Letter 12

September 6, 2011

Hola!

Como estan mis amigos y mi familia? Todo bien? Espero que si. Pues... Todo bien aqui para mi y Elder Wood aqui en Laredo. Yes that was Spanish... I hope you’re impressed. Oh and sorry I couldn’t write yesterday! Yes mom we write in a Library and Labor Day did affect our schedule. You are so darn sharp... Those detective shows; combined with worrying about your children has molded you into a super heroine of discerning outcomes.

Chase: It’s ok that you shaved your mustache... you’re just storing up your hair for when I come home and can do it with you. How is Operation Winnie the Pooh?

Madi: That sucks about that test... that happened to JD Ashman too. But maybe your teacher will take pity on you because you don’t get any college credit.  That’s what happened to him! haha jk. Good luck with Homecoming! Don’t you dare kiss ‘em.

Austin: What have you been doing? I haven’t heard from you in a while. Is your hair long? Have you been working out? What is the lady situation? Also…in honor of Mary Poppins... imagine me doing acting out my favorite part where Bert and that little boy shake their fingers at each other.

Dad: Sorry I didn’t tell you happy birthday last week. Hope you got my letter. Good luck with that fountain haha I can just imagine you struggling out there and it makes me happy I'm on my mission.  You can write me letters if you want too. I love getting mail.

Mom: My bike is doing fine.  Don’t worry about me.  I'll let you know when I need more help. Also I told you last time to send me that suitcase... with "goodies" haha whatever you want. I love all gifts. Especially letters (from Auntie Tye, and like Tanner, Christian, Shayla, Carmen...)  If you can do that that would be so cool.

Teniamos mucho exito esta semana pasada.  Pero nuestro investigadora, Sammy, esta... no se.  She had that problem with her mom letting her be baptized, and then school started back up, and it just seems like she doesn’t have a lot of time to meet with us.  I'm afraid that if we don’t see her soon she will forget everything that has happened and just say that it’s not important to be baptized.  We can’t let her "procrastinate the day of[ her] repentance".  So we'll be working with that this next week.

Also we got to see Alex again yesterday, who is pretty darn "golden".  He knows everything we are teaching him is true and he has a lot of GREAT questions.  I love teaching him.  Also he works at a frozen yogurt place (or as Chase would call it: FroYo) and he said he could hook us up! AND he said there is like 35 different toppings! HOLLA! Good thing  I'm on a bike or I would get fat. We have appointments with him the rest of this week, so I'll let you know how that goes.

Fernando has a crazy schedule and he seems really cool when we talk to him, but he never is home so... I don’t know... we'll see.

We found someone named Daisy last week who is really cool.  She is the girlfriend of a contact that we had, and we were trying to get a hold of him, but she answered the door instead.  We talked and set up a return appointment and there we committed her to be baptized on Oct 11.  We thought she would have Law of Chastity problems since she was living with her boy friend, but apparently they got in a fight and are over.  So that’s... sad but good for us... and her... cause that’s not right. Get married first people. I feel bad though because she is only 18 and she has a son who is almost 2 and she needs a job and an apartment.  She said she's going to move back in with her mom in about three weeks, but the bad thing is her mom lives outside of our area! So... we need to teach her really fast! haha. Please pray for her to be able to find a job though please. She needs one so she can buy a phone so we can call her and make appointments.

Today we had a Zone Meeting to help us reach or goals for the month of September.  I learned so much.  We focused on how we need to be helping our investigators be converted before baptism. It’s our job to help them understand that baptism is just the 1st step not the last.  The more we do this, the more retention and stronger converts we will have. Before we can do this though we need to be doing all that we can to apply the principle we teach.  They need to know that we care about these things and that we know that they are true. "You cannot light a fire in another man's heart, unless it is burning in your own." Well I can tell you that after that meeting I have a fire in my heart that I want to share with all of the people of Laredo.  I can tell this week is going to be a good one. Be praying for Elder Wood and I.

Also don’t be mad but I bought a shirt at American Eagle yesterday... it was only 10 bucks! 40% off EVERYTHING!! I had to... it looks really good too.

I love you and pray for you every day!

Hasta proxima semana!

-Elder Stewart