08/29/2011

Hola Familia, This week was a pretty good week with some great experiences. We worked hard and we are now in our new transfer and I'm still in my area and with the same companion. I am glad that we didn't get changed because things are going really good and we are working together with a lot of unity and our lessons get better and better every day. I realized that you have to put some humor into your lessons so the people will pay more attention because with a little bit of everything the teachings will be awesome. So me and my companion try to teach with real examples and try to add some humor so they will understand it and also enjoy the lesson more. When you teach and use a personal experience or bear your testimony the spirit will come strong and will always touch the hearts of the investigators. A missionary who served in my zone told me my old investigator Ramiro was baptized. I was so happy to hear that. It made my day fantastic. He told me that Ramiro got on the motorcycle taxi to head off to the baptism and his kid told him he would commit suicide if he was baptized. But his dad knew that he needed to be baptized and he went anyway. It's incredible how he was baptized. All of his family was against him and he had pastors that came to brainwash him and they told him that he needed to study the bible for two years to be baptized. But he went against everyone and got baptized anyway. It's fantastic how he had such strength to overcome all of these trials. But this week we got two of the daughters of the Yarari Sanchez family to a baptismal date. So the mom, her son, and her two daughters so far have a baptismal date for 17th of September. I really hope and pray that everything goes well with them. It's pretty sick and ridiculous how much power satan has over the people and truly how hard it is to get baptisms these days. About every temptation and problem comes to make it so that someone can't enter into the waters of baptism. Truly its the work of God that miracles come to pass and allow one of his children to make covenants with Him. But it's always an amazing thing to start the baptismal program knowing that all the hard work is starting to pay off. But one thing that was pretty rough that happened this week was that Brisa didn't get through her baptismal interview because her uncle said that she isn't old enough yet. I wasn't there because we went to the hospital to give a blessing to a member. But my companion and our district leader were there and my comp almost lost it and asked the guy if he wanted to be condemed. But after this Elder Empey told him to take it easy, haha. I wish he would have lost it, but we're gonna talk to them this week because I'm pretty sure the uncle has no rights over her. The sad part is that he is a member. So I still have a lot of hope for her. Then we have been teaching the Monesterio Choque family and the mom can't be baptized because she is not married. But she claims this is her religion anyway. Her kids came to church by themselves and they love church. The mom told us she couldn't go because her husband was sick, but she told us that last week when they didn't go to church, her girls started to cry. I felt pretty bad and that shows you how much the children are truly the greatest in the kingdom of our Father. I am sure we will be able to help them to baptism but I am praying and hoping that everything will go well with them also. Last of all, there is always more, haha is that German finally came to church with us and said he enjoyed it. He is way awesome. He just has to put all his confidence in the Lord, He thinks he has to study and read everything before he makes a decision, but if he truly just prays, he will get his answer. Before I go I will throw out an interesting Beni fact. The contents of a child's coloring box.... Coloring pencils, crayons, pencils, and a razor blade, hahahaha. It's crazy I know, but it's how they can sharpen their pencils. But when my companion and I saw this girl open up her coloring bag, we had a pretty good laugh. I love you guys so much. Don't worry too much about me. I will continue to work hard to bless you guys and to make my Heavenly Father proud. Elder Christoffersen