This week was so fantastic! We had two baptisms. They are two brothers named Leo and Alex. I love them with all my heart they are both like two little lights in my life. They are 16 and 13. Their parents aren't members but their whole family, like grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins, are members. Leo has been taught before and has wanted to be baptized for so long. So teaching him was pretty easy, he had some good questions though and we were able to help him figure them out. His little brother didn't seem as excited to hear from us at first and then more and more he's just loved being with us and hearing the things we have to share. He is so special. Their mom didn't want them to be baptized so it has been a real battle with her because she wouldn't even agree to talk to us even once and we had to help Leo and Alex get up the courage they needed. It was so sweet to see them have so much respect and love for their mom. They just wanted to at least have her permission. They had a really long talk with her and she finally told them they can do whatever they want. So we were able to get their father to sign the permission paper. Their whole family was there to support them. We sang the song called "I'll find you my friend" in Spanish. I don't know how we pulled it off because both of us were choking up. But it turned out really neat. It was freezing cold that night and the water was really cold too but the neatest part was that both Leo and Alex said that when their uncle who baptized them started saying the prayer they felt a warmth start at their toes and go all the way up to their heads. Isn't that so awesome! We are so blessed here. The members love us and we are finding new people to teach all the time. Thank you for your prayers. I know that they are working miracles here. I got so sick yesterday. I drank some tap water at an investigator's house and when we got home I was hurting reeealy bad, haha. I spent the whole night running to the bathroom, the whole night. I mostly had the runs but I threw up once too. I definitely learned my lesson. Never, ever drink water from the tap EVER. I hope your week is really great!

It's been a really fun week. So, I am going to tell you about the baptism we had this Saturday. It was for the son of an investigator I had the first time I was here. Her name is Melva and she has a twelve year old daughter and a ten year old son. They are so cute and so much fun. Her daughter was taught and baptized by a couple of elders about a month ago. Yoli, the daughter came to church with her brother and he said he wanted to get baptized. We tried once to get him baptized but at the last minute his mom cancelled on us for a really lame excuse. So this weekend we tried again but were getting the feeling that she was going to do the same thing again so we decided we needed to do the baptism quick. We decided to go by her house and talk her into having the baptism Saturday instead of Sunday morning. We gave a lesson on the 2000 strippling warriors. My companion bore a beautiful testimony about motherhood and how much she loved her mom. Melva cried and after we offered to pay for the taxi to bring them to the baptism she agreed. So we had two hours to call our mission leader and somehow warm up the font and get people invited and buy refreshments. It totally worked out. We were literally running everywhere and making phone calls haha. It was a really great baptism. Me and my comp and Yoli sang "We are as the Army of Helaman" to Diego It was so fun. And the warm water , guess what we had to do, we carried two big pots of hot, hot water about a block to the church. It was so funny that night I laughed so hard picturing us carrying those pots. But what a great experience. I loved it. Things are going so good. We have cambios this week so I don't know what will happen. But you know what, I'm not scared. I feel so confident that things will work out. I hope you have a great week! I can't wait to tell you about what happens next. I love you!

August 15, 2011

We had a really great baptism. It was for a fifteen year old kid named Juan. He's made so many changes in his life and has so much support from the ward and the bishop's family. He's going to be so well taken care of. We almost couldn't baptize him because our president has said that we shouldn't be looking for teens and kids to baptize because their parents should be our main focus. We want to be completing families not baptizing kids who will probably go inactive over time. I'm totally for it but our leaders thought that president meant we couldn't baptize teens at all . so there was confusion for a while and my companion cried. I just felt like everything would work out so I wasn't super upset about it. I just figured that if he couldn't get baptized there was a good reason and if he could, it would work out. I know the atonement is real. It works so quickly and makes so much difference. I love the Savior so much. He shows me he loves me by sending me angels like the girl in the other picture I sent. Her name is Ines. I can honestly say she's been my best friend here in the mission. I can't wait to be surrounded by all of you. That day will come, it's getting closer all the time. I love you so much. I hope you have a fantastic week.

The zoo was so fun. There weren't monkeys walking around at the zoo, like we heard. Apparently, there is just one that lives on an island in the middle of a little pool that escapes sometimes haha. It was so fun. There was this cage for a leopard that was so open and the fence to keep it in was a joke. It was so crazy. Luckily they moved him to a cage. The boy who was suppose to get baptized this month didn't. His dad is unworthy to baptize him and got mad at the bishop for not letting him do it. All our baptisms for this month fell through but I know there are people waiting for us here and I am excited to see what August brings. The light in our shower blew out. The light switch kind of exploded and lit on fire while my Comp was in the shower. So we have to do everything in the dark in our bathroom haha. The knob to turn on the shower shocks you every time you try to tun off the water, just like those shocker pens. Ahhh Bolivia! I love you . I hope you have a great week!