Weekly Letter: May 31-June 6, 2011

para todos uds:

I think I´m going to like this area. Tlalli is a really supportive ward for missionary work. And, if we can take advantage of that, things can start to fly over here. This last week, I got to know a reference source in the ward...and she´s not even a member! That´s not because she doesn´t want to be baptized, it´s because her husband doesn´t want to get married with her so she can be baptized. But she feels like some of the difficulties that he´s been having in his life is softening his heart. Actually, we had two lessons with him this week, which is the first time since they knew the missionaries about year ago, that he´s accepted to listen to us.

Actually the baptism we had this week was a reference that this sister gave the missionaries two week ago. She went to church these two weeks and got baptized yesterday after the services. Her name is Maria Elena. I basically got to harvest from the fruits of others´ labors this time. I only got to know her two times before her baptism...and basically just was there as a motivator so that she got baptized, but she was already prepared to be baptized this week.

We had three other people lined up to be baptized this last week, but they all fell through. We have to verify that one actually got married like she said she did; Another one was not there when the Zone Leaders went to do the interview and we won´t be able to talk to her until the next week; and the last one was the one that made us feel the worst. Her name is Norma, and when I got there the first time, she hardly didn´t have time, so we just talked quickly, and set up an interview with her the next day, which she passed to the point that the Zone Leader told me that she was a sure-baptism this week. The next day in the morning she called us in an appointment we had to tell us that she was no longer going to be baptized...or even going to church, because her adult sons are against it. We set an appointment the same day in the afternoon, but when we went she asked if we could pass by the next day at the same hour because she had visitors. We went the next day and wasn´t there, we then called her and she said the same thing over again, and told us that she would call us when she could talk to us.

However, Yesterday in the afternoon, we tried to pass by with her, but two men were outside the door, and told us that she wasn´t there(even though we saw a woman watching tv inside), my companion then asked if he could ring the door bell to see if she would come, and one the men got angry and told us "No! Try later!" and then shut the door hard in our face. My companion doesn´t have too much time in the mission, so that upset him quite a bit, and I think the only reason why I didn´t get angry too was that I was too busy trying to make sure that my companion wasn´t going to do something that we would regret.

However, all is well. Just as Paul, we try to glory in the afflictions we suffer for bearing the name of Jesus Christ. However, it is hard. It gets easier with time and experience, but it was definitely not my companion´s favorite experience this week. We just hope to be able to reach our goals that we´ve made to baptize these three people that were going to get baptized this week. However, it will have to require several miracles.

Well, time is short. Thanks for all your support. Keep praying for us!

Cariños,

Elder Blackham