Visiting a crocodile farm on Pday


Hey Family!

I had a really great week this week. We didn't do a lot of finding. We only found seven new investigators last week which is like nothing. We spent mostly the whole week teaching people we had already contacted and progressing investigators. It was a super great week! December is looking really good for STA Monica. :) Also, I don't remember if i said this in my last email but I will say it again anyway. Happy Birthday Andrew! I Love you!

Last Monday after we emailed we went to the Crocodile farm and it was really kool. We went with Mike and Nancy and we got to hold crocs and see one that was 17 feet long! It was HUGE!!!! It was like something that came out of a movie and it was there in real life, kinda. Haha. It was super awesome! That was about it for Monday.

Last Tuesday, Elder Black (ZL) called and said we were going to lunch at a place near Baker's Hill which I went to before. So we did and the senior couple also came. It was funny because I wasn't wearing my white shirt when they got here because I thought it was going to be a while longer so I picked that up and then I used this zipper tie that I bought here for times when I have to rush like that. Haha. That day we went on splits and I worked in Elder Black's area and we found all day. We taught one inactive family. It was a pretty good day.
Oh and Elder Hyde worked in my area with Elder Christie and they taught Jennifer the lesson we had planned to teach her out of 2 Nep 31 and they committed her to baptism on the 24th! So we are really excited for her!

Last Wednesday I went back to my area and I actually wasn't feeling too good so we only got to teach one lesson that day. We found a lady named Erlinda who was carrying bags and I just kind of told her I was gonna help her so I took her bags to her house, and we shared a bit and just got to know her. She is 72 years old and lives alone. Everyone else that day dropped us....

Last Thursday we found 2 new people who seemed to not even care. It was painful. They let us in and I was just being happy and friendly and asking questions and they were just suuuuppppppppper quiet. It was annoying. Haha. We also taught Mary Ann that day and we just spoke for a while and I shared from Mosiah 5 about baptism and we committed her to baptism on the 24th of December! We also taught Yolly that day and I had left her 3 Nep 11 which is about baptism and we taught her and spoke about baptism and we also committed her for Dec 17th! So we are sooo excited for Yolly! We taught Nelson that night about the Plan of Salvation and it was a good lesson and he seemed more sure then ever that he would come to church. Unfortunately none of those people came to church last Sunday. We also taught the Perez family again and we taught about the Book of Mormon and we are going to be going back to them and hopefully commit them to baptism on a specific date. I really like the 22 year old named Alfred, he really reads and listens and tells us everything he reads from the Book of Mormon. I think that we will be giving him a baptismal date this week.

On Friday we went to Karen and she hasn't come to church in a while, so we invited her to keep coming even though she isn't able to be baptized. I feel really bad for her.... We also taught Nanay Erlinda that day and her neighbor, Brother Ray. We also taught Tatay Carleto and his wife, Sister Pass. We spent the whole lesson answering his questions and he really believes that the Book of Mormon is true. They both read it everyday and have questions about what they read. He is really good. They both came to church last week and we invited them to be baptized again on December 10th. They both said yes. So I am really excited for both of them because they both seem really sure. It's too bad because I might not even be here to see him get baptized. Oh, that day I learned the word to brush teeth which was something new to me. It is Manipilyo or Magsipilyo. So yea. I haven't learned any new words in a long time so that was kinda kool. I heard Karen use it and I had no idea what it was. Haha.

Saturday we went to a baptism for the Sisters, I showed up and found out that I had to give a talk on faith, so I just shared a little bit about that. We taught Dina that day and just followed up with her baptism on the 24th. And Yea. She seems to be doing good and really wants to change. She wants to quit smoking and get baptized. She hasn't come to church yet though so that is her biggest thing right now. That's actually the biggest thing for all of our investigators.

Sunday we had church and Tatay Carleto and his wife, Sister Pass both came. They live the farthest from the chapel by a lot and they were the only ones that came. It was sad. I was really praying that everyone who had accepted to be baptized on a specific date would come but no one did. Church attendence has been one of the hardest things here in the mission. We set a goal to have ten next week so that will be all seven of our investigators with baptismal dates and 3 other people. I really want to make that goal and I am going to be praying and working harder then EVER this week! :D

Oh, as for the guy who was in jail we went to him a bunch of times last week but he is never at the house. I still don't know what he did, someone said something but they aren't sure so I don't really remember what they said. Haha....Hopefully we will be able to get back to him this week.

Today we had training with President Peterson(Senior couple missionary) and he taught us about the Book Of Mormon and how we need to always use it hand in hand with the Bible.

And later I am going to be sending stuff home for Christmas!

Thank you for the object lesson, I have used something like that a few times when teaching Christ's church, except mine is only 10 cups. The bottom four is Prophets, and Apostles, then the next layer is Priesthood or authority the next is Revelation and the top is Jesus Christ. I also tried the Bottom four, Jesus Christ, Apostles, Prophets and Authority, then the next 2 layers would have the first principles of the Gospel (Faith, Repentence, Baptism, Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the end.) Then the top is Salvation! It's pretty cool. I used to have a puzzle that I thought of and LOVED to do for apostasy because it was sooooo good and it is really good for teaching for understanding (PMG 182 I think). I thought of a new one a while ago for baptism that I want to try but I'm too nervous about messing it up. Haha.

Thank you all so much for everything. I have to go now and buy Christmas gifts for you all and also some souveniers because I might be transferring next week. I really like STA and the work has really picked up a lot since I first got in. I worked super hard the last 2 transfers and I am suuuuppppper tired! This week is going to be awesome though! I am really excited! I love you all I and I hope you have an amazing week!

Love
Elder Gagnon