Week 24 (11/07/11) - Just another week!

Elder Hammond and Elder Woodfield. Posing for the camera!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Hello Everyone!

I love you all! How is everyone??

I miss you all so much!!! I hope that you are doing lots of fun things in the snow up there! I LOVE THE SNOW!!!

So, I want to keep this letter a bit short today. I don’t really have much to say about the week except.... well, there was lots of sickness haha anyway! Here we go!

So, first things first, baptism.... we didn’t have Manuel’s baptism! We had everything planned for his baptism. We called him Monday night and asked if everything was good and if there was anything we could do and if he felt ready and excited about his baptism on Tuesday! He said, “Yeah! All good! All good!” Well, Monday was Halloween, right? And here they don’t really celebrate it the same way… they just drink and have parties! So Manuel decided to go to a party... he drank and smoked the night before he was supposed to be baptized.... Here in El Salvador, someone that is going to baptized has to be sober for 1 month before he can be baptized. So, it was really disappointing for that to happen! We have been trying to go back to talk to him but he either hasn’t been home, or sober, all week! Thank you so much for all your prayers and if you could please keep praying for him! He really is a great man, he just has an addiction... it is sad to see but I know that through the Lord, anything can change!!! So, keep praying for him please!!

Other than that, well, that is about the most exciting experience that has come about this whole week! My companion has had food poisoning for about 4 days and he has had to stay in the house and stuff!  I was able to leave with members and keep teaching though, so that is good! I think I got the same thing my companion got but it didn’t hit me as hard at least!!! haha I have been a bit sick and have been in the bathroom a bit but I’m not weak with a fever like my companion at least! haha I give thanks to all the vitamins I take everyday! Go Vitamin C! haha

One more thing! We will have a baptism this next weekend! We have 2 for sure - a girl that is 13 named Sarai and then a boy named Mario who is 11. Also, their mom might be baptized as well! The only problem is that she might have problems with the law of chastity that we need to work out! haha EVERYONE here has some sort of problem with that! Haha anyway! BAPTISM! Yay!!!!!! Pray for them as well please! We need all the help that we can get!

So guess what?! I don’t have much more to say today but I have my camera, and all the pictures have been put onto a cd so I can use the computer without worrying about deleting any! I will send lots of pictures to make up for the lack of cool stuff in my email sound good???

I love you all!!! I hope you are all doing great and that the snow isn’t too cold!!

Love you!

Elder Braden

The baptism of Familia Rivera and Reyez on 09/28 - this is the photo we were unsure of a few weeks ago!
Left to right - (top) little boy, Elder Encarnacion, Maria Elida Reyes, Patricia Reyez, Maria Rivera, Marvin Baca (member), Jose Rivera, Elder Woodfield (Braden!), Erasmo Reyez (bottom) Alejandro Reyez and Marvin Mendoza (member)

Familia Reyes - they had Family Home Evening (FHE) with this cute family a month ago (09/21)!

Cake at FHE 

Some of the boys of Familia Reyes

Carlos and his family at his baptism (10/08)

Erasmo and Elder Woodfield - Braden says he is "one of the most christlike and loving converts I have! He is amazing!!! I love him so so much!"

Erasmo, Braden, Alejandro (Erasmo's brother and also a recent convert!), and Gesenia (Carlos' sister) 

This is Marvin Baca, a member that helps the missionaries almost everyday, Braden says "He is such a christlike person! I love the members here!"

The Elders made homemade papusas...and this is our Elder showing his off! Yum!

Elder Hammon and Elder Woodfield. 

Studs.

This is another member named Marvin Esparanza! He loves helping the missionaries and they use him lots to help teach the people!