Hola Mi Familia Fantastica!
I had a crazy awesome week! I'll start out by giving you two cool experiences and then end with a grand finale:)
So Elder Fuentes and I were whitewashed out of our area this last Wednesday at transfers and the Assistants to the Presidents took over the area. They called me the day after transfers and asked me to go on splits with them for the day. What a great experience! I was able to introduce the APs to all of my investigators and the 9 people on date. They were shocked by the work that E. Fuentes and I accomplished in one transfer and are thankful. As APs, they don't get too much time to go out proselyting but with the investigators we left behind they be a baptizing machine! The Lord blessed E. Fuentes and I so much and we saw tons of miracles. I look forward to seeing the names of the families that I loved in the weekly newsletter the mission sends out! It was such a treat to go out with seasoned AP missionaries and just soak in all I could learn from them. I cannot believe the amazing experiences that the Lord is blessing me with. When I first received my temporary reassignment, I was thinking "ok I'll do it but why Salt Lake City?" Now I know why and I am so thankful for every moment that I have had here.
We have a Christmas season baptism tomorrow! His name is Paulo and his fellowshipper, Pablo, is a wonderful recent convert that is introducing his soccer team and friends to the church. Paulo and Pablo are both planning on serving missions! The other day Paulo asked us, "Should I start saving for my mission right now?" My companions and I were all over that one! He and Paulo are Seniors in High School and are so excited about the gospel. I have loved watching the Gospel and the Savior make these guys, who are only a little younger than me, change so much. It brings me so much joy to watch Pablo excitedly explain the Law of Tithing or the Plan of Salvation to his humble friend. It makes me wonder how much joy Christ feels as he watches His sons and daughters learn more about him and even pray to gain faith. The happiness and joy I feel as I watch an investigator come to knowledge of a living Savior and then repent of their sins to become baptized is comparably insignificant and smaller than the size of a quark (the material that composes atoms). I have loved being a missionary in this Christmas season and taking upon my mantle and role as a representative of Christ. I cannot help but be humbled by the opportunity I have to strive everyday to become more and more Christlike. Christ is our perfect example and Savior. We have an investigator that used to be atheist but when we told her that if she would ask God directly in prayer if He exists that she would get an answer. We called her the next day and she informed us that she had an amazing experience. I cannot comprehend the happiness God felt as one of His daughters sought out His existence and is seeking to know more of His will for her! The work is amazing and I am SOOO blessed to be a missionary right HERE, right now!!
GRAND FINALE!!!! So guess who got their Visa on Tuesday and is flying to Mexico City on Monday morning at 9am?!!!!!:) ME!!!! I went to the Mexican Consulate on Tuesday and received my flight plans today! WOW am I excited or what!!!!! [Haha, if you didn't notice by all the exclamation marks and caps!] I really have had the most wonderful, amazing, fantastic experience and feel so ready to take on Distrito Federal. So basically the next email you'll get from me will probably be from a computer in Mexico City!
Ok so, I am going to call on Friday morning for about 5 minutes to set up a time to call for the real thing on Saturday. I'll only have a max of 1 hr. on Christmas Day so we'll have to set up some time slot type thing like E. Janis (Damon) set up. So I was thinking we could start out with 10 minutes with the whole family, 6 minutes for each sibling individually, and 20 minutes for Mom and Dad. It doesn't have to be like this exactly but I thought this would be a fun way to do it! Maybe during the first 10 minutes you could have some questions prepared so that I don't lose anytime taking to anyone!! (again another idea attributed to E. (Damon) Janis). I love you all so much and am so thankful to every single one of you. Thanks to all the extended family who sent me such wonderful Christmas notes and gifts. I look forward to opening them all on the 25th!! I can't tell you enough of how thankful I am for your thoughtfulness.
Merry Christmas to all!!
-Elder Janis
