Milagros

This week Elder Garcia left. It was really sad. We were together for 3 months and we got along good and worked good together. He was one of my favorite companions. My new companion is Elder Corpus from Dallas, Texas. He has been out for a little more than a year.

Transfers were Wednesday morning so me and Elder Durham were together. We went to my area to teach this lady but she couldn't share with us so we went to contact. We found this really good lady named Yanelis (Jahn-el-ees). She already is really good friends with some members and she has wanted to go to church but just hasn't decided yet. She is like 25 or something and has a kid. And she is MARRIED BY THE LAW! It's a miracle. I have a lot of hope for her!

We have been teaching these people named Randal and Clarinez for a while. They are siblings. Randal is 19 and Clarinez is 18. They have progressed really good for a while and have a desire to change their lives and be baptized. They are super good and ESCOGIDOS, but they haven't been to church yet. We weren't planning on going by but Clarinez called and said she wanted us to go over. She said she wish she would've gone to church last Sunday and promised us that she would go this Sunday. So Sunday morning comes around and she wont answer her phone which always happen. I got kind of frustrated. I'm pretty sure it was the spirit that gave me the idea but we decided to walk to their house super far away right before church started. We woke them up and they came to the second hour of church and they liked it a lot. Its a miracle because if they didn't go to church we would have left them but now they are going to get baptized in a few weeks if everything goes good.

I'm getting closer to the end of my mission but I am full of energy to work and offer the Gospel to everybody! I feel really good and I love being a missionary. We talk to so many people everyday and there are so many people that don't want to hear us, but every once in a while God sends us to somebody that needs us. I know that the church is true and Jesus is our Savior and if we live the Gospel, even when its hard, we will be happier.

I put some good pictures in this email

We are teaching a lady and she is really good. We were going over the baptismal questions with her to make sure she was ready for her baptism on Saturday. Turns out her whole family moved to Salcedo to get away from some bad stuff that they were in and we have to do a bunch of things to see if she can get baptized. So close but so far away.

We are doing really good with some things here but struggling a lot too. Never in my mission have I had more people that read what we leave them. It's so awesome. They read and have questions and some people actually write down what they read. It's a miracle. But, nobody is going to church. AHHH! It's so frustrating. We can't keep teaching people that don't go to church but they are good. It's hard, but we are trying to do what the Lord wants us to do here.

We were walking on this and decided to contact a house that we already contacted. We talked to this super cool dude that has read the bible all the way through 2 times, but hasn't heard about the Book of Mormon. We gave it to him and started reading it while we we're still talking to him. SWEET! MIRACLES!

Jose got set apart yesterday for his mission and we got to go. It was really good and I felt the spirit. It reminded me of when I was set apart. I thought a lot about the importance of this calling that the blessing it is to be a missionary. I love being a missionary even though sometimes its hard. 

Look up yaroa on google. That's what we eat every night.

Pictures,

Some little kids that we schooled playing soccer.

Good news, Spiderman wants to be baptized. Bad news, he is only 5 years old.

I have become a pretty good artist in the last few months.

This escalator in Santiago was broken when I got here.

The biggest tarantula I have ever seen. This is as close as I would get to it. It's in the gutter.

Our zone.

Me.

Jose got set apart as a missionary yesterday and is leaving today for Mexico.

20 MONTHS WHATS UP!

My mission call said September 6, 2017. 20 months ago. WOWOWOW.

My companion hit 4 months and so we cut all of his hair off.

We live in a house of 4 and this week Elder Vallejos went home to Nicaragua. He only had like 3 months in the mission. He left this morning so now we are in a tripanionship. Its sad that he left. Being on a mission is the best thing Ive ever done and Ive learned too many things in my short time here. The good news is that Im companions with Elder Durham again! Heck yeah!

We had a zone conference and I saw everybody that I love again. I love my mission. Presidente Cowan is a super good guy. We talked a lot about faith and repentance and how repentance is when we actually change. I know I still lack a lot but I have definitely changed a lot in my time here as a missionary and Ive repented of a lot of my imperfections. Ive been able to see a lot of changes and blessings as Ive made those changes. Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a better way to live.

It was like 11:55 in the morning and we were about to go to eat but we decided to contact one more house. We yelled in the house and there were obviously people there but they didnt come to the door. Ugh. Right as we were about to leave this guy walks up to the door and he is really nice and he invites us in. He tells us about how he had heart surgery and that hes been looking for something more in his life. He said hes been to the catholic church and the 7th day adventists but hes still searching so we are his guys.

Good news: I ate a lot of chicken this week.

Pictures,

Me about to take the biggest bite of all time out of this piece of chicken. Ft. Jimmy and Paola hiding in the back.

One big piece of chicken. 

Its super blurry but this is the last picture with Elder Vallejos.

Salcedo

Hello world!

I'm here is Salcedo and I'm loving it. Salcedo is a small town and there really isn't anything here. There are four missionaries here and we live in the same house! It is so fun!!!

My companion is Elder Garcia from Honduras. In our house there's ELDER DURHAM my mtc companion, its so fun, I don't sleep, and Elder Vallejos from Niceragua. 

The members here are super good and want to help us and leave with us which is way different from Bonao. We have a few good people. I've been getting used to things here and now me and my companion are getting used to each other and how we teach. He is super outgoing, but this is his second transfer in the mission so he is still learning a lot of stuff.

On Sunday, we had this kid come to church. His name is Brendy. He likes the church and has a testimony, but we are working with him to leave some stuff so that he can get baptized. Also we are teaching this girl who has a few members in her family. She went to church. She is so sweet. 

I love Salcedo and I'm happy to be here. 

I'll try to send some pictures next week.

If anybody still reads these send me an email so I know haha.

This week was good.

I don't have a lot to say, but I'm learning a lot.

We were walking down the street and Elpidio yelled at us. He was back in his house! He got kicked out like 2 months ago, but he talked with his lawyer and is back. We went in to teach him and all the stuff got taken out by the old lady's kids. But he is going to be baptized this Saturday! He's such a stud.

We had stake conference this week. President Cowan and the temple president came. Our president is so cool. He has so much energy. He is learning Spanish again and makes a lot of mistakes, but he doesn't let it bother him.

We had a zone conference on Friday. We talked about how the Book of Mormon can help answer any question. We don't need to fight with people, just make them read the Book of Mormon.

We passed by this guy's house that we contacted. A lady there told us, el esta pero no se encuentra. He is here, but can't be found is basically what she said.... hmmm

I'll write more next week. The church is true. Love you all.

Pictures

Elder Alba is going home. He is a good guy. Funnest transfer of my mission.

The TRIPANIONSHIP is reunited.