Miracles!

17 Mar 2009

Querida familia,

Another transfer is gone. I´m now beginning my fifth transfer here in Argentina. A transfer occurs every 6 weeks. As I thought, E´Gonzalez and I are still together here in Castillo I. I wouldn´t have it any other way. We work really well together in a ward that is just amazing.
We had our transfer meeting yesterday and our mission is seeing miracles. We really are working our way towards doubling the baptisms. Every transfer since I´ve been here, we´ve had more than 100 converts. This transfer, we saw 179! I´m in the zone of Catán and we really are seeing miracles here. This is the “heart” of the Buenos Aires West mission and has always baptized the most. The most I believe it has every baptized in a transfer is 28. This transfer we had mountainous the goal of 44. During the transfer, we fasted as a zone to help us acheive this goal, and we did, with 48. The Lord is working miracles as we work hard and are humble before him. We hope this number will keep growing.
Also in the transfer meeting, we saw another acheivement of this area of Rafael Castillo 1. Every area receives an efficiency rating based on the key indicators as found in Preach my Gospel (I so want to say los datos de Predicad mi Evangelio). E´Gonzalez and I received the highest rating for this transfer. Now, I say it is an acheivement for the area because, yes we work hard, but we have a ton of help from the members. This ward is absolutely amazing with how willing they are to accompany us to lessons with our investigators. We also have a ward mission leader with his wife who are hosting family home evenings for the recent converts and will go out to do the lessons that should be done after baptism. And there are a lot of people in this area who have been prepared by the Lord to receive this message of great joy. We´re going to make this next transfer even more successful than the last.
Two of our best investigators right now are Veronica and Vania, sisters of Romina, a member, and friends of Roxana. Veronica is a school teacher and she is just eating up all of the Gospel knowledge there is to be found. Last monday, we showed her the guide for studying the scriptures (the Spanish version of the Bible Dictionary and Index) and I believe she was studying baptism. She amazed us when we were talking about the theme and she said, quite naturally, “and in Alma 5 it says this...” We just starting laughing because it sounded like she´s been a member for 20 years! She also pointed out the reason we don´t baptize babies, practically quoting a part of Moroni 8. They absolutely love going to church, especially to Gospel Principles. They have a baptismal date for the 28th of this month and are getting ready for it quite well.
Ana María continues strongly in the church. She and her daughter Florencia could get baptized this Saturday, but we would rather the entire family get baptized together. Gabriela, her 18 yr. old daughter, came to church and really liked it and accepted a baptismal date with the rest of her family for the 11th of April. We might have to work a little harder with Federico, the 16 yr. old son, who hasn´t come to church yet because he works on sunday at times. But he is really interested still. And Ana María wants me to come back in four years to baptize her 3 yr. old son Pablo.
Oh, I wanted to write about this a long time ago, but kept either forgetting or running out of time. I had my first opportunity to give my first unwritten blessing with the confirmation of Juan, the youngest of the sons of Ciris Cásares. I was a bit nervous, but certain I would have the guidance of the Spirit to say what the Lord would have me say. I have faith in that what a worthy priesthood holder says during a blessing will come to pass. That it is bound in heaven as on earth. And I did feel the Spirit strongly. I had a really hard time playing the sacrament hymn afterwards because my eyes were all watered up. I know I´ll have many more opportunities to be the mouthpeice of the Lord in blessings.
I wish the best for all of you and hope that you´ll seek the Lord to guide you in all that you do.

Love,
Elder Drake Ranquist