August 22, 2011

THEY HAVE SCHOOL ALREADY???!!! 

Where has the time gone?? On the 2nd of September, I´ve been on my mission for 6 months... a quarter already gone... Holy cow, I need to work harder! Not enough time!!! 

This week was interesting. I failed to mention that last week when we went to the waterfalls, when we were done, we went back to the road to wait for the bus... Only to find out that it didn´t come for another 6 hours!!! So we HITCHHIKED back!! I have a picture of my with the Thumb, and it´s hilarious! It was a good Pday. I don´t have the pictures with me, because I forgot my camera!! Good job, E. Cuthbert! Anyways, thank you so much for the care pckg! When it gets here, it gets here... I´m a patient boy... Hahaha! 

Well, E. Rojas has a stress fracture, what did I tell you?? We went and got the xrays, and now he´s on medication, still working, though. With the medication, it doesn´t hurt him and he can walk. Thank you so much!!! I was dying, that day that we didn´t leave the apt... I was going to DIE of boredom. Not working... you just get this sick, guilty feeling that does not leave. I hate it, and so I work. Ha. Nicol, our newest convert, that little stud of a kid... On Wednesday, I gave him a haircut. Not a haircut with a buzzer... Ho ho, no!! I´m talkin´ full on scissor job!!! Thank you Dixie Peacock for your wonderful haircuts, and I´m so proud that I paid attention! Even Nicol was satisfied with the job, and so was his mom, Lidia! It was such a fun experience, cutting his hair. Every time I see him, I laugh at the thought that I cut that hair. I need to get a picture to you guys of the job I did. 

One of the members in our Branch had given me the reference of a lady named Greniel. He told me that she needed help, and gave me the direction to her house. I forgot about it for about a week, then we were visiting a less active family that E. Rojas and I didn´t know before, and the first thing that she said was... There´s a lady named Greniel that needs your help.......... TWO different people, telling me about the SAME person needing help  and asking the missionaries to do it. I took this to be a call from the Spirit, telling us to GO to this house and this lady. The next day, we went by that night, and after about a half hour of searching for the house, we finally found it! She was with her 12 yr. old daughter. The first thing she said was, are you guys Jehovah´s Witnesses? I held in a laugh, and said, No we´re from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We began talking, and had a very nice conversation. We set an appt. for tonight, actually. We found out later from Inés, our other convert who is just a ROCK in the church... YEAH.... That Greniel heavily drinks, and is having many financial problems. We are going to help this lady and her family out, as we had two different people reference her to us... I know this is something special. 

Lidia, gosh... Her family is so close to my heart. I´ve been with them for 3 months now... I care about all of them so much, and do not want to leave them, which will probably happen in two weeks. End of transfer 3 for E. Cuthbert is the 5 of September, and the chances of me leaving are almost 100%. But anyways, Lidia told us her life story basically, her baptism, how her father beat her as a child, her friend told her to get a bf so as to leave her father, her first bf beat her too, she found her husband that she married in the church, but then they separated themselves, then Patricio... A long conversation. We helped her out with how she can be the example in her family, and help Nicol who is just starting out in the Church, and Patricio gain a testimony so he can do the same.  

Patricio... We had a two hour lesson with him this week. It was exhaustingly incredible. The Spirit was very strong. I testified about a million times about the BoM and how I KNOW that book is true. The billionth time that I began to testify... He stopped me and said: I KNOW you know, I want to know now!!! And so we left him with 2 Nephi 29 through 33... The best chapters ever! Anyway, also in that lesson, he told us about how he thinks the Catholic church is the correct church because it´s been around the longest. E. Rojas is a stud with the Apostasy, so that wasn´t a problem. We came by the next day, and he had read!!! He said He liked it, but wanted to read more. Later, when we were alone with Lidia for a few minutes, she said that when he read it, he came over and she asked if he had liked it. He said yes. She then asked if he would like to be baptized in the future, and he said... YES!!! That fool is going to be baptized one day!!!!! I was so happy when I heard it, but we need to be careful... He wants to know everything!!! Haha. Anyway, I love that family. And want to help them in every way before I leave this wonderful area. 

Diego.... Oh Diego.... I honestly... don´t know what´s going to happen. Thank you so much for those who fasted on Sunday for him. We had a family home evening with him and his sister on Saturday night. He´s denying everything... Not very strongly, but he just doesn´t seem to think that he has a testimony, or that what we´re asking him to do is what he should do. I am at a loss with him... I´ve put 4 baptismal dates with the kid... All I´ve thought that I can really do, is testify as strongly as I can in what I know and what I know will come about for him if he does it, and see what he says. We might bave a baptism this Saturday, we might not... I need to have the faith that we will.. 

We found an inactive member yesterday. She´s been inactive with her 3 sons for 6 years. She didn´t even remember what the Book of Mormon was!! Holy cow!! We spoke with her, and she invited us to come back on Tuesday, tomorrow... Her 3 sons are studs, we need to reactivate them. We are probably going to the ski resort they have just outside Esquel on Saturday for our Pday... This is outside of the rules, but our District President called Pres. Peterson to ask special permission for us, and he said YES! I might be snowboarding on Saturday, we´ll see what happens... Hahaha! No one gets to do stuff like that! 

This morning, I studied about the importance the family has in the Gospel. When it was comp study, I asked E. Rojas to tell me why he thinks family is important. That unfolded a 45 min. confession from him about his life, before he was baptized, after, before his mission, and during his mission. His family really was... Destroyed. His mom got cancer when he had a year in the mish. He still doesn´t know what it´s like to even go to the movies with his family.... It was the only time I´ve ever seen E. Rojas cry...How important is your family to you? How much do you love your family? Do you cherish a family drive with them to your grandparents house, or a walk in the park, or a trip to the movie theaters? Or do you just take it as a whimsical... Nah, it´s not much. How many of you understand, and love your family more than any other thing? Who wants to spend time with their little brother?       I DO.  I love my family. I have come to realize of the importance of family, but more than that, the testimony that E. Rojas gave about the things that he never got to do, but I did never even thinking twice about them... We really are blessed. Jared, I love you, buddy. I love you, and want to hang out with you SO BADLY. Dad, you are everything to me. My support, my strength, my help. Mom, you´re my angel. Enough said. Melyn, you have always been such a good LIL´ sis... I love you and the support you and Jordan give for me. I love my family. When I get back, I will be in paradise, just to sit down be in the same room as my family. Look around, appreciate your family. Love them. The Gospel is nothing without the family. I know this church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is true. And because that book is true, everything else is true. I have a testimony of the healing power of the Atonement, and the wonder blessing we have to be members of the Church of God. Have a great week everybody, I love you all. 

E. Cuthbert 

August 15, 2011

I´m ALIVE!! Hahaha, don´t worry everyone... I made it through the week... Wow. 

Last week was tough.. Obviously. By what I wrote in my last email, it must have sounded like the end of the world. Well... It was very difficult. There are some times when it´s just so tough, not having those people you love around you... But, I pulled through, and I´m a happy camper, here in the Patagonia! 

That Monday was tough, obviously. We went and taught that night, and my mood started to increase. That´s one thing that I have come to realize over the past months, is that I´m happier when I´m testifying about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and the healing power that He can bring into our lives. It is incredible, that power that a testimony has to life someone´s spirits... It´s truly life saving. We had been preparing for the baptism of Nicol Gomez, the son of Lidia. So Tuesday, we took some pizzas to his house and watched the Restoration with him and his friends, he loved it! We´ve been preparing him for about two weeks straight, passing by almost every day teaching little things that he can understand. He´s 11 yrs. old, LOVES fútbol, and wants to be an ´´Elder´´ someday! ;) Haha! Later that night, we went to the hospital, because Lidia had her leg operated on. From what I have understood, from fútbol, she either has a torn ACL, or something like that. So she was operated on, and E. Rojas and I went and visited her and Patricio in the hopspital later that night. They´re a family that is VERY close to my heart. Also, on Tuesday, E. Rojas was hurting... his foot´s been killing him for awhile, so I finally gave in and we went to the hospital. What they think he has is a stress fracture.... THAT rang a bell in my past... Oooooh NOOOO!!! I hate those two words... Stress fracture. What they told him is that obviously, he needs to get some x rays to know for sure, and that he would need to schedule an appt. to do it. In the meantime, they told him to stop walking on it. I spent the rest of the day in the apt..... :/ 

Wednesday... Also. Oh, how bored I was. He wouldn´t leave, taking the excuse of the broken foot to stay in the apt. I was in the middle of both views. I was DYING to work, but I also knew that if he continues to walk on it, he might break the whole foot... Difficult situation... Anyway, Wednesday morning was spent reading scriptures. I read the whole of Mosiah, I LOVE that book!!! And began Alma. I wrote a bunch of letters... Look out Hmo. Maxwell, Aub. Smith, Kimbo!!! And I thought a TON of thoughts. I have thought SO MUCH this week!!! Holy cow. Anyway, at 5pm that night, I finally got him out of bed to come with me to teach Nicol before his baptismal interview. We taught him everything else that he was having worries about, and then we took a taxi to the church for the interview. He passed with flying colors!!! WOOOOH!!

Thursday was spent inviting members and investigators to the baptism. After spending the whole morning handing out invitations, we went to Nicol´s house one more time before leaving for Bariloche... Paradise. :) In Bariloche, we had our Zone Conference. I love going to Bariloche, because we get to see other Elders from the Zone... And guess who I saw there??? E. ALLSOP!!!!! I saw him coming up the stairs, and we just started screaming, ran towards each other and crashed into each other, hugging and laughing!! It was SOOOO good to see someone else from home!!! That was something I really needed from the week before... Oh man, you guys have NO IDEA how good it felt to talk to him... He´s doing so good, we were pretty much inseparable that whole day during the conference, taking every spare minute to talk about how we´re doing, things about home, and just enjoy some time as ´´Mapletonites´´.... Haha, something like that!! At the Zone Conference, we learned so much, on how we need to testify about the Atonement more, and use it more in our lessons, and tie EVERYTHING into the power and mercy of the atonement. I have learned so much in my studies this week about the Atonement... I have found a bunch of scriptures that are incredible also. If I could make a recomondation... study the atonement... It will amaze you. MOM: I NEED A TALK ENTITLED: THE ATONEMENT BY CLEOU SKOUSEN (I think that´s how you spell it) If you can email it to me so I can print it off, it´s an incredible talk. I don´t think you can find it on the church website... It´s too doctriney for that, haha! Anyways, I had an incredible time in Bariloche with E. Allsop, and E. Wible, my MTC comp. Friday was all in Bariloche also. 

Saturday, we spent the morniing inviting people to the BAPTISM we had that night. We went to lunch, and after that began preparing for the baptism. We went and picked up Nicol and his family for the baptism... Lidia in a BUNCH of pain with her cast... But she came anyway, I was so happy and proud of her for coming to support her son! At the baptism, Nicol got some last minute nerves, and didn´t want to do it!!! He almost started crying for the fear of being in front of everybody. I pulled him aside, took a knee, and began relating to him the story of MY baptism with my Dad. And how happy and proud I was that day to have my Dad baptize me, and how even though I was shy and nervous, everything turned out to be ok!! In the end, he came... Thank the heavens!!! Hahaha! I had to give a surprise talk on the Holy Ghost for the service, and then E. Rojas baptized him. It was such a good service. I love helping people in their lives... It´s incredible. 

The next morning, we went to pick up Nicol... He was waiting for us, all ready and everything!! We took him to his Primary class and he found Ruben, the kid we baptized two weeks before, and they have become quick friends... :) I confirmed him a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and gave him the Holy Ghost during Sacrament meeting, it was so great!!! Wow... After church, we decided to go to Diego, who we hadn´t been able to find for about a week. We found him in his house, and we began to talk... Finding out that he had been drinking and smoking almost non stop for about a week. The good thing was... He regretted it so much and was so disappointed in himself. I felt like Alma, who when seeing the poor people who couldn´t worship in their synagogues be humbled to the dust in Alma 31, was SO happy, because it was in that moment that they were ready and willing to hear the wonderful messasge of the Gospel and of Repentance. We had a 2 hour conversation with him, talking to him about the miracle and power of forgiveness, and how a baptism is the only thing that is really going to fix his problems... I offered him a blessing, and he accepted. I blessed him that he would be able to stop smoking and drinking, and that he would be able to remember and be healthy in the head, so as to remember his baptismal date and do everything in his power to make it to the 27th of August. This one WILL happen!!! I will be fasting on the Sunday before, so if anyone wants to fast with me the Sunday before the 27th so as to make sure that he can make his baptism, I would greatly appreciate it!!! After the lesson with him, E. Rojas began talking to me from the heart... He was tired of the mission. Because really, the mission is DIFFICULT. We talked for the first time like real companions... It was a turning point, I think. We walked around the beautiful city of Esquel, talking and helping each other be strengthened. After, we went to another Inv. who´s named Transito who will be baptized as soon as he gets married. We have so many blessings... Really. I felt the Spirit so strongly with Diego, and I will NOT let his baptismal date fall... No. Not this time. 

Today... Was VERY Fun! We got up early in the morning and took a bus out into the middle of nowhere as a District. We got off and began the 3 mile trek to some waterfalls in the mountains for Pday. It was a very fun experience. I don´t have my cable to transfer pictures to the computer, so you´re going to have to wait until next week to see the awesome pictures of the baptism and waterfalls, but that´s ok! Haha! I want you all to know that I´m alright, and I look forward to reading all the letters of comfort and love... I can´t tell you how much I appreciate all of you and what you do. Kolt, THANK YOU!!! Hma. Riding... THANK YOU!!! Everyone else... Thank you so much. You mean everything to me. I love you all, and can´t wait to tell you about all the miracles and blessings next week. Pray for me, I love you all. 

E. Cuthbert 

August 8, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFUL DAD AND SISTER!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DAD AND MELYN.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!! 

I have to tell you... right now, all I want is a hug. My heart and soul are so weighed down from the past week, the trials, the sufferings, the fights, everything... Sometimes I wonder to myself... How did other missionaries do it? Kolt... How did you survive your mission? Kass? Chris Shurian? Jordan Henderson? HOW?? This is so HARD. I am doing ALL I can, and sometimes I feel like none of what I do is bringing to pass anything. I came to Neuquén with the goal to become the best missionary that my mission president has... How..... ? I honestly don´t understand how people complete a mission. It is by far the most difficult thing I have ever done. I´m not even 6 months into this thing, and I´m already so exhausted, spiritually drain... I don´t know. If there´s anyone reading this email that knows what I´m going through, and would like to give me advice, I´m ALL ears. How do you do this???

Anyways, for Pday last week we climbed the mountain next to Esquel. It´s called ¨The Cruz´´ because of the big cross on top! ha, it was fun. Inés and Reuban, my first converts... Are like ROCKS!!! They´re reading the scriptures every day, they pray every day. They come to church every week, they´re so happy and content! It´s amazing the change in their lives... I could come home from my mission, knowing that I´ve helped someone.. But I want to help more. I want to help SO MUCH MORE... They´re doing great, and I´m so grateful to my Heavenly Father for all that they did, and for helping E. Rojas and myself change their lives through Christ. You might think we´re crazy, but we´re going for the Standard again. Such a difficult thing to accomplish, but I feel like I need to. We have the baptism of Nicol, the son of Lidia on Saturday. He´s such a little 11 yr. old stud!! we´ve had a very interesting time with their family this week. If Omi was a little frustrated with me getting involved with the police the week before, she´s not going to be very happy about me going and asking a lawyer to help us divorce Lidia with her first husband!!! HAHA!! You have to do what you have to do. For Patricio, the companion of Lidia to be baptized, he needs to marry Lidia. Lidia can´t because she´s married to another guy who she is never around. We went to the lawyers to see what we would need to do to help them out. At this time, we don´t know what´s going to happen, because Patricio doesn´t want to get married. I feel that through us teaching the lessons to Nicol, and baptizing him, he will see the importance, and change his mind. 

We had a family home evening with them on Friday. I made brownies, and E. Rojas made this weird flan thing... It turned out alright, haha! The brownies were delicious, and even Lidia, who isn´t much of a chocolate fan liked them! We played a bunch of games with the family, Lidia shared a spiritual thought, it was a very good night with them. They are a family very close to my heart. I want to help them in any way I can with any thing that I can. 

The Venegas family... an inactive family for a long time... We had the most interesting conversation with them the other day. They spoke of the people in the church as hypocrites, how there is no love, no service, no... Ah. It disturbed me greatly. I need to help this branch... I need to do my job as a Disciple of Christ and do all that I can to fix Esquel! We talked with them about it, and they decided finally to come to church. They didn´t. :/ 

I had a fight with E. Rojas last night. I hate it. I HATE it!!!!!!!! Why can´t we always just be good friends? We come from such different backgrounds, I just don´t know. Kolt, I need you to help me out. Kass, you too. Chris Shurian, please... Help your second, first, twice removed cousin, or whatever it is that we are family wise! I´m so sorry I keep asking for you guys to write me, but it is only because I need your help. Really. I need advice as to how I can more fully fill my responsibility I have as a missionary. 

It doesn´t help that Germán, the only source of support and help in the branch that I have, left for Chaco. Up in the top part of Argentina, he left because his grandma is about to die. I had a very hard time accepting that he was leaving, because he has helped me out, SO MUCH. It´s like saying goodbye to brothers, everywhere. I hate it. 

I apologize for this really short letter. I really don´t know what else to say. I just want to be a good servant of my Father in Heaven. That´s all I want. I don´t want to let you guys down... That is my biggest fear. You all, and my Father in Heaven, obviously. Pray for me, send me letters, help me. I´m trying to grow up, sometimes I feel like I´m not doing anything. Maybe I´m being a big baby. Maybe missionary work is easy, I don´t know, I´ve never done it. I don´t know if Kolt, Kass, Jordan, Chris... I don´t know if you guys ever felt like I feel now. Help me know what to do. I love you all. Until next week... 

Don´t worry, the end of the world hasn´t come, I just feel very alone right now. Pray for me to know what to do. Thank you for the support that you all give to me, I cannot thank you enough. 

With all the love in my heart to the people I miss most of all... 

E. Cuthbert 

August 1, 2011

Oh. My. Gosh. What. A. Week. If I could even BEGIN to explain the ups and downs of this week... I would. Ha! I will try my best to relay everything... 

First of all, I can´t believe Simon is coming!!! And more than anything, I am SO jealous that I will never get to meet the kid! He sounds like such a stud, and I hope he and Jared get along great! Gosh dang it, that would be amazing to have a foreign exchange student. I bet you´ll be so happy to have more than one more kid to take care of again, Mom! Hahaha! Have you sent that care pckg. yet? I hope not... I remembered that if you could burn a couple cd´s of my piano music that I made..(It´s on iTunes) I would be so grateful! Like ten cd´s. I want to give them as gifts. 

Ok. Here it goes. Monday was an incredible day. There is something called the Standard of Excellence on the mission. It´s a goal for all missionaries to try and achieve, to see how well they are doing and a way to measure their work. Things like how many new investigators you found, how many lessons with member, how many investigators you brought to church, things like that. We were planning 5 baptisms for the week, and so E. Rojas and I decided we were going to break the Standard. It´s usually very difficult to do it, and not many missionaries beat it. Anyway, starting Monday we had Pday, E. Gutierrez our old district leader left, which was pretty sad. That night it was E. Rojas, E. Barton and me. We decided to do divisions with two members, Germán (of course) and Carlitos Manz... a 16 yr. old STUD. When you guys come pick me up (PUH LEASE say you guys will come pick me up!!!) Jared, you HAVE to meet him and be his friend. It´s already decided. Aranged marria....friendship. ;) Haha! Anyway, I went with Germán, and E.B. and E.R. went with Carlitos. I learned SO much from Germán. He learned a ton on his mission, and he is the biggest stud on the planet. He helped me really analize in how I teach and how I can get better, it was such an incredible night. That night we ended up with 8 lessons with member. Check! YEAH!!! That´s the Standard for lessons with member. 

Tuesday was an interesting day. Roberto´s baptism date for the 30th fell through, he´s not going to be prepared on time because he´s not doing the commitments or reading or praying or doing anything, really. Rita and Inés were both having a lot of doubts. They were saying, well we should just wait, what´s one, two or three weeks?? E. Rojas and i had a fun time saving their dates, and giving them the courage and excitement to continue on and be confident. Oh, that morning E. Menghini, E.B´s new companion was supposed to arrive. We woke up at 6am to pick him up from the bus terminal, but he never came... Fun... Hahaha. So it was E.B, E.R. and me again for the day. He finally came on Wednesday morning...

Wednesday E. Menghini arrived, and so E.B. and he left for Trevelin, and it was just me and good old Rojas again. We visited Diego, and he too was having HUGE Doubts!!! Starting at the beginning of the week... Every investigator that´s was going to be baptized began having doubts! We had a very good conversation with Diego... Saved his date for the 30th... I actually gave him my CTR Ring... Gma, don´t kill me!!! He needs it more than I do. He has stopped smoking, drinking, and going to dance parties to follow the commandments of the Lord. He has had a VERY LONG road coming to this day. That same day we visited Lidia and Patricio. Patricio is part of a music group down in the Patagonia called Guardianes del Sur... He isn´t a member, and I´m teaching him. A rock star! Haha! He´s so cool, he gave me one of his cd´s... Great guy. Lidia is 3 years inactive, but she wants to come back, marry Patricio and go to the temple. A little difficult, because she´s married with someone else, doesn´t have the money for divorcement, and her ex is still in love with her. If I want to help those two get to the temple, I need to baptize Patricio first, which means I have to get them married, which means that they need to get divorced, Lidia and her ex... She doesn´t have the money. I was thinking of something... If you could go around mom, and ask for $10 from the ward members, or friends... Lidia needs 2000 pesos, which is $500... to get divorced. But hold off on that, we need to make sure that Patricio wants to be baptized first, and everything... It´s just an idea that I have, a plan in the making... Anyway, Thursday in the afternoon, we went by Rita and Inés to teach them the last few things for the Interview the next day. Half way through, the police started flying up the road, and the boy of inés ran into the house saying that the police were there looking for something. Inés ran to her house to see what they wanted, only to find them beating her other son, and ransacking the house. She began to defend her kid, and they took her! There were TWENTY policemen at the house. TWENTY!!! They took her in one of the police cars, and we watched them drive away... well... There went one of my Investigators! We ran up to the house, to find that the police had tied the door shut, and had thrown her stove outside. Everything was broken. We were there with Reuban, her 10 yr. old son to be baptized. He started digging at the door, trying to get in. I helped him get it unlocked, and I picked up that... HEAVY... stove and fixed it. I made a fire for him, then E.R. and I left for the police station. We got there, and the police said there was nothing we could do. They wouldn´t give us an explanation for why they took Inés, and said we would have to come back the next day. That posed a problem, because the Baptismal interviews were the next day.... Uhhhhh...... NO!!! We got up early the next day, (Thursday) and ran to the police station, and waited there until 11:30. Finally, Inés was brought out. I have never seen a face more deprived of sleep and hope than hers. She was in HANDCUFFS, my investigator! We were furious! We went into the hearing and watched the whole thing. Afterwards, her Defendant helped her get out of the situation. They let her go. We walked her to the La Anonima (Equivalent of Smiths or Maceys) and I bought her a water, bread, salami and an alfajor. They didn´t give her anything to eat for 16 hrs. Her mattress was no more than an inch thick, and no blanket. We took a Taxi back to her house, helped her get settled in with her family, then left. We returned to pick them up for the interviews. We took them to the church and they had their interviews. Rita, Inés and Reuban passed! We went to pick up Diego for his interview. He was in his house, but didn´t know the interview was at the church. This got him a little angry, and he said he wasn´t going to go. We had to save his date, AGAIN!!! I can´t tell you how hard Satan works on those on the point of baptism!!!!! We scheduled his interview for Friday instead, and left. What a day that was. Every day of the week, starting Monday just got more, and more crazy. Continually spiraling out of control and more and more hectic. I said: I am going to cry of happiness when this week is over. 

Friday, Diego had his interview with E.Barton. He passed... But he said he didn´t feel prepared. E.B. and him had a conversation for an hour and a half, while E.M, E.R, and I waited outside as it gradually got colder and colder. We were FREEZING by the time they got out. E. B. told us to leave, so we did and he explained it on the way home. Diego passed his interview, E.B told him he was ready, but Diego, feeling unprepared, said no to his baptism on Saturday... DIEGO!!!!! NO!!!! 

We went by Saturday morning for his house, and invited him to the baptism. He said he would come, as well as to church the next day. We went to pick up Rita, Inés and Reuban for the baptism. Inés and Reuban were there, all ready to go! I was so surprised at the progress of those two... Inés in the beginning was only getting baptized because of Rita, but now she had her own testimony, and was hard like a rock! Reuban, as well. We then went down to the house of Rita to grab her.... And no one was there. Uhhh... what?? No one was in the house. Then, stumbling out of nowhere was one of her sons, Jonathan... Completely hazed from sniffing glue. He was SO out of it, not knowing what was going on. It was so strange... But Rita wasn´t there in the house! I had the feeling that Juan (the bf) had come back, and took her somewhere so she couldn´t be baptized. I was ticked. We took Inés and Reuban to the church, and we had my first baptism!!! It was so incredibly good. :) I was so happy for Inés and Reuban. That night, we had 2 hours to find a lot of new investigators and a lot of contacts to beat the Standard. We, in 1and a half hours, found 7 News and had 3 lessons!!! It was incredible! Blessings! 

Sunday, we went to Patricio and Lidias house to pick them up for church. The last thing on the list was 5 people in the church. Patricio, their son Nicol, one of their friends, Diego... And... no one else... Oh no! But thank the heavens!!! Juan, the grandson of one of the members here came with his grandma... 5 in the church!!! WOOOT!!!! We beat the Standard of Excellence!!! Oh great... Now I have to do it every week! My competitive attitude will not let me go down in success... Hahaha! So... 5 baptisms shrinked to 2. But it´s two more souls for our Heavenly Father.

This week has been... exhausting... I just want to curl up in a ball, and sleep. Sleep, and sleep. But I can´t. Haha. I miss my family more than anything, but I know that in this moment in my life, the work is more important. Mom, have you gotten the surprise yet? I guess not!! Hahaha, it will be VERY surprising for you! :) I am probably missing a lot of information that I should be telling you guys... I can never remember everything that happened during the week, there´s always too much. I love each and every one of you. 

I know the Lord lives. Even though the work is extremely tough, it is extremely gratifying as well. Satan works hard on all those that are doing their hardest to follow our Heavenly Father. I have a testimony of that. He is the biggest enemy. Every one of you, stay away from him... You do not understand the amount of sadness that he will bring into your life. Follow Jesus Christ. The only righteous way. I love my Father in Heaven. I love my family, and friends. thank you for the continued support. Shurian!! Thank you SO much for that letter! That gave me so much strength to carry on. Keep ém coming!!! Haha! A reminder to all... I would love your letters, I would love your thoughts... You don´t understand how much a missionary wishes for letters. Haha! Love you all, E. Cuthbert is doing alright! 

E. Cuthbert