This one makes me laugh quite a bit. Me da risa. Elder Rodriguez has forgotten his placa (plaque or name tag) tons of times, but this time he forgot his tie :) I knew it but didn't tell him until we got a little bit away from the house. Oh the good times of training and of being a missionary ;) I love Elder Rodriguez!
Hey all you out there,
How is everybody?! I will have to say that this elder is happy! :) I am so happy and I know exactly why! :)
This week was a great week - start of a new change. Many things are going to happen this change. Elder Rodriguez and I want to baptize 4 people this change, and anything is possible with God verdad? :) We have a baptism planned for this Saturday, Celeste and Valery Franco. They are sisters. They are so intelligent even though they are young! I am so impressed with them. God truly prepares His children to receive His gospel. So we will have the privilege of seeing them be baptized on Saturday. Yovanka will be baptized on the 31st. Then Arquimedes, the brother who has his daughter on a mission in Brazil, he will be baptized the 26th of August. This is the next change. I hope that they let me stay to see him be baptized. But those are the 4 fechas that we have. We are planning on putting another fecha this next Sunday, so that will be before this change too. The work is going forward! :) and I can testify that it isn't me or Elder Rodriguez.
Our district is doing really well too. We have the Z Ellas, or leader sisters, and another companerismo of sisters. They all have a lot of time and know what they are doing really well. We are going to baptize so much this change! :) Truly we will see miracles. I am stirred by the words of Moroni about faith in Ether. It is by faith that Lehi and Nephi brought the miracle upon the Lamanites of thousands of baptisms. It is by faith that Ammon and his bretheren brought that change upon the Lamanites. I am stirred in my heart by those words and know that if we have faith, we can do all things which are expedient of Jesus Christ:)
An elder from Wyoming that came to the Panama mission 4 weeks before me but we both have the same time, Elder Teichert is now my ZL and he is great. We are going to teach English classes on Saturdays. It will be fun. :) He is a great elder.
The Spanish is coming along. Sometimes it is hard and I am humbled truly. But it is coming really well. With Elder Rodriguez, we are talking a ton so I am able to talk a lot faster and the words run off my tongue a lot smoother. It's becoming easier to read also. I am working every day to be better. It's coming great. :) Slowly but surely, like President Uchdorf said in his talk about patience with learning English a couple conferences ago.
The attendance has been over 70 for the last 2 weeks. People are coming to church! :) I had an impression one day, it was on Thursday now that I think of it, to go to a certain house of a less-active family to see how they work or to do something. We walked by it and I wanted to go but Elder Rodriguez didn't think so. So we visited some other houses, but when we came back to the house, I just felt like we should, so we did. We came and sooner or later we talked with one of the dads of the families that lived in the house. We talked and talked, about his days as an active and all the great things he did for the jovenes, the youth, and his life now. He then asked us suddenly, "Why did you guys come? I have always told elders to come and they haven't." We then told him how we just had an impression to come to see him. He then talked about his daughter and how she will be ready to be baptized in August. I then had an impression that he needed to baptize her, not us. So I told him that we would be pleased and honored to teach her and do everything, but that we thought it would be best if he baptized her. He then started crying. He said it was his dream to do that. He hasn't gone to the church for 9 years and isn't married to his wife. So we have to help him get married first and help him come to church. Just from one visit, we found a baptism and are helping someone change their life and come back to the fold. Whenever I see a miracle like this, I just think in my mind, 'Great is the work, My God, my King!'
Everything is going well, I am loving Elder Rodriguez more and more. We are becoming great friends and are having some great experiences together. I hope that after this change they will keep me here with him and the area. I love it out here!
It is hard many times, but the times when I pray and when I feast upon the Book of Mormon, without fail, I always am happy and feel prepared to face the day. I have begun to read the Book of Mormon backwards, read the books backwards, starting in Moroni and reading until the front - not the chapters backwards, but reading in the books, then moving forward to the next one. I have found so many wonderful things and hidden treasures that I didn't see before. I am reading it in less than 90 days. And with the things I have learned and the happiness I have experienced while doing it, I think I will do this the rest of my life! :) I didn't know what I was missing before. Truly, I know, without a doubt, that this book is of Christ. I know it. :) How merciful is Christ to make these things known unto us to help us in all things. :)
I think I have said a ton of things but I have to go now. :) Thank you for all of the pictures you guys sent. Oh how I love you all so much :) My family... what did I do to deserve something so perfect? Thank you Mom and Dad for all that you do for me. I am eternally grateful. Keep the faith.
With all of the love of this Bitter boy,
Love, Elder Bitter
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