Hey fam!

This week was another good week, we didn´t have fantastic numbers, but we had some really good progress in our investigators:)

We made stuffed french toast this week

Sooo I had kind of a creepy experience this week...we walked up to a inactive member´s house and saw her gpa cooking something. As I got a closer look I saw 4 paws and a long tail. from head to tail it was about 18 inches. What do you think it was? If you guessed a cat, then you´d be right.

This week we baptized one of our investigators named Danna. Danna has had a difficult life. She was born out of wedlock with a single mother, never knowing who her father actually was. Her mom now lives with another man, but Danna has been abused by him for a good part of her life. She was mentally damaged by all of this. When we met Danna she had run away from her home and was living with her grandma in already very difficult economic circumstances. For example on one side of their house the roof fell and so now they just have a soft plastic sheet over it. Danna couldn´t even talk to us or look at us in the eyes she had been so damaged. It has been difficult to teach her because of this, but what great changes I have seen in her! As her heart ad soul have been touched by the Love and Spirit of God she has opened up! Now when she sees us she smiles, I have heard her laugh many times, and she responds to all of the questions! What a great blessing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is in the lives of people! I can´t wait to bring that light to other people´s lives!

This week I focused a little more on understanding why Christ is so important to us in our lives, and why we focus our faith on Him. As I studied and pondered this topic I definitely feel like I have grown closer to Him:) When you realize how much we need Christ in our lives, and what he has done for us, you cannot deny that you love Him. He built our world for us. He showed us how we can be happy through obedience to His commandments. But most importantly, He performed the Atonement for all of us. I don´t think we can ever realize how important that single act was. Through the Atonement we are washed away from all of our sins, problems, and weaknesses. There is no other greater gift that we can get, except eternal life, which is also only made possible through the Atonement. I don´t think I can ever express my gratitude for what Christ has done for me! He is truly my Savior and I love Him!

Our area is doing very well. we are continuing to find new investigators through the members, the only problem is that none of them have been exactly amazing. But we have found some that we think will progress very well:) I continue to love this area!

So we had another vary successful Ward Council! We were really able to talk about the needs of the ward, and I feel like we are really making progress! The best part is when we hear that some of the organizations have visited some of the people on our list! I love hearing what our ward needs and then filling out their assignments to us! I really feel like we are working together! 

 Hey fam!

We had another really good week! We had some issues with a lot of planned lessons falling through, but we were able to pull out with a decent weak:) 

One of the highlights this week was the Ward Council meeting. I have definitely never seen our Ward Council that involved in the Council. I think we realized the secret is to invite the leaders to the lessons. As we did that more this past week, we saw the faces of the leaders light up as they gave the account of lessons that we taught with them. I really feel like we are starting to work with the Ward Council a lot more! Oh and also we got a whole 25 minutes to talk!

This week I really realized how much I love this people. I had the opportunity to teach and see the baptism of an investigator named Maurilio about 3 months ago. He was such a good guy and I could really see the changes that he made for Christ in his face when I looked at him:) Unfortunately he only assisted 2 Sundays after his baptism, and I never saw him again. We searched and searched for him for these past 2 months or so, with no success. Last Saturday we were walking back from his with another unsuccessful search, when I saw him walking towards us! I never knew how I loved Maurilio until I saw his face! As I gave him a hug, I could only think, wow, finally! Finally we can bring you back into the fold of Christ! Maurilio came to church this Sunday and we have another appointment with him later this week! I think I really understand the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants that talks about how great your joy is to help someone find the kingdom of God. It really is a complete joy that just fills you up!

Zack: there is such thing as liquid gansitos, and they are amazing

We definitely talked with a drunk guy peeing in front of a house today, and when I mean drunk I mean he didn't bother to cover anything...

On the bus this week we saw someone carrying a fighting rooster in a box!

We contacted a few people in a pueblo called ulapa in our area this week! Super excited to teach them because the church hasn't been here in a long time!

We found one of our investigators named Marco this week! the blind one! And we put a baptismal date for the 1st of February!! woowooo! he went to church today and was crying in the sacrament meeting because he said that he had never felt so peaceful in his life before:)

We planched, not sure how to say that in English, but basically we bible bashed (with love) one of our less actives this week. Why? Because she was baptized 8 years ago, hasn't been active for a long time, and, here's the kicker, has  a shrine to the Virgin and another to some other saints. I really don't understand how people to understand the 10 commandments...

My comp is awesome! I really do not understand how I am learning so much from this kid! He is so good! I feel like I have learned more from him than I did in my training...which pretty much never happens.

Well kids, that about sums it up for me. Love you all!

Elder Paz

 Hey y'all!

Wow. what a great week we had! We really pushed hard this week to achieve the new standards of excellence, and we almost got them! But better than that, I feel like this week we had some incredibly powerful lessons. 

Yesterday we had a lesson with one of our investigators named Adriana. Adriana is a very powerful young lady that we feel is really starting to progress. Anyway, yesterday we taught her part of the Plan of Salvation. As we got to the part of the Atonement, I felt the urge to share a scripture, Alma 7:11-12, which explains what Christ really did for us. I felt the Spirit rise up and fill my body as I explained what Christ´s Atoning Blood can do for us in our weak and mortal state. As Adriana cried I testified that Christ is the only way in which we can be saved in this life, in the next, and that we can only receive joy through him now and for the Eternity. I have never felt so strongly about Christ being my Savior and Redeemer as I did in that moment. What great joy I feel for what He did for all of us!

So this week we contacted a 75 year old named Eleseo. He´s a pretty awesome guy. The bad part is he has listened to just about every religion except ours already and so he gets a little confused sometimes. But what a great Spirit he has! He has a true desire to learn and grow, and as he puts it, to not be so ignorant!:) 

We also had an awesome lesson with an investigator named Iris. We invited a member with us in this lesson, and what a great decision that was! As she testified of a miracle she had seen from the Priesthood we could feel the Spirit enter the room with an incredible force. The once closed heart of our investigator opened, and she as she asked more questions about the Priesthood we saw how powerful the members can be! Never lose a chance to share the gospel and you testimony! You guys are powerful!

This week we also had interviews with President Egbert. Always cool! You guys should have an interview with your bishop or something maybe...

So there is this huge mansion thing from about 300 years ago that is in Santiago. It is creepy. It didn't help that we were right next to it during the night. So we were looking in it with my flashlight last Monday, and me and my companion heard footsteps coming to the door, so we left not wanting to get questioned as to why we were looking into some guys house. So we left and continued to search for the house of one of our investigators. Eventually we found it. When we got there we asked him who live in the mansion. He told us nobody. So then we asked him who took care of it. Same answer. Aaaanndd now I have a fear of big empty houses. 

We found Johnsonville dogs at the Walmart last week and cooked them today! They were amazing!

My companion is awesome and we are having a great time and I feel like I have learned a ton from him! We are having really spiritual experiences together and I am growing so much!

Well I love all you guys a ton! Remember that we are blessed according to our righteousness, and that if we don´t try to be perfect, well then we´ll never get there! No excuses!

Take luck!

Elder Paz

 we had an awesome week this week! 

I bought 6 boxes of cereal today...

so I think the best thing that happened this week was this: so my companion had a really big emotional drop for a couple days this week. after a while he broke down to me and asked for a priesthood blessing. As I felt the words come to me I knew that I was speaking what God needed me too! after that my companion was a lot better:) how real the power of the priesthood is!

So we got 8 new investigators this week!

I bought some wieners today...

a girl in our ward has the hots for me...

we were able to work really hard this week and have good numbers!

we didn't have very much time today to write...

I really can't think of anything that happened that was extremely awesome...unfortunately we didn't have any super powerful lessons this week...I will be sure to repent and have better letter this week!

i love you all sosososooso much!!:)

Elder Paz

 Hey kids!

Well this week was about a million times better than the last one. We actually had a decent week and contacted new people and committed a dew to baptism:) 

Elder Mora and I really tried to be diligent this week, and as well to develop our love and charity for the people here in our area:) I really have such a great love for my area!

So with the elders quorum we seem to be having  a less problems. We think its just the President and one of the other members that still have got some beef with us:) So me and Elder Mora have just tried to be more diligent with the work, and I think maybe it has helped a bit.

We found 5 new investigators yesterday! Two of them we are almost sure will be baptized. We had a very powerful lesson with those 2 and could really feel the power of the Spirit flowing through our words, like I haven´t felt in a very long time. I am incredibly excited to teach them:) 

These last weeks I have really tried to understand the Atonement a little more. I have started to take up the practice of repenting every night before I go to bed of the sins I have committed in that day. My what a great feeling it is to go to bed feeling clean! I also notice how when I am repenting every day, I sin a little bit less every day after the other:)

So Christmas was surprisingly pretty peaceful...with the exception of ginormous fireworks going off about every 2 minutes:) We ate a ton!!!!!!! We ate a lot of sheep pig and on Christmas Eve Turkey:) I probably ate too much...buuutttt you kind of have to here or people get mad at you...

Oh and we are teaching a girl named Dana now. She has had some really hard abuse in her life. I mean she cant even respond to questions and can´t talk very much. It´s really hard to see her this way, but I know that the Gospel Of Jesus Christ can help her so much! Your prayers for her would be greatly appreciated:)

This week for some reason Elder Mora and I had a blast! We cooked a couple times, and just had a lot of fun! Always remember to have fun! Or else life is just like a melon without sugar. Flavorless.

I love all you guys un buen! Always remember that you are all the coolest!

Elder Paz

 So this week stunk with lessons...just about everybody is really busy with all of their Christmas parties and what not, so we had record low for the numbers...also we got told off by our elders quorum for stuff that was either really small, like getting to lessons a little late, to false things like that we weren't at the Christmas party. It was bogus. But now the whole Elders Quorum thinks that we are all super lazy and aren't responsible at all. I have know what we did to cause all this. It really came out of nowhere...and me and my companion aren´t really sure what we are going to do...

Anyways the happy stuff now:)

I loved talkin to all you guys yesterday! It was really good:) Glad to know that you are all doing awesome:)

We baptized Candalaria this week!!!!! She´s such an incredible person:) She is going to be a great member:)

Also her son Pablo, who we were teaching before, came up to us and asked us when he can be baptized. Also after he went to church he told us that he was going to be there every week. Why can´t all people, member and nonmembers, be like him:)

There's a really cool scripture in Ether 12:4 that talks about faith. I learned that we increase our faith through obedience and hope. I already knew about obedience, but I hadn't thought about how important hope was. If we are just being obedient, but don't think anything will happen because we don't have hope, then neither will our faith increase!

Well guys email my secretary with  any other questions you've got for me!!:)

I love you all so much!

Elder Paz

 Hey fam!

So here's the list for the week:

We did not have very good numbers this week for some odd reason...

We had a really cool conference thing with the ward council and a member of the 70 of the area!

We had transfers today, but both me and the comp are staying again! Woo hoo!

I had a really cool experience with repentance this week and the sacrament:) I think I finally realized how we use the sacrament. Ever day we have to ask ourselves if we have sinned, and every day we have to repent. at the end of the week, before we partake of the sacrament, we ask ourselves the baptismal qs, found in the back of a missionaries planner. If you can answer all of the questions in the affirmative then you are worthy and ready to take the sacrament, and experience the atonement:) I really feel like I was able to do that this week:)

So I had a really good bday:) I opened up Julie's package, which is absolutely incredible, got cake from some members, and just had a good day:)

Well I really don't think that anything else to exciting happened...or did I already say that I can now make tortillas from straight up corn on the stock? Well I can.

I love you guys!

Elder Paz