The Love of Christ

Hola queridos familiares y amigos,

Well funny story: about 5 hours ago I had typed up a nice email--all in Spanish--to send out for all to enjoy. I don't know what happened to that email, but I had put a lot of heart and soul into it and it is nowhere to be found. So for the sake of time, I'll stick to English.
Now that I think about it, that whole plan totally backfired because the point of that email was so that you could see just how "finely tuned" my Spanish abilities are, but now you see that I'm just too lazy to write it again. Oh well;)

As for this week, it was absolutely fantastic! And absolutely tiring. I don't think I've ever been so tired, stressed, and happy in my entire life. Weird right?

Jose Carlos and Marlene got baptized and Jose Carlos asked me to baptize him. It was such a cool experience and I am really greatful for the chance I had to do that. It was a struggle though, let me tell you!

Thursday we got a call from Marlene telling us that she was going to have to work Sunday. Ahhh! We asked her to find someone to cover her shift and to pray a lot and luckily, the next day, she called us again and told us that her manager would cover her shift so that she could be confirmed on Sunday. That was problem number 1.

Saturday rolled around and about 30 minutes before the baptism, we get another call from Marlene saying that her car tire had locked up and she couldn't drive to the chapel. Seriously Satan... But God is so much more powerful than Satan and our branch mission leader happened to be driving by Marlene at the exact moment that she was in trouble and he gave her a ride to the church. Problem number 2.

So now everyone is at the chapel (Oh, and Jose Carlos just showed up right on time, with everything he needed including a new suit and aviator sunglasses. I swear that man was temptation proof) but in all the commotion with the broken car, Marlene forgot her towel and extra underwear.

To wrap everything up into a nice little bundle, a member went and found her some stuff, we baptized them and confirmed them the next day and they are both members now and they are both very happy.

With all of this stress carrying over even into Sunday for a few other reasons, I was very overwhelmed and as we sat down to take the sacrament, instead of reading something in the scriptures about Jesus Christ or reading the sacrament hymn, I just asked, "Father, am I doing enough?" I witness that the Spirit hit me so hard with a feeling of absolute peace and comfort. It was such a spiritual uplift that helped me and took away literally every feeling of stress and inadequacy. I am so greatful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, or I guess, I'm greatful for Jesus Christ. He lifts and carries us when we just don't have anymore strength to do so and I bare witness of that. Just ask him to do it for you, he already felt what you are feeling and he's standing at the door. Just open it!

Elder Arkoudas

 I asked Sam where he got these shoes because they were not the ones we bought for him to take and he wrote back and said he thought it was funny that I noticed things like shoes and ties. Considering the email he sent his brother Noah asking about the "dryer lint" on the end of his chin, I said that I thought it was funny he noticed things like "dryer lint". He told Noah that he was "jealous and concerned" about his goatee since he was never able to grow one. Noah wrote him back and ended it 'your brother on his way to be a lumberjack" these two! I love their banter!

 Sam's first baptism that he performed.