{family}

Hey family and friends!
Jordo here from the Dirty and what an amazing week this week has been. I have learned so much this week and man we are just thriving in the MD right now. Things are going really well for me and my companion and most of all were happy. The mission is a roller coaster ride but were have such a blast and getting to work. Thank you all this week for your letters and love. It really meant a lot to me and i know that there were prayers out there in my behalf and i just want to say thanks to you all so much. I can feel them in my life and i just am grateful for the support always! Thank Hermana dean for your letter its so great to hear from you guys. Thanks fam for all your letters this week they were the best! Halloween was crazy here people are a little whacky on the east coast haha we had to be in at 6 and we did our weekly planning and then we just ended up getting all the stuff ready for the baptism haha but no one knocked on our door, maybe the big picture of christ scared them away ahah but a member took us to dinner before so that was alright, i guess holidays just turn into another day when your a missionary haha Well to get right into things....
Luis and Alejandra were baptized yesterday! and yours truly did the baptizing! Wow where do i begin with yesterday and how alejandra got to be baptized ha well friday night we had a ward halloween party and they came and after they had their baptismal interview from one of the members of the mission presidency who speaks spanish. Going into the interview alejandra said she needed more time but she came out of the interview and she said she was going to be baptized! man i dont' know what president mcginn said to them but they came out of there with a glow on their faces, and i knew that they were ready. Then we asked who they wanted to baptise them and they said me so i was happy about that. But one thing now that i've done both is that it doesn't matter who does what because it's not us doing it were just their for the lord and their for the people. But it was fun to be the one doign it though i'm not gonna lie. Ha and to do it in spanish was so sweet. THe whole baptismal service was in spanish and i just was so happy about that because we are in an english ward but everythign was geared towards luis and alejandra and it couldn't have gone any better. Ha they were both scared of the water and didn't exactly know what to do but we got them down in there and i just kept saying to myself please don't mess this up haha and i didn't so it went well and they were both baptized! What a miracle it is to see them baptized. they have been investigating the church for about 10 months now and a few months ago when i first got here they were about ready to be dropped. But we kept on them and didn't lose the hope and here they are members of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. When me and luis were in changiing out of our wet clothes we got dressed and we had a suit for him because he usually just wears jeans and a button up shirt with no tie, but we brought him all the stuff and i was helping him tie his tie and he looked at himself in the mirror after we were finished and he said "hay un diferente luis" that means in english "there's a different luis" man when i heard him say that i was so happy. He knew what he had just done and it was so sweet to be able to know that it meant that much to him. We gave them the chance to bear their testimonies to everyone and Alejandra just cried through hers and i love when people cry cause it means they are sincere and are feeling it. The night could not have been any better and these two the best. I can't beleive a few months ago we went from almost dropping them to them both being baptized it was so sweet!
On to other good news and a cool experience yesterday as well was with alan. yesterday was fast sunday and i got up and bore my testimony and then after i did alan went up. Last fast sunday we said to each other that we were gonna go up next month together but i totally forgot. But i did ok (very little tearage i might add). And then alan got up and started talking and man the tears came. He got up there and just bore his testimony about being spoiled, not with cars, money, mcdonalds haha yes he did say mcdonalds from the pulpit and then he said the classic line "who needs mcdonalds, i had rice and beans" haha he got quite a few laughs from that. But as i was sitting there watching my 1st baptism stnad up after blessing the bread and get up and bare his testimony, it was the greatest feelign in the world because i knew that he knew that this was everything. To have a recent convert and then soon to be baptized sitting there right next to me was everything. THis is why i am here and to see these people just get so happy it's the best!
I can't describe how hard some of these days out here are, but its days like yesterday where you see people take the first step, or a recent convert share a powerful testimony and then to look at yourself and see the growth individually, man it makes those terrible wet cold crappy days all worth it! There is nothing that i could ask for more in my life than what i have. I have the gospel at the forefront of everything i do and i get to be around people who have nothing, who can't see past terrible days, and can't see past the world. We are so blessed people, SO BLESSED! I know that this letter has been a little shorter but were running out of time but i just wnat you to all know that i know this gospel is happiness! there is nothing more than i could ask for out here or in my life. I am so grateful for all or you for your love and for your support. Thanks to me pen pals your the best! I love to hear from all of you and i hope all is well with all that you are doing. I love you all and i love this work. I am so happy and loving it here in the dirty! Les amo mucho
con mucho amor elder hammer