Onward we go!

Faustin continues to appear interested and seems to be reading, but he didn`t go to church on Sunday. His son came in from out of town at the same time as church started, and he didn`t go to the other church service we invited him to. Tonight we`ll find out how he`s doing. Lately we´ve also been spending a lot of time with the area book, searching for former investigators that might now be ready to progress. The best one we´ve met is named José Angel. He´s an older man who suffers from renal failure (wiki it!) and has had a few dreams he doesn`t understand. He has a strong desire to know where the truth is, why he is still here, and a number of other things. The spirit is felt very strongly with him, so we´re working and praying hard to find out how to help him. He came to church Sunday even though physically he felt terrible that morning, and he showed interest in the Gospel Principles class on baptism.

Interviews with president were normal. He focused on using the area book and on constantly searching for new investigators. He wanted to work with us that day, but had to go to a meeting and so couldn`t. We`ll see if he stops by some day of this week to work in the field with us. Maybe he`ll even show up to district class.

Turning a year was a relatively quiet affair. I didn`t really buy anything special or eat anything special, but I did take a few commemerative photos. It feels really strange to know I`m halfway there.

Karina, the sister of Luz and Karol (who we helped the sister missionaries to teach) was baptized on Sunday, and she asked me to do the ordinance. I was more than happy to do so, and it was a very beautiful ceremony. They`re a wonderful family and they`re trying hard to do the right thing. I hope the ward takes care of them like they should.

We`re planning to make some thank you gifts for the members that have been helping out the missionary work as well as organize an activity to which members can bring investigators. Something Book of Mormon and time travel themed, probably. I`ll let you know how that works out. Onward we go!

Love,
Elder Lund

Yikes

Life is normal right now. We continue teaching, contacting, helping the district, and growing. I learn more each day and try to help my companion. So far the closest baptismal date is Faustín, who is planned for the 30th of October, who is essentially the Mexican "Albert Einstein", as my companion calls him. He is a marble sculptor and also is inventing a perpetual-energy machine...and yes, he has the crazy hair. He feels he needs to change his life and bring it in line with God before he gets too much older, and he enjoyed church this Sunday. Hopefully everything turns out alright, and hopefully we can find all the other people who are waiting for us and do not join the truth only because they do not know where to find it.

We also ate yesterday with a family of a mother and two sons (due to divorce). The 21 year old son is planning on going on a mission and the 18 year old is trying to decide. We all shared testimonies and had a very spiritual discussion about the blessings that come from missionary work. I`m very grateful for the opportunity here, and I know it is influencing things back home as well. It is honestly the best thing a young man can do for his family. I hope they come to understand that and go on to bless the lives of many other families as well.

Interviews are this week, and I think the Mission President is planning on coming to our area to work tomorrow afternoon...we´ll see how that is. I also turn a year on thursday. Yikes. It´s hard to believe I´m at the halfway point, especially because there is so much else I need to do and can do here. I plan on eating well and working hard that day, no more. That`s all I could ask for. I hope things are well at home...I need to take off. Know that I feel much closer to all of you now that I`m way over here than when I lived just downstairs. This is where I belong. One year more.

Much Love,
Elder Lund

I always learn a lot in conference

This week has had its ups and downs. Emiliano, a child from a different area that (due to complications) we ended up teaching, was baptized on Tuesday. He´s a good kid, and has a lot of youth left.

The down would be that right about the time of the baptism, my companion got very sick to his stomach. He ended up spending 2 days in the bathroom and I read the scriptures, ate pizza, and tried to be a little productive. I did manage to finish the Book of Mormon again (in Spanish this time) and clean up the area book a little.

We made an agreement with an investigator who went to church last week that if she came with us, we would go with her, so we went to visit Catholic Mass on Thursday. I won`t write any of the details, but there was worshipping of a little doll and blessing bottles of water involved, and I didn`t feel very good.

The one day we could work very well, we managed to have a great lesson with an investigator named Ramón who is reading the Book of Mormon from cover to cover and is very studied in the bible. He also went to conference on Saturday, met people he knew, and loved it. We also found a new investigator (a teen who isn`t living with his family) who came with his girlfriend to conference as well.

I always learn a lot in conference, and I`m learning even more from who the leaders of the church are then what they say. They`re such good examples of what we already know we should be doing. It`s something I`ve been thinking about since Elder Bednar´s visit. I listened to about 50% in English and the other half in Spanish, depending on if there were investigators there in the sessions.

Still no new house, but we`re working on it. There are a lot more options now, but we`re not sure we can leave this month. I hope so, but we´ll see.

Pray, read your scriptures, and go to church. That will always be the most fundamental.

Take care, and much love,
Elder Lund

Ups and downs

This week has had its ups and downs. Emiliano, a child from a different area that (due to complications) we ended up teaching, was baptized on Tuesday. He´s a good kid, and has a lot of youth left.

The down would be that right about the time of the baptism, my companion got very sick to his stomach. He ended up spending 2 days in the bathroom and I read the scriptures, ate pizza, and tried to be a little productive. I did manage to finish the Book of Mormon again (in Spanish this time) and clean up the area book a little.

We made an agreement with an investigator who went to church last week that if she came with us, we would go with her, so we went to visit Catholic Mass on Thursday. I won`t write any of the details, but there was worshipping of a little doll and blessing bottles of water involved, and I didn`t feel very good.

The one day we could work very well, we managed to have a great lesson with an investigator named Ramón who is reading the Book of Mormon from cover to cover and is very studied in the bible. He also went to conference on Saturday, met people he knew, and loved it. We also found a new investigator (a teen who isn`t living with his family) who came with his girlfriend to conference as well.

I always learn a lot in conference, and I`m learning even more from who the leaders of the church are then what they say. They`re such good examples of what we already know we should be doing. It`s something I`ve been thinking about since Elder Bednar´s visit. I listened to about 50% in English and the other half in Spanish, depending on if there were investigators there in the sessions.

Still no new house, but we`re working on it. There are a lot more options now, but we`re not sure we can leave this month. I hope so, but we´ll see.

Pray, read your scriptures, and go to church. That will always be the most fundamental.

Take care, and much love,
Elder Lund