Hola! This email might be kinda short because I don`t have a ton of time so sorry for that, but after this you will only get 3 more emails from me! Crazy! However, I have a month left, and I am super excited to serve here for another month. I hope that we can continue to see miracles in my last month here. In one short month I will be home. Time is definitely going by waaaayyyy too fast. I never want the moment to come.
So today for p-day we were in the store buying food, and we saw small packages of mini marshmallows, which is weird because in the store here near my area there is never anything like that, so Elder Stone said that we should make rice krispy treats. Rice krispies don´t exist here, but there is something very similar, it is just a bit harder and crunchier. So we made rice krispy treats today and they turned out awesome. This last Saturday Steven Zambrano was able to be baptized which was super cool. It was a great baptismal service, but it started an hour late. We had confirmed the baptism with the bishop and he told us that his counselors wuold be presiding the baptism. Well nobody showed up and we called him and he told us not to start the baptism without somebody from the bishopric. So we waited and waited. However, we really don´t need a counsilor there. According to the manual the missionary leaders can direct a baptism without anyone else present because it is under the keys of the mission president. However, he wanted us to wait. Nobody showed up and so finally we convinced him to let us start the service after we waited forever. When we finally started it was a spiritual experience. A member even bought a big cake and coca cola that they shared at the end of the baptism. Jeremy is progressing very well also. He will be baptized on August 3rd. He turned 12 on Saturday, and I took him a CTR ring in spanish that you sent me a while back and we bought him a package of oreos. He was super happy to get the ring, and then he asked where we got it and I told him that I brought it from the United States and he was even more excited haha. He tore open the little package and put it on. Then they offered us a piece of cake on our way to our appointment. Him and his mom came to church on Sunday, and he was excited to go with the deacons because he said that the primary is just full of a bunch of little brats that don´t pay attention. He is very mature for his age. Familia Mendoza Herrera didn´t come to church this week because of a family emergency, but they are doing well.
So yesterday we were walking in the street and a skiny drug addict with 3 matches in his ears instead of earrings came up to us and asked us where we were from. It was super weird and we thought that he might rob us, but then he started to speak english. He told us how when he was 7 years old he went to New York and grew up there, but then he got into trouble and tried to kill somebody. He was then sentences to 16 years in prison, but his mom broke him out. They found him and put him back in prison, but he bailed out by putting his mom´s house as a garantee. He was then on house arrest, but as the case went on it was evident that he would have to go back to prison to serve his 16 years. He didn´t want to and so he cut off his ankle braclet and ran away. He did some dirty job to earn $10,000, and he escaped to Mexico and later to Panama, Colombia, and later back here to his native country. It was super crazy as he was telling us his story and how he wants to go back. He has 10 years here but he says that it is dirty and the life style is very different and he doesn´t like it. He then adjusted his pants, threw a razor blade on the ground, and then said that he believes in God but doesn´t want to be super active in a church or anything. He then told us his name, told us to pray for him, and walked off. It was super crazy. But anyways, that is about all the excitement that we have had this week.
My thought for the week is an invitation. My invitation is to read 2 Nephi 5. 2 Nephi 5:27 says ¨And it came to pass that we lived after a manner of happiness.¨ My invitation is to read the chapter looking for what the people did to live happily. I found many, and I know that we find happiness in the same way today. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that brings us true joy and happiness. I love you all tons!!! Have a great week!
Love, Elder Black
photos
Baptism of Steven Zambrano
Rice Krispy Treats!
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