Villa Teniente

Howdy howdy howdy

Okay, so here I am in Villa Teniente. It`s been… a really long week. Probably the longest one of my whole mission. Buuuuut, that`s alright, because I`m learning a lot of stuff being here with Hna. Motta.

And good news is that we have a baptism this next weekend! It`s of an old man of 66 years named Ernesto. He is so sweet, and is so happy that he`s found the gospel. He`s only been listening for a couple weeks now, but he always says how his life has already changed a ton. I don`t think I`ve met anyone quite so determined to do whatever it is that the Lord asks him. At the end of one lesson, we left with him a Word of Wisdom pamphlet to read so that we could talk about it the next time. When we got there and asked him about it he said that the day earlier he was reading the pamphlet and it just happened to be right before he had eaten breakfast. Like everyone else here he`s big on coffee. Though when he read it, he decided for himself that he wasn`t going to drink any more coffee so he had something else for breakfast and got rid of his coffee. We didn`t even have to commit him to live it!! He says that when he goes to church he feels like he`s walking on the clouds. He feels the spirit so much and recognizes it. He has had a lot of personal spiritual experiences and confirmations with prayer and his heart has been so deeply touched. It is wonderful! Right now he is struggling with the dilemma that he wants so badly to tell his 4 kids about his decision to be baptized and share the gospel but he is scared that they are going to reject him for his decision. So he`s praying for this and has the faith that everything will work out well. He is a great example to me and I am learning so much from him.

We also just started teaching a family and all are members except the Dad and daughter. Right from the beginning I took a liking to this family because they are so open and warm and the Dad, Milton reminds me SO MUCH of MY dad. He even looks like him…quite a bit actually (I showed them pictures of Dad and they were like ¨WOOOWW!! He`s the same person!¨ Well… Milton has listened to the missionaries since years ago but is so hard hearted (says everyone) and for this he hasn`t accepted the gospel. But recently he has started to accompany his family to church and every time we leave him something to read he reads it! The first time I left him Alma 7 and he loved it. He said that the scriptures about the atonement really got to him. He gets excited about what he`s read and the honest truth is I see SO Much potential. I see him thinking and I see him receptive to the message. I really want to continue with him though my struggle is that Hna. Motta doesn`t like their family for something that the 16 year old daughter said (she got offended) and she says that there is no way Milton is going to progress….and so I have no support from my companion. So it`s obvious when we`re there she doesn`t want to be there. When we teach them (and a lot of other people in fact) I feel such a lack of unity. It`s so hard. I really don`t know what to do. Keep praying I guess. This has been my struggle. I think also it`s because I came from Guadalupe with Hna. Olson and she`s been like my right arm and such a support and right now it`s just so different. In fact one day I thought about writing president and telling him I wanted out… haha. That was a thought for like 5 seconds and then I remembered a story that Dad told me in one of his letters that he had a rough time with one of his companions and they fought it out a couple times and went to talk with president because they wanted out and he told them ¨Tough¨ Everytime it goes bad in the life you can just call quits, you gotta work it out and keep being strong. That`s what I`ll do for the next little while. I have felt a lot of help and strength from praying. But really things are going alright. The area is awesome. It`s definitely a lot more ¨ghetto¨ than all my other areas. The Branch is also very strong and the chapel is really pretty. It really is, it`s got pretty palm trees in front and I really like palm trees, so… yeah.

We also found a little family (though they aren`t married) that is desperately looking for help because they are stuck in drugs. They are Vanessa (17 years old) and Jonathan (22 years old) and little baby Benjamin. They immediately felt that we were sent to their home to help them and are very faithful that through Jesus Christ and his gospel they will find help and hope. I feel the same way too.

Funny thing… last night someone asked me if I was from Spain. Ha ha… if not Brazil ( and people still say I sound like I`m from Brazil), then I`ll be from Spain.

Well, I hope everything is going well over there. I love you all so much. There is an Hermana here who`s husband died of a heart attack at a church campout just a couple of years ago. When she told us the story it broke my heart so deeply and I cried with her. It made me think of my Dad, and my mom and family and how much I love you all so much, I don`t know what I`d do without you. So as I will take care of myself, you all too need to take care too! I love you so much!

CHAAAOOOO