Nov. 12th letter

So the Noche de Hogar that I talked about last week with the Hernandez family was really amazing. From it we have three really good investigators. Sandra has a testimony. She is solid. She wants to be baptized. Her novio, Jesus has always been dragging along in the past I hear but we are moving forward with him. Last night we taught them and he drove us to another appointment. That appt. fell through and so I had time to just talk with Jesus while Elder Trappett talked to one of our investigators acrossed the street. I talked to him about how before my mission, I was a totally different person. I was a normal person with problems and I tried to find happiness in all sorts of different ways. The only way that actually worked was through the gospel of Jesus Christ. I shared how through the savior, everything was changed and I don't have to fight for happiness anymore, I can just be happy. I told him As missionaries, we feel just like he does: like a normal person in normal clothes, with problems, doubts, struggles. The difference is that we have found an amazing truth that changes lives and we want to share it with every person on earth.

It was so cool because this was outside at night and people really open up sometimes when it is dark and you can just talk about life. We had a really good heart to heart. I was so excited when he asked "so how do you change your life?" I talked about how it is poco a poco, everyday we have to take steps to follow Christ and eventually he will change us. I left him with a little post it note that said "Que voy a hacer, esta noche para cambiar mi vida?" It was really amazing because we cut past all the crap and we talked real feelings and I think he is really going to strive to change. I am going to be teaching them tonight with one of the priests in the ward for exchanges.

Also, Marisol and Enrique, who are the aunt and uncle kindof, of Sandra, are also progressing. We also met them at that family home evening and from that have taught them a few times. Marisol has a baptismal date for the 5th and we are really excited to get this whole Hernandez family rolling.

However, things with Miguel are not so great. We were teaching him the other day and he had always been pretty quite before and we had taught him almost all of the lessons and he said he agreed with it all but the other day his doubt came out. He does not believe that there was any apostasy, he believes that there are just different ways of preaching the saviors gospel. We have taught two more times since then focusing entirely upon this but he doesn't even listen. He just blabs endlessly about how all the words of God are good. We are really struggling to get him to understand. His baptismal date will probably have to be put off.

I have to go. I have a whole bunch of other investigators to talk about but now time to do it.

Love,
Elder Bernard

Nov. 18, 2009

This last friday we had the opportunity to go to our ward thanksgiving dinner which was really loud (lots of loud spanish music and a baile despues) but it was really cool because alot of our investigators came. I don't know if I have to talked to you much about Marco and Annabella but they were having horrible relationship problems and were just about to split up but we asked Marco for a ride to the activity because Elder Trappetts bike was broken and so he was planning on taking us and dropping us off at the church but somehow we talked them into coming to the activity which was really good for them. I think just getting out of the house so they could stop fighting helped them a ton and we found out later that when they got home they spent the evening reading The Book of Mormon together. They also came to church and I was so excited to sit with them. I have taken them on as my little pet family. Elder Trappett lets me handle all the phone calls and everything with them and it is really cool because I have a really strong relationship with them. Honestly, I am obessessed with this family. I live to to hear that they read, or that they will be coming to an activity. When the week is hard, I push through just to get to teach them. I am so excited to teach them again tonight.

Other than that, I don't have a lot to say. I love this gospel. Everytime I read the Book of Mormon, I know that it is true. I wish I could spend all day reading it, but I want my investigators to know how it true it is also. I love my mission

Oh yeah, so much for trying to be skinny. When we eat with investigators or members we eat so much food and it is so delicious but so bad for you... and there is no way to get out of it either. I hope I am not super porkie by the time I get home but we will see.