Esta Semana

Buenos dias, como les va?

Hello, this is your son, Elder Green. I noticed on Dad's e-mail he said that you all probably won't be able to chat today so I decided to just send a long e-mail and talk to you all next week, more extensively. Plus, he sent a rather long paragraph about me needing to send these longer e-mails as well as letters. I'll have you know that Bryce and Rylee both have their individual letters written out on my desk, and Dad's is in the process. If Taylor does write me, yes I will write him back. I have made a new resolution to write one letter each day, which I commenced at the beginning of the week. As the week goes on I'm getting better at it. I also have almost finished a letter to my friend Sarah who is in Chile, and a few others. I really am trying, and I'm sorry that I'm not very good about writing. We really are very pressed for time out here, even more so than in the MTC. Sometimes we leave the house as early as 8 or 9, and don't get home until 9:30, after which we need to plan for a half hour, prepare for the next day, and be in bed by 10:30. I have some free time on preparation days, but a lot of it I need to spend doing things which help me to enjoy myself and be social so that I don't go crazy. I may have 2 or 3 hours to write today, so I'm going to, provided that nothing comes up. I will grant that something usually does. We really are working hard out here and I'm really sorry that I'm not writing very much, but it takes one of the last priorities on my list right now.

As far as what is going on... We now have an investigator with a baptismal date! Maria Dimas is a single mother who Elder Witham and Elder Colvin initially contacted. She came to church a week ago and loved it. We talked with her a few days later and while she said she wants to make sure that she knows more and is making the right choice, she committed that she will be baptised on the 3rd of July. I'm really excited for her, she is a really incredibly strong and spiritual woman. Her children are all younger than the age of baptism, but they will be baptised when each respectively turns 8. Also, we are very close to that point with our investigator, Silvia Hernandez, as well as Flor Morales. Flor has been one of those "eternal investigators" for more than a year now. She has been attending church faithfully, helping in activities, paying her tithing even, and obeying almost all of the commandments. Really she is more active than most members are. The only thing that she lacked was that she was living with her boyfriend. She knew there was no future in the relationship, but was reluctant to leave on account of the effects it would have for her son. Now she has left him and is living with her sister and her brother-in-law. We are trying to find a time to pass by her, but when we do, we intend to set a baptismal date with her. I'm sure she will accept, because she has had a testimony of the truth for a year, she just needed the strength to do what was required. I am so grateful for the Members who have helped to bring her to this point. Without them, our work would be slowed to a halt. Member missionary work is so important, and you all back at home aught to be doing everything you can to be helping the missionaries. Because in reality, helping the missionaries is helping your non-member friends and yourselves to grow closer to the truth and to our Father in Heaven.

We also are working with a couple of people who are less-active, and it has been great to help them to come back in to activity. We have a lot of less-actives in the branch in which I've been serving, and we are trying very hard to help them out a lot. One family has been active, but attending the English ward because they have felt offended at the members of the branch here. They have said that they would love to come to our branch, but they still worry about the past. It was a really neat thing to see the mother of the family go and participate in the Relief Society Class this past sunday. I know that the Atonement of Christ can help us to feel solace and strength to overcome past offenses and learn from our mistakes.

I love the work that we are doing and I'm really grateful for the opportunity that I have to serve here and at this time. I have felt a lot of growth occur over the past 7 months and I'm really glad to know that I am a son of God and I have a divine purpose and destiny.

I love you all, and as I said, I'm sorry that I haven't written more. I want to get the family's cards in the mail later today so hopefully Dad will receive his before Fathers Day. I promise I'll follow through.

Con Amor,

Elder J.