A Baptism This Week!

Hey family! 

How are ya?  Well, things are going great here in good old Barrio Colombia.  It has been interesting this past week.  My companion was sick and we missed 3 working days in our area.  But, one of the zone leaders was also sick and since we live in the same house, we just went on exchanges a couple of days in their area.  I must say, I like our area a lot more.  Their area is so bland.  It's super tiny but it has a TON of people in it.  All it is people and nasty dogs.  Anyways, we didn't get a whole lot of time in our area but we still seemed to have some good success. 

Anyways, we're going to have a baptism this Saturday!  I'm so excited!  Our area hasn't had a baptism in 8 months!  Her name is Ingrid Lopez and she is 21 years old.  We're going to be holding the baptismal service at 4 o'clock this Saturday.  We printed off flyers and stuff yesterday at church and were handing them out to everyone.  Plus, the ward gave us a 100 Quet (12 dollar) porsupuesto for to buy refreshments.  That's enough to feed like 50 people here.  =)  Needless to say, we are super excited!  Oh and plus, I get to wear my baptism tie!  =D

We made a baptismal date with Soraida Villatoro and her son this week for September 3rd.  It's really nice to be finding these people and seeing the work progress finally in our ward.  The ward is still definitely weak, but I think that these couple of baptisms will get them excited to know that the people really are prepared.  Soraida is such a strong lady.  Satan is really working on her and giving her some super hard challenges.  She was offered a job the day after we taught her the first time and she told them no because she would have to work on Sunday.  Now she doesn't have a job and is super poor.  But, there is going to be a job fair in the next couple weeks and that will help her.  She's also having a ton of family problems, but she knows that it's just Satan trying to get her, and that her baptism is the thing that she needs to concentrate on first right now.  So yes, pretty much awesome!  We've been trying to pass by her and Ingrid every day just so we don't lose them. 

We had church yesterday and had 10 investigators again.  We also have been teaching the gospel principles lessons to new investigators and less active members.  That's been pretty cool.  It´s definitely always guided by the Spirit, because I never really practice it.... and it´s in Spanish....  =)

We have changes in two weeks.  We shall see how it goes.  I definitely wouldn't mind changing areas, but I also wouldn't mind staying.  The work seems to be just starting here and is going to be great here next change.  I really would enjoy getting out of the city however.  It's been torture because one of the zone leaders, Elder Hale, was in Polochic most of his mission, and he tells me all of these super amazing stories about life in the Chic.  It sounds like paradise there.  I don't know.  I'm beginning to realize that you can enjoy wherever you are as long as you are working hard.  We'll see what changes bring.

We've got divisions right after we head out from internet.  In both of the appointments that we have we are hoping to place baptismal dates with our investigators.  One is the Najera family that lives close to our house.  There is this lady with a son and a daughter that are members, but she isn't.  She also lives there with her 3 sisters, her other son, and her parents, and none of them are members.  She said that a month ago she had 3 gringo missionaries show up on her doorstep asking for where we lived.  They said they were from the Ilusiones area and were coming to visit us.  She took them to our house and said that they walked in.  The weird thing is that we don't remember ever letting those people in.  I don't know, maybe it was the Three Nephites.  Quite frankly, I don't care, I just know that she takes it as a sign from God that the missionaries have been trying to teach them for years without success and that we are teaching them tonight for the second time.  She also is coming to church this Sunday.  Amazing!  The other family we're visiting tonight is Ingrid's family.  Hopefully we can get some baptismal dates.

Well, I got to go.  I love you guys.  It was great to hear from you.  Sounds like the reunion was a ton of fun!  Keep living this true gospel.  I know it's true and will bring us blessings without end.  See ya!

Love,

Elder Lloyd

The work goes on!

Hey fam.

Well, yesterday was awesome.  11 INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH!!!!!!!  11?!!!  It was crazy awesome and definitely the most happy I´ve been since the mission has started.  We are having some great success lately.  The best part is the power that we are feeling in our lessons.  We have a date with Ingrid Lopez to be baptized the 20th of this month.  She´s super excited and so are we.  She was there with all of her family and they were super happy to be in church.  With all of the kids of our investigators and everybody, we filled 3 full benches in the Sacrament room.  Chilero.  We went yesterday morning to all our investigators and helped get them ready for church.  Then we walked to church with all of them and a couple of member families to the church.  We were like 35 people in the street and I was kinda sad I didn´t have my camera. 

Our ward is sooooo weak.  We have no help from anybody.  It kinda stunk this week because our ward mission leader was released and they didn´t call a new one.  We took the count of people in Sacrament meeting and there were 88 people.  15 were investigators for the first time and 20 were Less Actives.  The high councilman got up and told the ward that and said, if you guys don´t get to work, you´re going to be a branch.  Woah... Hopefully we see some improvement. 

We had a lady talk to us in the street this week and tell us she wanted us to come by.  Turns out she was taking the lessons before and even had a baptismal date, but the elders both had transfers and they whitewashed the area.  The elders hadn´t been writing anything in the area book so there was no record of this lady.  But, here we are and she really knows she needs to be baptized.  She came to church this sunday with her kids and says she wants to be baptized in Septiembre.  We´re super excited and the two times that we´ve been over there, the Spirit has been super strong. 

It is pretty awesome to teach by the Spirit.  There have been multiple times where I am teaching in a really spiritual lesson where I don´t even feel like I´m talking.  I´ll be talking and at the same time I´m thinking, woah, this is weird, I´m speaking super fast spanish.  And then still just keep talking.  The coolest part is that afterward I really have no idea what I said.  I know that the Spirit fills our mouths as we share the truth.

Indira y Diego Perez didn´t come to church this week because he had to work again.  That was kinda disappointing.  I think with them we´re really just planting a seed and other missionaries are going to be the ones to bring them the fullness of the gospel.  They will definitely be baptized though, I have no doubt. Another problem that we have with them is that Indira is going to have a baby in a couple of weeks and out of tradition, the women here don´t leave their bed for 40 days after the birth... Sooooo, ya.  We´ll see.

Well, the time has escaped me.  I love all you guys.  I hope things are going great.  By the way, James´ apartment is fantastic!  You guys did a super good job.  Dad, you´re tiling just keeps getting better and better every time.  I really admire your hard work and am super grateful for the example you´ve set.  Actually, I´m super grateful for the example that each of you has set for you.  I couldn´t have asked for a better family to prepare me for these two crucial years of my life.  I love you guys.  Have a great week!

Elder Lloyd

Recording This Week

Primary Kids

Wiener Roast on Rooftop

The Pena Family

Churazco

Thanks once again for the awesome letters.  It really is nice to get those letters from you guys.  Let's see.  Another week.  Well, really not a lot happened.  I told you guys a lot in the sound recording that I sent you.  I hope it works ( We are working on getting the sound recording posted on www.lloydlings.net).  We had an amazing churazco.  With about 10 people we had 10 pounds of meat, beans, 160 tortillas, guacamole, tomatoes, grilled onions! Definitely the best meal I have had since I've been here.  It was delicious. 

I really don't have much to write about.  There is a family here, the Higuerros family that is kinda our parent family.  They really like to feed us and I think they're my favorite members. 

We had interviews with the president this week and got to talk a little more with them.  They're super excited and came ready to serve.  After the interviews our district got to go on divisions with the Assistants and the Zone Leaders with the President.  It was pretty awesome going out with Elder Davis and seeing what a great teacher and missionary he is. We did get in to teach a family while on divisions with him called the Rodriguez family.  They're a family with 2 little girls that we've only gotten to teach once.  We'll see how things go with them.  We're just gonna keep trying to pass by and get in to teach.

Well, I love you all.  The time seems to have gone away from me.  I'm going to try to put some pictures on here really fast.  It's kinda a shame I can't get on Lloydlings to check for pictures.  If you get the time, feel free to send me some.  I love you.  Have a great week.  Talk to you next Monday.

Love,
Elder Lloyd