Part Member families=gold mines

 

                                                              Javier's baptism

 

great sunrise in Teolo

Well good news this week: we had a baptism!  An 11-year-old boy named Javier whose parents have recently reactivated got baptized this week, and it was pretty cool.  Apparently, he took a while to get a testimony, but the week I got here, he had just got it, so we just taught all the lessons and he got baptized yesterday.  That just made the day/week even better.  Being fast Sunday, I also bore my testimony and heard several good ones.  We got to the meetings and nobody was playing the piano, so I decided to just get up and do it.  Sr. Call once told a story and the moral was "all you have to do is help without being asked".  So I did.  Anyway, it was just a good week even though we didn't have anyone else in church.  Also, during weekly planning, I was checking the area book for recent converts and found about 30 or more kids from the membership records that aren't members.  Sweet.  That means we'll be working a lot with the recent converts that are less active to reactivate them and complete their families.

 Valle Dorado is probably my richest area in general.  In Jurica, there were nicer parts, but there was also the less-nice parts (where we lived and beyond).  Here, everything's just nice.  The members are great, and they need a lot of help figuring out how to do missionary work.  It seems like the elders before haven't done much as far as working with them, so now that we are, they're just starting to make it happen.  That's ok, though.  I hope I can leave this area with a bunch of members that know how to be missionaries and want to be missionaries.  That's my goal here.  The only downside to this area is that it's basically a bunch of hills.  I'm not talking like Windsor Park hills; these are huge inclines that would prepare a person to hike Everest or something.  Anyway, I'll just be in better shape when I come home, then.  

 Mom, good work on your test.  I learned all about sound waves in my acoustics class, and I do think it's really interesting.  I had forgotten that Lys and Manuel were going to Peru, but it sounds like it'll be a pretty good trip.  Lys, I know what you mean about relatives or family never leaving.  It's the same way here, too.  Tunas are from Mexico, and they grow on the Nopal plant (cactus species).  They're pretty good, but I don't know if they exist in the states.  I'll be happy to run the business so mom, dad, and Tara can rest, but only if I can't go to Peru with you guys.   Brig, you're completely trained to help Rusty out now.  Do what you can, and know that the Lord will help you out.  Have you ever considered inviting the missionaries to go see him with you?  I know what you mean, Mom, about controlling your thoughts.  That's really one of the keys to having the Spirit with you, and even though it's hard, it's so worth it.  I do know Michael Rife as well as Hillary Bodine, so that's fun that they'll be getting married.

 I'm short on time so I've got to wrap it up.  I know that God is our Father and that He loves us.  Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, and as we apply His Atonement, our life improves without fail.  I know that obedience and love are the keys to finding happiness as we strive to live the Gospel.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that we are guided today by a living prophet.

 Elder Facer