Dear Family and Friends!
It’s been a long time since I wrote y’all! Just joking, but there isn’t really a lot to report.
Eating the Crab I Caught
Let’s see… Friday we left the house for lunch and went to Hermana Martinez’s house, where she cooked us up a delicious seafood soup featuring the crab I had caught! It was delicious!
Salvador Fuentes
We taught Salvador Fuentes the plan of salvation also. He is basically a member, he has been to primary and has been taught by missionaries for three years. We have been waiting for his dad to baptize him. We talked to the bishop and decided that we were just going to baptize him ourselves on the 19th, but he didn’t come to church yesterday. Now we aren’t really sure what will happen.
On Saturday, we attended a baptism for the Galena Park ward and Salvador came. It was Galena Park’s third weekend in a row with a baptism. I was a little bummed because we haven’t been seeing such success.
We aren’t sure what to do with Salvador. We will talk to president today. There is a chance he won’t be baptized on Saturday. I won’t allow myself to get discouraged, but I am disappointed that the work isn’t going the way we would like it to here. NO ONE is progressing. It’s hard. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I need the Lord to tell me how to improve. I need to work harder, teach by the spirit. I just don’t feel like we are teaching anyone that has been prepared fully. Maybe I’m just blinded.
Do I just want to baptize Salvador because I am eager for a baptism? I feel like he is ready, and it has been put off for long enough. But am I biased? I feel like, so far on my mission, I’ve been doing more denying people for baptism than helping them reach it.
Chopping Trees
Later on, we helped a blind hermano in our ward move a tree from his backyard! We chopped it up into big huge chunks and carried them out, I felt like a boss after!
Bartolo Lara
Yesterday, after church, we went to visit Bartolo Lara, a recent convert who is in the hospital with cancer and really sick. He looked miserable. He was incredibly swollen and breathiing heavily, eyes closed. He had all the aurora of a dying man. I’ve never seen something like it. We tried to speak to him, but he only responded in incomprehensible grunts and moans.
We blessed him. Our ward mission leader commanded him to be healed and for the spirit of the cancer to leave his body. Immediately afterwards, he began to be more and more responsive. Hno. Avalos (WML) told him to keep on fighting and fighting, to which he responded “claro que si” under his breath. He opened his eyes and thanked us, and shook our hands.
Calls Home
We had the opportunity to call our families yesterday which I appreciated. I have a great one.
At our dinner appt. we talked a lot about visions and dreams, and I remembered Elder Scott’s last talk about dreams and revelation. I wonder why I never get them? They would sure be helpful!
Transfers are coming up next week. I am pretty sure that Elder Worrell and I will stay together for one more.
Last night, I couldn’t sleep. I read Psalms 23 and it comforted me. I will try to memorize it.
I love you all,
Elder Viitanen
Hello! I want you to remember that You don’t do anything wrong, although people won’t be baptized.. Don’t take it personally,please.It takes time them to conversion.
Please, continue your work like this far ,,by the rules. Set an good example to your partner and let the Holy Ghost work with them and listen to Him yourself, too.You have done very well! You are great missionary!
Soup looks delicious!And you look happy.Take care! I love you.
I think there might be very hot weather in Texas.
We have 20 Celsius in Finland, and it feels hot here.
I am going to write a letter soon.
Love, Mummi