Can you say Tuxtla?: 12,000+ Words!

So I've just been sending a ton of pictures but I guess I should write something too :) I just want to say that each of those apparently has the value of a thousand words so we're running at like 12,000 so far. Very long email.

Anyway. It was an awesome week! Especiallyyyyy SATURDAY!

We've been visiting J. all week to make sure he's good for his baptism, and every time we visited him he was even happier and it was adorable. He started talking of his own free will which has NEVER happened, and the day after the baptism he made a comment in Gospel Principles class for the first time, and no one even called on him (WHOA.)

Saturday we went early to fill up the font, and in contrast to every other baptism day I've had, we had nothing to do. We had the programs done, chairs set up, and everything seemed to be working, so we just sat and listened to the water run and read scriptures. Pretty soon the L. family showed up with J. and everyone was jittering around with excitement, it was so cute. We shook J.'s hand and the first thing he said with a nervous laugh was "Feliz!" He went and changed and then we took a ton of pictures with the family and all the missionaries. A few members came, including our new Elders quorum president, which we didn't have before, and he gave a really sweet welcome and had J. stand up to come give him a welcome hug and J. pretty much flew up to him. So cute.

The only thing that wasn't normal was in the ordinance, which they had to repeat at least 8 or 9 times. They were in the water for over ten minutes, because J. kept kicking his foot out or Ruben Jr. wouldn't say the words right (his first baptism right before his mission). But they made it and it was all very sweet.

(Here’s my companion, who fell in a hole, keeping her foot elevated.)

We headed out and were able to have some good lessons and lunch before heading back to discover the water was out in the chapel. Too bad the font was already FULL, nice try! Waha.

President George and his wife showed up with their cute sister missionary companion who was on crutches for the moment. A. came and some more members and it was another great service, A. bore his testimony after and talked of how his family didn't want to come but that he had a new family now and how special it was that President George had come to baptize him and he started crying. So special.

After, we all went with President and the elders to get awesome tacos we discovered last week. It was pretty much a perfect day.

And then yesterday we had a random zone meeting for all the hermanas. Sister George said "Is that real, who gave them permission to do that?"

President: "Wait...I think I did. But I can't remember what it was for." Hahaha. But it was really nice and spiritual.

Speaking of nice and spiritual, I was reading the Bible this morning and in Mark 10 it talks of James and John asking Jesus if they can be the ones on his right and on his left. He told them that the kingdom of God is not like the power of nations--those that seek greatness don't get prestige but will be the servants of all.

43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

I was just thinking about that and how important it is to always be serving. Jesus, the most powerful of all, the One who created the entire Universe, didn't come to conquer as the Jews expected Him to, but to serve. The callings in the church are all different and our callings in life, our talents and circumstances, are all different, but they also don't matter. The one thing that will save us and lead us to exaltation is learning to lose ourselves, to come down into the depths of humility and put all other people before ourselves, because that's exactly what Christ did. We are here to serve and nothing else. We are not here to be served. So this week as everyone celebrates Thanksgiving and starts getting into the Christmas season, I hope we can all think about how we can do that more deeply and profoundly and make service not only an action or even habit, but a part of our nature and deepest desires. And I believe that getting to that point is better than all the glory and recognition in the world.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

P.S. Time for lots of pictures!!!

We haven't had pillows in Coita since April so we went out and changed that. Here we are making sure they work properly.