June 7, 2010
El Sabado se bautizo Eladio. Fue pequeño y simple el servicio bautismal pero fue bonito. Solo como 10 personas atendieron, pero lo importante para Eladio era que su novia Arleen y su suegra estaban alli apoyandolo. Eladio estaba muy sorprendido y muy feliz ver que su mama, un mujer super catholica, tambien llego para ver su bautismo. Mi compañero Elder Rivera bautizo a Eladio. Aunque tuvo que hacerlo tres veces para sumergirlo completamente, Eladio estaba muy feliz de tomar ese paso y hacer convenios con nuestro padre celestial. ( *Ü* Eladio was baptized on Saturday. It was small and simple but the baptismal service was nice. Only about 10 people attended, but the important thing for Eladio was that Arleen his girlfriend and her mother were there to support him. Eladio was very surprised and very happy to see his mother,who is a very catholic woman but came to see his baptism. My companion Elder Rivera baptized Eladio. Although he had to submerge him completely three times, Eladio was very happy to take that step and to make covenants with our Heavenly Father.)
On Tuesday I went on divisions in Paraiso with Elder Whitlock. We had some great lessons with Paraiso's best investigators and hopefully I was able to help them. They have an investigator named Rafael, who wants to be baptized, but sometimes it seems like for the wrong reasons, like wanting to be bishop right away, or even starting his own church. We explained why he can't start his own church. We told him that if this is the true church, then Christ already established his church and he didn't need Rafael to start another one. He also came out with a lot of dudas, but after we explained everything to him he again said he wanted to be baptized. The Paraiso Elders don't know what to think about Rafael and neither do I because he says he doesn't believe in certain things, but then he says he does, and then he says he wants to be baptized, and sometimes he says he wants to start his own church. Its crazy. Anyway we also taught Alvaro and Nudia. Nudia likes the church and wants to join, but Alvaro lives with her and doesn't want to get married. We had a lesson about how the devil wants us to be miserable and captive but the Lord wants happiness, eternal life, and liberty for us. We talked about how we have to choose which things we want, and we have to choose now. They seemed pretty impacted by the lesson and Elder Whitlock told me today that they have been progressing a lot more since then. That night we went to a Noche de Hogar with Paraiso's investigators with a baptismal fecha, Walter and Helen. We had the NdH at a members house and the AP's accompanied us as well, so they could meet Walter and Helen. After the NdH we had the baptismal interviews, I interviewed Helen while Elder Sologuren (AP) interviewed Walter. It was a great experience and they passed the interviews and were baptized this Saturday. They invited me to there baptism but i couldn't go because we had Eladios baptism.
On Wednesday morning we went to zone conference. It was sweet. Learned a lot. Ate hamburgers. After Zone conference we accompanied the Hermana's to a couple citas. I went with Elder Castillo (ZL) to visit Maria y Santos, and Arline with the Hermanas, while my comp went with Elder Mitton (AP) to do Eladios baptismal interview. Our cita with Maria was awesome. The spirit was very strong and i was able to challenge Maria to be married and baptized on the 26 of Junio. She agreed to put that as a meta, and although it wasn't a sure fijo fecha, now with a goal she has been progressing better. She talked to Santos and he finally agreed to marry her, and she called her sister in Nicaragua so she can send her the papers she needs to get married here. She also came to Eladio's baptism this week. In the end our cita with Arline failed but later this week the Hnas put a baptismal meta with him as well for the 19 of june. After the citas with the Hermanas, all four of us had to wait for the bus, which took forever. We were wait out in the middle of nowhere so by the time we got home it was about 10:30 and Lijia was worried sick. In the end though, the night was a success and the interview with Eladio went well as well.
Our districts baptismal goal this month is 7. Right now we have 3 out of the 7, but we hope to pass the goal.
sorry I'm out of time so ill have to finish this next week. Love you.
Elder Tobler
