Lo Ovalle 1 - Week #19

Hola! (From the Ends of the Earth)

This has been a really long, but great week!!! It already seems like it has been a while since I talked to y'all, but it has only been a little over a week... AHHH! These last 2 transfer have felt really long with all of the changes happening with Elder Davenport and I here in Lo Ovalle... but we have almost survived completely, just 1 week left. This next weekend (Sunday night) we have changes again... unfortunately I have the distinct feeling that I'll be moved to another sector. (My bags will be packed before the weekend, just in case... LOL).

This weekend we have the opportunity to bring about a big turning point in a project we've been working on for a couple of months... Victor, the dad of Javiera (a recent convert) and husband of Sandra (a long-time member, recently reactivated), has recently decided to be baptized. Last week we set a baptismal date with him for the 30th of May, but the next morning he called us and notified us that he wanted to be baptized the 23rd... Woot Woot!!! Up until recently he was Catholic in all of his beliefs, but didn't participate in the church much (Católico en su manera). Now he is taking the steps to become a member of the Church and start the process of he and his family receiving all of the blessings possible in the next year. Yay!!! Elder Davenport and I were ecstatic when he first accepted a baptismal date and when he called us we couldn't stay in our seats and were almost unable to focus on studying the rest of the morning! It is so good to see the changes that the Gospel has in the lives of others.

Last night we had another experience with another one of the fathers that we are teaching. Freddy is the dad of another recent convert, Ian, and has been very reserved with accepting that what we are teaching is true and can bless his family. He has seen the changes in his life and the life of his family, but hasn't been willing to commit. Yesterday we were with Brother and Sister Castro (ward mission leader and his wife) and visited them. We felt that we should finish watching the video "Special Witnesses of Christ" (I had forgotten how powerful it was). Upon finishing the movie we asked Freddy what he felt. He expressed a pure testimony (that he didn't recognize as such), he testified that he knew that the belief system in which he was raised was absolutely not the truth and that if there was a true church on the earth (and he believes that there is) it is the one that we represent, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Wow! It is amazing to hear a pure, heart-felt testimony from the mouth of a non-member. Freddy expressed that he would like to be baptized but that he feels he needs a little more time. We expressed the idea of a "goal" and he replied that he would think about it... I guess we'll see in our visit with his family tonight...

I got the pre-Prom pictures from Gabe and Ryah... Y'all are right, definitely her style... LOL. I'm glad they had fun though... (Wish I could see the shoes in the picture though.) Also I'm excited to hear that Gabe has an interview for a job today. Hope all goes well! I've heard mixed feelings about working at ETECH, but hopefull he likes it if he gets the job. The key there is to work hard, because lots of the sales representatives get paid a bonus on commission!

Sounds like all of the projecting at the house is lots of fun. I kinda miss it... but just a little bit, really! And Dad, if you get finished with everything before I get home it won't hurt my feelings one little bit. I think I've been included in enough of the projects to last me a while!

Time is flying by too fast. I can't believe that Sean and Jared are both getting ready to come home in a little over a month!!! And I'm almost at my 9 month mark!!! (That is a third of the way done...) It is weird when a lot of the missionaries that you know as leaders in the mission start disappearing! And worse when you realize that you have enough time in the mission to be put in pretty much whatever assignment... AHHH!!!

Anyways... All is well here! We are working hard and waiting to see what this next week brings us by way of surprises. Lots of love to all at home! And if possible can y'all track down the e-mail address to Bishop Adams to send him a letter for the ward? Talk to you in a week or so...

Love y'all and miss y'all!

¡Todo mi amor!

-- Élder Todd