Austin: 10/20/2014

Hola Familia!

 

This week was really...different. Let me explain. (I feel like every letter I write starts with a comment like that.)

 

I´ve been really uptight lately, but this week i just let it go. I kept working, we kept doing what we should do, but I just let it go. I let my opinions go. I did all I could to lose my pride, and it worked. I don´t know what happened, but it was so great to feel like that. Just to feel free again. I realized this week that I have been putting up a shield of pride that has kept me from being really happy. But this week, I dropped it, and the Lord could bless me again with happiness, true happiness.

 

I don´t think I have ever said anything about this, because I haven´t written discriptive letters lately, but we had a baptism on Saturday! Zuheidy and Solange got baptized! They are the daughters of a less active member that we are bring back to church. They´re 10 and 8. They got baptized on Saturday and then on Saturday night I wrote in my journal. I wrote about how happy I was to help them come unto christ through baptism. Solange, is 8, and her baptism counted for the ward, not even for the mission, but I didn´t care. Numbers don´t matter, salvation matters. And without baptism, nobody can be saved, and I was greatful to help these two girls open the door to the path to salvation.

 

We have another baptismal date for the 14th of November! Her name is Emily, she´s a friend of a member that´s about to go on his mission. She´s really good. She´s really willing to learn and fulfull her commitments. She went to church yesterday, and she´s progressing really well! We just have to keep teaching her, and teach her family too.

 

Mom - your trip sounds really fun. I would LOVE to go to Tuacan. It sounds awesome! All the trip sounds fun, but i´m most jealous of Tuacan. That flooded stage sounds legit! Tell grandma and grandpa how much I love them

 

Dad - last week I did read your letter. But I read it, then read other letter and then wrote to the family, and I forgot about what you had said. I have so many things going on in my head that I forgot. Sorry. But I remembered. You said that there is a companionship of missionaries in the stake and they´re going to teach the missionary lessons to the families that have kids in the mission, and they´re going to ask the members to invite a less active or a non member to come right? That´s awesome! who are you going to invite?

 

John - lo siento john. Soy malo. Lo siento de verdad. Perdoname, por favor. (I´m sorry John. I´m a bad person. I´m really sorry. Forgive me, please) I loved that analogy you told me about the coach. I need to apply that more

 

Jordan - que tal? Necesito traducir lo que te digo en espanol tambien, o vas a entender? que dice la universidad?

 

Tasha - that doesn´t surprise me that that was the second time i´ve said something about Tashita being spanish. How was your weekend with the cousins?

 

Shaylee - you sang in a trio in your concert? Awesome! Love you sis.

 

Love you all family! I know that this work is true and that families can be together forever. I´m so blessed to live in the Twitchell/Schouten family. My bishop´s wife asked me this week, how I came to know that the church was true, without being a convert. I didn´t know what to say, because I´ve always seen a testimony of the gospel in the lives of my family members. if someone tried to tell me that the church wasn´t true, all i had to says was "look at my family. Look how happy and blessed it is and try again to tell me the gospel isn´t true." I know this is true, and I will be able to live with my family forever, and that I will be able to help others have eternal life as well.

 

Love you all

Elder Schouten