Elder Peña's last week

Things went just swell this week. We had the Osorio Valdez family get confirmed and had 5 people in church. Definitely not a bad week by any accounts. Jorge and Aldo are basically all set for their baptism next Sunday, they just need to be interviewed, but I don't feel like there's anything to be worried about. Our other investigators that came are an older couple named Carmelo and Hortencia, and a middle-aged guy named Alberto. Carmelo and Hortencia are awesome, and I feel like they'll absolutely be baptized the 29. Hortencia was going to get baptized with the Jehova's Witnesses, but the week of the baptism, something just told her that it wasn't right, so she didn't. The night before we contacted her, I had this huge impression that we had to find some "Francisco" tomorrow, but we didn't know any, and there was one former investigator named Fransisco, but the Spirit said it wasn't that one. When we contacted her and she gave us her address, she said she lived on Fransisco Javier Mina. Nobody ever calls that street by its full name. We knew that she was the one that we were supposed to find, and they're progressing wonderfully. Alberto has a lot of family problems and money problems, but he likes the church. He doesn't understand things very well, but he's made a lot of progress. He actually works with Norma, so they said hi when they saw each other at church. We're really hoping and praying that he'll also be ready for the 29.

We meet fairly often with the ward mission leader, and he's a good help for us. He really wants to help move the work along, and is almost always available to help us when we need him even though he shows up late to almost everything. We're just happy he's willing to help. The members have been giving us more referrals lately, so that's also been a nice help. We ate with the bishop on Saturday and talked with him a lot about the work we're doing and where he needs help in the ward, so he's getting a lot more confidence in us. Before we never saw him, so we didn't really have any real opportunities to get that. That's great that Arthur's going on his mission. I don't think I ever heard where he's going, though. Something President Call has been stressing lately is that the investigators need to know about proper dress for sacrament meeting. Even though Tara's friend says that they just show up in shorts and nobody cares, it really does affect a lot of things, especially the Spirit of the person going like that. There's a reason that we dress differently for Sunday, and it isn't just to look nice. Youth conference sounds like it was a cool experience. I've strengthened my testimony of service a lot being here. That is one of the two best ways to live a Christ-like life. Brig, good work on being closer to getting that job. Maybe you'll have to help me out when I get home and buy me a Macbook, because my mac knowledge is fairly limited. Mom, that's fun that you met Jeff's convert. There's a good chance you won't meet any of mine unless you come down here, but you may run into a few transcripts of members down here that want to go to BYU. Really not because you don't work in international, but that's ok. Grandma Sumner, happy birthday on Wednesday. I don't remember how old you are, but that's ok. Thanks for all your support.

Study this week has brought us into 3 Ne. 23 (study Isaiah!), PMG 7 in Spanish, half of conference, and into Acts 10. Things are going really well, and I'm learning a whole lot. I've been focusing lately on learning more by revelation instead of just by what I read and understand, and it's made a huge difference. "ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you".

I know that we are all children of God, our loving Heavenly Father, and that He has given us His Gospel plan so that we can return to His presence. He sent His Son to suffer and die for us, and because He did, we can all achieve that goal. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know that the power of God has been restored to the earth, and that the saving power of Christ is manifest in the priesthood ordinances for the living and the dead. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God. President Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's oracle today to guide us on the path to Eternal Life. As we live the Gospel every day, we will become more like Christ and prepare ourselves to be a family for eternity.

Elder Facer