Monday April 9, 2010

Hola Familia!!!!

i am glad you have had a eventful week because i have too but unforutnatly
it hasnt been the happiest week of my mission. General conference a amazing
sorce of encouragement for me this week and every moment of free time i
have had in my room i have buried my head in a "Liahona" looking for a
little insight. i love how you all said how blessed we are to be americans
and this week i also gained a new testimony of that also. this saturday we
were supposed to have a baptism of a young lady named cristina who we have
been teaching. . . well yesteday she broke us some bad news. she explained
that in her excitement in the last few weeks for her baptism she told her
religion teacher from her school that she was going to be baptised. well as
i am sure you can quess her teacher want to pleased and so this last
thursday she told cristina that this year in school they are going to do
their confermation in the catholic church and that if she didnt do it she
would fail the class.

to me that seem completely wrong. forcing someone to forsake what they
believe just to keep their grade. how can some people in the world be so
blind. i am so glad that in the states we can worship how who or what we
want but that definatly isnt the case here in peru. i wanted to say "to
heck with that stupid teacher" but it just isnt that easy. like you mom i
have always found great relif in music so i put on some good old Mo tab
yesterday and then to cap it all off, the young man who lives in our same
house (also Member) started to bad mouth the most beatiful music that
exists in this world. i about lost it but i thought to myself. "let him
think what he wants that is his problem. but i know what the songs and the
savior teach and i should follow. so i left it at that. as angry as i was i
just left. more proof that i have changed a ton because a year ago it would
have ended differently.

but enough mopy dopy, how about a happy story. also this saturday a little
old lady named Lucia is going to be baptised and just to see her excitement
is a awesome testimony builder. she is a very very humble lady. she has a
two room house she gave one room to her son and his wife and she moved into
the other room where she sleeps with her chickens, and ducks. but dispite
her very humble cercumstances she always greets us with a huge smile, and
with kind loving words. half of the things she says as we are there is pure
"Thank yous" i have never seen her angry or stressed because she really
does have faith. we see many people today that say they have faith but then
comes the trial and their faith is the first thing they give up. but not
Lucia. she has really taught me that faith goes so much farther than just
believeing in something or someone, but letting these belifs drive you to
be a better person day after day. the only time i have ever seen her upset
was one time we took her to "Mecado" to have lunch, and as we bowed our
heads to bless our meal, people watching us started to laugh. she stood
and and with all the strength she has in her 60+ year old body said, "why
do you laugh at someone giving thanks to the person who gave YOU
everything. why not come and pray with us rather than laugh and mock us."
she is so so so much more than a baptism, she is a convert. it is my prayer
that one day soon i will have the faith that she has. she calles us her
"Angelitos" (little angels) but i feel it is the other way around. i have
learned so much from this sweet lady. and i know that she will touch many
more lives.

well fam it is off to the beach to explore some caves. i will take some
pics to send you next week.

I love you all and remember i am working as hard as a possible can.

p.s. i got my shirts :) wooo hooo no more pink shirts :)

p.s.s. i also forgot to tell you .last week but after conference on
saturday i bought lunch for my companion and i with the card. i just hope i
didnt tell you too late. chao!!