Matias...Mauricio...Yonathon...Francisco

Hola hola!

¿Cómo están??

How´s it going???

It´s going well here in Guadalupe!! Matias is doing so well. He is really excited for his baptism on the 7th. We have been focusing a lot on his family too…his mom and brother that are menos activos. Diego smokes a lot, and has been a little reluctant about returning to church. He didn`t know if he really wanted to repent of everything, because it´s a lot easier to not do the right. He has been really struggling inside, but we`ve been lucky to have a lot of youth in the branch befriend them and encourage them. The other day we got to their house and Diego was more than excited to see us. He had been thinking about everything and decided to ask Heavenly Father if he should follow in the church… and he said that he went outside and looked up in the sky and asked him. He said he walked inside and it was like he heard a voice or a distinct thought telling him that yes, he needed to make this change. The answer is obvious, but he needed the confirmation… and that got him so excited he read all of the faith, repentance, baptism, etc… pamphlet and even answered the questions that are found on the back. And he was SO excited to show us (because he usually never followed up with the commitments). It was awesome!!! Haha, and then He said Hna. Flake and I are like ¨good witches¨ because when he does smoke we get all sad and disappointed and that makes him feel bad but it´s like we´re good because it´s like we`re happy at the same time because we always smile… it was pretty funny, I`ve never been called a good witch before…

And then there is MAURICIO!! Mauricio is a young lad of 14 years. He goes to a school that is right in front of the church. From what I understand it`s like a school or place similar to ¨The Journey¨ because there assist teenagers from rough backgrounds and little support. But one of the Hermanas from the church is a teacher there and introduced us to Mauricio. He is such a special kid!! He is definitely someone really prepared to receive the gospel. We taught just one lesson and committed him to read and pray to see if the message is true. He had never in his life prayed before but said he`d do it. We saw him the next day and he was SO HAPPY!! He said that he kneeled down and ¨conversed with God¨ and he felt happy and full of joy. Since then says he feels different and is really excited and determined to be baptized. When we taught him for the first time I really felt something special. We asked him to describe how he felt in that moment and he said he felt relief. … and he is hilarious!! It´s really fun teaching him. I am really excited for him.

Also… The Hermanas were teaching another youth named Yonathon. He has gone to church a few times and has really liked it, but wouldn`t be baptized because his family didn`t want him to be baptized because they said he is too young to decided what he really wants. We were able to teach him AND his mom this week and were able to talk to them both about it and she decided to give him permission!!! He is really excited. This is one of the sweetest most tender hearted kid.

And… last but not least there is Francisco (Felix Francisco Valenzuela Pinto to be exact). He is a 45 year old friend of a new convert here in Guadalupe who has had contact with missionaries before but never really was taught. But he had a Book of Mormon and decided to read it. He read the whole thing in 6 days! He is what he calls an ¨intellect¨ but recognizes this as a weakness and wants to learn more and even wants to be baptized. He believes that it is all true but wants to feel it more profoundly in his heart so he is just starting to pray. Because he has never prayed before either. He said that when he read the Book of Mormon the first time he read it to read it, but now he`s reading it to understand Jesucristo. !O que bonita la misión!

Our Zone is a lot of fun. It´s quite small so it`s pretty united. Though Hna Flake and I and our Zone leader are the only gringos, so all the latinos call it the ¨Black Zone¨…interesting, but entertaining being with them all. My companions Peña and Bonilla are still really crazy, and Hna Flake and I are doing great. I feel like we are growing a lot together because we both seem to trip up on the same things, but then we are working to be better and learn from our mistakes. I know I wouldn´t be able to do any of the stuff that happens here without my Savior and his love. Today we had a conference de todas las Hermanas in the mission and we sang ¨I feel my Savior´s Love¨ from the primary songs. This song always touches me so much.

But that`s about all I`ve got for ya this week.

Oh yes, I haven`t sent in my answer (about the departure date) but I am thinking more May instead of March. Está bien??