Week Eight!

Hola!
 
This week's been way good. Lot of success with investigators progressing. We're learning to use the members a ton and they make a difference! If the missionaries ever need help from you guys, SAY YES. Members are such a live saver and sometimes they're exactly what our investigator needs to hear, not only us. So yeah they've been way helpful and we've tried to have one at every lesson.

Thanks for the Spanish advice. It's rough, but I'm basically just throwing it to the wind and going with it. Trying and usually failing but it's part of the growing experience.

It's been hot here. Humid and foggy as death. But today it's nice and clear and windy so not too bad. We got to drive over the Skyway bridge when we went to Tampa yesterday! Cool bridge!
 
I'll keep you guys in my prayers!

So lots to tell about the baptisms and Elder Anderson!

Baptisms: Two down!! So the whole story is this. Alex and Neftaly have been taught by missionaries for over a year and have never gotten baptized. So Elder Casey and I (and the Spirit) got them to the point of them wanting it. So we had set the date and they were ready. But they needed the permission from their mom and she wasn't giving it to them at all. She believed they weren't ready because they don't read everyday and know everything and they were already baptized. (catholic) So during their spring break they basically spent the entire week with us going to lessons and we were even on bikes the whole time. They really saw what our work is like and through the lessons we know they came closer to Christ. So that week on Thursday we fasted with them for the permission. They went and asked again after and she still said no and they're too afraid to try to be bold and talk to her about it. So me and Elder Casey fasted again on Sunday that her heart would be softened and she'd be understanding. So Monday night we went to their house just to have a normal lesson. We talked for like thirty minutes and then we sat down at their table and were literally about to pray. Their mom walks in the house and starts making dinner in the kitchen we're in. (She never has done that) Me and Casey looked at each other and we both knew and felt that this was the time to talk to her. So we did! We talked to her about how baptism is only the door to rest of the journey in this gospel. It's only through baptism that they can progress further in knowledge. And we told her about the Book of Mormon too. And after about twenty minutes...she said YES! AND she said she would have to come to it and she works all the time, she checked her schedule and the one day she didn't work? The 24th. The day we chose. AND she said they only could if she could learn more about it herself. DUH WE SAID YES! It was such a great experience for us and especially it gave Alex and Neftaly a testimony of the power of fasting and prayer. So Elder Casey baptized them last Sunday. Guess who's confirming them and giving them the Holy Ghost next week..................OH ME! IN SPANISH! So yeah that'll be fun! And we have another baptism next Sunday with Viviana, she's the nanny of a family that Casey baptized like the week before I got here. And then we have another baptism the Saturday the 6th in between conference sessions. (Which we watch in Spanish in the chapel with ward members and investigators. Weird cause it's 12-2 4-6 and 8-10 sessions.)

So Elder Anderson came! We had to wake up at 4 am because Elder Nitta (DL and our driver) needed to get there by 630 to practice a musical number he did with another elder. So we got to the church in Tampa (Odessa actually I think) and sat there for like two hours before other missionaries started trickling in. Got to see almost my whole MTC district which was cool! They're all the same...cause it's only been three weeks....But then we went into the gym and got situated (200+ missionaries) to take a huge pic with him and he walked into the gym! Little old man! Ha ha but we got the pic with him and then we made our way into the chapel. And as everyone went in we got to SHAKE HIS HAND! Hand of an apostle! And Pres. Summerhays and a member of the 70 that was with Elder Anderson. WHOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAA. It was awesome. All the leaders there talked and their wives and then him last.

Some cool stuff we talked about:
Sis. Summerhays: "You don't know everything, but you know enough." talking about teaching anyone and everyone through the Spirit.
Elder Munts (spelling? guy from the 70): "Anybody, Any place, Anytime." Talking about finding people.
Elder Anderson: "We bring ALL people to Christ." "Tithing is key for retention of members." "We represent Jesus Christ to a world that is losing its faith in Him." "In our lifetime we will see the Book of Mormon become a powerful evidence and tool that will keep everyone that believes in it safe and true." "We testify of Christ with actions." "We are meant and allowed to always progress in this mission and all of mortality." And then one girl got up when he was asking for some input and said this, which he said he wanted to write down because it was so profound! Look for it in his conference talk ha ha: "Using the Atonement helps us understand how far we've come and how weak we are."

So yeah that's what went down this last week!
Live Hard,
Love Hard,
Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies