Week 12

This week has been great! Elder Smith and I had to go to Concepción on Tuesday for an interview and I found out that I will likely be training next transfer! I may, but I´m not sure yet, also be made district leader. Elder Smith is leaving, unfortunately. He´s been great. I think the one thing that I learned most from him was humility and patience. Those are definitely two things that I´ve struggled with, but I have noticed a ton of growth over the past couple of months and I owe that to my trainer. He´s a great missionary and I know he will continue to do great things, wherever he goes. We are teaching a woman named Maribel Ortega. I think I have written about her before, but she is the cousin of un hermano that just left for his mission to Peru Lima East. She has a husband that has some serious drinking problems and has 5 young kids. She hadn´t been attending a church when we met her, but has always been Evangelical, like 99% of the people here. Well, this Sunday she came to church with her two youngest kids. During Gospel Principles, she bore her testimony about how many changes she has seen in her family since we have been visiting her. Her husband, who used to drink every night, has been listening to our lessons, rather than leaving as soon as we arrive. Along with him, her other kids have been listening to us teach her. She has noticed the peace and the love that the Spirit brings to her family. She called us "angelitos." That really means a lot to hear that we have done something to improve someone´s living situation. It´s an honor to be a tool in God´s hands. She is doing great and continues to progress. Lientur wasn´t able to get baptized due to health issues. He has been in the hospital off and on this week, but we have had the chance to meet with him. Spiritually, he is doing great and is ready to make his first covenant with Heavenly Father, but physically, he isn´t able to. However, we were talking with him last night and I felt impressed to promise him something really specific. I promised him that, according to his desires and his faith, that Heavenly Father will prepare the way for him to be baptized on the 7th of September. I firmly believe that. I know Heavenly Father works miracles because I see them everyday. For example, I have Micaela Morgan Wright. It´s a miracle that she puts up with me and somehow loves me. We have also been visiting an inactive member named Arturo Campos. He has elephantitis in his leg, along with some other emotional problems. He has had some bad experiences with some members, so hasn´t been coming to church. Yestday, we met with him and decided to be direct with him and find out how we can answer his doubts and get him to church. We answered the doubt about the relational issues. He wants to show people he is strong, and he can do that by coming to church every week, in spite of what has happend between him and some members. The other doubt we found was that he has to pay for a cab to get to church. So, I told him I´d pay for his cab every Sunday. That means that we will be seeing him and his mom next Sunday. He also made us promise that we would take him out to work with us after church every Sunday. We started that yesterday. To see the atonement at work in all these peoples lives is a miracle in itself. I´m so blessed to play a role in this work. We can all play the same role. Lose yourself in service and you´ll find yourself and the love that Heavenly Father has for you. Oh, we will be getting a new branch president soon, and it may be a missionary because there aren´t many worthy priesthood holders in the branch. We will see. It´s finally starting to warm up here. I hear that it is pretty dry in Texas, so rain for that area will be in my prayers. I also heard about the fires in Haily, ID. I hope everyone there is doing okay. Also, thanks to Elder and Sister Avery for their kind words. I don´t have much time on the computer, so I hope they know that what they sent to me meant a lot. Thank you both for everything you do for my family and for the people of Uvalde, TX. ¡Que tengan una buena semana!

Chau,

Elder Reynolds