Exito Sobre Fiasco

1 Sep 2009

Dear family,

I hope I have time to explain this hectic yet rewarding week. I´ll start off with the change that I´ve had. Yesterday, we had our Transfer Meeting and I have now been assigned as District Leader. Dad, I believe I remember you telling me that you were once a Travelling Elder, going around the mission training all of the District Leaders. Do you have any suggestions? Since the beginning of my mission, I knew that I would be called to be such a Leader and I was quite scared. But, over this past transfer (month and a half) I was able to feel more comfortable with the idea. I really hope this will help me develope the love and service for others that I so desire to improve. In this district, there is E´Callejas, E´Cumrine, E´Vita (came in to replace E´Thomas and is from Peru), E´Gonzalez (from Paraguay. We lived in the same pench in Castillo and we are already good friends), and E´Since (also from Peru). I´ll try to take a photo one day and I hope to be able to have the inspiration to know how to inpire them and give them “animo” (a combination of energy and a positive attitude).

Oh, another change that I need to inform you. Our Preparation day has been changed to Monday, so I´ll be writing you every Monday from now on, with the exception the week of the 21st, I´ll write Tuesday the 22nd. This is due to a very sad news. The temple is closing for renovations that will take 1-2 years. The 22nd, I´ll go to the temple the last time during my mission. This makes me especially sad because I won´t be able to see the sealing of Lionel and Viviana Lizondo. Without such visits, we can have our P-days on Monday.

This Sunday we had the baptism of De los Ángeles Ramona Gutierrez and Alvaro Lopez. It was one of the most difficult baptisms that I´ve seen, but we were able to overcome every difficulty that came in our way. Ramona was completely ready and had her interview last sunday. Went to go work in the capital for the week, but returned early, telling us that the lady she was taking care of wouldn´t let her read The Book of Mormon at all. She began having doubts about being baptized because of problems with her family. Her husband was saying that after she is baptized, she will be completely different. I believe he thinks that she will begin “living” in the church, which isn´t the case. She had the fear of missing even one sunday every once in a while to go with her husband to Luján to visit. But, we were able to help her see that missing one sunday is very small compared to not being baptized with regards to disobedience to God. On Saturday, her brother came and was a bit drunk. While we were there, he started saying that we need to give her more time, a month or two, because she is confused and needs time to think. We explained that she was ready and that she shouldn´t wait. It was a bit difficult, but we were able to help Ramona feel better while her drunk brother was present. Eventually he left and Lurdes, her niece, came and she said “You´re having doubts? I´m not going to let anything get in the way of my baptism. I can´t wait.” She really helped. (By the way, Lurdes will be baptized the 12th).

Alvaro was a bit of a surprise. He is 14 years old and has been receiving the missionaries since January. He wasn´t progressing, so we stopped going by his house as often. His Mom realized what was happening and that we were helping Alvaro a lot be better. She told us that we can´t stop passing by, even if he doesn´t get baptized. With more of her support, Alvaro came to church last Sunday. In class, they started talking about the duties of the priesthood and told him that he could be a Teacher, but has to be baptized first. This got him so excited that he came to us to ask us when he could be baptized. We told him on the 12th.

We had an interview the President Benton this past Monday and he was asking if there were any more possibilities. We had the goal to have 200 baptisms in one transfer and was asking if it were possible to have a few more to acheive it. We told him about Alvaro and said it would be alright to do it this Sunday if we prayed about it and verified that he had a true change. When we went to Alvaro on Monday, he showed us that he really had changed and was excited. So we decided to do it Sunday.

But, things got more difficult. Saturday night, at 10:20 PM, we received a message saying that the water pump in the church had broken and that we wouldn´t have water to fill the baptismal font. We went crazy. We had E´Thomas and E´Cumrine fill the baptismal font in Moreno 1 and somehow we would bring everyone there to do the baptism. We brought a ton of coins to church the next day just in case. During the first class, we talked with the bishop and he called for Hma. Diaz who has some friends who have busses. During the first hour she went on her bicycle to go find them and after church we were able to take everyone to Moreno 1 to have a successful baptism. It was really stressful, but we were able to do it with the help of the ward. It was miraculous.

And by the way, we didn´t quite reach 200, but we had 192. Breaking records everywhere. It was an amazing transfer.

I send my love and prayers.

Elder Drake Ranquist