May 2, 2011

Hola familia. Another good week here in Bolivia, but this week was a little bit different, ha ha. It was like 95 degrees here and a lot of humidity! My comp and I were sweating bullets! We kept saying, please bring the cold and clouds. It's Crazy because most of Bolivia is under the clouds, but our area of Bajio was splitting the clouds just enough for the blazing sun to shine through, haha. Then the next day there was a circle of no clouds and the sun was shining through again in our area, ha ha. But afterwards, I think we got our request answered, because today and yesterday were way cold! So "ask and ye shall recieve". But thanks dad for not letting me leave without my thermals because they are very nice to have in the cold here. But the good experiences are that this week we have two baptisms. The daughter will be baptized by her dad and then the 17 year old was asked by our district leader who he wanted to baptize him. So he was asking me who gets to do it, and I said anyone who is worthy can. So he said "I want you to do it Elder Christoffer", ha ha. (that is what all of the people here call me if they dont know how to sound out our last name.) But this was so awesome and made me feel way good. So I will have the privilege of baptizing him this week. He is an awesome investigator and has gone through a lot. He had drinking problems but he's willing to give up his achohol for the Lord and he will read the Book of Mormon now and pray when he is discouraged instead of drinking to get over his problems. We are also working with this 28 year old guy who is an awesome investigator. I love being able to teach him. He says that in his heart he feels that all of this is true and he wants to believe, but in his head it's different because his whole family is of a different religion. He also works for this school that is Evangelico, so it's been rough. But he says he is prayinjg to get an answer and we fasted for him so I am praying things work out for him. I also got to share a verse from Matthew that says "the spirit is willing but the body is weak." And how our spirit is always willing to do what is right and to know the things of God but the body is weak. A lot of times we do things for more of what our body wants instead of what our spirit wants and needs. But another experience I had was that I was having trouble for awhile talking in Spànish this week and I didn't know why. I got down on myself for a day, and I tried to study harder. But then I realized that I have been doing good and I have enough Spanish to teach, I have taught and they have understood, and the words came well. So truly what I need to do is rely more on the Spirit because that is what helps me out and brings the words to me. I realized without relying on the Spirit I can do ok, but with the Spirit it's a whole different world. You can feel the power of the Spirit testifying of truths. It's an incredible feeling that you can't describe in worlds. Thanks a ton for your love and support. I will talk to you Sunday. Love, your son, Elder CHristoffersen