Hola Familia,
What an amazing week! I am loving my new area and my companion is wonderful. My companion has more time than me in the mission but did a couple things that he shouldn't have and the President put him with me to help him learn to be obedient. I am excited to help him out and we have already had a great start in that regard! He is a pro with the members, getting referrals and getting them excited to participate more in the work. We work really well as a team and even though I am tecnically the Senior Companion, we work as if we are co-mayors (i.e., co-seniors). I have a great feeling about the transfer and know that we are going to have TONS of success. I also got to know my district on Tuesday and they are great! I talked to them about the importance of contacting in the street and talking to as many people as they can in the day. This last Sunday when they all called in their numbers there were already improvements in the number of lessons and new investigators. I am excited to help them this next coming week to have more people in the chapel and people with baptismal date.
We had a wonderful baptism this last week in which one member of the family was baptized. The rest of the family came to the baptism and the mom told us afterwards that she hopes that all the family follows suit!! We are super excited to start working with the rest of the family and to help all of them accept the restored gospel. The area that I am in has had many challenges for missionaries in the past and the President expects that I will be 100% obedient. I am excited to do just that and I know that there are tons of people that the Lord will put in our path or us in their path. I am grateful for the trust the Lord has put in me and will do everything to learn from my mistakes and be an example for my companion and my district.
So I gave my first baptismal interview this last week and man was it a special experience. It was for a 13 year girl that was baptized but never got confirmed. After 6 months you have to be re-baptized. She hadn't gone to church in about 5 years and she and her mom are starting to return. She was SO excited to start over again and be baptized but this time confirmed. The interview was a super special opportunity and so far it is one of the things I like the best as a district leader. Everytime I testified, told her that God loved her, or confirmed to her the blessing the baptism would have in her life, the Spirit was so strong. I have had lessons in which the Spirit was incredibly strong but I haven't felt so strongly that the things I was saying were true. I look forward to doing another!
This morning I climbed to the top of an extremely tall hill in my area called the Hill of Cuauhtemoc. I took a lot of pictures because it was beautiful but I can't send all of them. I chose to send you some of the ones I liked the best. I especially love the one where I am jumping off a rock! I love all of you and hope you all have a wonderful week! I know that I will!!!:)
Con Amor,
Elder Janis
