2009_06_22 Week 12 Valencia Mom

Dear Curtis,

I hope you have had a really great week. Were you able to baptize Shirley and Esther? Please tell us about the baptisms.

We didn’t have the baptisms because we couldn’t get Shirley’s mom to sign the form so that she could be baptized. But we are going to try really hard to get the permission this week so that we can baptise her this week.

Did the family Cuella attend church this week? Are they progressing towards baptism?

The familia Cuello, they really aren’t progressing. It is kinda sad, but I think we are going to have to stop visiting them because they aren’t progressing, but we are going to see what happens this week.

Are you teaching anyone else that is progressing well?

We received the reference for the familia Zambrano. The mom is a member, but the father and the six girls aren’t members. There are three girls that are old enough to be baptized, so we have four baptism dates with this family now for July 11th. They really want to learn and to bebaptized, so I think that this family is going to get baptized. I really hope so.

How is Oscar doing? In the photo there is a woman next to Elder Castañeda. Is that Oscar’s mom?

Yes

I think you said she is a member.

Yes

Is she active now?

Yes, but sometimes she doesn’t come to church, because she sells vegetables for a living in the marcet and she sells Sundays, too. But she has hired another lady to sell for her on Sundays,but sometimes the lady doesn’t show up so she has to stay to sell instead.

How is Elder Castañeda doing? Are you helping him to want to work harder?

Yeah, we are working a lot harder now than when we first started. Part of it is that we had Zone Conference and that really motivated us to work harder.

Did you teach any really great lessons this week? Tell us about your teaching.

I taught the first lesson that Clain received to the Zambrano family and they could really understand that they need to pray to find out if the church is true or not.

Did Hermana Gamboa come and inspect your apartment? Some of the other missionaries mentioned it in their emails.

Yeah she came and she inspected. Our apartment is really pretty clean. I wasn’t a custodian for a year for nothing!

Were you able to pass the written test for the Maestro?

I didn’t take the test. I still need to do more activities in “Preach My Gospel” before I can take the test.

How did your interview with President Gamboa go?

It was good.

How long are the interviews?

They are ten minutes or shorter. They aren’t long at all.

Does he teach you anything while you are meeting together?

No. We just talk about what has been happening in the sector, if I have any questions, how our investigators are doing.

What did the Assistants to the President teach you at the Zone Conference?

That we need to invite everyone to be baptized. It was really cool.

Did they take photos of the Zone? Can you send me a photo of your zone?

No, because the Assistants haven’t sent me the one that they took, but when I have it I will send it.

We still have not received your package. I hope it comes this week. I thought for sure it would come last week while Clain was at EFY, and it would be addressed to him so we would have to wait a whole week till he got home, but it didn’t come at all. I mailed three more packages to you on June 8th. They are for your birthday. I imagine they will arrive early, but I would rather you had them early than late. Is there anything you need or want in the next package?

Can you send me three more pair of garments? They are the Drilux and they are large talls in the shirt and the boxer oh and send the ones that have the high neck, not the low neck like dads.

Transfers will be next week again, but I imagine you will probably stay where you are for a while. Did the mission president say anything to make you think otherwise?

I don’t think that I will go anywhere this change, but the Zone Leader, Elder Verastagui keeps saying that he thinks that I am going to be District Leader, so I don’t know what will happen.

Hi Curtis,

Are the garment bottoms Drilux, too? What size are the bottoms? Don't they usually come in a number waist size? I thought you could order them through the mission. It is no problem to send them, though.

I am glad you had a good week, but sad about your baptisms not working out. What happened with Esther?

The bottoms are Drilux, too. They are size 36-38 or large and they need to be tall too. I am pretty sure that the Drilux only comes in boxer bottoms, but double check, because I don’t like the briefs. We can order them through the mission or we could until the President of Ecuador closed the country to imports from Colombia, so the garments aren’t coming into Ecuador. So we can’t order what isn’t here.

Esther went to Guayaquil because her daughter was sick with dengue and was in really bad shape. So we couldn’t baptise her, but we will keep trying to arrange for her baptism.

It is exciting that you might become a District Leader. You will be a great one, I am sure. We are very proud of you. You have had a lot of leadership opportunities, so I know you will be ready for the challenge.

We will keep praying for your investigators by name and hope that it will make a difference. Have you tried fasting for help with your investigators? Sometimes that helps. Lots of prayer and a little fasting will go a long way to helping them progress. We will try to help you from this end. You are always in our prayers. Hard work also goes a long ways, so work till you are dead dog tired at the end of each day. And be completely obedient. When you are following every rule exactly, the Lord will bless you for your faithfulness.

I love you so much. I have to go now and drive to Cache Valley to tend Taylor. I should have left an hour ago. Oh well. I just finally got the chart sent to the printer. It will be awesome. I know Grandma and Grandpa are going to love it. It is not perfect, but it is a labor of love and they will appreciate that.

Have a really great week. I love you so very much and I am so very proud of you and the work you are doing. Take care.

Love always and forever,
Mom