Pictures from the baptisms of Milagros and Lautaro

¡Feliz Navidad! The Baptisms of Milagros and Lautaro San José

¡Hola Todos!

¡Feliz Navidad! Err... Merry Christmas! Haha. Hope you all are
doing quite well this fine day and this fantastic week. This week I
have a very special update that I have forgotten to give every other
time before. Since I started the mission I have been keeping track of
how many red heads and how many nuns I have seen. This week I will
reveal the numbers and who is winning. And the results of this year-
24 red heads and 11 nuns!!! The red heads win!!! Haha. They
actually aren't too rare here because a lot of the people here are of
European decent and are white. As for the nuns, they were hanging in
there, but then it got hot and I've only seen one since then. Crazy.
Well, hope you all enjoyed that bit of randomness...

This past week we ended up having 2 baptisms in 2 baptismal services!
Milagros Povea (her name means miracles, it really was a miracle...)
and then we had to have another service right after for Lautaro San
José because he couldn't make it earlier. It was pretty crazy, and we
were really happy with all the support the ward gave us and those that
were baptized. Milagros was baptized by her husband Amaru and Lautaro
by his friend's dad, Abel. It was awesome. Milagros shared her
testimony and it was so powerful. She said how she had finally found
happiness in her life and in her family and how happy she was to
finally complete her family. It was awesome. It was also really good
with Lautaro and his Mom. His mom said she didn't really understand
why her son wanted to do it, but she said he was happy and so she
would support it. She came to the baptism and it looks like she
really felt the spirit and so we will have to follow up with that.

In other news, we had a zone conference yesterday and it was awesome.
We went to the mission home and they talked a lot about working with
members and it was really something that we feel we can put into
practice and get results. We also did a white elephant and I ended up
with a new tie. Bonus. Other bonuses of the week- we scheduled our
Christmas lunch with Hugo and Miriam Robledo and their family (love
it). And our other lunches are with other ballers in the ward, so we
are pretty pumped about our lunch situation this week. Other news-
transfers are next week, but President really really emphasized how
there aren't going to be changes this time so who knows, maybe I'll
just be in Constitucion my whole mission. Haha. Bonus. In other
random news... we get to do our Christmas phone call by Skype (web
cam) and so that ought to be somethin neat. Oh- We'll see if I can
get the pictures from the baptism uploaded but it's not looking like
it, cuz the computer is being dumb, but if I can I'll put them this
week, but if I don't, remind me next week. What else... I hear Nicole
is back?? Nuts, swear we both just left. Haha. Also... our
apartment is now at an average temperature of 84... suffering...
Haha. Oh well. As for this week's baptismal prospects- we have to
make sure Yarine Cordova really doesn't have a church record and then
we'll have just a private and small baptismal service because she
really is a member, but somehow her record is lost. But we are going
to make sure it really is lost first so we'll see if she gets baptized
again this week. Weird, right? Oh well, it's just like the
Sacrament, but more. Haha... I guess I didnt put what happened with
Maria and Katy. Dumb. So we prepared them really well for everything
and then they went to their interviews in the church on Thursday and
passed. So we're filling out the records and then they started saying
how they changed their mind and that they either wanted more time to
get to know the ward here (because they had gone to another ward
before) or they wanted to get baptized in that ward.... DUMB. We
couldn't resolve the doubt, and they wouldn't commit to coming to
church on Sunday, it was a disaster. But they did come to the baptism
(the whole family minus the brother) and thoroughly enjoyed them both.
So surely they will be baptized, but we'll see when.

Well that is all for this week! Looks like the pictures won't send so
I'll try to send them next week. I love you all very much and I hope
you all have a very merry Christmas! Do some good in the world!!
Haha. Eat enough casserole to cover me and looks like I'll see you
guys (the fam) on Christmas! Merry Christmas!

Pictures from the baptism of Jose Robledo and some random ones from
the Bishop's family. Enjoy!

Yet another update from Constitucion

Hola mis queridos amigos y hermanos y etc...

This week was a week that almost didn't turn out very well. Haha. We were really struggling until Saturday when we had an above average day and then yesterday (Sunday) we had an excellent day, although we had an average amount of investigators in church. Key events... we found a man named Ruben on Saturday and he came to church yesterday and said he had read and the only let down was that he hadn't prayed. He really enjoyed church and the best part is that he has a normal schedule. Haha. He is a really good guy and in the first lesson he even agreed to postpone his trip to Cordoba to be with his family a few days to be baptized, as long as he receives an answer before hand of course. Also Wendy and her mom Nelly came to church again, we are still trying to work with them so they can be baptized the end of the month too. Then... On Sunday we returned to a family that we visited last transfer one time because the daughter was going to another ward with her cousin, but they weren't ready to progress so we left them. The cousin ended up getting baptized a week ago and we heard the girl in our area went, so we went to visit them again. Turns out the twin sister starting going to church a few weeks ago at the other ward and likes it and that the mom went to her niece's baptism and loved it. So they were all really good and agreed to come to our church, but they said they are leaving this next weekend (of course...). The dad and the brother (21) are still a bit rough, but I know if they just do the things we tell them to do that they will be able to feel the same as the women in the family. Then we also visited Familia Cordova (remember? My first baptism??) and spoke with all the family. It was really good because the bishop and his wife were just leaving when we
arrived. The dad was a lot more acceptive this time and the mother got emotional and started crying talking about how her son recently left to Bolivia and how her husband has never participated, and it really helped him to see the importance of having the family united in
the church. He agreed to search out a solution with his store to be able to come to church, or at least rotate with his wife every other week (although we told him that kind of defeated the purpose...), but at least he is a lot more open now. The girls (the 4 that we baptized
and one older) are all doing really well and the older girl is an excellent influence and example in the family. We are excited to help them. We left him with the homework of reading a chapter in the BoM and praying. In other news, the dad of familia Povea (remember? We baptized little Raul and Nicole??) is progressing now and he is going to baptize his mom who lives in another ward next week!!! He is really excited and I think it will really help his wife (Milagros) to
open up and finally accept the invitation to be baptized. We'll see.

Hmmm... What else.... today we are going to play basketball with a bunch of ballers, the young men of the ward. Haha. First time I've played sports since the MTC, finally!!! We never do anything on p day. Haha. Anyways, should be fun.... welp... not much else to say... Haha. I love you all! Hope you're doing well and gettin all decked out for Christmas, the people here don't do much it looks like... at least so far. Love!

A week of Thanks, Thanksgiving week

Hola todos,

Not too much to say again this week... Our investigators are all progressing pretty slow right now so we are trying to find new ones, but it's not too easy. Haha. As for the events of the past week- Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving our member that was going to give us lunch completely forgot so we just bought a pizza and I also made peanut butter cookies from the mix that mom sent me. So it was decent. Nobody knew it was Thanksgiving though. Just me and Elder Ramey knew. Haha. What else... Not much... It's still really hot here and I hear it gets a little hotter still so that should be fun. Welp. Let me know if I can answer any questions or anything because I don't have too much to say... Haha. I love you all and it sounds like you had a good Thanksgiving. I really am really thankful for the influences each and every one of you has had in my life. Thank you for being the examples that you are. Love! Keep safe!

ConstiCity

Sup ya'll,

Another week went by rapidly here in ConstiCity. This week Kim and
Carla were confirmed, but other than that we weren't too terribly
successful. Pretty much all of our baptism dates had to be changed
because they didn't come to church so this week we really need to find
a lot of new good investigators and to get everyone else to come.
Yup. I don't really have much to say today... This past week was
kind of rough because I found out another one of my friends is back
home from the mish and also I've just been feeling really pressured
with our goal and just with everything here, but I'll be fine. :) I
hear Bingham won state. Que capos (what studs). I also hear the Jazz
are doing well? Nice. And a BYU come back season?? Who knows.
Sounds pretty crazy. Anyways, for the family members that weren't
able to write me- I still love you all and I look forward to hearing
from you guys next week. Anddddd.... yup. Nothing else to really
tell you guys. Love! Read the Book of Mormon (Did anyone take my
challenge???)!! Thank you all for the difference that each one of you
has made in my life. Eat double turkey to count for me! Hasta luego.

The Baptism of Carla Ruiz and (Taehoon) Kim

Hola todos!

This past week was... interesting. Haha. We ended another transfer
and it looks like I'm going to be here for another while longer. This
is good because we are trying to achieve 30 baptisms in the ward for
the year and we're at 24. We're doing our best to prepare our
investigators that we have now and to do everything we can so the Lord
can provide a miracle here. It would be a miracle because the ward
goal for the year was 10 because the previous past 2 years combined of
baptisms added up to less than 10... So this year has been an amazing
year for the ward.

Events of the week---

1. We moved!
This past week on Monday night we found out that we were going to move
the next morning. Haha. It was interesting. The whole ward was in
fiasco and president got involved and who knows what else to get us
out of where we were to where we are now. So we don't live in the
plaza anymore and we're actually living in the area of La Boca. There
are a lot of Jews and it is really laid back and peaceful. A lot
different. Haha. Anyways, the move totally affected the whole week
and we were almost disabled by it. It was lame. It took us all day
Tuesday and then we had to organize Wednesday because we had just
dropped everything wherever on Tuesday... and then we went out and
worked and came back and organized more and then it carried into
Thursday. It was laaaaame. But the week was saved by event number 2.

2. The Baptism of Carla Ruiz and (Taehoon) Kim
On Saturday, just before the leadership training for the Stake (we had
stake conference) we had the baptisms of Carla and Kim. It was one of
the most special services yet, the Spirit was really strong. Carla
chose me to baptize her and Elder Ramey to confirm her. So anyways, I
guess I'll go from the beginning of last week. Ok. Carla came to
church 9 days ago and it was her 3rd time to church (you have to go 3x
before being baptized) and she loved it and made friends with our
amazing relief society president (Hna. Pareja) so the bishop announced
a baptism in Sacrament with Kim not being sure and Carla not knowing
(she was impossible to find sometimes) and so Hna. Pareja asked Carla
if she was going to be baptized while we were right there and she said
no and so we asked her why not? and she thought about it and agreed.
We talked a little more and set up an appointment during the week.
Then with Kim- we had talked to him just before Sacrament meeting and
he said he wasn't sure. After Sacrament meeting he came up to us and
asked us what time he needed to be there on Saturday. Such a Capo
(stud or if you don't like that word... boss??). Anyways, so we go to
the appointment with Carla on Tuesday and ring her doorbell (cuz she
lives in our old building and so we used to be able to just go by...)
and nobody answers. So we went by wednesday and thursday with no
answer.... Until her husband walked up (he wasn't baptized because he
can't go to church because he works) and he said, ¨I don't know if my
wife is here but our doorbell is broken.¨ ---No way!!!! Haha. So
lame. So we went up with him and she was confused why we hadn't come
by and we had to explain that we had moved so we could only ring the
doorbell. It appeared Satan was trying quite hard. So we had to
teach her a lot of things, but she accepted everything and we reviewed
the baptismal interview questions and she said she was ready. We told
her we would come by the next night to accompany her to the interview.
So the next night we go by and we arrived about 10 minutes late and
she was sitting on the step outside her building. She got up and told
us that she didn't feel ready to be baptized.......!!!!!! So we had
to talk to her for about 20 minutes outside the building and she
finally agreed to go grab her son and then we took a taxi to the
interview. So she entered her interview (it was with Elder Denton who
is from South Jordan as well- he is one of my zone leaders) and he
came out (because she had to do a part with Pres. Gulbrandsen over the
phone) and he told us she came in and said, ¨I don't want to be
baptized, I'm not ready for this week. Maybe in a couple more weeks.
I didn't tell them this but all of my friends are telling me the Book
of Mormon was written by Joseph Smith and then I started to doubt and
then I just got really nervous last night and couldn't sleep- I'm not
going to be baptized this week.¨ ---Crazy right?--- But Elder Denton
told us that he read a couple scriptures with her and that everything
ended up being fine and she accepted to be baptized the next day.
Then in the meantime, our other Zone leader (Elder Smith) interviewed
Kim and said he was probably the most prepared person he has ever
interviewed (Elder Smith is about to finish the mission). It made us
quite proud of him. Then on Saturday, both of them showed up super
early (before us) and were excited. So finally all the members
arrived and we started the service. Then when it was time for the
baptisms I entered first with Carla, and she was already crying. I
then baptized her and when she came up she was just crying and it was
just a special moment where we felt the Spirit really strong. Then
Kim was baptized by Hno. Chavez (kim is a family friend). When we all
were changed and back we gave them the opportunity to share their
testimonies and Carla said she felt something inside and that all the
pain that she had held onto in her life had left her. Her testimony
was so strong. Then Kim went up and shared his testimony and he
shared a story about faith (something about a barber saying God
doesn't exist and the moral ended up being how only those that search
God find him.) and his testimony and my favorite part was when he said
¨I've been searching for God for a long time, I'm happy to say that my
search has finally ended.¨ It was an amazing service. And of course
the cakes were delicious afterwards.

Anyways, the suuuuper long story was for Josh (he complained there
weren't enough stories), but I hope you all enjoyed it. Haha. Yup.
That's what happened this week. Unfortunately we don't have any
baptisms planned this week and our investigators that had a date for
next week didn't come to church so we'll see what happens. Anyways, I
hope you all are doing well. I enjoyed reading your updates. I hope
at least one of you took my challenge to read the Book of Mormon
before Christmas!! Anyways, I love you all. Keep it real and
hopefully I'll be able to send the pics of the baptism in a separate

email in a sec, and if not then I'll send them next week.