Bolivia, Charcas—Week 7

Rosalinda's Baptism

Family and Friends,

How is everyone doing? I hope you all know that I pray for you all individually every day, multiple times a day, and hope all is well in all parts of the world.

Not much happened this week—we're mostly just trying to get used to the area and such. It’s a little stressful, but Hermana Soto and I are trying our best to keep up with everything. We have been having a good time, though, and I’m really enjoying things more. I have never felt such a love for people or wanted to help people so much in my life. I love this feeling and don’t ever want it to end!

Answering Questions

It’s just Hermana Soto and I in the house! It’s crazy, but yeah, it’s just the two of us.

We get filtered water in big jugs every week, so I just use that. It’s better than my filtration water bottle they gave me in the CCM. I’m scared to use it in case it doesn’t work.

I apparently got a package, but I don’t have it yet because the ZLs forgot it in their apartment, so I don’t know if it’s the Christmas one or not.

That is insane that you got my package! It got there super quick—only two weeks! I didn’t think it would come until after Christmas! Open it because there are presents for birthdays and such as well.

Christmas Came Early?!

So I’m writing this beforehand and I’m not sure if I’ll get the things before or after my email, but last night our zone leader, Elder Barrett, called and told me I got a package and 17 letters! You guys are spoiling me! If I don’t get it until after email time, I’ll let you know next week who it was all from. (She writes her emails on paper during the week, then snaps a picture of them and adds them to Dropbox with her photos if she runs short on email time.) I loved all of the letters this week! They were pretty great and I loved them a ton! These are the people I got them from (more than one from a couple of you):
Livingstons
Matt Adams
Wes Moss
Beccs (Tebbs)
Kyle Sills
Tori Sills
Olsons
Sorensens
Everett
Singles Ward
Megan Godfrey
Larsens
Tori Sawatzki
Rachel Tebbs
Home

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU! I needed this today. Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts on my behalf. You are all such great blessings in my life and I miss you tons, but I know that I am here to help the people and I am already realizing some of my talents that I am able to share. The people here are amazing and I’m really feeling like I belong.

Rosalinda’s Baptism
I don’t know if it was because I know Rosalinda better, or if I have a stronger connection with kids, but this baptism was so very special to me. A little background on the family: Roxanna is her mom. There are only 2 kids—Mana Rosalinda and Jose David. They live with a member in our ward and Roxanna has been a member for over a year now. Rosalinda is 9 years old and is very intelligent. She remembers all the lessons we’ve taught her and loves reading the Book of Mormon. Before her baptism, we asked her who she would like to baptize her and she said she wanted me to do it . . . then we taught her about the Priesthood . . . .

For her baptism, we had all of the primary children sing "I Am a Child of God." It was really beautiful. Her baptism was really special and the spirit in the room was so strong. It confirmed my testimony of baptism and how important that step is in the process of returning to our Heavenly Father again. I love that I was able to grow up faithful in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have the testimony I have of eternal families and the blessings that come from living the Gospel.

No Baptism for Alej & Fernando—Yet
We weren’t able to hold the baptism for Alejandro y Fernando this week. Some things were different with our new district leader, so they will have to wait until the 23^rd. I’ll keep you posted on what happens.

Victoria
Victoria is the mother of Eduardo (who was baptized 2 weeks ago) and we’ve been teaching her and trying to answer her questions. She had a couple of questions that were stopping her from believing all of the other things we were teaching. They were: ‘Why don’t other religions know/have the Book of Mormon?’ and ‘Why doesn’t the Bible mention The Book of Mormon?’

We tried answering her questions with scriptures in both the Book of Mormon and the Bible, but she wouldn’t accept our explanations. So we studied the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and all of the other materials we have access to in our house all week long. Yesterday, when we passed her store, she stopped us and said that she is ready to learn more and that her questions aren’t holding her back anymore! I’m not sure what happened, but Hermana Soto and I are very happy!

FHE

We had Family Home Evening with the Bravo Family. Lucy is our landlord and she would like her husband and two sons to be baptized. We made pizza and I didn't have a recipe for the dough, but I just made one up and it actually turned out pretty good. Looks like I've inherited your skills! We also helped the boys with their English homework.

Pizza Night with the Familia Bravo

Service Activity
We were able to do a service activity for the familia Vasquez in San Javier this week. Their home is in poor condition and they wanted the front yard to look nice, so we helped them “cut the grass” with some kind of weird tools I’ve never used before. One looks like the thing the Grim Reaper uses, another is like a shovel that you swing over your shoulder, and the Elders got to use machetes. Oh, and I found a toad, but it didn’t turn into a prince . . . probably because the Lord knows I need to be here in Bolivia a little longer!

Service Activity

Is this My Handsome Prince?

Keep attending the temple. It is important, and like I said last week, it is such a great privilege you all have to have temples so close. If you aren't ready to enter the doors right now, make yourself worthy. Do the things you need to do to enter that beautiful house of the Lord. I love you all very much and am praying for you all the time.

xoxo

Hermana Nelson