Week 49 - The week where we start going hard!!

This week was actually super solid! First of all Elder Vega and I get along super great and he is a good missionary but also super fun to have around!

He is in fact taller than me. He`s been a member his whole life but his family inactivated when he was like 13 or 14, but he kept going to church every week himself like a capo! He is also a really good soccer player and so therefore I continue learning more and more about how to play! Its super great! Honestly today for our zone activity we played soccer and the team I was on was such a Dream Team, it was ridiculous! We won multiple games in a row. It just felt so weird though because even I was able to do cool stuff during the games that were filled with Latinos that were born playing soccer. It was so fun! 

 

Well the other thing I really enjoy about Elder Vega is that I finally got my wish granted. I have a companion that has worked well with members! Our mission is taking a HEAVY change of focus to that as far as getting the people to come to church, and more importantly, stay in church. He's already been throwing down lots of ideas and quite frankly I'm just getting pumped. The mission also changed the number of attendances required to be baptized from 3 to 2. So many interesting things happening! 

 

As far as the people we're teaching update. S. came to church on Sunday which was super awesome. That was now her second church attendance, and we're already planning on getting some members to help us out with her keep her wanting to come to church as she continues learning. M. and Y. accepted a baptismal date and we were super sure they were going to come to church this Sunday but they didn't. Nonetheless, we have our new plans made of involving the members to help people "Come and See." Their baptismal date is now for the 29th of June. 

 

Last cool little update, we found out that there is an 11-year old kid that is nephew to our Branch President who has wanted to get baptized for awhile, but just barely, his parents actually gave him the permission to do it! We're probably going to start teaching him this week which is super exciting for us! Miracles are happening here in Tranqueras. His name is J. 

 

Well finally, let's just say I can understand why the focus of the mission has shifted to getting the people to come to church. This Sunday was a little crazy for me. Our Branch President called us at 8:30 to let us know that he wasn't going to be able to make it to the sacrament meeting. Suddenly, I found out I had to preside and direct the meeting, lead the music, do both sacrament prayers so Elder Vega could pass it because by presiding the meeting I had to take it first. Then we had to give the Sunday School lesson. So yeah! Can I just say though, I don't know why, maybe it was just the Lord preparing me to understand the importance of the coming changes of focus in the mission, but I had an undeniably strong feeling of the Spirit the entire time I was in the church despite the craziness in trying to get everything planned for the meeting. I know that the church is the only true church of Jesus Christ on the earth, therefore one of the most important things we can do is go to the meetings with a prepared heart and listen intently to the messages/testimonies and classes. That is what will fortify us more than anything else to take on the week. 

 

I love you all! Nos vemos!

-Elder Martin

He managed to get some pictures sent, but his internet connection failed after that so I didn't get any info about the pics.

Elder Vega and Elder Martin at the church

He has mentioned that their house is pink, 

so I'm guessing this is a picture of the back of their house

 Well, this is not OK!!!!

Elder Vega and Elder Martin