January 7, 2014

Hello my dearest family and friends.

 

This has been a great week! MUUUUCH less stressful from the last one. I've never been happier for christmas to be OVER!!!

 

So, this week on new years eve, we got home. I had to go number one, so I ran to the bathroom before we started planning. I was telling my companion about some nasty freaky health story I had heard from the mission. If you want more details...I'll tell you in a few months. Well, he said it was gross, and we kept going on with our lives. We knelt down to pray to start our planning session, and about half way through the prayer, he just passes out! Just goes head first into the floor! It was...really scary!!! Then, while he was passed out on the floor, he started making these wretching throwing up sounds! It was...REALLY SCARY!!! But, as I shook him awake, he popped his eyes open and seemed even more scared than I was..."WHAT?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" I just looked at him and said, "DUDE. YOU PASSED OUT. WHAT THE CRAP!!?!?!" He said he was just fine, but...we gave him a blessing just in case. The nurse said that he was just dehydrated, but he's positive that it was the story I had told him. So we don't share those stories anymore. But it was a good time!

 

We had a straight up miracle baptism this weekend! We've been working with this little kid named Carlitos for a while now. He's nine, and he always comes to church, but his mom never wanted him to get baptized...well, this week she gave him permission! I have had a goal since the beginning of my mission that I would be able to baptize with all of my companions, but I was worried about Elder Heartel...well...don't have to worry anymore! Baptism achieved! I only need 7 more to meet the goal I put for myself for baptisms! Two months to go!



Carlitos
 

 

Bible theology for the day brought to you by Galatians 5:9 - A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.  Now...I know what you're thinking. What does this have to do with ANYTHING?! But just think about how true the Bible is! A little leaven really DOES leaven the WHOLE lump! The WHOLE LUMP! What a blessing. I love the word of God.

 

Well, from that I'll go to a real spiritual thought. We are teaching this guy named Eligio. He's...well...lets say he's walked in the world. Pretty hard. Drugs, using and selling, LOTS of girls, killed a few people, the works. Well...he wants to change, and he has been acting like it. We have taught him all the commandments that are necessary for him to be baptized, and we were going over them again on Sunday night. I felt the need to testify about the commandments. I told him, "Look...I know what it is like to hang out in the world (Even though not quite as much as you), and one can have a LOT of fun there, but it's not the same peace that one can find doing these things that we are teaching you. I LOVE the commandments, because they are the way that God has taught us to get back to Him." And as I said that, I realized that I am REALLY grateful for the commandments! I really am! They really are the way to get back to God! The only way! At times I almost wish we had more! But if we follow the commandments we have, we WILL be happy! It's a for sure thing! Happiness! It requires a bit of discipline, but you'll be happy. I'm just so grateful for that!

Love you all. Hope you have a great week! Talk to you soon!
Love,

Elder Hopper