Weekly Letter: January 24-30, 2012

para mi familia:

Hmmm....I think I will get a chance to write you guys next week. Next Sunday after eating and baptizing, I think the missionaries from my generation currently in Zitacuaro, Toluca, or Metepec zones will be going to offices....it´s quite the list. Elder Decker, Elder Holm, Elder Lindstrom, Elder Gardner, Elder Sanchez,and Elder Bylund....and myself. So in the offices I´ll will be able to write you like I did when I got my last son...I think.


Well, this week did not go exactly as planned. On Wednesday we were going to have interviews with the president...but they got delayed twice! Finally Friday we were able to have our interviews. Later, Saturday, we had to empty and clean the font for the baptisms we were going to have on Saturday...with buckets. Wow! that was fun!

So yeah, one of our baptisms that we were going to have last Sunday fell through. Lourdes got sick last Saturday and went to Ixtlahuaca to check things out but wasn´t able to come back in time for her baptism...and with all the baptizing in metepec things that were going on, I think it would have been even harder trying to help her find the church in Metepec. So on Tuesday we visited her, and she said that she felt a whole lot better, and we asked her permission to organize a baptismal service for this sunday (or yesterday) she said that it would be okay, but that she didn´t have much time but on Thursday she would call us so that we could visit her that day. (we will talk more about her later)

Then that same day we visited Maria de Refugio, who said that she would be willing to be baptized the fifth of February...and that she would accompany us this sunday to confirm that date...so you can imagine my excitement right? I was like Yes!!!!! I´m going to baptize my last three weeks of my mission. Later, Elder Robledo did an interview for Jaseth to see if he wanted to get baptized, he said that he would like to later on. That same day my companion and he were able to commit Alejandra to go to church with her family to see if she would get baptized on the fifth, too...and then went with another family that lives close to us and commited them to the same thing....so I was pretty excited...huh?

That was when Friday happened. After the interview I called Lourdes because she hasn´t called us, and she tells me that she meant to call us and she wanted to talk to us that night....and I asked "okay, but how are things looking for Sunday?" that was when she paused and asked if we could go by that night. We went by and she said that she was really confused that she felt that she wanted more time....we tried to enter in her house to share something, but she said that she couldn´t at that moment. I asked her if we could pass by the next day and try to clear her doubts, and she said she was planning on going to Ixtlahuaca again, but that she was going to work hard to be home again at 7:00 pm....so we went at 7:00, and.....she wasn´t there. We called her again and she started saying the same things, I mentioned to her that time really wasn´t the issue because she had accepted a baptismal date the sunday prior and almost shouted with happiness. I asked her if there wasn´t something else that was getting in her way...but she wouldn´t answer....she was suddenly silent. I invited her to at least come to church and come prepared to be baptized if she felt so indicated....she didn´t answer....after a minute, the line died....and with it my heart sunk.

Then everyone - EVERYONE that had possibly commited to go to church fell through. We went with Alejandra and she said that she would not like to go to church or get baptized ever. So that was pretty heartwrenching. We called Maria de Refugio, and she said that she would return Sunday morning early...so there was yet hope going into Sunday morning.

But the next morning...everything fell through. Lourdes wouldn´t answer...and Maria de Refugio didn´t come back until the afternoon. So yeah, it was pretty tough....but other weeks have been worse. Tania, Mitzi and Eleni got confirmed so that´s good...because sometimes people have been getting baptized but not confirmed, and so it was good that they were able to complete the baptism....they seem really strong. I think they may activate the sister that gave them as a reference!

Well...time is short. We´re going to see if we can help Lourdes feel good about baptism this week, and we´re going to help Jaseth to feel good about it too!

Love you all!

Finishing Stronger than ever!

Elder Blackham

Sunday morning we called four or five times but she wouldn´t answer either.