January 24, 2011

I am using a Ubuntu Computer today! I know that does not mean anything to nearly any of you, but it is what I used for my computer. The problem is they do not have all the stuff they should have like the English keyboard and I do not know the password so I can not fix it. If it sounds weird the way I am talking, it is because there is no apostrophe on the keyboard setting that they have. So, I am not exactly as excited as I thought I would be. Oh well.

The mission is going really well. We are having quite a bit of success here. We have 3 baptisms this week, Luis, Mainor, and Alex. Luis and Mainor are brothers and Alex is their cousin. We have been working with them for 3 weeks now and fighting against everything to get them to their baptism. Friends making fun of them and Moms telling them that they should wait for months or even a year before deciding to be baptized. We have been trying to keep their mind keen on the feelings of the spirit that they have received as their answers. It has been frustrating talking to them and them saying they will be baptized, and then coming back and them telling us that they want to wait for a couple of months. Then we teach them again and they decide they want to be baptized this Saturday as we planned. This has happened 3 times now. Each time I feel the spirit testifying of the truth. Today we have another cita with them to see if they still want to do it this week or if they have changed their mind again to wait. I hope not because we are running out of things to say to help them feel that it is something they should do. I think I have studied harder, fasted with more purpose, and stressed more this week than I think I have in my entire life. I cannot wait until they have been baptized. I think they all are going to go on a mission. It is extremely exciting to me to think of what they might be able to do as missionaries with such a testimony they already have. They just need to pass this tough test, win their battle with Satan. For the first time on my mission since my first baptisms, I feel like they are ready to be baptized. And, I am not going to let it end there. We're determined to teach the rest of their families. Luis has a brother who is married. We met him the last time we were there when we were struggling with the mom trying to convince her that he was ready... That was part of the problem though that we were trying to convince. This next lesson is going to be intense. Wish me luck.

Love,

Elder Landon James Crapo