Week 20

I want this car!!

Buenos Dias from Mexico!  

This week has been a really great week!  We had some really amazing experiences and I feel like we are progressing a lot.  First, I think that the experiences that Carter had were completely opposite of my experience on the 4th of July hahah.  That morning I wrote in my journal so I obvisiously knew it was 4 de julio but the thought never came into my mind that it was The 4th of July!  haha  So I conintued on with the day not knowing it was independence day until 3:00 when a memeber asked me how my 4th of July was and then I remember! hahah.  In the night before going to bed my companion and I drew an American flag on a napkin and said the pledge of allegiance ...well not really, he just listened to me and tried to understand what I was saying.  His English is getting better!  He really wants to learn English so he can go back to the Dominican Republic and work in a hotel.  Hopeful he will hook us up with a deal so we can go on vacation there!  Oh, and we also had classes de Ingles in the chapel in Friday night!  We are going to starting having English classes every Friday night and hope to be able to find new investigators that way.  

Yesterday Gerardo Jimenez and Hno Jesus were baptized.  There were 5 convert baptisms in the chapel yesterday!!  2 from our ward and 3 from the other mission!  The baptism of Gerardo was at 3:00 and it was such an awesome service!  We had the 2 baptisms in the same service!  Jesus in a man from the other misisonaries in our ward!  I felt the spirit so strong when he was baptized because he has made many mistakes in his life and I felt the forgiveness that he recieved that day!

And Gerardo.  He is pretty much the next bishop! haha...He is so prepared and is such a great leader!  His brother in law is the stake president of another stake and all of his family have been members for such a long time!  I think he just had a closed heart for so many years but finally the Lord has prepared him.  It feels so good to help in the process of this family becoming una familia eterna!  They are amazing!  About 2 months ago we had a zone activity in one of the huge markets in our zone.  We were in intercambios (dont know how to say that in ingles...exchanges?) that day with the zone leaders and we were contacting in the market and we contacted this family!  At first we didn't know that Ivonne (the wife of Gerardo) was a member because she has be less active for a year but then she told us that she was a member and we took their address and went to their house 5 days later.  Since then Ivonne and her kid and Gerardo have gone to church every sunday!  It is amazing to help a less active and and investigator at the same time!  In the baptismal service the stake president talked and he gave an amazing talk!  The spirit was so strong!  

Another experience this week!  We were teaching this lady named Maida.  We met her through her neighbors who are members and had a family home evening with her.  At first she told us that she got baptized when she was 5 in the church of Jesus Christ!  and my companion and I were like "what she must be confused with a differnet church but then she later told us that she was baptized when we was 8 and stopped going to church when we was 10.  She has 40 year inactive!  She has a son with a blood disorder or disease and he is stuck in his bed all day and has never been able to play futbol with his friends!  It is pretty sad.  We gave him a blessing 2 weeks ago and when we returned 3 days ago we walked in the house and saw him walking around and were so suprised!  The mom then expressed how grateful they were for our blessing because they knew that through their faith their son is being healed through the power of the Priesthood!  I testify that the power of the priesthood is real.  I know because I have seen it change lives like the life of this kid!  I cannot deny a testimony of the power of the priesthood like this. 

The experiences and opportunities that I am having here are amazing and I wouldn't trade them for anything ( not even an awesome firework show!) hhaha.

Love you all family!  Especially you, MOM and DAD!  You are such great parents!  I hope you know that!  Love you ALex!  and Cam all I can say is be safe! haha jk. 

Elder Quist

An Eternal Family 

Hey family - remember the Tacos and Beer restaurant!  Yeah it's amazing