Open Houses and Open Hearts

So, I did not write a single soul last week.  I am sorry.


First, I will explain the Open Houses.  We started doing a little activity to try and excite people to go to church on Sunday.  Saturday at night we discovered nobody does anything, so we started showing cool church videos in the little house we call church.  The whole idea was to send less actives and investigators to bed Saturday night thinking about church Sunday morning.


Last Saturday we had our first try.  We basically spent the whole day just inviting tons of people.  Then, it started to rain... okay, people here really don´t go places if it´s raining.  Then, while praying that it would all just work out and stop raining... the power goes out in the whole are near the church!  No!!!!!!  Also, no power in our house.  So, you can´t really use a tv without power.  At the point of giving up, Hermano Tony calls us and says we´re gonna do it anyway.  In the end, we just did it in the house of a member that had a tv and power.  It was really great, and all the people at the activity came to church the next day!  We haven´t been able to get more than 30 people to church for the whole transfer.  Last week we couldn´t fit into the little house!!!  It was awesome!  46 people!!!!!  Who´da thought 46 was so many.  I was worried that it was a one time thing.


We did the activity again this Saturday with many more people, including several investigators.  Yesterday we had.... wait for it...
47!  haha.  I was stoked. 
Our little 16 year old Melissa came, and is totally ready for baptism this Saturday.  She´s awesome, and is already going to seminary and making friends.  she´ll be a great member.  We´re also working with our ward missionaries that we didn´t know we had.  We found out last week that Joselyn is a ward missionary, so we started bringing her to lessons.  She was really excited, and I can see how she is helping our investigators.  But more than that, she is more solid coming to church herself, and is activating other less actives.


In the end, we only have had one baptism in the last 12 weeks.  I´m really not used to that.  But we just got approval to be made a branch!!!  And they´re searching for a lot to put a building in the colony of Nuevo San Juan!  It´s gonna be awesome, and I know that a building will increase activity, organization, and baptisms.  It will also be great to have priesthood leadership in the area.  I´m so excited for the growth we´re seeing in this area.


Open Hearts.  We found a family last week that is pure gold.  We contacted the husband and then started teaching the wife.  They accepted to be married and baptized in the very first visit.  We haven´t been able to teach them in their home since, but the husband and daughter came  to the last activity Saturday and church yesterday.  Some people are just prepared.  I can´t wait to see what happens with this family.  His name is Alfredo.


I already told you about Melissa.  We also found a guy named Cesar.  Super cool!  His wife and him are planning on getting married.  She´s not all that interested, but he has spoken with missionaries before.  He said he almost became a member last time.  "What stopped you?"  He replied, "they took the missionaries out of the area, changed the building, and I started working Sundays.  But now my wife and I are thinking about getting married, and I don´t work Sundays as of last week."


"perfect.  So, we meet in a house in the 2nd level near so and so.  Do you want to get baptized this time?" 


"Oh, absolutely!"


Haha.  I love this guy.  We don´t know why he didn´t come to church Sunday, but I´m sure he´ll start progressing.  He´s been prepared, I think we´ll just have to fellowship a little bit.


I keep saying this to my comp.  I don´t want a change!!!  This area is honestly killing me.  I have had all sorts of problems with the sun killing my skin and getting sick before (I´m totally fine now, so please don´t freak out), but I love this area.  There are a lot of people that are so close to baptism and others that just started but are golden.  I really love the members here too.  Even investigators that don´t want to progress.  Sometimes we eat with people who don´t even want to listen to us, but love us and give us food.  Usually they are family of members, and really funny.  I love them all, even though it pains me to not see them progress.  I´ll let you all know next week about transfers.


I love and miss you all!


Quick shout out.  Mitra, Ariel Stewart, Amanda Mo, John Ross, Kyle Reis... and any other friends enrolled in college.  I have no idea where to send letters.  Please post your addresses as comments on this blog post and my mom will email them to me.  Thanks!!!


I have sent other letters to family and friends regularly, but no one has reported any reception.  I get all the letters you all send to me in dearelder and snail mail.  I think.  I apologize for third world mail.


Elder Kent Thalman