April 30th, 2012

Dear Everyone,


well this week has been one of the strangest and one of my favorite weeks of my life! haha let me explain but as a precourser to this letter i just wanted to make sure that you mom do not freak out please!

well here in peru we have a fun problem every saturday morning till tuesday morning about 80 percent of the population here in Miceala Bastidas are drunk and when i mean drunk i mean really really drunk, and there are no police here to regulate so you can imagine what kind of thigs happen... drunks are driving all the time and there are always crashes, which is actually sometimes funny to see, as sad as that sounds.... but anyway. The other day (saturday) my companion and i were walking down the street at about 7 or 730 at night and there were a bunch of drunks going at it on the corner, we deceided that it wouldnt be the best idea to go that directoin and deceided to swiftly make a 180 and go the other way, well they didnt like taht too much and started shouting at us (some very vulgar things) i wasnt too pleased by what was being said and was about to turn around and say something when i heard a voice in my ear, the voice told me (run and run now!) i didnt understand what was going on at first i thought that my companion had said something to me and i asked him...he said he hadnt said anything, again the thought came to me (run and run now!) right as that voice came into my ear again i turned around to see one of the drunks pull out a pistol and point it at us shouting that he was going to kill the mormons!!!! i grabbed my comp by the backpack and shouted !pistol corre! all the sudden we heard 4 shouts very quickly! the drunks were actually trying to kill us!!!! haha what the heck is going on i was thinking! i guess his gun jammed because he shouted that the next time he saw us he would kill us and we turned the corner and just kept going, we didnt look back to see if they were following or anything.... but only after it had all calmed down and we had made it to a members house we knelt down and prayed and gave thanks to god that he had protected us in this week.... the voice again came into my head and i heard (follow me) i thought this time for sure the lord was telling me something and so at the first sign of this impression i was up off my knees and walking, i didnt know where to but i was walking, my companion was confused and we were both a little catter brained at what had just happened but we kept walking....... we got the a bend where there were two roads and we didnt know which road to take.... so i just kept walking....

my comp and i arrived at an investigators house that we had been teaching for a long time but was never really a candidate for baptism because she was alwaus really quite and never really showed that much interest... she is in a part member family and her family is less active and a hard drinker..... we knocked the door right about as it was time that we should be in our room and i didnt know what was going to happen next i was just doing as told and (following him) she opened the door and told us that she had just finished saying a prayer that we would come visit her again soon, she told us that she had been attending church for 3 months and last night she received her answer to her prayers and that tomorrow she would like to be baptised!!!! what!!!!!

That night i made a call the the zone leaders and we organized an interveiw the next morning after sacrament and planned the baptism for sunday after the meetings (yesterday).... we spent all morning inviting all the members that we could hoping to receive support.... the most members that have ever attened one of our baptisms is 13! we ended the meeting and she passed the interveiw and was all ready to be baptised... we took photos of my comp all ready to preform for the second time a baptism when we looked in the room where the font is and it was FULL of people! we had over 50 people crammed into a room for 30!!! it was such an amazing experience and i know that Maria felt the love of the ward and support for her! the spirit was so strong there and i know that the lord had quided us and protected us so that we could be lead to her door and so that she could be baptised in this week!

we had finished the service when another investigator approached us and told us that the next week she too would like to be baptised!!!! we have been visiting Josmirah for 3 weeks and she has never shown much interest! her mom is a less active and her father is an investigator!!! she told us that she had asked permission from them and that she would like to be baptised this sunday on my birthday!!!! woot woot! the best birthday gift ever! to see my comp have his 3rd baptism!!! i am super excited about what is happening in our area and i know that miracles exist each and ever day if we only look for them! we were shot at, and protected, lead by the spirit to a baptism, and because we were obedient and faithful given another this sunday!

i love this work! the lord lives and guides us each and everyday! i know the holy ghost i real!!!! he speaks to me and i can hear his voice! for some it is a feeling for some it is a thought but for me God speaks through his holy messanger and i know that he loves me and guides me! this church is true! we are his messangers and salvation never was easy or never will be! in order for us to experience salvation we need to experience a little only a small amount of what our lord and savior suffered when he bled from every pore when he was nailed like a theif and sinner to the cross, and being the only truly perfect missionary in this world! he gave his life for this work and i am willing to do so as well! for i am not ashamed of the gospel of jesus christ! i will run from door to door and when i am tired and my feet ache and i cant run i will crawl from door to door! and when my knees are bloody and my legs wont move i will drag myself door to door and when i can not do so anymore i will shout and i will yell until each and everyone of gods children here in micaela bastidas have heard the message of the restaured gospel and each and everyone of my brothers and sisters know that JESUS is the CHRIST! the son of the only true and living GOD!!!!

i love you all! never forget all that he has done for you and do all you can to do that same thing for others around you!