Jordan: 6/25/2012

From: Jordan Schouten
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2012 10:18 AM
To: John Schouten; Mike Schouten; schouten.julie
Subject: my letter 6/25/2012

 

Well, this week was awesome!!!!!! One of the best, if not the best week of my mission. The best part was the baptism!!!!!!! Our investigator showed up and got baptized and everything turned out really well. He shared his testimony after getting baptized, and his testimony is super strong. He knows that this is the true church. he´s probably has the strongest testimony of any of my converts so far in the mission. It was super fun to teach him because he´s about 100% smarter than the average paraguayan, and teaching smart people is so much more fun and so much easier than teaching people that don´t understand anything. So, it was a fun process. Hopefully, the ward keeps working with him to help him so he doesn´t go inactive.

About transfers.. nothing changed. I´m still here with Elder LaFaye, just like i thought would happen.

Also, in church yesterday, we had another amazing day!!!!!!! We had 6 investigators come to church. 5 of them have a baptism date for this saturday. But none of them are 100% sure. So, please, pray for them so that all of them get baptized this week. this week has potential to be the best week of my mission (well, my life actually). Everyone that we´re teaching is ready for baptism, they just have a few tiny problems. We´re teaching the girlfriend of a less active member that isn´t less active anymore. He comes to church every sunday now and brings his girlfriend along. They live together so they have to get married though, before baptism. This morning, monday, we went and planned the wedding with the judge and they´ll get married wednesday if everything goes alright. And his girlfriend has an 8 yr. old daughter that we´re going to baptize to. They just need to get married and other than that, they´re ready.

 

The other 3 with baptism date are Bernardino, and his 2 kids, Alan and Angelica. They´ve come to church and bernardino knows everything. His kids haven´t been in some of the lessons so they don´t know everything, but they don´t have problems with the commandments, so it´s just a matter of teaching them so they know what´s going on. They only problem is Bernardino 1. doesn´t think he´s ready for baptism and 2. he´s quitting smoking. He used to smoke a lot, but after we taught the word of wisdom, in 4 days he only smoke 2 cigarettes. So, we´re just praying a lot for him so he can realize that he´s ready to get baptized and so that he quits smoking completely.

Well, nothing else really stands out from this week.... it was kind of slow other than working with all these people that are going to get baptized.

 

also, all of you complained about the heat. Come to Paraguay. That will teach you all what heat is. John, i know it´s humid in Philly, but air conditioning doesn´t exist in Paraguay. So, none of you really know what hot is.

Mom- i hope everything goes well at girl´s camp. Also, so you´re going to Pres. Callan´s homecoming. enjoy it. It´s going to be amazing. I´ve never met anyone like pres. Callan. I wish i could go to his homecoming. I´m glad that your piano recital turned out alright.

Dad- can you record Pres. Callan´s homecoming talk on you cell phone like you did with my farewell talk? I want to hear his talk super bad. Have fun at girls camp.

Austin- sounds like you´re making bank. That´s good, because missions and college are expensive. Have fun, don´t die in the heat. Drink water. It´s really good for you. I think water has become my favorite food, even though it´s not a food.

 

John- did you forget to write me on purpose because i forgot you the last time? Anyways, what´s your new comp´s name and how is he? That one guy in your area that can get baptized before you leave, Set the goal to baptize him before you go home. Set the goal and just do it. Make this last change the best of your life.

Tasha- have fun working at Dee´s. Sounds like you make a lot of money. Have fun at girls camp.

Shaylee- how´s summer? are you working at dee´s? you should. I was your age when i started there.

Well, I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. I know that Christ is our Savior. He lives and loves us. He established a church during his earthly life, and He restored that same church through Joseph Smith. I know that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. He was called to be a Prophet is the Latter Days. Christ is the Head of this church and he leads it today through Thomas S. Monson. The Atonement is the greatest thing that has ever happened to humankind. I love the Gospel and i love being able to share it with others.

Love you all,
Elder Jordan Schouten