Blessings from Above

Hola a Todos (Hello Everybody):

To begin we will start with Matias!!! This kid is fun. It is weird teaching him because he comes to conclusions in a very logical way and has read a lot of stuff about strange experiments (experiences), but, in the end, he is in agreement with that we have taught thus far and is super honest. We were able to have his baptismal interview on Friday for his Baptism!!!! and Elder EEN Zone Lider (Leader) felt that Saturday was the right day to do it! It is super weird, no matter how hard we try to have things follow schedules, baptisms are always 40 to 60 min later than planned. Despite all of the opposition, he came and was baptized and thus the most important thing of the day was accomplished.

Elder Davis, Matias, Elder Call

The Saturday baptism group

Hugo, well, this guy moved back with his mom and no longer lives in our area =(

Derlis!!! Nestor!!! and Families!!!! This week we were able to meet their wives without the signature on Monday like planned several other times throughout the week. Señora de Derlis (Derlis’s wife) is Sandra they have 2 kids 5 yrs and 2 yrs. Señora de Nestor is Diana and they have 3 kids; 11 yrs Cheran, 10 yrs Miguel and 7 yrs Chiec Algo Asi, and they are awesome!!!! On Monday si o si (guaranteed) they felt the spirit touch their hearts and they did not want us to leave, so they asked us to come by on Tuesday and Wednesday and Friday and Sunday. Blessings from above!!!   The second time that we had met with Nestor and Derlis they told us that they were having a really hard time finding work and we promised that if they would come to church that God would bless them a lot the next week.  On Friday, Derlis and Nestor were not home and were out working and have had a bunch of work the whole week and that Sandra was able to find a job as well.  They have seen and noticed the hand of God blessing them throughout the week. Yesterday, Nestor and his family came to church while Derlis and his family went to his mom’s house to collect school supplies for his daughter.  We visited them that night and while we were there Nestor received a phone call and work for this next week, while Derlis had not, it was kind of funny watching Nestor laugh at Derlis for the blessing.  It has been super cool for me to see how God blesses those that put their faith in him and keep his commandments.  These families are awesome!!!!

The promises of God are real and he will always keep them.  The more we keep his commandments the more we will prosper in the land and as a son or daughter of a Divine and Perfect God.  He loves you and has given each of you a cheat sheet for this test that we are in.  It is called Modern Scripture as well as anciently. Look to this cheat sheet, Use it!!! Read the words written and try with all your might to follow them. I know that if you do so, you will feel a lot better inside and will learn how you can prosper.

Endure to the end; my fellow friends!

I love you,
Elder Call

Super Week

Dear Family & Friends:

This week was super.  Tuesday was the birthday of Elder Davis and it was all good.  He is ready to go home, almost, but when we arrived back at the apartment (pension), the owners wife had made him a big ol' plate of flan to celebrate the B-day un poco (a little). Wednesday we had changes and elder Tejeda left from Leopardi and Elder Blackett, (with whom I had lived with back in Obrero), replaced him.

Last Sunday, the YSA (young single adults) had a FHE (family home evening) in the home of Andy Vera who is the most amazing of all the members here in Leopardi. She wants so badly to serve a mission but after 3 months of waiting for her call to come, she called the mission office and asked what was going on. I guess that there is an issue with her health and that she needs to go on a mini-mission first.  Matias and Ilse went and participated in the FHE where they learned the 13 Articles of Faith. The Members told us that Matias showed some doubt on the need to repent.  We were able to meet with him on Thursday and read Alma 34 and were able to solve his duda (doubts) about repentance.  He had an incorrect interpretation of what repenting was.  Also, he has chosen to be baptized this coming Saturday, but Saturday he advised us that he would not likely be at church this Sunday because he was going on vacation.   He did not end up coming but we are still going to try for the baptism this Saturday .

Ilse is awesome but we have found it really difficult finding time to teach her and to take another person with us to her house. She, however, did come to church yesterday and we have a FHE planned in the Flia Aquino’s house tonight with her, Matias and Fabio.

I think I already told you, but Hugo, the friend of Belen and Gabi (recent converts), returned from Brazil. We were able to meet with him Saturday and he informed us that last Sunday he was waiting for us to pass by his house to go to church, but we did not, so this week we made sure to pass by and he was ready to go.  After the Sacrament, he left and went to the house of his uncle and we were not able to meet with him again yesterday.

We found Nestor three weeks back. He is inactive, separated from his wife, and is living with another family.  In the same house, lives his best friend/coworker named Derlis, a nonmember and his family. Both of them attended church yesterday.  Nestor is awesome in the lessions (lessons) because he likes the church and by what I can see only does not go because he knows that he is breaking some commandments, because divorcements (divorces) are expensive.  He is always giving good comments and compliments to the church unlike many inactive members.  Derlis is extremely humble and cool but we have not been able to share with his woman yet because she works until 9 or 10 o’clock but they will need to be married.

Well, that is a list of our investigators that are progressing ahora (now).

The good thing about all this is that God loves us, even when we do not deserve to be loved, he still loves us.  He sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to open the doors and lay the path in which, if we follow we may return to our Father.  May we all nourish the Word of God in our lives so that it can take firm root in our hearts!  I know that the Scriptures are true and that as you dive into them, you will find the counsel and the path to peace, love, and happiness!

I love you all!
Elder Call

My Life

Hey Mom,

This week was good but I have already spent my time up writing individually to everyone. Matias was able to come to church this Sunday and then had lunch with us in the house of a member, the Cañete family, so that was super cool but he was the only one that was able to come.

Love you tons, Elder Call


This is part of the letter to Ben:

Me and my life, well it is really interesting, wake up at 6:30, get ready, study until 10:30; leave; find the house that you had made the return visit; empty; do some contacting; set some more leccions (lessons); go to lunch, usually at a members house, eat; share a short message; leave; go to other appointments; clap, clap, clap, call; well, I guess no one is home. Hahaha, oh well, I guess keep walking; after some time, ten or so little kids come and tell you that their mom says that nobody is home; you finally find a house that lets you enter! Awesome!!!  Get to know them; teach a leccion (lesson) to best fit their needs.  Invite to be baptized; hear I have already been baptized; explain why there is a need to be baptized again; well, I guess they are of a different religion and do not want to change; invite to read the pamphlet; say a prayer; leave.

It is really weird, I cannot logically explain why I like it or why we smile throughout the day, but we do.  I love it!  I have become so familiar with the scriptures, all except the Old Testament and I guess the Doctrine & Covenants so far, but it is way cool.  I exhort you to continue to be an example to your friends of how they should live their lives. I am so grateful that I was able to grow up with you by my side and hope that you continue on the path of righteousness. I love you lots!

Love, Elder Call

This is the letter Dallin sent to his dad, only it was mostly in Spanish.  Justin translated it for me.

Hey Dad,

This past week was nice, we had zone conference where we talked a lot about needing to work both harder and smarter with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. I think that we can always improve in this part of the work.I don't like to think much in English anymore because my mind has switched into Spanish and now it is difficult to translate back into English. I still make a lot of mistakes in Spanish but I just write what comes to my mind.

I hope you have a great week

Elder Call 

Another Week

Bueno todos allá en Norte América (Hey everybody there in North America, how are you?)
Como están?

This week was a bit strange.  It was a very slow week as far as people accepting us and allowing us to teach.  The highlight of the week was that on Saturday, in Tres Bocas a little girl named Yamna Onelir Piris was baptized.  She was taught by the Hermanas in our district and she asked me to baptize her. Everything went really well and she was super excited.

Other than that, Matias did not come to church yesterday and we are going to see if he is reading or not today.  We have a meeting with him at 7.

Yesterday and today was kinda weird.  We had divisions but we all stayed in the same area because all of the leaders had a meeting in the morning.  So I had the opportunity to work with Elder Perkins from North Las Vegas.  He has less time in the mission than I do and is very humble in spirit, or in other words, he is really quiet, but we had great success.  Something that we learned and helped us a lot is that if we just teach the doctrine and do not say that what they did was wrong you have a lot more success.  All of the appointments that we had set fell threw, but we were still able to get in and teach several people.  We will see where they go.

Anyway, I hope all of you are doing well in your life and are blessed.

Love,
Elder Call