Today’s been a fun day, we came up to Curicó to be with the other elders in the zone today, and we played basketball and soccer, and are all now together writing our families. Sebastian came up with us to play and he had fun, but we’re all really tired and smelly from playing. I was bummed again to see that BYU lost again, but have decided that they chose a good year to be crappy, seeing as I’m not there to suffer, and honestly it’s helping me focus a lot more on the work. I have a paper on my wall that has the famous quote from President Hinckley that says, ¨Forget yourself and go to work¨ only I added a few words and mine says ¨Forget yourself (and BYU) and go to work¨ haha. I’m fully confident that they’ll use this year to grow and get rid of all the mistakes that new players and freshmen often make, and when I get back we’ll have some more good football to watch!!
The mission conference was way fun as we got to see and talk to a lot of missionaries that I haven’t seen for a while. I talked with Elder Pitcher and Elder Pierce again, and also Elder Nelsen (my MTC companion). It’s way cool to see how much everyone has changed and grown due to the mission, and I’m grateful for the things I’m learning and will learn in my time here. I didn’t get any packages, but it’s all good cuz on Wednesday we have interviews with the President, so I’m hoping to get them then. But if not I’m okay, I’ve learned to have patience and I can wait.
This week was a good one, and we had a lot of fun. We’re still working with several people that have close baptismal dates, and they’re excited and willing to do all that we ask them. David is kinda being a punk, and doesn’t want to do his homework or sit down with his mom and read the scriptures, so we taught him about honoring his father and mother. He promised that he’d do better. The problem is that he really doesn’t have an example in the home. His neither of his parents stayed after sacrament meeting, but they left him there to go to primary, so after primary he just wanted to go home. There were a couple other people also going home that lived by him, so we sent him with them after trying to convince him to stay for the last class. He’s a work in progress. We’re going to have a family night with him and another family in the ward tonight!
Carmen was sick for a couple of days, but we went and gave her a blessing and she was able to come to church yesterday! Her son and daughter in law left after sacrament meeting. Carmen is an older lady, so she wanted to go home and sleep after the meeting, but told us that she enjoyed it, and that she wanted us to come over after church to teach her more. We went over and she talked a lot more (she’s normally really quiet) and she’s learning how to pray, and her family reads her the book of mormon (she doesn’t know how to read). So she’s doing well. We’re going to pass by her and her family as well tonight.
The best news...drum roll....we had two baptisms yesterday!! You’re probably wondering who they were..Danitza? No. A brother named Jose Manuel...now you’re thinking who is Jose Manual and why hasn’t Tanner written anything about him haha. Here’s the thing, he first knew the Elders 9 years ago, his family has been baptized for 9 years, and during all that time the Elders have been trying to baptize him. He attends church every week with his family. About a week ago we went over to visit the family since we hadn’t passed by for quite some time. It was just going to be a normal visit to see how they were, but during our time there I really felt that we needed to invite him to be baptized again. I asked him what was keeping him from being baptized. He told us nothing, that he just needed to make the decision. I invited him to be baptized on the 26th and he accepted. So we passed by almost everyday this week preparing him and answering any questions he ha. The Assistants to the President came and interviewed him and he passed. He chose his son, Manuel, to baptize him!
It was a great sacrament meeting. There were over 80 people in church, and a lot of people that hadn’t attended for a long time were there. The talks were really powerful, and I was just overwhelmed with happiness during that meeting. The baptismal service was also great. I baptized an 8-year-old kid named Christian, whose whole family are members (so it didn’t count for the mission, but who cares cuz he was still baptized!!) His mom gave her testimony and thanked the missionaries, and told me that her son, Christian didn’t want to get baptized until we started teaching him. When I almost left Molina he told him mom that he didn’t want to get baptized anymore , but when he found out I was staying he said okay I’m going to do it. There were some powerful testimonies given by both families, and they both talked about the temple as their goal (Jose Manuel and Christian were both the last people not baptized in their families) and I ended up crying, as did Brother Jose Manuel. I baptized Christian first and all went well, but Manuel and his dad had to repeat the baptism 3 times. Who cares, he ended up being baptized so that’s all that matters.
I left the church feeling so much satisfaction in the work, and really felt the spirit super powerfully. I felt it again as I read in your email that Mckay had a buddy get baptized. That is so cool!!!
Super excited about General Conference, and way surprised that it’s already here again. Really look forward to having a spiritual recharge and be able to ¨rest¨ for a couple days and hear from the Prophets and Apostles!!!
I hope you all have a flippin awesome week (I love that part in the movie the best two years where his comp hits him for saying flipping, luckily I’ve been with Spanish comps, so I’ve lost many dumb Utah habits) Love you all tons, and hopefully BYU doesn’t lose to Utah State...then I’ll really kill myself haha
Love,
Tanner