Monday, June 25, 2012

Ofelia se viste en blanca (Ofelia dresses up in white)




Yellow!!
Well, I don´t know if you skipped to the pictures that are attached to this but I´ve got some of the best news in a while!
OFELIA GOT BAPTIZED!!!
Yep, it is all just a great story. We have been working with her for way too long because she could not realize how ready she was to get baptized. We have been visiting her a lot and having just bomb lessons with her and we would talk about her will to be baptized every time and it was just a different doubt or some other reason that just didn´t really have much to do with what it says in the scriptures about the prerequisites for baptism. Our bishop even dropped the cane(bajar la caña: a phrase here meaning to throw it down on someone who is not doing something right, action usually done by leaders of the mission) on us a bit because he would see her on the progress report each week and nothing changes. We had a spiritual impression to have a charla(lesson) with member with one of our converts in their house, Hna. Chiquita, and we had amazing results! We went in to this lesson kind of trying to make it a charla franca, meaning that we were going to tell her that she has to get baptized or we are going to drop her for a while so we can take the Gospel to many others that are waiting for it. But surely we did it with words of love. With that, a few scriptures of encouragement in the book of Jacob, and an amazing testimony from Chiquita(which was one of the coolest things to watch because she relates to Ofelia a bit with her past because she spent a good time in the Espiritista church as well as many other churches and was able to testify of the cleaning power of baptism of water and of the holy ghost), we put it in front of her for the last time except we didn´t even ask it in question form. Ha. The spirit was so strong in that house that myy comp was like "Ofelia, we are going to come do a blessing on your house tomorrow night with one of our leaders and he is going to do a quick interview and we are going to have you try on some clothes and you are going to be baptized Saturday night at 18:30." Right after that Chiquita ran to her room and grabbed a brand new towel that she must have just bought or something and gifted it to Ofelia for her baptism. There was no room for the doubts or fears this time, she showed her faith and finally agreed to be baptized.

Super awesome experience and the baptism and confirmation went well. Not too many people showed up for the baptism and we had problems with the hot water, but nevertheless she made covenants. One of her neighbors came, but she had to leave early and didn´t really have too much interest...as you can see from the picture. Ha.

We are working on a few more baptisms soon. We have a couple fruta baja kids getting ready and another older lady(I don´t know why we always have better luck with the older women...ha ha).

Interviews were really fast but good. The latest Liahonas please me.

Today was supposed to be a special day. With the other Elders that left last transfer we had planned to have Christmas today and party it up but that plan kinda fell(since we didn´t have snow on December 25th here...). I guess that will have to wait until July 25th or somethin like that. We ended up going to the Persa again in Mendoza Centro(downtown) and do some compras(shopping). I had to get a sweet Argentina jersey that was súper barato(cheap)(95 pesos, which is like not even 30 dollars so it was basically a steal!). I´ll have to send ya pics next week.

I will not lie, I do not like the weather here. It is even worse than Utah. There is something called the Viento Sonda, which is a very hot windstorm that usually passes during winter and it is just killer. You walk out and it is freezing in the morning so you want to bundle up with like 37 layers at least, but no, an hour later it is blazing hot and you are getting sunburnt and sweating bullets. I have not passed a real Viento Sonda yet with all of the hot wind and stuff, just a couple minor ones. I had Ranch for the first time in like 10 months at a members house that has a son living in Utah. You would be super surprised how many Argentines are living amongst all you Utahns over there. It has got to be that we meet like one person each day who had a son or daughter living in Utah. I guess I won´t have to look for an Argentine woman on the mission anymore, I´ll just find one there....ha ha ha. Just kidding okay!? But really there are a lot of pretty girls here, it is true. But right now I am serving a mission. Maybe on the last day when I am buying souvenirs or something I will take one home with me...ha ha. Just kidding mom!

Wow, just an overload of news this week! The whole fam writes me and everything, ¡I feel so loved! Is Caitlyn really getting married??? To who??? Everybody is just getting married while I am gone! That is awesome that Dallin is heading out and I feel bad for Derrek having to give up his plaque. I dread that day...ha. I just can´t even imagine it right now.
That is awesome that Dad took first place in his race!!! How many were in his age group? That is a sweet pic of his leading the group. Now I can tell people here that my dad is a professional biker and that he hangs out with Lance. Ha.

Keep all of the missionaries in your prayers(especially me because I need the help). Love y´all! See ya around next week.

Un abrazito,
Hélder(as some spell it here) Deven Larisch
La iglesia es verdadera