November 17, 2014 New Companion, New Baptism

Hello From a Cold Day in Nogales,

Yes, it´s getting cold here. I know I shouldn´t complain because there isn´t snow. But just saying.

Monday night we had a goodbye party for Elder Ruiz, who is now in his home. Hermana Orduña, my first mom, is in her house as well. I just want to say that I really apreciate what she did for me, and what she taught me in our six weeks together. At the time, I didn´t understand everything of what she did or what she had me do or whatever. But looking back, she wanted the best for me. To be the best missionary there ever was. She sent a letter with my new companion. It was very sweet, and in part of it she said that I was a large part of her conversion in the mission.

Hermana Casabal is my new companion. We have the same time here in the mission, but I have a month longer than her being  a missionary because of my being in the MTC for 6 weeks. She´s awesome. She's 22, from Puebla and studying psycology.

We found some new people to teach this week. And contacted some good contacts.
One of our investigators also is named A. But this A. is a mom of 3 kids, and has a store in her house. She was a contact from a month or so ago, and when we contacted her we left her with a Book of Mormon. When we came back to visit her, she said that she had been reading it. Well that sure surprised us. The other day she told us she wants to learn from us, as when she goes to the mass she says the priest says the same message again and again. That there may be a different scripture that he will share for 5 minutes but then go back to some same dialogue. But we have something. Something that is more. She accepted baptism when we met her, but not date. But yesterday, she accepted a date!

I remember Al sent me a message while I was in the MTC saying that I would be part of changing eternities. So... E, who got baptized Halloween ... she wants to go on a mission. She wants to share with people what she now feels. Wants them to feel the same. So... that´s changing eternities on a whole new level. I am so happy for her and her desire to help others come to this truth!

Well A. got baptized on Sunday!!!! She is a strong one. We had a visit with her Saturday morning and she said her mom was coming to visit her and she was going to tell her about her choice.  Her mom in the end ... she didn´t approve of this decision Alma made. Alma is a pioneer, she´s a strong one, and she knows this gospel is true. She told us a week or so ago that she was afraid of being alone in this as she´s the only one in her family that is doing this. We told her not to worry, she wouldn´t be alone in this. In fact...her family has grown. She has a whole bunch of family in the ward. A chose Alvin to baptize her, and she had names already for who she wanted to speak. A few of the YSA. She chose me to say the opening prayer, and I felt honored by that. There were quite a few people that stayed after church services to watch her baptism. After the ordinance of the baptism, when she was getting changed, Hno Charly explained how she needed a family in the ward and got pieces of paper so we could all write her a little note. One of the members said ¨¨I´ll be her grandma!¨´  And I thought that was really sweet.
For the closing prayer, it was A. In her prayer she said that she knew she wasn´t alone and that she had the ward as her family. There was a really strong spirit in her baptism.

Teaching A was a process, at first it was really frusterating, but in the midst of teaching, something happened, her conversion, and this is something I will always remember. A. taught me a lot through these 3 months of teaching her.

 I´m not stressed. I haven´t been stressed this past week. I know the area better than I thought I did.

Take Care Everyone!

Hermana Jones

Alma

Hermana Casabal