I
just realized that this is my last letter.. That's interesting... Unfortunately I just spent about 30 minutes emailing the mission
presidente and looking at key indicatores and all sorts of things that
aren't so important or urgent (Elder Jones groups all the things he does
on two axis: Urgentness and Importantness. It's helpful.. I think we
never get to the things that are not urgent or important, but I suppose
that's the point).
So well, I feel like this letter should be the BEST...
Soo..
first off, we had the baptism of three of our beloved sisters. Paola
Raá was Friday, and it was a very, very well done service with lots of
help. Turned out great. She was really, really well prepared. In the
pictures, the better picture comes with the back of the head of Aldo
Lopez. So I'm thinking that's a photoshop job since the first doesn't have
everyone in it. She was so so happy to be baptized.
We also had the opportunity to have the baptismal
service of Ysabel y Alessandra Ramos Saturday!!! It was great! They were
also so delighted. Alessandra said Sunday that she had felt as if she
had been a feather after her baptism. The ward always shows up in force
to help us out. It's quite an amazing thing to see how much the ward is
helping us. The bishop also is just a rock of a man. In a great way. He
reminded me of Dad when he told of a problem he had with his work. He
switched banks [jobs] to be able to give more time to his family and the
church, but turned out that it didn't work out and he had less. So he was
about to quit, and the Lord gave him a blessing to be able to have the
time he wanted for his work in the home and the church. The other saints
seem to be so excited. It's just a great ward to be in. I think a lot
has to do with attitude of the observer too, but the attitude makes
differences in everything.
Saturday we also were called to go to the Hospital
to give a blessing to the mother of a ward member. She told us after the
blessing that she is going to be baptized Monday. We've got to call her
to see how her operation went. I think her appendix burst. She has 83
years.
Really Elder Jones and I are just so happy.
Missionary work is the best. I'm excited to get into family search and
family search indexing. I made some goals for that last Monday for my
first month back and also for a bunch of other subjects. Yesterday, we
had 42 people in the new members class! Converts, less actives being
activated, and members acompañando sus amigos [members coming with their friends]! This week we have quite a
few people who could be baptized. One that is more sure than my own
attendance in the sacrament meeting next week. The ward is also going to
have the baptism of a child of 8 years who went up to the Executive
Secretary and said: "Hey, I'm eight. I want to get baptized." Haha.
I'm writing all the people I've been able to see
baptized, a couple have moved and I'm a little worried about losing
contact when I leave! I'm gunna call them the first possible.
All the members keep asking me how much time I have left...It doesn't
feel like the full time mission is close to ending. The whole ward are
our friends.
Well.... finishing up. I love
missionary work. I love the time that He has given me to work here in
Peru to learn how to work for the rest of my life. I'm so grateful for
all the wonderful experiences that I've been able to have in all 110
weeks of the mission the Lord has given me (were they 110?) and more
than anything, my heart is consumed of thankfulness for the gift to the
atonement which makes it possible that when I repent, my soul may be
comforted and forgiven. God is my Father, Christ is my Lord, The Book of
Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God and This is
His church, and Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet of God today. In
the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment