My calling as a missionary is so grand.

A lot happened at home sounds that its pretty awesome. First awesome that is so cute that Nick and Casaundra got married, the photos are awesome. That's' so cute. I am so happy for Thomas Worley. Took him a long time to get to baptism but he got there that's what matters. Really its just awesome. You have to send me pictures of that. I am so proud of him.

Well skyping, I bet you couldn't hear it but I was choking up a lot. The first time I called on Mother's Day it was all cool and stuff. But this time, I don't know, I really miss you guys. But it doesn't mean that I don't work hard. Just in my heart I miss you a lot.  It was so nice to see everyone and to laugh as a family just like old times. 

Well this week was good and tiring. After I called you guys we went home and had an awesome Christmas Eve. A new member cooked for us and she was so kind. We sang to her and she cried, she also gave us presents. She is awesome.

On Christmas Eve I also built a Christmas tree in our house. You can see it in the pictures, its not as life like as others but its unique. We had dinner and we had a spiritual talk and it was nice. Its a tradition to wake up at 12 in the morning to hug each other and say Merry Christmas. So that's what we did. We even called my convert Magaly Barahona to wish her Merry Christmas. It was nice.

On Christmas morning I got up early and cooked pancakes for my companions. It was nice.  We ate a lot. We opened the presents too and I loved the presents from you guys. Thank you. I love the Temple pin. I have it on my suit. But the CTR light thing doesn't work. Don't know why. But oh well. We love the Nutela like peanut butter its awesome. The mashed potatoes I love but others don't. And the cookies we have yet to cook.  Thank you so much. 

It was a really good Christmas. I wasn't with you guys but it was better than my first Christmas in the mission.

Well we had a baptism. He is awesome. We had planned to have a baptism of 4. But a family backed out at the last second. But this man is called Manuel Caizedo. He is awesome. He lives far from the church but he understands the law of sacrifice. He walks a lot to the church. He cried and hugged us a lot. He was been in 4 other churches and he said that no other church teaching what we teach and the way we teach. He is a true convert.  The baptism was really spiritual.

On Sunday was his confirmation. It was nice, Magaly Barahona, my convert, she gave her first talk in church. She talked about enduring to the end. She is awesome. She got her wisdom teeth out and so her face hurt and was swollen, but she wanted to give her talk so bad.  So she prayed that the swelling and pain would go away. God blessed her and the swelling went down and she gave a powerful talk. In the end she bore her testimony. She cried and I started to cry. But she said that she had fallen away from God before but then we passed by and rescued her. She then said directly  to us that she will never ever apart from God again., Then she said that she knows this is the true church. Wow. I cried a lot and I had such a huge smile on my face. You don't understand what it feels like to hear that be said. She is a convert. Before we passed by for her, she didn't like the missionaries. But I have a testimony that people are prepared for us. Manuel and her were prepared for us, for me. My calling as a missionary is so grand.

This week will be the same as last week. We aren't going to work that much. Sucks but I am so tired and ready to sleep a lot of new years.

I absolutely love you mom and family. Have a wonderful week.

Elder Luke.

p.s. A LOT of FOTOS

 

 

 

 

Snowman in Ecuador

Christmas Morning Pancakes

Christmas present - Temple pin

 

An American Missionary's guilty pleasure

We're going to have to find out more information about this drawing

Mission Christmas Card

Dear Ecuador Guayaquil West Missionary Families,

Attached is a Christmas card with a picture of all the missionaries taken at our mission conference earlier this month.  We hope you can find your son or daughter in the picture!  Thank you so much for your love, support, and prayers.  We are so grateful for our missionaries!!  May the Lord bless your family.  Have a Merry Christmas!!!

With love,
President and Sister Dennis

Christmas mission reunion

You are right, while I was ready your emails and hearing about the chocolate store experience I was craving a lot food. But soon I will eat lunch. The same old same old. Soap and arroz (rice). But I am actually getting used to it. 

Well, mom, I am glad that you loved Portland. It will be fun to visit someday. Its funny that you mentioned that there are people dressed like I used to dress. Ya know I don't even know if I will dress the same. I have lost style. I don't know if I like the same thing. Because here it is white shirt and tie and when I am not proselyting I am in gym shorts and a t shirt. So we will have to see how it will be when I get back.

Thank you so much for the pictures, they are so funny and cute. Did Elder Smith have transfers? He really is my best friend. It would be awesome if he was there when I get off the airplane next year. But hey we don't need to focus on that because it still is a date super far away. I don't want to end being a missionary today.

Well I know you are just dying to know about the mission reunion. Well we left martes (Tuesday), 10 in the morning and got in Guayaquil at 7 in the night time and left the terminal at 9. We slept in a hotel that is next to the temple that is owned by the church.

On Wednesday we woke up early and went to the meeting. It was awesome to meet with everyone. I saw all of my old friends and Elder Phillips (From our stake in Boise) and Elder Borg  (Also from our stake in Boise who just came out to Ecuador a few weeks ago). It is funny I know Elder Borg from our stake. I don't know him know him but I knew who he was. But I was able to talk with him and he knows a lot of Spanish.

Christmas mission lunch

Well the conference was cool because we say the music video David Archuleta of the song symphony that was in the movie Meet the Mormons. We saw the video of El es la Dadiva (He is the Gift). But it was awesome because President de templo (temple president) and his wife spoke to us about the importance of service worthily. Also they talked about the importance of our calling.

Hermana Dennis taught us about the atonement and I learned a lot about the importance of the expiacion (atonement) in the whole plan de salvacion (Plan of Salvation). President Dennis also talked about the ley de consagracion (law of consecration). That really hit me and I have been thinking more and more about being consecrated to this work and el señor (the Lord).

It was so awesome to see all my friends.  Elder Cordova, one of my favorite companions. When I saw him he came to me and hugged me and we just started talking as if we never were separated. Really he is awesome. He was telling me about our converts when we were together. He received letters from them and he said that Leuteria, the old lady in bastion popular, she is active. She is in the book of alma. Alma 60. She is almost going to finish the Book of Mormon. She is doing family history and is going to the temple regularly. She said that her family doesn't support her but she is active. You guys don't understand the gozo, the joy, that made me feel to know that my work and efforts weren't lost.  Read Alma 29:9-10, it expresses my feelings.

Alma 29:9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

 10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

Also the Lady I baptized with Elder Roman. She is active too and has conducted the music in church and is awesome. Read alma 26 that also explains my feelings.  Click here for a link to the Scripture that Brian talked about.

Well, when I got into the temple I just felt like I was home. It was weird, yes I was in Ecuador talking Spanish but I felt home. It was really cool because everyone in the session were missionaries. President Dennis was the obrero (temple worker) together with his wife. When I got into the Celestial room I was greeted by Hermana Dennis and wow I saw you mom. It was weird. She previously in the conference expressed that we are like her kids to her. I really felt her love and I feel that she is my second mom. Now not taking glory and my love away from you mom. But you can feel good knowing that some else is worried about me. (queue mom's tears.) I was able to feel the Spirit very strongly in the temple and received a few personal revelations so that I can be a better missionary. The next morning we returned home. Its such a good feeling to meet up with old friends. 

But other than that the Lord has been blessing us so much this week. We have people progressing and we are completing with the goals. Other than the success that we have received I have been going through a really big trial. Some personal things between me and my companion. Not good but I think it is needed because God needs me to be more humble.

Oh I almost forgot, the best part of my week was eating McDonalds. You don't understand the joy. I was able to eat real food and not arroz (rice) with pollo (chicken) and sopa (soup) all day. I might have eaten a lot to take advantage of the opportunity but what's done is done. Okay now I am even more hungry.

Have a wonderful week, you have my prayers and my thoughts.

I love you
Elder Luke

Click on the link to watch the video for Glorious from the movie Meet the Mormons

 

Click to link to watch the video El es la Dadiva

He is the Gift

This is the video Brian mentioned in his previous email.

The true meaning of Christmas and the first Gift.  #ShareTheGift

 

 

 

Just hearing whats going on at home and whats going on here, I just feel my saviors love.

Wow your letter and the letter from dad sounds really awesome. I feel really humble. Or what I mean to say is that God loves me so much and I really don't deserve it. Just hearing whats going on  at home and whats going on here, I just feel my saviors love. 

This week and this week that we are in is and will be weird. First lunes (Monday)11:30 in the night I received a messege that I will spend like all week with the lider de zona (zone leader) in his sector. I was there martes( Tuesday), meircoles (Wednesday), jueves ( Thursday) and I left viernes (Friday). It was weird because I started to love the investigators and worry about them and then I had to return to my sector. It was really good to be with the leader de zona because I learned so much. It was fun because we click really well together. His name is Elder Acsho. But I came back friday and got back to work. We have 4 people progressing to baptism. This one man who lives solo and he has some problems of cancer but his fe (Faith) is strong and accepts everything so fast. The other 3 is a mom and her two kids. The mom wants her two kids to be missionaries like us when they grow up. They have 8 y 11 años, but they want the white shirt and tie and want to pray and read the book of mormon. its awesome. 

This week will be intesresting becase we are going to guayaquil. Tomorrow i will leave in the morning and be in a bus all day until the night time. Get there them wednesday we have a conference of the mission and then i get to go to the temple, then come back to pedernales on thursday. Its goign to be cool to see all  my freinds in the conference, like elder phillips. 

Well i hope you guys have seen the new video from the church. El es la Dadiva, i think that the translation is He is the Gift. The video is awesome and powerful. We have little cards that we contact with and inviote others to discover the gist and accept the gift. 

I have been thinking a lot about christ with this new program. I have found more about how to accept christ more in my life. I have found the importance of this christmas. I Am truly grateful for christ.

He knows me and loves me and I represent him.

I love you so much, 

ElderLuke

I am grateful for this sacred calling that God has trusted me with.

I am glad that you were able to have an awesome Thanksgiving week. Here wasn't anything. What a bummer.  It just felt like a normal day. It wasn't until yesterday that my companion asked me what I did for Thanksgiving to celebrate, when I realized that I forgot. Chuso. Si o no. But its all good.  The other greengo in the house didn't care enough to pump me up to celebrate. But esta bien (it's OK).

Well this week was a good week. I learned a lot.  I love learning. Its hard to learn but its worth it.  This week I found out the real way to have an effective planning session. We have weekly goals. So we first set daily goals based on our weekly goals. We set the goals so we are lined up to complete the weekly goals. After we set daily goals we makes plans to complete the daily goals and with that we can complete our goals and show to the Lord the desires of our hearts. I am so grateful to have found that out. This week was really good because we came closer to hitting our weekly goals. Its an  awesome feeling. The set back this week was that we didn't have people to teach and so we talked and walked and talked and walked some more. But the Lord blessed us with a huge mass of people that can progress. Its awesome. We have found a lot of people. Its good to have a lot of people because  it makes planning easier and it  makes the numbers  better. Its awesome to see the gospel start to change  the lives of people. This one guy we found  isn't married and we have to change that. But he received us with great love and listened to us. For the first time in a long time he prayed and read the scriptures and I can see how he just wants us to  come back . His wife isn't quite receptive but we are working on that. This man  is called Egre. He is talk and buys fish. He went to church. Something that I have seen is that he started wearing the cross. It wasn't there before but now he is wearing it.  He doesn't know that we don't wear the cross as a symbol though. He is just expressing more fe (faith). I really feel that  he will progress. The other day we had a lesson with a man who couldn't  read but felt and understood the power of our message. Another lady doesn't learn very well but went to church and is progressing to baptism.  We have to teach her super slow and basic, but we see the change the gospel makes in the lives of people. The gospel changes lives. I love seeing that.

This week was stake conference here in portoviejo. Pres. de area came. He was powerful. Spoke so beautifully. I want to be like the leaders of the church. So smart. Powerful, the way they talk is with the Spirit. He talked about the traditions correctos (correct) and incorrectos (incorrect). He talked about what traditions we leave behind. It has really made a huge impact in my life hearing that. It was so powerful. I was to be obedient like how he spoke. We obey because God asked it of us and we should be willing to obey. 

Thank you for your prayers. Have a wonderful week.

I am grateful for this sacred calling that God has trusted me with.

I love you

Elder Luke

Looks like the new missionary is making Oreo chocolate balls.  Yum

 

I am learning to love more people

Wow mom you got me on a emotional roller coaster with your email. Bad and good stuff going on. I am glad that everything is fine with your leg and especially dad's back. That scares me. But its not the first time with dad's back. Well I know we are so blessed. I really feel the blessing pore down over us. Am I worthy of such marvelous blessing?  No. I can always get better and be better and more consecrated but I am very grateful that God loves us enough to bless us. I am grateful that everything is awesome with the store and especially that everything is awesome with the family.

Well i know everyone is just dying to hear about my week so I will tell you.

My new companion is awesome. Elder Muñoz, el es muy humilde (he is very humble) and patient and fun. He has so much amor (love) for the people and I love it. Sometimes I feel like I go into lessons just guns whipped out killing people with the scriptures como (as) Amulek in Alma 10 when it says that when the people got upset with him he stretched forth his hands and screamed with more strength.

But Amulek stretched forth his hand, and cried the mightier unto them, saying: O ye wicked and perverse generation, why hath Satan got such great hold upon your hearts? Why will ye yield yourselves unto him that he may have power over you, to blind your eyes, that ye will not understand the words which are spoken, according to their truth?

Crazy but cool. Its a very stretched exaggeration because I am not like that. But with MY companion I am learning to love people more. I feel this is preparation me for something in my life that will happen. Something I was thinking about is how can the prophet and apostles meet with leaders of other churches and smile and talk and not have in their minds that they are so wrong and are leaders of the wrong church?  What I am learning from Elder Muñoz is that this is the truth, but we have to love everyone because we are all sons and daughters of God and that's what I feel that I need to learn in this time with my companion.

This week I was able to teach a teacher of children in the Catholic church. She is very sweet and fun. When we taught her it was very spiritual. We don't know if she will progress but we never know how this will change her life. It was really powerful when we prayed in the correct way because she felt the Spirit and I told her that God really heard her. But since then she hasn't read or prayed about the Book of Mormon. 

I feel like I am opening a sector because we have really no investigators and its been really tough. Really tough because we walk and talk and don't find anything. But what else can I say. That's how the life of a missionary is. But like my last sector with Elder Sanchez, we did the same and we had éxito (success). My companion has helped me keep going because its been hard. He is always talking about the fe (faith) and hope. He is a powerful missionary.

I now live with another greengo, he is from California, Elder Beck. He knows a lot of Spanish and is a surfer and snowboarder. He is cool. Its weird that I don't get to pass by my converts to have the spiritual experiences with them but what matters is that someone is passing by them and they are still progressing.  They aren't my converts son converts of the lord.

I love you. Ya know I have been thinking about what I will talk about in my home coming talk. Maybe a few stories. But when Joseph Smith gave his last testimony he say that his purpose is to testify of Christ. I think all I can say is that I know that He lives. I have come to find that out. He really lives. 

I love you

Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving.

Elder Luke

Pictures from Zone Conferences

The Mission President and his wife have posted some pictures of zone conferences over the last few months.  I found our missionary in some of the pictures.  I don't know why the soda bottle is always in front of Elder Luke.

Elder Smith told me that I am where the Lord wants me to grow the most.

I am really happy. I really feel that my prayers are answered every time I read your letters. I worry about my family, but I just keep working and God provides for us. AWESOME: I am so happy. I love the photos of the snow in Boise.  It makes me miss snow. But its all good. Its cold enough here in Pedernaloes. (It has been in the 70s but probably with less humidity).

Boise snowman

About me, well I had transfers. I went super far from my sector. I was previously serving in Pedernales 1 and now I am so far away that I am in Pedernales 2. HAHA Elder Sanchez is in Guayaquil until jueves (Thursday) and will come back and train a new missionary. My new companion is Elder Muñoz, he is from Chile. Remember in the pictures the missionary grande (tall) and whiter than most Latinos. He is my new companion and its awesome because we have the same time in the mission. We came to the mission at the same time.  He is really fun. My new sector is super tiny but they just had two baptisms this last week so that means there really are people prepared and I really want to do well this transfer. The meta or goal is 8 baptisms in the month of Diciembre (December). It is a very high goal but we can find family's. FAMILY'S! 



This picture is from the day Brian and the rest of these missionaries
started their service in Ecuador.  Elder Munoz is on the top row center.

current zone or district group

Well this week what happened was something that really strengthened my testimony. We had a baptism. She also doesn't have much support from her family but she has such a strong testimony. During the baptism I felt the Spirit so strong and she did too. There weren't people talking and there wasn't much outside sound. It was very spiritual. I may are may not have cried ;D 

We were so happy that day that we bought pizza in the night to celebrate.

It was a testimony that this work and church is true. It was so simple the way the Spirit testified to me but it strengthened me so much. I saw her change her life and all I did was use words to help the Spirit enter into her life and now she is a member of the church and this next Sunday she will have a calling. I am so happy. I really wanted to hug her when we ended the baptism. Every time I looked at her I thought of you mom. She has the same age as you and dad. (I didn't edit this sentence because it made me laugh.  I guess he's translating Spanish into English to write this letter.) But I didn't hug her. But I might cry when I have to say good bye to her someday. But thankfully I will have more time here in Pedernales. 

Sunday we had a satellite broadcast from the area where they spoke very bluntly about consejo de barrio, ward council meetings. It was super cool to learn more and the rama was shocked because it brought to light the things they might be doing wrong. 

I have learned this transfer that I need to trust more in God. Elder Smith (from Boise) told me that I am where the lord wants me to grow the most. This means that I am here to learn and to do more. 

I love you, I really love you. I am so grateful mom that you guys made the first step to be members actives (active members of the church) so that I can be here. Maybe sometimes I forget the sacrifices that people have done for me to be here but the Spirit reminds me and I am driven always to be better. I am doing my best.

Elder Luke

(For Brian's birthday we sent him new shoes.  The place we purchased the shoes from was worried that the shoes he bought before he left were worn through already when they should last a lot longer than this.  I told the shop owner that Brian just likes shoes and generally wears through shoes faster than others.  Here is Brian's comment to my little joke.)

p.s. my shoes are getting a little worn. The heavy duty shoes that we bought are almost flat on the bottom, they still work and are one of my favorite shoes but they are worn a bit. But don't worry, I have plenty of shoes. Its true, I told my companion that ya know when you are a true missionary when you find joy in your shoes, and ties.

:D

 

Mixed feelings about Birthday celebrations

This week was good. I had my birthday. First off, thank you for the present. I love the shoes, LOVE the ties, and the balloons and decorations we put all over the house. It was awesome. I really enjoyed the present.

The day of my birthday we had a lot of cake- A lot. I think in two day we had 5 cakes. I ate a lot of food that day. It didn't do well in my stomach. It was good but also bad. I learned more about being a more consecrated missionary. You said something the other week about how its my birthday but these two years are not about me. That really stuck with me. I really enjoyed the package from you guys. What I didn't enjoy was the mass amount of parties that the members put on. It was good to feel love from them. But every second I was there at my party, I was losing time in the work of the Lord. I actually felt bad all day. We only had one lesson and we didn't do anything. I learned that I wont be announcing my birthday the next year. I felt bad taking the attention from the work and putting it on me. I really learned that day that even on my birthday I have to be focused and dedicated in this work.

 

This week has been great because we have una hermana that is progressing for baptism this week. She really has had spiritual experiences. She is really progressing and is awesome. SO this next week I will have more pictures of another baptism. But this time she is really converted. She is awesome. Yesterday we had a noche de hogar (Home Evening) where we taught her with a lot of members about fasting and tithing. It was fun and she loved the videos that we showed and it was cool. She told us that she doesn't want us to leave. I might actually cry if I have transfers this next week because she is so awesome.

 

Now I have some bad news. The old man that I baptized about two weeks ago, told us that he will keep going to his old church and that he will not follow with the Church of Jesus Christ. It was sad. But we did everything possible. Its his own condemnation. Mathew 7: 14 says that straight is the path to righteousness but few are they who find it. I guess he just wont be one of them. God knows that not everyone will be eligible to live with him.

 

Well its a short letter this week because I have a lot of photos. I love it here. I love being a missionary. I love that I am 19 but that I am more focused in the mission. I love my Savior.

Have a wonderful week

I love you

Elder Luke

 

 



Birthday message balloons for his birthday present.

Good to know he still wears that hat even in Ecuador

nice new birthday tie

 

Caution** over use of AWESOME below

Sabe (Know that), when I was reading you messages I was happy. Super happy.  I just love the way life is going. Then I read the part that Nick and Cassandra are getting married. WHAT!!! That's awesome. They are so cool. Send them my congratulations. Are you going to go to the wedding? I want pictures.  That's awesome.

Well, that's awesome that D3 (marching band competition) went well for Brandon. That's awesome. First place! Who would have thought that Centennial High School would make such a change to get first place. That's awesome. That's awesome that Brandon is getting that experience. Wow the pictures are awesome. Brandon is tall. How tall is he? I think he already passed me. But Ii will always be stronger. 

 

MOM, that is an awesome that you got a new calling. Ward Missionary! That's awesome mom. Okay so tips. Read a lot predicar mi evangelio, preach my gospel. Read chapter 3 that is where the lessons are.  You need to know very well the principles of every lesson and know what  is taught in the principle. Nothing super deep. Really like teaching kids because they the people don't know the doctrine, so you start with the basics. The other thing is read chapter 10. That chapter talks about different things to apply in teaching and being a better teacher. So mom. You have a hard calling. The teaching is easy. Its the time that's the hard part. Mom, As a missionary, I would love if a member could come on visits with us every day all day. Its almost impossible. But if you find time, like 3 or 2 hours to go on visits that can be a huge blessing with the missionaries there. They will be so blessed. The other thing is that we have more time on Sundays. Its a good idea to dedicate a lot of Sundays to going with  the missionaries. The other thing is be always in contact with them. Mom I am so pumped for you, this will help you so much.  Mom i am so happy that you are ward missionary. I was talking to my companions about how you are going to have an awesome time preaching His gospel. Missionary work really requires a strong testimony and  better knowledge of the scriptures. Your testimony is strong mom but through your preparations and teaching, it will make your testimony even stronger.

Well, This week We had zone conferences. So we left on Tuesday in the afternoon and went 5 hours to Portoviejo. Then next day we went an hour to Manta and had interviews with Presidente where he helped me understand mas (more) on what I need to do to get better. The conference was awesome. Presidente and his wife talked and taught us of repentance and the importance that we repent and that our investigators understand and repent. It was very spiritual. I learned a lot. It really helped me resolve a little things about the past. Now I feel much better and I have learned so much. 

We left Manta for Pedernales. Its six hours. Six hours in a bus like what we used for band but not as nice. It is nice but not nice but it does have movies. The worst part is that I can't watch them. It is my weakness. We left and got dropped of in San Vicente which is three hours away from predernales. We were there at 7:30 and the next bus comes at 8:30. Which would mean that we would get home after 9:00 and that's breaking rules. So we waited for a bus. The same time I had a fever. That sucked. I think that I am skinnier because of eating less and the sickness. I feel I keep getting sick every other week. It sucks. Its the stress that causes it. First time that i have had this.

This week I learned how to be like Christ. Most of the time we have to be the opposite of Christ to realize how to be more like Christ. We had a little confrontation with a pastor about that new convert that was baptized. I was mad. I didn't yell. But I wasn't calm, neither was the pastor and so we were just fueling each other. SO, I testified but I didn't represent Christ. I know now what it means to be more like Christ. I have repented of my actions and that wont happen ever again. It's sad because Ramon Erazo that I baptized last week has been having more problems with his family and with the pastor. This week we are going to give him distance but help him.

But we are teaching this lady. She is awesome. She is progressing so fast and its awesome. She loves the church. She is improving and its awesome. Ya se cabo mi tiempo (Already done my time on the computer). I will tell you more about the spiritual experiences in the next week.

Mom I got the Belt. Its awesome. I got my birthday package. It wasn't as cool to see the customs sticker on the front that says what's inside the present but its all good. Thank you so much. I will take pictures. Have fun with the burgers (we will be celebrating Brian's birthday with some Red Robins burgers). I love you so much mom.

Elder Luke

Baptisms and photos

So I will start with the questions. I have already received the package so I should receive the birthday package tomorrow or next week. But I loved what you guys sent me. Well it was the package with the Boise State T-shirts and the ties and the amazingly awesome BBQ sauce. I hope that's the first package, I would feel bad if that was the birthday package.

Okay so this week was good and bad. 

First off, all week we have been preparing for the baptism. In the pics below are how it all turned out. On Friday we had an activity or a devotional in the church. We watched some videos. I felt super prepared for the message part but every one was sleeping and it wasn't really that great.  It was like something was missing.

About fighting with the  devil this week. We won and we also lost. The only person from the family Erazo  that was firm in the way he has felt and what  he has received from God was the papa. He was the only one who was baptized from the family. We lost because the family didn't even go to the baptism.  His wife disowned him. Saying that he is sinning and there isn't love any more for his decision. But Hermano Ramon Erazo was so strong in his Faith that he stuck with it even though he was alone. Everything went awesome. He is amazing. The day of his interview he asked if he could pray to know who should baptize him, so he did and he told me that I had the privilege to baptize him. Well I love baptizing. I is fun, and good to use the priesthood that I have. Another lady that we have been teaching was baptized also. We had two baptisms and it was super cool. 

The ceremony went really good for Ramon and the other lady Karol, but the people who came to the baptism left their respect in the garbage back home. There were some problems with some members and some people invited. But it went well for the people receiving the ordination and who really focused on the Spirit. 

Of the two people who were baptized, none of their family members came to the baptism because they don't support and don't love their family. It's sad but it is such an awesome experience for them to show their faith and stand up for the truth even if they are alone, but we are never alone.

 

This week we have a conference with president.  Its going to be awesome.  Tomorrow we are going to travel and have it Wednesday and then come back in the morning on Thursday.  I love the conferences.  I love Spanish mom. I have been growing so much . We have this investigator that will be baptized this 8 de November , she always compliments me on my Spanish. She is awesome. I will have fotos in a few weeks. 

Well that's all for this week. I am grateful for the package. I am grateful to be a missionary.

I love you mom

Elder Luke

p.s. The pictures of the sky that I am sending are of this morning. It was so bright but in like two hours it went all away and was all negro in the sky.