Saturday P-Day

Family,

Thank you for sending me those awesome pictures of mom. It is funny because I actually really do believe you did that. You are awesome like that! Hope you had fun with your race and everything. Thanks for sending a picture of Maylin, she looks so much older its so... sad and cute. Her uniform looks really good. She will do really well at school and I hope everything goes well with that. This is weird writing my letter today and there isn't a whole lot to say but ill try to fill you in on what has happened so far. Next Saturday we have transfer calls and also the baptism of the Garcia Family! We are stoked for the baptism and we got everything put together and set up for the interviews and things. We are meeting with them tonight to get what time exactly for the baptism so we can reserve the font. I am beyond excited for them. They are doing so well and hermano garcia was saying that he will do anything the church asks him, calling wise, which is so awesome and such a leap of faith. He is such a strong guy!

This week has been a lot better in respect to companion and contacting people. I have focused a lot more this week and my Spanish is doing better. It improves everyday which is really good.

On Tuesday we went to San Francisco again for a doctors appointment for my companion. That was a fun day, San Francisco is always such a crazy experience. That night we visited a member for a referral. When we sat down to teach him he didnt seem very good. We asked him to offer the first prayer and he said no and that he doesn't want to pray. We asked him why because he was always so awesome. He told us that he doesnt want to go back to church because he was offended on something the bishop said a couple Sundays ago. We explained to him that it was very interesting because we had planned to teach him the gospel of Jesus Christ. We focused the lesson on the importance of church and prayer. We told him that the feelings he is having about not wanting to pray are coming from Satan and we read him the scripture in the book of Mormon on that. We agreed and said he would start to pray. We taught him the gospel and really focused on the sacrament and on forgiveness and how through the atonement we can have the strength to forgive. He said he would forgive and come back to church. When we prayed at the end of the lesson he was so humble and begged the Lord for forgiveness. It was amazing to see his faith and his repentance happen right there.

Our other investigator that has a baptismal date left to Oakland last week and still hasnt returned. We have lost contact with him and the people that live with him said that they have no clue and they are trying to find out also. He just disappeared and we cant get a hold of him para nada.

We also have found some new investigators this week that are not bad but aren't super good. We are having trouble having second lessons with people. We teach them and then they some how cant have another lesson until the next week. We had our second English class on Wednesday and wow their were so many people it wasnt even funny...NOT!! The only person that came that was Latino was the member we brought. We have so many people still calling us for the classes but they dont show up so its hard. We have one last class tonight and still if people don't  come we will cancel it.

We also had exchanges with the Zone Leaders this week on Thursday. I stayed in my area and Elder Killpack from Utah! came with me. He only speaks English so everything was up to me...and the spirit. I couldn't have done anything if it weren't for the spirit and the help of Margarito. We taught the family garcia again about the law of chastity. They were awesome already married and everything I taught them they agreed with and are already living in. When I told him about pornography he just said, "That is the most ugly thing every, its destructive I will never look at it." I was like wow awesome! Margarito helped me to explain everything and it was really easy with his help. The wife had some questions and doubts about her baptism but we were able to clear things up and they are really excited. We are going to the VC with them tomorrow because they want to see the movie about when Christ visited the Americas, The Testaments.

After that lesson we taught a very interesting lady. We had contacted her the day before and she seemed really interested and open to learn. I can see why now. We went in and sat down and I asked her questions to get to know her. I set the prayer expectation and I would offer the first prayer and at the end if she would pray. She then said let me set some expectations. I will pray first with you and my children and then you pray at the end. She then proceeded to call all of her 5 little children and she had all of us stand in a circle and hold hands. My companion the Zone Leader had no clue what was happening and just smiled at me. I told him I dont know what she is doing either but just go with it or now. We stood there in the circle, while she and her kids recited there prayer. We prayed for a while. Afterward we finished and sat down and I began to set expectations and teach. I set the expectation that as she accepts this message she will want to be baptized. She said that I will too. I was super confused. She then said that she will never be baptized in my church and that if I get to teach her we need to allow her to teach me. At that moment that was the first time I recited the missionary purpose in a lesson. I told her that we are here to baptize her and that as she hears our message we will invite her to ind out for herself if it is true. I then went on to teach her. I just want to say this now that what I taught was completely by the spirit. I was completely given the gift of tongues in that moment. I taught the restoration better than I have ever taught it. She got really defensive on me when I told her about the great apostasy. She said that Christ gave the power and keys to peter before his death and said that, "Upon this rock I shall build my church." I then explained that the rock wasn't peter it was revelation as it explains earlier. She accepted and let me continue. I taught the restoration and then ended on the book of mormon. She accepted the copy and agreed to read it. It was amazing because at the beginning she said that there is no way that she will accept, believe, or read anything that we give her. We left with her holding a copy of the book of mormon in her hands. There is no way that was possible except by the spirit. That exchange was awesome but super tiring.

Yesterday we had weekly planning. Elder Killpack  challenged me as one of the things I can work on is planning. I am good but I have a lot of things I can work on. So yesterday we really were thorough in planning. Its so funny though because my companion hates planning so much so its always hard to motivate him. I usually end up doing all the planning... Oh well. We taught a new investigator yesterday also.

That is about all that happened not much because it hasn't been the full week yet. Next week is going to be long but amazing. Last week in the transfer and there will be a lot of changes that will happen. We have Zone conference, by Elder Gay, and the baptism of Hermano and Hermana Alfredo. I have been super tired the last two days because of that exchange I was so concentrated. This week I have really been focusing on my missionary purpose and working on not wasting time with people that wont except us. I am trying to be the best missionary I can be but I have so many things to work on its not even funny. I am glad I have two years to work on my skills and continually become better.

We are in a library today and so we are on a 1 hour timer so I dont have to much time to write. I wont be able to write anyone else like dad or Papa or Noni so please forgive me and next Monday Ill write you all! I love everyone.

That is exciting about all my Friends that are leaving on missions! they are so close to the best thing they will ever do! I am super excited for all of them.

*

I hope everyone else is doing well especially Ryan. Tell Him I love him and he is the best. Hope everything works out for him and his family that is really tough.

Well thanks family. I will get my contacts soon, ill try in the next week or so. I enjoyed your little inserts. My companion is doing better so dont worry at all!

Thanks I love all of you again! I love you friends and other people that may read this. Thanks

Elder Hills  !HOSTIA! Les quiero!