08-24-09 Email. Subject: 24 de Agosto

Okay so this past week was pretty good. We dont have many new investigators because we have been focusing on the ones we have already. So we are needing to contact more and teach more new families. Its tough work. The stomach problems seem to have come back. I dont know what it is, a bug, the food, who knows. > Nothing super great happened this week. We had 7 investigators at church and a lot of people who want to get baptized and a few people who are hopeful soon. > This Saturday we have 4 baptisms (ages 12, 14, 18, 25), all of the children in a family with unmarried parents, the dad has been inactive for almost 15 years. They have a date to get married and then the wife will be baptized too. So that is incredible. They dont have any income so its really hard. Saturday the dad told us he didn't ever want to come to the chapel again and he doesnt beleive in God and praying etc because ever since her starting coming to church, things have gotten bad. They really dont have food and are struggling. We taught the family some of the commandments for the baptismal date, and then focused on their problems. I taught them about why we always need to be living the gospel and always praying reading etc. because this life isnt necessarily the time when we are going to be happy. There are things to help us be happy but we are here to learn and earn happiness after this life. I sorta told them so what if you die today? If you are living the gospel, you'll get what you want. While we were leaving I talked to the dad one on one sorta and told him that I know how hard things can be without a job, but stressed to him that without God we are nothing. We went back the next day and he was completely different. He had come to church in the morning but was saying throughout the lesson how much he needs God. He asked if he could say the opening prayer and he is a bit more hopeful. He really needs a job though. Also in this same family the oldest child is mentally handicapped. She understands and knows waht we are teaching, but we explained like it says in Moroni 8 that the Atonement covers the incapable. But, she isnt stupid. She listens and asked us yesterday if she could be baptized too. The bishop had previously met with them and told us he wants her to be baptized with the family. She has the capacity of at least an 8 year old. So we called the Mission pres and he gave the thumbs up as well. So we will be baptizing 4 this Saturday. Woot.> As for other families, they are well. The family H. (one with the hot daughter) has two children that want to be baptised one girl is 14 and the boy is 12, the mother is inactive, and the pretty one is slowly building a testimony. The mother knows its true and enjoys our lessons, they have a 9 year old that is all over the place, and two older kids (23,25) who dont really listen. We dont really want to baptise them until the mother reactivates a bit and the older hot sister wants to be baptised. This is because they will need a support system... it would be 2 baptisms that go right to inactivity. So, we are working with them. The trouble is that the sister has to make money for the family and we think its not a very reputable job. Its a super tough situation.> The other family G. still is dwindling in their problems. The mother asked us if we worship Joseph Smith, but she likes the BoM. They ahve two sons like 15 and 12 that like it too and have said they think its true, but they arent willing to change and dont show interest at times.> The neice of our concinera want to be baptised too so we need to teach her more. She was a referral and is now the girlfriend of our ward mission leader, who by the way is way cool-he puts his papers in soon. Haha this caused a bit of controversy with the family that is going to be baptised because one of the girls liked the ward mission leader haha. Anyway.> The guy that lives in our complex reads the book of mormon but still cant come to church. Agh. He said that reading the BoM is different than anything else and any other book. We need to teach him that that is his answer and get him to church.> we have a few others that we have though the first lesson that are interested as well.> Oh yeah, last night we saw Family H. on our way home and they told us that we couldnt go down their street because the oldest brother had heard that some people wanted to assault us or hurt us. I dont believe them but we took a taxi home and later learned that yes most of them have guns but they only wanted to beat us up, not rob us. Haha. Costa Rica.> I had a mango the other day and almost died of pleasure. They are sooooo rico. And pineapples here. Mmm mmm good.> Thats about it from San MiHell.> Paz> Harrison