¡Christmas Time is Here!

¡Hola familia y amigos!

This week has been hard and amazing. I hope I´m learning all that I need too. We´ve had a lot of long days, some great contacts and lessons, and plenty of letdowns too. We´re working with a woman named Cecilia, the guy she´s living with, Marcelo, and her daughter, Jennifer. We found them in our list of former investigators. They had been taught some things, but weren´t ready to hear it then. Now, like a year later, they´ve become dissatisfied with their current church and search for the truth. We´ve been blessed to find them again in this moment, and we´re trying to help them realize that this is the correct and true church of Christ. Elder Jetsel and I think they are getting it. They have started to read, they´ve felt the Spirit in the lessons, and even asked questions like "What commandments would we have to live to be baptized?". They just need to come to church! We have high hopes for them.

We found another family this week. Monica, the grandma, her daughter Noelia, and a bunch of other kids/grandkids. We had a great first lesson with the help of the Spirit, but our return appointment isn´t until Thursday, so we really hope we can find them again. They are special.

Got to go! I love you all. I hope you´re having a great time getting ready for Christmas. May we all keep in mind the first and most important Gift. The Gift that was given in a dirty, smelly stable, who walked the dust of Galilee, who was whipped, bruised, and nailed to a cross for each and every one of us.

His name is Jesus Christ.

Con amor,

Elder Blake

Thanksgiving, Bautismo, y Navidad// So much to celebrate

¡Hola familia y amigos!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! This week there is plenty to be thankful for here in Marcos Paz 1. I am really grateful that Jesus Christ knows us perfectly, because He suffered for us individually, and He carries each of us from day to day, from breath to breath. None of our lives are easy, and we are not even close to perfect. We need him. We need him. I challenge you all to stop right here for 1 minute, think of a reason why you are grateful to Him, write it down, and put it somewhere you see it tonight and tomorrow. I´ll do it too.

...

Done. Here it is: He gives me strength to do the things He commands of me.

Your turn! I know that through Him and His Atonement we can always do those hard things in life. What a wonderful message.

So, thanksgiving here was basically a normal day of studying and proselyzing. But to celebrate, we ordered empenadas and papas fritas (french fries) from a little restaurant around the corner from our apartment. They were soo good, and my comp and I had a good time together.

Then, on Saturday we had a baptism. Juan A. Campodonico, an "eternigator" recently truly felt the Spirit testify to him that this is true. He is amazing, and we´re sure that he will be a great strength to the ward, his daughter (reactivating) and his wife (investigator). We are so glad to see him make this step in His life towards salvation  -  for that´s what it is, salvation. We know it, and that´s what we preach every day.

Also, you all NEED to (1) see, and (2) share a new program of the Church. It´s called "He is the Gift".http://www.mormon.org/christmas. I wish I had more time to tell you all about it, but go there, read it, study it, apply something you learn in your life, and then share it. It´s amazing.

I love  you all and am so grateful for you. 

Con amor,

Elder Blake