¡Hola!

¡Hola!

So much good work is happening here, but sometimes it seems so slow. I wish we could teach everything we need to in just a week or two, but in reality, the fastest an investigator can go from meeting the missionaries to being baptized is a month, and that doesn´t happen very often here. Change and repentance take a lot of time. We can´t change all at once.

I got to see my trainer, Elder Takapu, at our last multi-zone meeting. He´s really great!

Luciano came to church yesterday! We met his girl friend, Valeria, on the bus to Las Toscas about a month and a half ago, and since then, they have been very curious about what we teach. Luciano loved it!  I am so glad it was fast and testimony meeting, (anyone in the congregation can go up front and share what they believe) because the Holy Ghost was really strong. The second class talked about the Holy Ghost and its role. It was a perfect class because Luciano had had a question about the Holy Ghost before. We have a lesson with him and Valeria tonight and hope to help them progress closer to baptism.

We had several experiences where we knew we were in the right place at the right time. On Saturday, a man riding a bike stopped and asked us where we were from. He knew we were missionaries, and aparantly had stopped us because he needed help. He told us one of his neighbors every so often would roam the neighborhood with a gun and just rob people and break their stuff. This had happened several times to the man we were talking to and he was worried about his children and his wife. At the time he passed us, he had reached the conclusion that the only think he could do was kill his neighbor. His anger showed all over his face. Everything that we said to calm him, he ignored. Finally, Elder Felkins, my companion, asked if we could say a prayer with this man. Elder Felkins gave a beautiful prayer, asking God that He would protect this man and his family and help the man make good disisions. After the prayer, the man was visibly humbled. He was still angry, but he had hope. That´s what Christ´s teachings bring us: hope and peace. Jesus doesn´t take away our problems, but he makes them easier to carry. I gained a greater testimony of that with this man. We also won´t be going into that neighborhood after dark :).

God lives! He loves us. He wants us to return to live with him. He sent Jesus to teach us His plan of happiness. When we obey Christ, we are happy. I invite you to share the joy Christ has given to you with others. This will bring you even greater happiness and joy.

Be happy and make choices that with bring you the greatest eternal happiness!

Elder Cloward

McDonalds! It was good, but the Big Mac was really small. Normal hamburgers here, with eggs and other incredients, are way bigger.