The tale of a mixed-up week (07/13/2010)

Well this week was topsy-turvy. It had its high-lights and its low-lights. It had its hot days, and its cool days. It was a very up and down week.

First Wednesday-Friday

Well even though I said in my last e-mail that it has been very cool and pleasant ever since I got here, it got hot, in a hurry. Wednesday and Thursday were both in the high 90's while Friday cooled off to about 92 or so. It was hot. I guess when it is hot, people don't like to hear the gospel. Wednesday we did not get into one house and Thursday we only got into one. It was hard. It was frustrating, but I just kept thinking that we are so blessed to be able to get in with a few people each day that a couple of days not getting in will just make us realize how blessed we are.

So nothing really happened those days until Friday night rolled around. It was 8:45 and we were thinking of what to do for the last 15 minutes of the day and Elder Arnold said we can go try Emilio, he is a guy Elder Arnold taught when he was here before and we can get in and see if we can teach him again. So we go by and he lets us in. We talked to him a little about 1 Nephi 8 and Lehi's dream. We then invited him to soccer the next day which he said he wanted to go to and to church on Sunday which he also agreed to going to. So Saturday morning rolls around and we swing by his apartment so he could follow us to the park where they were playing soccer. We all play soccer with the Priesthood and everything went great. Emilio made friends and everything. It was awesome. So then the next day before church we call him to see if he is coming he said yeah he was getting dressed right then to go. So he shows up at 1:50. He stays for all of church and we even got his son, Emilio Junior to go to nursery. It was awesome and he said he enjoyed church.

We also started teaching this family Edith and Marco. They are a cool family with 2 kids and Edith is pregnant and was due the 9th but still hasn't had the baby. Well, Sunday we were seeing if someone could watch the kids while she has having the baby and maybe take them some meals. Sister Resheke volunteered and so we went by Sunday night so they could meet each other. They hit it off really well and she is going to watch the kids during all of the doctor visits and while she is in the hospital.

Then yesterday we had a really good day. We taught 5 lessons and found 2 new investigators. I don't have time to go into all of the lessons except one. Just know they were all great. One of those was Deborah and her daughter Alejandra. They were taught about 9 months but Deborah’s husband Arturo is a staunch Catholic and so that is tough. Anyway we start teaching them and Deborah stops us and says do you have the power to heal. And we explain priesthood blessings then she asked if she could have one. So we did. Well Elder Arnold anointed and I gave the blessing. Well I bless her that she would be healed. So anyway after the blessing we asked her how she felt. She said she felt something go from her feet and leave her head. Then she just started crying. She said she had been diagnosed with a life threatening disease and was so depressed that she grabbed a bottle of pills on Friday and was going to kill herself. She didn't though (obviously). Well she never told us what her disease was but whatever it was, she is cured. It was amazing. An awesome story for an awesome day.
That is the story of our week. It was amazing to watch the Lord work with us. Have a great week