What a wonderful way to begin a new year! Four of our investigators came to church yesterday and each one has a baptism date. Two of them sayed for all the classes and the other two fasted with us. Cristian is 16 years old and will be baptized this coming Saturday, the 10th of January. One of the young men in our ward, named Ivan, has been helping us visit Cristian and they have become really close friends. After studying the talk given by President Eyring the priesthood session, Preparatory Priesthood, Hermana WAllis and I thought that it would be a special experience for Ivan to baptize Cristian. He has never baptized anyone and is preparing to go on a mission in about a year. He is always a little timid and shy, but when we asked him I could tell he was suprised and felt priveleged for the oportunity. I am so grateful Cristian has such a great example as a friend in the church. I can see him serving a mission.
Daniela is 25 years old and is preparing to be baptized january 17th. She is progressing more eavery day and it has been beautiful to see her changce throughout this past month. I have so much fun with her, it feels like we are just great friends.
Mario is about 53 and completely prepared for baptism. He just needs to stop his smoking addiction. Yesterday he fasted with us to receive the strength to quit smoking, and for the first day in years he didnt smoke one cigarrett!
It is amazing to see how the Lord has prepared teh people here in Talcauahno to receive teh gospel. I feel so blessed to have the privelege to be an instrument in the Lords hands to build the kingdom of God.
Because it is a new year, I have been setting goals and one of them is to be more dilligent is speaking spanish all of the time. (sometimes its difficult when you live with 3 other gringas) I was studying the chapter in Preach My Gospel about language study and my perspective changed a little bit. It said, Make learning the language or receiving the gift of tounges a spiritual experience. Do all that you can to learn and pray for the gift to be with you. Never stop improving! I have really tried to put this into practice this week and have spoken Spanish all of time, been more dillegent in my language studies, and tried to do everything I can to improve. As i pray for the gift of tounges I can see the help of the lord in my life. I am understanding so much better than ever before and many people have commented on how good my accent is and how well I can speak for the time I have. It was a special lesson I learned this week. I know that as we set goals to improve, fulfill our part, and pray for the strength to achieve them, we will be blessed the with grace and enabling power of the atonement.
I hope you all had a wonderful new year! Thank you for you love and support. Have a great week!
Con amor,
Hermana Parkin