11-16-09

We’ve had an awesome week. Arlete’s baptism is this Saturday. She is a 14-year old girl that we have been teaching. She is sooo great, and has a strong testimony that this is Christ’s true church. She shares her testimony with her friends and tells them how she knows this church is true.

I have some sad news about Bastian. He was the kid that we taught last week who wanted to get baptized. We went to teach him this last Monday, and I guess he moved. He is living somewhere else- we saw him later this week. The sad thing is that his mom, who he's living with now, won´t let him get baptized. He just told us when he saw us that maybe later, but not now. We kinda got the feeling that he just doesn´t want to go through all the trouble with his family, because they don´t approve. Now that he is living somewhere else we won´t be able to talk with him much. He won´t come back here to see his grandpa very often. It’s sad- he really felt something special when we first taught him. But hopefully he will run into some missionaries where he’s living now. Plus his best friend is a member of the church.

Oh so guess what, last Monday night we did splits with two members in the ward. (Elder Reeder went with someone to one appointment, and I went with someone else to another appointment.) I went with a man by the name of Victor Pena. My companion and I went with literally the two fastest-speaking guys in the ward (congregation). But the cool thing was that at the lesson, when the people couldn´t understand something I said, Victor did, and then he would teach them about it, or ask the question I had been trying to ask. It was sooo cool, because I could understand him pretty well that night, and he understood me when the other people couldn´t. He received help from Heavenly Father to understand my Spanish. In reality, he shouldn´t have been able to understand some of the things I was trying to say, and then he would ask me if this was what I was trying to say, and it was, every time. It was too cool. Things are getting better and better with Spanish. I am liking it- now I can understand and speak well enough for me and another person to be able to talk normally.

Sorry I don´t have time to write much more, but I want to tell you this now because I can. Earlier, it would have made you worry, Mom. When I got here, my very first week, I started getting these little red bumps all over my body. They itched. And I was finding fleas on me, so I was a little scared. I didn´t know if they were all flea bites. But as time went on, most of the red bumps got bigger and didn´t look like flea bites anymore. I just had a rash. We talked to a doctor. I don´t know why I got it, or what it came from. It was kinda like the chicken pox. But it’s going away and it’s almost gone now. It just itched a bit, not too bad. But I decided to tell you now because I am fine and it wasn´t bad at all. I didn´t want to worry you before. But I am still getting flea bites, which I guess I’m getting used to. They aren´t bad. But for a time there when I first was getting the rash I would imagine fleas on me, and start to freak myself out! Haha. It wan´t bad though, the rash was really just like having red bumps that itched a bit. I am in really good health and feeling really great.

Luisa came to church this week! And also a church activity! Things are going well with her and Arlete, but they are about the only two that will keep their commitments. Scott, we have the same problem here- a lot of people won´t read the Book of Mormon or pray and ask God if it’s true. It’s sad, because I know what I have received in my life, and they can receive it too, if they will just put forth some effort to ask God if it’s really true. But we are trying our hardest and working hard.