We have a baptism this week, my first!

Last week, after I wrote Sarah that I had Dengue my companion was like "Hermana Willes, she’s going to tell your mom and then your mom is going to be so worried about you! Have Hermana Willard tell her everything is alright!” haha :) So, sorry about that! I had Dengue, but down here it is like the common cold.  Mostly, it just makes you super tired and your whole body hurts.  So, I basically didn’t have my brain at all when I wrote last week! But, I rested and am feeling a whole lot better, so no worries!

First off, thanks to everyone who has sent me packages! Wendy, Marianne, Mamoo, and Tami! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Mom, when I got the package with the candles and the cereal (thank you, thank you, thank you for everything in that package, it was absolutely wonderful) my companion was like "Hermana Willes, I want your mom.  Your mom es tan buena!"  I especially loved it because I had Dengue!  Every week lately my zone leaders have packages for me and today my zone leader said "Hermana Willes, the pouch really is just the pouch of Hermana Willes!" So thank you so much to everyone, it really does mean so much to me!

This week was awesome!  We had a zone conference, with our zone and my old zone, so I got to see everyone! It was awesome! We talked about repentance and President Willard asked me to bear my testimony! During the conference, we talked about the importance of learning English for the latinos, so I bore my testimony in Spanish and then a latino elder bore his testimony in English! It served as such a reminder that the most important language is the language of the spirit.  My companion and I have been practicing English in the calles (streets), and it’s actually been really fun.  She was teasing me, though, because I would just start speaking in Spanish without realizing it and she would say "In English, in English!" And then I would say something in English, but then switch back into Spanish.  Especially when I talk about the gospel, it`s hard to speak in English because everything I teach about the gospel is in Spanish.  I'm so grateful to be serving down here and see the Lord work His miracle with the gift of tongues everyday!

We also had a conference just for the Hermanas on Friday and it was awesome! I got to see Hermana Adams, which is always a plus! In the conference, Hermana Willard talked about her mission and then told us that if we wake up everyday with the idea that today is going to be the best day, there is very little that can make us unhappy.  She is so awesome and so is President Willard!

My companion and I are working super hard right now.  We have eleven people with a baptismal date.  I love love love my companion because we both just want to work with all we have! We have this one family that is del oro (golden)! They have a son that is about eleven and he is incredible.  Everytime we teach them he has questions and he always asks us to come back the next day.  He’s awesome!

We have a baptism this week, my first! I’m so stoked! His name is Daniel and he’s 16.  The other day we were teaching him and the spirit was so strong.  He’s been going to the capital (church) for five years, but hasn’t been baptized.  He knows it’s true, but he lacks confidence that he knows it’s true.  The other night we taught him and we, along with a member, and all bore our testimonies of Joseph Smith and the Restoration.  The spirit was so strong and I can’t wait for Saturday!

This area is great, the work is really progressing and I just love being a missionary! The church is true and the book of mormon really has the power of God.  I’m starting Alma in Spanish and my testimony has been strenghtened so much, because I feel the same spirit when I read it in Spanish that I do when I read it in English! It really is the work of God, no matter what language!

 

Love you all! Hurrah for Israel!

Hermana Willes