July 18, 2011

Dear Family,

An excellent week!!

So update on Fernando (our 78-year old stud). We went there on Tuesday and he gave us some bad news. He had gone on Sunday to a birthday party for his mom (98!!!) and it was a big family reunion. The topic of religion popped up and he told them how he was planning on getting baptized. That opened up a huge can of worms and they all ganged up on him telling him that he was disgracing his family by breaking the tradition of Catholicism that had existed since his great grandfather. When we got there on Tuesday he told us: "Bad news, my friends, I’m not going to get baptized." We listened intently as he told us what had happened. Then we explained to him that as far as religion is concerned, it’s not really a matter of preference, it’s either right or wrong. If it’s wrong, don’t follow it, but if it’s right, follow it, no matter what the consequence. We shared with him Mom’s conversion story, and then committed him to pray and seek an answer and then follow it, promising him that happiness would come by following that answer. We also invited him to come to church for the first time. We tried setting up a return appointment, but he said that he would tell us in church when to come by. So basically, everything hung on how church went. If it went well, we would be able to keep teaching him and he’d get baptized, if it went badly, I don’t think he was planning on setting up a return appointment. Well, we set up for José to take him to church and..... He loved it!! We’ve got an appointment with him on Tuesday, so I’ll let you know how he’s doing.

We met our new mission President this week. He’s super great! He’s young, he’s got 5 kids, and he’s about 45-50. He’s super direct and to the point. He gave us a wonderful conference on the doctrine of Christ.

My time to write is far spent, there is little remaining. I love you all tons! The church is true!!!

-Elder Spencer