Let's Go There! ~ March 7, 2016

¡HOOOOLAAA!!


Wow this week has been just awesome if I don´t say so myself! Really working here with Elder Baque has been so legit. His commitment to this work is so strong and his conviction of the things we teach are amazing!

We have been working with a few families that are really poderosas (powerfuls). They have been so receptive and have been understanding and committing to fulfill the commitments and everything! One of the families is called the family Perez Cuenta, and one of the sisters there is really great. Her name is Yurleidis and she has now attended church 2 times and is reading the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets and asking us questions from the things she has learned! Right now we are working with her respecting marriage because she is living with her pair (what´s the word?) but they aren´t married. But she and her pair have committed to get married! We are working so she can be baptized the 2nd of April.

There´s another family that´s in a similar situation where the sister needs to get married but she also has been attending church! Her name is Gladys. Her mom is a less active and we have been teaching her and her family. This last Monday though we had a family night with them and with Bro and Sis Arias and it was so powerful! We also met the sister of Gladys and she (yesterday) told us that she has been pondering about this church and the Book of Mormon and wants to learn more and progress and everything! She told us that a few years ago she was really sick and then her nephew (member of the church) told her that he had the members in the church pray for her and then he shared a powerful scripture from the Book of Mormon with her and that she felt so much peace after that and was able to recover!

Now here is the part that I am most animated about. Yesterday in church there was an investigator named Javier who has attended church and been listening to the missionaries for about 14 months. He is 19 years old and in this time of listening to the missionaries and everything he has really wanted to join the church but has had a doubt because his mom is afraid that if he gets baptized that he´ll go on a mission. So for that he hasn´t been baptized yet. But then yesterday in fast and testimony meeting, surprisingly he just went up front and bore his testimony! And oh was it poderoso! Later I sat with him in Elder´s quorum and we talked about managing money in that class and he mentioned to me about how he can pay his tithing! Oh! Can you see how legitly awesome he is? ;) Then after church we met with him and had a mini lesson where he shared with us that during the sacrament he was pondering about the baptism and why he hasn´t committed to get baptized. Then he said a feeling of immense peace came to him and a thought that why not be baptized and what was he waiting for?. He told us that he wants to get baptized and will be getting baptized this next week Saturday! The 19th! The Spirit was so strong in that moment and we testified to him that this was the right moment to follow his prompting.

This week was really so, but so, spiritually invigorating! I am loving this work more and more and am seeing more the fruits of our labors here in Arjona.

Well that is all for this week. Oh also we went to Cartagena today to the famous parts there in the old city and the murallas (spelling?). And we also saw the ocean again and some other sites and big boats and a yacht thing! I´ll try to send pictures real quick.
Love you all! May the Spirit be with you... Always.
¡Paz fuera!



Love,
~Elder Tyler Hales~