Hola from Bloomingdale, IL

Hola a todos!

I hope everything is going well, I just received a letter from dad literally seconds ago and it sounds like everyone is doing really good. Sounds like Rylee's track is going great and so is Elder Booth. He's an awesome Elder and I wish him the best of success. He was a lot of fun to get to know in the MTC. I'm glad the earthquake didn't affect him. Also, sounds like Bryce's birthday party was a blast. Dad says you guys went to Tepenyaki, Boondocks and Sub-Zero for his birthday, that sounds So cool! Wish I could've been there, but something cool happened to me that day too... Luis (16) accepted a baptismal date! He's an awesome kid who is really an example to all of his family and friends. He actually got his dad to start attending a church again just a little while ago, and has helped his aunt become more religious as well. They are all very blessed to have him in their home. He's planning on bringing his dad and aunt to church on March 14th, where we are doing a really cool activity known as the Day of Invitation. Basically all the members in our whole mission are trying to bring people to church on March 14th. Our branch has the goal of 200 Non-members at church that day, that's 2 non-members per member! We're really excited to see how that goes, it should be awesome.
Oh and I forgot to mention, we also have another investigator, Nicasio, I think I talked about him in my last letter. He also accepted a baptismal date for March 27. I'm really excited for him. We had a neet experience with him last time. He wasn't in the room when we first got there, and so we asked where he was. They said that he was sick. Well right as they said that he walked in and sat down. He explained to us that he works at a textile factory (or something like that) and that at work that day they had had a bad carbon monoxide leak. He felt really sick and tired from all of that, and had been recouperating all day. However, he said, "Pero, Dios es mas importante." Which is to say, However, God is more important. This guy had CO poisoning and still had the willpower and felt the spirit enough to know that he needed to be in a lesson with us and that would benefit him more than rest. By the end of the lesson, he was very animated and excited. We gave him a large print Libro de Mormon and he was silently thrilled. He sat down and started reading as we left. That's the character of this man. He will make a great member, and is already a great example to the less-active family that he lives with.

Oh and a couple weeks ago we had something cool happen that I forgot to write about, but I thought you guys would like this. A lady by the name of Esperanza (Hope) was a referral that we got from the Sister Missionaries. We met with her a couple of times and she was always very accepting and kind. Well, we taught her Lesson 2, The Plan of Salvation. At the end of the lesson during the recap, we were talking to her and she said something very cool. She said, (translated roughly from Spanish) "Everything you've taught me today were things that I already knew." I was kind of taken aback, but then she explained, "Understand, I was never taught this by a Pastor or anyone I've talked to, but it was in my heart. I knew it already because God told me so."

I testify of that. I know that this church is the true restored Church of Jesus Christ. He Himself established this church, not Joseph Smith. In reality there is not a man leading this church, but Jesus Christ Himself. The reason that she knew the truth was because that's exactly what it was: true. God loves us, and blesses us beyond what we could imagine. I love Mosiah 2. It talks about being unprofitable servants. It's very true.

I love you all and pray for you every day.

Elder Green.