{hola}

Hello fam and friends!
It's so great to be back here writing you about the amazing week we had this past week. I dunno what it is but the weeks just seem to be getting better adn better and they are going faster and faster ha that part is kinda scary. But man did fall come in a hurry the leaves are changing colors here and its really beautifull here right now. There aer so many trees and so many colors that i hope fall can last all the way to spring and we wont even have to go through the winter haha i'm a bit nervous for the winter here cause i'm so weak when it comes to the cold stuff but that's alirght it's nice right now and thats all that matters! Thank you all for your letters this week adn for the packages as well i appreciate them so much and they just are great to hear a little piece of everyone elses lives going on right now. But i can't say enough how thankful i am for them.
Well the big news for this week is that Luis is getting baptized next sunday! after church. Him and his wife came to church again together yesterday and it was so great to see both of them there. We met with them quite a few times this past week and it has been great to read with them and see them grow. We put his wife on date and then last week she said she wasn't ready and so we tried to talk to her about what was holding her back, so we finally figured it out that she sings in the choir at the catholic church and she is affraid that if she joins the church that they wont let her sing in it anymore. Oh the struggles of not having a spanish branch with a spanish choir. Ha but that is our struggle with her right now because she has such a strong testimony and when we erad the scriptures together she is always the first one to point out a scripture that she liked the most or how we can apply it in our lives. It is really cool to see them change. They have been kinda ify this whole time until we started implying the book of mormon in their lives. I know now that the book of mormon is the key to conversion, without reading that book these people will never feel the need to change and can never know that the gospel is true. I am really starting to realize that need and the amazing power the Book of mormon has to change people's lives.We want them so badly to be baptized together because that would be so good for them but we just are gonna have to see what happens this week but luis is on and next time i email you all we will have another new member in the church! i am so excited! Yesterday was the primary program in the church and the little kids were singing and saying there talks and all that and it was so great, and i looked over at Alejandra and she was just balling her eyes out. They have 3 kids a 8 5 3 year old and they live in chicago with their grandma. i dont' know why i haven't really asked but she was hurting yesterday watching all those little kids, i felt so bad for her because i know that must be so so tuff, but at the same time i know that gospel is exactly what she needs and that can be her so called refuge from missing her kids. We have a lot of work to do with both of them this week but i will hopefully have the best news for you guys next monday that they were both baptized together.
Alan is doign great! he blessed the bread and water in sacrament yesterday and said his prayer perfectly! I was so happy for him cause he was so nervous before he went up there to do it. I know that the lord answers our prayers cause i was praying the whole time that he would be able to get through it and he did. And i know that it was a good experience for him so that he will want to do it again and again.He really is such a stud and i know that i'll be in contact with him for a long long time. His mom just found out that she might have thyroid cancer and i think that is throwing alan for a whirl, but elder caballero and i haven't been able to invite her to talk with us, but i think after hearing the bad news that might be a hint fromt he man upstairs saying get in there and teach her. I know that she's worried and alan is too and we are excited this week to try and talk with her and try to get to her heart. She's a catholic and they are tuff! haha
Well i wanted to share an experience that we had this week that i will probably never ever forget and might just be one of the best experiences that i have had on the mission. So the other night we went up to Brooklyn park to visit some people that have been taught but alot of them aren't progressing and our spirits were a little down. We went to a house of a man named edwin who has been taught for quite some time and isn't progressing. The last time we were over there was when i was on exchanges with our distirict leader and we had left him with a chapter to read and we got there and he hadn't read and i was really frustrated and just wanted to leave. But the last tiem we were there we asked him to pray and he said no but he promised me that the next time he would pray, so we were frustrated and wanted to leave so we said alright well your gonna at least say the prayer, and the excuses started flowing that he couldnt' and didn't know how and that the other people in his house might here him and all this, and we just kinda threw that aside adn said can we kneel so we knelt down and said alright will you say that prayer and he wouldn't, and just keep saying no you do it. We sat there on our knees and argued back and forth with him for about 30 minutes no joke and then i said alirght well i will right it down for you on a piece of paper and so we got back on the couch and i wrote how to start and end on a piece of paper and we gave it to him and got back down on our knees and he was still in his chair and something just keep saying to me don't give in and say it. And so he was sitting in the chair with his hat on and elder caballero said will you take off your hat and kneel and he did and he was just staring at the paper. We said alright you say it, and we folded our arms and closed our eyes. And we waited.......and waited....and waited about 2 or 3 minutes no joke! The whole time i was just praying with everything i had that he would feel the spirit and pray and just do it i've never prayed so hard for somethign in my life. And i opened my eyes a few tiems to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep but he was just staring at the paper. and i closed my eyes and kept praying and then i heard the 3 best words of the missions thus far "nuestro padre celestial" thats our father in heaven in english! He did it! He prayed and i jsut wnated to scream for joy. It was so cool to see him feel the spirit and just do it! I couldn't believe it and now there is a whole new attitude about him and he took that huge leap of faith and we are excited about him. Ha yesterday in my talk i told that story and i just cried through it. hA You would think that i could quit being a softy and not cry but no i think my emotions are on high out here! But it was such an amazing experiece and one that i will never forget. The lord works miracles and sometime it takes patience 30 minutes of going back and forth and 2 or 3 minutes of silence but the spirit came and it worked! I know the lord answers our prayers no doubt in my mind because he does it daily!
Fam and friends it's been great to write you and tell you whats going on oh yeah we had zone conference this weeka nd that was so sweet our mission pres is just a man of god i can't say much more than that. And oh yeah saturday we were on our bikes and i'm not kidding a TERRENTAIL DOWNPOOR came upon us i thought we were gonna get flooded like noah. You could dump the water out of my shoes it was rediculous and we were so soaked! Ha just another day in paradise right? haha i love it here everyday is an adventure and a learning experience and i can't beleive that 4 months have come and gone. crazy stuff. But i love you all thanks to all of you who wrote and write me and my pen pal. I love you so much for your love and support out here. Things are great in the dirty and i hope you all have a great Halloween! I will talk to you all real soon. The church is true and i am convinced that without a doubt this is not me doign anything out here, this is the lords work. The church is true and waht a blessign it is for all of us in our lives. I love you guys. Singing off from the Dirty! Les amo
Elder Hammer