Monday, January 20, 2014

Letter - January 20th, 2014 - First Baptism!!


     Well, this last week wasn't too bad, well at least from the last time I wrote. Really right now not too much is different from day to day. Our one family, who we like to call the chosen family, went to church yesterday which was super cool. The hard thing about Camargo though that we've realized is this:

     So we have been talking to the bishop a little bit the last few weeks and we found out that the number of members in the ward is 286. Out of the 286 only about 50 come to church on a regular basis, as in every week. The reason for this is that the members of the ward just are not the nicest people. Like they don't befriend the investigators like they could, and so what happens is that a lot of investigators come to church and don't stay because of the members. When we brought our family to church yesterday, the father started talking to us later, after church ended. He was telling us how he had realized a lot of things about this ward like how they go out of  obligation and so because of that they aren't as friendly, and stuff like that. But he said something that impressed us missionaries. He told us that people should go to church because they want to, not out of obligation, and then he told us that he would continue to go with his family because he knew it was what God wanted, and he really wants to get baptized. That was pretty powerful to me. A father of about 45 years of age telling us the truth, and he really didn't even know much about the church before they came. That was very cool!!! It really shows that God works with the people that want to sincerely follow His way.

     So on top of that, on Saturday we had our first baptism. Antonio, but he likes us to call him Arturo, was our friend who got baptized. He is a very special guy to us. He has been coming to our church for 2 years, and he always has felt that it is right, but he thought that the baptism he had when he was younger was valid, so he never really thought about it until we talked to him. We have been teaching him for about 2 months, and whenever we set up a baptismal date with him he was never sure. Even on Saturday, he didn't feel ready. He wanted to push the date back again, as he already had done. But he did it, he got baptized. I had the privilege to baptize him, because out of all the missionaries I have been here the longest and have been teaching him the longest, so he had a trust with me. After he rose out of the water he just started laughing, and said that the feeling he felt was amazing....he felt new. He knew at that point that the decision to be baptized was a good decision.

      So yeah, not much more was too special this last week! Tomorrow our investigator family invited us to eat, so that will be fun! I learn stuff every week, and thanks to every one of you for continuing to support me!! I love you all :)

-Elder Loveless

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