Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Arturo got baptized!

Hello Everyone!
 
This week went great! On Wednesday I picked up my hijo and he is great! His name is Elder Johnny Russell and comes from Sandy, Utah.  He's 19 and graduated in 2012, so normal missionary age.  He is a great missionary! He is a lot like me so we get along very well.  He loves eating healthy and working out so we get along great there.  We wake up early and alternate every day between lifting weights and running.  He is the oldest of 5 siblings as well and has 2 brothers and 2 sisters.  He went to Alta high school and he plays a lot of sports.  He's a big tennis player as well as football, basketball, and baseball, but unfortunately not soccer.  He is a great missionary and is teaching me a lot every day.  He definitely has the fire and the desire to be a great missionary and his Spanish gets better every day and I'm doing my best to teach him.
 
The best news I have for this week I just read a few minutes ago.  Arturo and his family got baptized in Ensenada, Mexico yesterday! I just read his email that he sent the day before.  I think he is definitely my favorite investigator that I've taught on my mission so far.  I have grown so close to him and I rejoice every time I read his email and hear how he and his family are doing and progressing.  Although I didn't see the baptism it will be my favorite baptism of my mission.  I can't wait to get the pictures via email or regular mail sometime soon!
 
This week we didn't get to do nearly as much missionary work but we did a lot of service.  We helped a Brazilian family that also speaks Spanish move from one ward to the other in the Cameron Park area of the stake.  We are excited because the area they moved into has more Spanish people so we're hoping to teach some of their neighbors by having this family help us.  We also did a lot of yard work in a single lady's yard.  I am getting really good at starting fires because everyone here burns all the dry things they have that come from the yard instead of throwing it away.  I'm also become pretty good at trimming bushes.  The Spanish culture is rubbing off on me in more ways than one (:
 
We are making a lot of changes in how we do missionary work and they are starting to pay off.  The first one that's paying off is having a dinner calendar.  Last transfer we either had ramen noodles or fast food for lunch and dinner every day because we had no one to feed us.  Now we have some dinners and are actually getting real food! We are also getting about 50 Spanish speakers or returned missionaries called to come out and teach with us and take us to meet their friends so we will have people to teach and members to help us teach them.
 
Alma and Victor are progressing nicely.  We taught them the Plan of Salvation on Saturday and they are loving it.  We were sad that Victor said he had to work on Sunday so he couldn't come to church but Alma got a ride with her sister-in-law Heriberta.  We were really happy that she came! They got there at the end of Sacrament meeting and missed a lot of great testimonies but they went to the Sunday School class and enjoyed it.  We can't wait to teach them more and get them to church next week!
 
I am really excited for the 2 coming transfers with Elder Russell.  We are making a lot of changes in the area and it is really turning around.  I have a great companion and even though he's been out half as many weeks as I have months he is teaching me and helping me become a better missionary on a daily basis.  I am really excited for the future and what all it holds!
 
Les Quiero Mucho!
Elder Gaskill

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