There Are Always Things That Make it Worth It!

Hey there. How is everyone doing? I want to wish Michael Winters a happy birthday. Hope you have a great day. My mom tells me great things about you and your new job. Keep up the good work! I also want to wish my big brother Andrew a happy birthday tomorrow. I hope that you have an awesome day and that you are still just doing great things! You are one of the best examples i have in my life! i love you so much. Well this week was a really really difficult one for us. But we also had a couple of great experiences, so it didnt seem too bad. I feel like that is just how it is now on my mission. I might have a hard week, but there are always a couple of different things that just make it worth it. On saturday we had the baptismal interview for Hermana Elia, but the whole week she had not really been progressing. She did come to the church though on saturday to have her interview, and everything went all good. So you are probably all wondering 'why in the heck then wasn't it a good week?' haha. Well because she didn't end up getting baptized on Sunday. She sent me a text just like ' i'm sorry but i wont be able to come to church today because i am far away. so I was kind of sad, but it just made me realize that we need to focus on the ones that will really progress. It's tough, but i know that god has tons of people waiting here for us. Also we had a couple great lessons with geraldo and his wife and she seemed to be progressing just great, and we had put a goal with them and everything, but they didn't come to church on sunday either! She said she was sick. But Hermana Reina told us that she just didn't have the proper clothes to come to church. Gosh that was tough as well! I think that her parents also might play a little part in this as well, so we will see tonight how it goes with the noche de hogar that we have set up. Geraldo is just a total boss, but this might be a little bit of a impedimento (obstacle). Well on saturday i actually baptized one of the investigators of the hermanas which was a really good experience. I had the interviews and stuff with them and i guess we really bonded, and so the little girl asked if i could baptize her. (or maybe its just because i am wicked cute! haha. just kidding). It was a spiritual experience and it is fun to be able to conocer all of the investigadores of all of the missionaries in my district. Ok and now to the highlight of my week! Yesterday our mission leader, my comp, and i gave talks in sacrament meeting about the new plan that we have for all of the members of the ward. We also sang a special number with all of the missionaries. But the best part was Reina's testimony, baby!! We had her share her testimony on how missionary work has changed her life, so she shared the story on how she first met us. She said how one day she was in her house and that she really didnt feel good and didnt want to leave, but something prompted her and made her get up and go to the place she wanted to go. As she waited for her bus, which only passes by once every hour, two young men approached her one of them (that being me) asked her if the bus that was passing was her bus. She said that at that moment she lied to us because she told us 'no' when it really was her bus. She went on to explain how it actually wasn't a lie because that really wasn't the bus she needed to take. If she had taken that bus, she would have ended up in the place that she wanted to go to at that moment, but not where she needed to be in her life spiritually. She bore the most beautiful testimony on how her life has completely changed and that in reality, that was not her bus. She said she went on to wait there for another 50 minutes for the next bus, but she felt so different and felt a peace take over her whole body! Wow! Well i would say it was one of the most spirtual experiences that i have had so far in the mission. THe Lord knows his children and the path that they need to take. Hermana Reina now has a calling in the church(as relief society secretary) and is helping all of her family come to the truth. What a blessing she is in my life! Well i love you all so much. That sure freaked me out to hear about dad being in the hospital, but i am so glad he is doing ok! Love you, Elder holmes