Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Primera Semana con un Latino (First Week with a Latino)

Great week!

How is everyone doing? We had a really good week here in San Ignacio even despite the transfers. Usually the first week of the transfer is a little bummy when it comes to numbers but we decided we were going to work hard. Thankfully I got a Latin that likes to work and make miracles happen!

Élder Toledo is from Concepción, Chile. Every time he introduces himself and where he is from he mentions that he is from the place where the big earthquake of 2010 took place. He is a pretty cool kid and loves to work. He has 3 little brothers and he was born in the church. He is going to hit a year in the mission this friday and he is pretty happy about it. We may have to celebrate a little bit by getting more apple juice carbonated stuff. That´ll hit the spot!

The other Élder that came to Villa Del Parque(the area next to ours that shares the pension) is Élder Stearns from San Diego. He is a bigger guy and talks really loud. Élder Dowdle who just finished his training is having a difficult time with all of the spanish speaking going on because he is having a hard time learning, but we are helping him learn fast. You seem to learn things a lot better and faster when you have pressure to do it.

We had a really good week. It surprises me each time I get to work with someone different how much I can learn from the way each missionary works and what brings success and what doesn´t. I am pretty sure that we are going to have a lot of success this transfer and see a lot of cool stuff happen.

We are still having some difficulties with Ofelia this week. We got Presidente Ávila to come and interview her on Wednesday(which was a pretty cool thing to witness) and from that we are going to try and work things out so she can have all of her temporal needs filled to get baptized soon because she is definitely spiritually ready. She passed the baptismal interview with flying colors but she still has a very big bad influence in her life. We are going to pray a lot to know what to help her with at this point to prepare herself for baptism. She walked to church in the freezing cold with knee problems and a cold and hour early yesterday even when we told her that someone was going to come pick her up in a car. She just didn´t want to be late. It amazes me, the faith of some people. It is really cool to look at my patriarchal blessing often and observe all of these promised blessings being fulfilled right before my eyes especially with the people that we work with.

There are a lot more people that we have to work with and a few more people with a fecha(date(baptismal)), so we are expecting more baptisms in the next few weeks. ¡Ojalá! Presidente Ávila also just keeps coming up with so many new/improved ways to do missionary work. The key to all success in missionary work is the members...we can´t do it without you okay. There are ways that you can support us like say hi to us out in public or have us over for lunch, but the real way that you can help us is showing us to your friends and family. Give them a chance to hear the Gospel!

I guess this week is going to be a very happy week. I have got to wish a happy birthday to Boogs, Mals, and a happy day to a father. Yeah, that´s too bad I can´t Skype for Father´s day also. I would be able to read my poems to all 3 of you. Ha ha. But for now and next year, I can´t give you much more than a...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOOGS
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAL
HAPPY FATHERS DAY POPS

Glad to hear that Dad did well on his race even though he got a bit sucio and he had to regarse a bit. At least you have mom there to limpiar your lentes whenever you needed it. That is a crazy story with Opi! I guess it is not too surprising to me that he would drive himself there and back with a huge chance of a heart attack and go back to work the next day. Opi is just one of those men. One of the hardest workers I will ever know. I am glad to hear that he is doing okay though. I will keep him in the prayers.

One thing that I have been wanting to have is stories of how my grandparents came to know the church. Could you ask Omi and Grandma to send me a brief story on that. I kind of know Omi´s a bit, but I don´t know Mom´s side of the family and when the church came to them exactly. It would also be really cool to have a Priesthood line of authority to have with me here. Thanks!

Love you all and I pray that our Heavenly Father watches over you forever and always!
Un Abrazongo de...
Élder Dev Larisch
La Iglesia es verdadera
New companion E. Toledo
Bishop and his family
enjoying a meal at the bishops house
Fidelito's...CLOSED.
Ofelia
Ofelias fridge(we helped her quit smoking)
Us...My district