Well...we've had a great week! We have been praying harder than I have ever prayed in my entire life to be able to baptize this month, and it looks like some prayers are being answered! This investigator that I explained last week (If you don’t know about her…shame on you! Go read last week’s letter!), Patty, has been really progressing! We have been visiting with her, and she has been reading the BoM, but we were getting really stressed, cuz it’s the last week of the month, and we still haven’t baptized! And if I haven’t made this clear yet…I REALLY WANT TO BAPTIZE THIS MONTH. But, this week at church, her husband came up to us and said, “Well…she wants to get baptized, but she just doesn’t know what the next step to take is!” YEEESSS!!!!!!!! Or…SIIIIIII!!!!! (Doesn’t translate…for the record.) So last night we went over and talked about the baptismal interview questions. She said everything was good, and that she wants to baptize herself (Inside joke for those Spanish speakers out there.). So, we challenged her with a date for this Sunday! The 30th of September! She kinda got a little closed up, saying that it was really close, and that she didn’t know if she wanted to rush it that fast…so I just told her…” Look at it this way. Don’t think about the baptism on the 30th of September, think about the fact that on the 30th of September, 2013, you and your husband can be sealed to your two little daughters (SO cute) for time and all eternity.” That seemed to open her up a little bit, and she said she’d pray and see what answer she gets! So we’re going by tonight, and hopefully we’ll be baptizing her this Sunday! I’M SO EXCITED!!!
I made a new friend this week! His
name is Francisco! He’s a drunk! Every time he sees me, he stares at me, walks
up really fast to me, and starts poking me, usually in the nametag. Then he
starts saying the phrase, “What’s up shorty?” over and over. Him and I have
really cultivated a relationship, I feel. Honestly…I haven’t seen him in three
or four days, and I’m starting to get a little nervous about him!
Yesterday we went to Antigua,
Guatemala as a zone! It was a lot of fun! There is a tradition among
missionaries that we have to go to the Mono Loco restaurant to get nachos every
time we go to Antigua! So…that’s what we did! They are DELICIOUS! Antigua is a
lot of fun, cuz there are always a lot of gringos there and it’s fun to hear
their stories! In that picture, I’m sitting in front of Elder Rivas, who is
from Belize. He and I talked about Belize all day long. I’ve never wanted to
go to another country more than I did yesterday. I don’t know how, but I’m going to
Belize before I die. Also, we went to a museum of jade! Like…the mineral! It
doesn’t sound like a ton of fun, but the tour guide there really knew his
audience! He taught us all about the history of the Book of Mormon and the
history of the Mayans and how it lines up PERFECTLY. It was really interesting!
We went into this room that was all black lighted (I’m not entirely sure why,
but it was.) and all the white shirts were pretty funny. This picture in front
of the Mayan god type thing is in that room. The flash was obviously ruining
all the black light effect, so I have a video of it. But you gotta wait to get
the SD card! HA! The guy I’m with is one of our Zone Leaders, Elder Lagos, from
Honduras. Love him.
We were teaching a lesson this week
with a youth from our ward named Oscar. He’s getting ready to go on his mission,
and he’s a really cool kid. We were teaching the Sabbath day, and how working
is a SIN. We had gotten everything smoothed out, and she said that she wasn’t
going to work this Sunday, and that she’d come to church! Awesome! But then
Oscar opened his mouth. He said, “Look…God knows your heart. If you absolutely
have to work, it’s not that big of a deal, because God knows what you want to
be doing!” NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Or…in Spanish, NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! (That one
translates) Guess what? She didn’t come to church! Cuz God knows her heart!
Gah! Someday he’ll go out with a youth from his ward, and he’ll get his just
rewards!
Had some funny experiences with people
on busses this week. I had gotten done preaching to the bus, and was going
around asking people for their addresses so we can go by another day. I asked
one guy, and he looked at me, spit on the floor, and started YELLING at me
about how much he hates Americans cuz he got deported. How racist we are, and
how racist I am for being in his country. So I had a delightful conversation
with him, and the very next guy was pretending to be asleep, so I pretended to
wake him up and asked for his address. He started yelling at me too! Yay! He
asked, “WHO GAVE YOU THE AUTHORITY TO BE ASKING FOR NAMES AND ADDRESSES?!
WHO!?!?!” I wanted to tell him a living Prophet of God did, but I didn’t think
we were going to get anywhere. He then told me about how much of a business
this is and asked me how much money I make every week for doing this. I think
he was a little put out when I told him missionaries actually have to pay to be
missionaries. Poor guy. But…they’re sons of God too! Gotta at least try!
Well…that’s all I got! I love hearing
that people enjoy reading these! Thanks for all of your support and prayers!
Know that I love all of you!
Pegram-Love you man. Keep fighting the good fight. Also, I want an invitation.
Pegram-Love you man. Keep fighting the good fight. Also, I want an invitation.
I didn’t want it to come to this, but
BRENNA DUNLOP!!! WRITE ME DANGIT!!! *Read with all the love you can muster, but
with a strong voice.*
Con demasiado amor,
Elder Hopper
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