We are going to save Ancon.

Alegro mucho a saber que toda la familia esta bien. (Glad to know that whole family is fine.)

I am very happy to know that things are going well at home. I love to hear about how Brandon is being very gentleman like. I think Brandon has a very big heart.(Brandon went to q Home Coming dance the previous week). Also I like to hear that Benjamin is already mountain biking.  To me or in my eyes he is too small or young for that but then I realize that I haven't seen him in a long time so I don't know if he is big enough.  Also I like to hear that dad is going to hire new people at the store so that you guys can have more time to do things as a family. I am very happy to here that I have so little time even though I feel that the mission will never end. 

Well I will tell you that this week was really fun. The major thing that happened was that President Dennis and his assistants came to town to capacitate and work with us. I learned some new ways at finding solutions to problems and analyzing numbers to see what's going on with the zone. I learned little things about how to be a better leader and helping other. Different things that I need to always apply to maintain the order and effectiveness of the work. Also I got to spend the entire day with President and the assistants. It was nice.  We went to lunch together and we got to go sight seeing a little bit with them. I didn't even work in my sector all day that day. But I have come to realize that my companion and I are the only ones that don't have to focus on our sector. It doesn't matter if we have a bunch of baptisms, what matter is that the rest have the baptisms and with that we have success. My sector isn't just Salinas but its the entire zone. So sometimes our numbers are bad but we are working hard. Its a different way to work but that's how its works as a zone leader. 

When we went to sight see with President, we passed by a little branch that is called Ancon. Its so tiny yet it has a chapel. The members are slowly withering away and now they're only 20 people going to church and for that it is going to be shut down. The chapel will either be sold or it will be thrown away and the members will have to go to another chapel of which will inactivate a lot of members. 

So my companion and I have decided that we are going to save Ancon. My companion asked me today how I would feel if you guys told me that they were going to shut down Hobble Creek Ward. It helped me to think about the members that are faithful and how much they need our help. We were able to communicate with a member there in Ancon and make preparations for this Thursday as we go to work there. He was so excited to hear that we were going to help. He asked us if we knew that they were going to shut down Ancon.  We said yes and that's why we are going to go to help. I realized even more, how important my calling is. Those twenty or so odd members are counting on us. We are going to save Ancon. 

Also this week we had some experiences very awesome. First, I got to baptize the little boy in the picture that I had taught in Santa Elena 3. It was fun. Another day we were teaching this old lady that has gone to church and at the beginning of the lesson my companion told me that we shouldn't extend a baptismal date because the family was there listening in the other room. While my companion was teaching I was thinking that I wanted to extend the baptismal date but I wanted to obey what my companion said, so I decided to pray and ask God what I needed to do. While I was praying my companion extended the date. I felt the Spirit confirm that that was the desires of God. Later talking with my companion he told me that he had felt very strongly to invite her to be baptized. It was very spiritual. After that we passed by this lady on the street reading a newspaper.  We passed by and I felt we needed to go back. We talked to her and found out that she is a member inactive and she is ready to come back to church. She has some questions but we can help her with the answers. She had told us that before we had walked by she was just about to return to inside of her house but decided to stay out a little long and look we found her right there waiting for us. I love being an instrument in the hands of God. 

Well this week we are going to the temple. Also this next Monday I will be in Guayaquil so I will probably write you guys on Tuesday. I love you guys so much.

Have a wonderful week.

ElderLuke