Elder Hammer

> Hello fam and friends,
> Well to start off this weeks letter i dont' know exactly what i was thinking when i got called to serve in Baltimore, but for some reason it just didn't register in my mind that it was gonna be kind of cold over here....well i woke up on sat. morning to snow! haha it's about 35 outside but it's great ha it sure makes it feel alot more like christmas thats for sure but riding the bike in snow isn't all that fun haha. What a great week though we have had. Thank you all for your prayers and support and just everything you do for me. Letters,packages, notes, prayers whatever it may be i really am so grateful for it. Thank you!
> Well to start off and most importantly the baptism of Loraine was this weekend and it couldn't have gone any better! She was there all dressed in white wiht just smiles on her face and i will have her picture engraved in my mine forever of how happy she was. We were talking a little bit before the baptism and she said that she didn't sleep the night beofre because she is so excited to get baptized. We had a really good first talk about baptism for a member from the presidency of the brancha and then his wife sang a song right before the baptism, "where love is" from the primary book. This lady had some pipes on her and man she just brought the spirit in there and loraine was just in tears ha it really was the greatest feeling in the world i was so happy. And then right after that was the baptism and she chose me to do the baptizing. It really was such a sweet experience. She was still in tears and she came up out of the water from the song and the smile she had was PRICELESS! We let her share her testimony after and she literally blew the room away ha i dont' think there was a dry eye in the room. She talked about how she needed spiritual help more than anything in her life and said that she has never felt the way she does now in her life. She said the minute she walked into the church that she knew this church was different and then she started to talk about the temple and the movie of joseph smith. I have never seen conversion like she had and she just filled that little room with the spirit. Her husband is kind of a bum and just didn't come because he didnt' want to and he really missed out on such an amazing experience. Loraine told us that her husband wasn't going to stop her from progressing and boy was she right. And then the best part, fast sunday yesterday she was the first person up to bear her testimony and once again she just blew the congregation away and after her about 5 other people got up and talked about there baptisms it was just way sweet to see. We were sitting in gospel principles before the teacher came in and she just looked and elder morales and i and said "thank you" and i don't think i've ever felt a more heart felt thank you in my life. Man i get the chills just thinking about it and about this weekend. Yeah it snowed and it was freezing! haha but that didnt' matter and it was the best to see her have a wonderful experience.
> This last week we had a Christmas 3 zone conference with a talent show and all that good stuff. It was so sweet and especially to be with a bunch of missionaries there was way fun. I know that i have said this many times before but seriously President Belliston is the man! He is so powerful and whwen he starts talking, there is power there. I really am so grateful to be here at this time in the mission.
> This week we said goodbye to Luis and Alejandra and had our last lesson together which was a little tuff, i was just sharing them the scripture in moroni 8:25-26 where mormon is telling moroni to stay firm in christ and i look up and alejandra is balling and then i started crying haha it was bad but a really special experience that i wont forget. Saying goodbye to them was really tuff but i know that they are going to do great there and will stay strong.
> We watched the christmas devotional last night at a less actives house and it was great. We watched it in spanish so i don't get every last thing but i'm suprising myself at how much i am understanding and being able to comprehend. It was great though i loved Pres. Monson's talk about do we have room for christ because that is exactly what they needed to hear because they are great people they just need a little kick in the butt. THey are from peru and fed us soem good peruvian food i was thinking about jon rog the whole time i can't believe eh's coming home on the 23rd that's crazy! Thank you so much aunt mitzie for the card i really enjoyed it so so much thanks a bunch! But ya this week really was just a good week.
> Reuben and richard our two other people that were on date to be baptized this saturday and next aren't on date anymore they didn't come to church on sunday but were gonna get over to both of them and set som new dates and make sure that they are progressing, which they are they just missed church ayer and they need a little kick in the butt as well haha
> Well everyoen i just want to say thanks again for all you do for me and for all your love.thanks to my pen pals, thanks for everyone and everything that you all do for me! Have a wonderful week and i will talk to you next week! I lov eyou all!
> Elder Hammer