!

In your prayers

Alex, Alejandra, and Katherine, also need prayers. they are ages 11, 12 and 13. they are always in the house the two older kids dont go to school and thier mom is ALWAYS working. they have too much time on their hands. we are visiting everyday and trying to help them, but they are finding it difficult to change. they go to seminary and all the other activities. I know that this could really help their family and also thier mom. thank you for your prayers!

And sick... again... again...

in other news...there is no other news...i got sick again :) and i dont even know why! i dont eat from street vendors and i wash my vegetable with bleach...but that is the life i guess...i got a blessing and by the end of the night i was better! thank goodness for the Priesthood, works miracles (for us, not for God)

Information from home

I just recieved a mountain of information from home. 'the restaurant,' or rather my family's restaurant that has been part of, i mean, has been our life for the past 17 years is closing in two weeks...and Trish is going to have a baby...A BABY!!!! there will be 6 baptisms here within the next two weeks...the only thing that will not kill the climax is if the world were to end in three weeks...

Nine months left...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

September 5th 2011

i just completed half my mission this week....i would say woot woot! but it means i only have 9 months left...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

anyway, this week was a great week. we have investigators progressing and 3 baptisimal dates! no, not the Velasquez Family (but we are working on it!) please pray Especifically! for the following people and the following goals

Alex

Alejandra

Katherine

Mauricio

Sonia

Abigail

the top three have a date and the bottom three are our family! i love them!

that we will have 6 baptisimal dates at the end of the week

7 investigators come to church

and 115 people in the sacrament meeting

other than that i hope you all have a great week!

The dedication of the San Salvador El Salvador Temple!!!

August 22nd 2011

"I wish you all could have felt..."

so iforgot to mention in mylast letter that this weekend was the dedication of the San Salvador, El Salvador Temple!!!! Presidente Eyring came to dedicate it (because it was Pres. Monsons Bday on Saturday) the night he got here we had a meeting with him which included both of the Missions in El Salvador! he and Elder Christofferson came to speak to us....it was AMAZING!!! i wish you all could have felt what i felt when he walked into the room...yes i have been to see Conference in the conference center when the first presidency walked in, but i have never felt what i felt when Pres. Eyring walked through the door only five feet from where i stood. i have no doubt in my heart or mind that he is a prophet of God. when he spoke to us it was pure love and the things he said were the exact things that i needed to hear. it was an amazing experience all around, especially because i had the oportunity to sing in a choir for a special musical number. we sang Divina Luz (Lead Kindly Light) there were only 16 of us in the Choir (4 on each part) because we were so small in number we got to sit in front! which is why i was only 5 feet from him when he walked in....anyway. this experience was nothing short of amazing and I wouldnt mind repeating it.

Lost in TV land...

I am really sad because on Saturday we did not get to see the cultural celebration :( it started at 6pm and the last bus returns to Ataco at 645 ...they said it was going to play on the local channels, but they lied because we searched every channelfor an hour...not only did we feel inicuo (iniquitus...?...i have forgotten how to speak English) because we saw small bits of Psych, Glee, and Modern Familiy but we did not get to see the Cultural Celebration and we wasted an hour!!! ...but life moves on.

And sick... again...

Sunday was beautiful. i loved the temple dedication and now tomorrow the temple opens to work! HOW EXCITING IS THAT!?!?! Elder Christofferson told us that right now is the best time to be a missionary in El Salvador and I would have to agree with him! ...other that that this week was pretty calm. Sunday night I got sick...( i think i have to quit eating tamales, because the only times ihave gotten sick in the mission is when i ate tamales) ...anyway...im sure youall wanted to know that...i have to go now before i write something else you really dont need or want to know ...LOVE YOU ALL!!!! have a great week!