Week 38-Una semana loca (a crazy week)

Querido Familia,

This week has been crazy, but awesome. I shall speak of the companion.

Elder Cruz is from Panama, not here, he is an eighteen year old missionary and is ready to go. (It appears Ford is training a new missionary.) He arrived Tuesday morning and we´ve basically been biking all over La Victoria this week contacting and visiting members. He´s awesome, has a great testimony, and is sensitive. 

We had an awesome (he likes this word, maybe it the only adjective he remembers in English?) lesson this week with a family of investigators. Familia Cruz, the Dad is crazy but awesome. We taught him and his two kids the gospel of Jesus Christ. The lesson went great, the daughter asked a lot of questions and we felt the Spirit. In the end, we invited them all to be baptized and they accepted! This is one of many blessings we have received this week.

We are both a little tired but are thankful for the tender mercy´s of the Lord this week.

Love, Elder Call

The picture is from the Tres Ojos where we went this morning with our district.

Week 37- Transfers

Dear Family,

Last week of transfer, has come to an end very quickly. This week we´ve kept working with Samy. He´s a big trouper and is attending church every Domingo. He still doesn’t feel ready for Baptism but were hoping this week he can have a change of heart. This week we also started teaching a lady named Yasilda. She´s a very happy women and loves how the family is super important in the gospel. We had a great second lesson with her and invited her to attend church. She accepted, but didn´t make an appearance Sunday morning, :(. But someone else did, Sunday morning we entered the sacrament hall to find Roencio Rincon, sitting with his family in the middle row. This is the second time he has a attended church! After a great sacrament meeting Hermano Freddy apparently pulled him aside and talked with Roencio about his family and about his Baptism. Roencio accepted the invitation to be baptized the 25^th of November!

Transfers came in this Saturday evening. I am to stay in La Victoria and Elder Velasquez se va (he´s leaving)! My new companion is Elder Cruz and he is Dominican. This is all I know for now. I´m grateful for my time with Elder Velasquez, he´s a bit crazy but he has a big heart for the people here and has a strong testimony. 

Love, Elder Call

P.S. The dinero is good, we have food in la casa

Week 36 - Saludos de La Victoria

Dear Family

Elder Velasquez and I had a solid past seven days. This week, we made it a point to search for new investigators and we've been blessed with some fruit! Tuesday morning we were contacting near the new cemetery (there are two here) and we found Hector. He is a middle aged Hermano who received the missionary discussions two or three years ago. He likes pancakes,(Ford's favorite breakfast is pancakes, I would fix MUCHO and then he would eat them as snacks for a couple of days! :) so we had a pretty great first conversation. He stopped progressing because the two missionaries both got transferred. He told us how much he and his wife loved the missionaries and invited us to come teach him! It´s awesome finding someone whose life has been touched by the gospel through the love of two missionaries. It reminded me of a sticky note I found in Boca Chica, my first area. It says, "they may not remember all you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel." That´s more or less what it says, but it’s true! Hector may not have accepted the gospel then, but his heart was touched by these two missionaries!

We think we're gonna have to drop Sambel. He hasn't attended church the past two weeks and he´s almost never home.

We are also working with our investigator Sami. Sami contacted us last month and has been progressing rapidly. He´s been attending church almost every Sunday the past month and is eager to learn. He´s super ready but he doesn't feel ready to be baptized. We had a great lesson with him and a recent convert in the ward. The brother shared his baptismal experience with Sami and we shared Mosiah 18. We talked about how you don´t have to know everything to be ready for baptism. He accepted the invitation to pray about the 22 of this month.

Transfers are this next weekend. I believe I will be departing la Victoria, but only the Lord knows, and President Corbitt.

I love you all

Sincerely,

Elder Call

Week 35

Dear Family,

Elder Velasquez and I are alive and well, thank you all for your prayers. Sunday night we received a call from our District leader that President was calling a 72 hour shut down of the mission, no body leaves the house and be prepared to depart if necessary. But they called a while later saying that the storm apparently wasn´t going to be as fierce. Monday we had our zone activity, which involved a lot of futbol in the rain. The rain kept up for the next two days and then ceased. The two rivers here in La Victoria overflowed and there were a number of houses that got flooded. Our neighborhood was untouched but there were many homes that were not so fortunate. Thankfully, the water is now receding and people are starting to return to there wet houses. Truly we were blessed and protected. Apparently, the storm did a lot more damage in Haiti. Cool story that is related, during the dedication of the temple here about thirty years ago (he actually means 16 years ago.... :), President Hinckley( then an apostle- actually President Hinckley was the prophet at that time and he did dedicate the Dominican Temple- just correcting our beautiful missionary boy- isn't that what moms do best.... correct/nag their children!) stated that the country would not experience another really bad storm (Hurricane George, I think) until the coming of the Savior! We've been very blessed!

This past Friday, we had the baptism of Noelia De la Rosa. Noelia was a reference we received from the young women's president Sugeidi. We´ve been teaching her throughout last month and had the service Friday night. 

This week we´ve still been working with Sambel, he had a date for September but he hasn't attended church the past couple of weeks. We´ve been stopping by his house Sunday mornings but he's either not there or is profoundly asleep. We are considering investing in an alarm clock! Not really, but we may have to discontinue working with him.

Love, Elder Call

P.S.The second picture is our super clean apartment, were a little low on dinero, so we spent the day cleaning.

Week 34

Dear Mom, (I asked him how he is really doing)

I am trying to trust in my Savior and move forward.  I am trying to take Grandpa´s advice and keep on keepin'on. I really appreciated General Conference this weekend, there were some powerful talks given. I really appreciated Elder Bednar's points on how to know the Savior. His ultimate point I really appreciated, believing in him, how we have got to believe on him on a personal level. I believe that through striving to learn of the Savior and trust in Him and His atonement, we can feel peace amidst our afflictions. I am thankful for the opportunity to listen to the words of the prophet and the other leaders of the church. I love you, mom

Love,

Elder Call