Another Semana

Buenas!

This week was great. We're seeing a bit more success in our area and learning to work with the members a little bit better. I. has his baptismal date set for the 10th of May and we're going to invite A. tonight or tomorrow depending on when we actually have our first lesson with him. Explaining now.

I contacted A. in the street last week when we were on interchanges and he was nice and welcoming, besides all of them are like that so it's tricky to know which are actually interested and which are actually warmly and politely saying, "please get out of my life quickly." He told us to send a text someday and visit in the evening, and we recorded his information and promptly forgot about him for a while. Then Friday I was thinking of how to fill up the next week with new investigators and remembered his name, sent a message asking when we could visit, and he said tomorrow in the afternoon. It so happened Saturday afternoon was our family history activity we'd been planning for weeks, so something possessed me to say, "Tomorrow we have an activity in the afternoon, we'll pass by at 4 and pick you up and go to the chapel, see you tomorrow" or something to that affect. Not only did he agree, but he reminded us the next day and was ready at 4.

The activity was ALMOST a complete failure, although we'd made invitations, given lessons to excite everyone, planned with the elders in our ward and announced at every second, because NO members showed up, except Hermana Grofi and Elder Arrevillaga who were in charge of the activity. BUT suddenly we had this brand new off the street investigator who was interested and everything was all about him all night. He completed his four generations and had two names ready for the temple before he even knew what our church was, and Elder Arrevillaga gave this PRIME discourse on family history that blew OUR minds while explaining fundamentally to a newbie. Other members showed up an hour in and long story short (too late for that right?), A. now has all these friends, his four generations, attended church yesterday and has a family home evening tonight with a family, all without one lesson.

This week was semana santa, or the holy week. Instead of just Easter, they have Saturday of Glory and Sunday something and other days. I should have paid more attention to the names. But this means that the streets were absolutely empty this week because everyone ran for the beach and their families. We walked through a ghost town every day, but it was sweet. The people who were around were a little less busy and a little more open to listen.

It sounds like the rains should be starting soon also. We got a little glimpse of what it would be like when one day we were walking and suddenly all heaven let loose on our little heads and just from crossing the street for shelter we were soaked through. It was super fun, we were laughing so hard and you couldn't hear anything because of the sound of it. The thunder is the loudest thing I've ever heard and the rain is ridiculous, and everyone's telling me that that was a tiny bout of rain. I'm so excited.

 I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend and had time to think of the Savior's atonement. With the family history work we talked about vicarious acts, and the greatest of all was this sacrifice of our Savior. Because he suffered for us, we all have the power to change and have healing. Prayers to all of you this week and always! Love you!