11 Months!

Buenas Familia!

Primeramente, respuestas a sus preguntas!!!

1)      No, Mom, sadly our ward doesn't have a ward choir... I think the Stake does, but our ward no. I think it's because the people in this country don't know how to read music, and every time they sing it sounds like a funeral haha, but I love it!

2)      Elder Mendoza speaks a little bit of English, and reads about the same. But something that I have found that really everyone in this country knows basic English like, "Hi How are you?" and all that stuff...

3)      We didn't get along well at first because our ways of working are very different. We're still working on having more unity but we will have to see how everything goes throughout this change.

4)      Oh Mother’s day! It would be May 12th right? Probably will be that day, and the sad thing is that nobody has computers here! So I will probably have to talk to you in the same house, but we will have to see if other members have computers! We might have to talk Monday the 13th, I'm not sure what President Wilkinson will say...

5)      So President Wilkinson sent me an email asking about my international driver’s license, so I don't know if I have to renew it or what? I probably won't ever use it unless I'm in the office, and that could happen now, who knows. Right now, don't worry about it. If I get called to work in the office then I can probably renew it, we'll have to see what happens this next change.

Okay well this week was sweet!

First things first, we were blessed with 4 more baptisms!!!! Ush Papito papito!!! Deiver, Shirley and 2 of their 4 children we're baptized, Jimmy and Caleb! It was such an amazing baptismal service. So first off, basically the whole ward was there ( about 100 people). Secondly, we had arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) and it was excellent. But the baptismal service was so amazingly spiritual. Deiver bore his testimony before the baptisms and he started weeping and the spirit was so incredibly strong. So after the baptisms, Jimmy and Caleb bore their testimonies and Caleb, an 11 year old, bore such a powerful testimony about his future mission and how this baptism was the gateway to a mountain of blessings. I love this gospel, because it has changed this family so much. I think I talked a little about how we came in contact with this family. We were walking on day, and they were driving and stopped us in the middle of the street. They are a chosen family! Well, I am just so pumped and excited for them, because in one year they will have the opportunity enter the Temple and be sealed for time and all eternity!

Well, this change we have been really blessed with baptisms and now it is time to find, find and find people! We still have a ton of investigators that want to be baptized, they just have certain problems that are stopping them from doing so, (One needs to be married but her boyfriend of 22 years doesn't want to... haha and others need the permission of their parents who are devout Catholics... so we will have to see what happens with them.)

Oh so this week I have also been incredibly sick! Yeah! Our district leader was super sick this past week and we went on splits and he got me sick, and I got Elder Mendoza sick, and then Elder Mendoza got me sick again... and here we are. So keep me in your prayers because being sick on the mission is the worst! But just keep me in your prayers and I'll keep taking the Latin equivalent of Dayquil and Nyquil, Tabcin! Oh and P.S. all the members are trying to get me to take this "magical healing" injection, that heals you instantly from colds and flu, but I don't trust the medicine here! So we'll have to see if I feel better this week.

Well this week I have been reading in 1st Nephi, and I really found something interesting in chapter 17. So in this chapter Nephi is commanded to build the ship, and Laman and Lemuel are making fun of him and really just bagging on him a bunch. So Nephi got a little sad, and his brothers just started off on a tantrum saying all the reasons why they shouldn't have followed him and Lehi, and everything. In verse 21 they say, "Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy." Not going to lie, I have felt like that on my mission. I have felt disappointed, angry and displeased because I'm not going to lie, the mission is hard. But then I always think of this scripture in Alma 26. Ammon is talking to his brothers and says, "19 Oh then, why did he not consign us to an awful destruction, yea, why did he not let the sword of his justice fall upon us, and doom us to eternal despair. Oh, my soul, almost as it were, fleeth at the thought. Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in his great mercy hath brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and misery, even to the salvation of our souls." Really the Lord has been so merciful unto me my whole life. He has saved my soul from everlasting misery and pain, and through his atonement, I have felt His peace, His love, and His forgiveness. At times the mission is hard, but really the Lord is with us and guides every step of our lives. Mom and Dad, let every young man in the ward know that they must serve a mission. Sure 2 years sounds like a long time, but we must remember how merciful the Lord has been with us. I love Him, and I love His gospel. I would not be here today if he had not shown me so much mercy and love.

Well hope this letter was "chatty" mom. I love you all very much. Take care, and keep on working with the missionaries out there in Cali Cali. Love you all, and I am praying for you always.

Pura Vida,

Elder Taylor el jefe del Valle de San Jose!

P.S. we have interviews with President this week. I'll let you know if he tells me that I have changes! Ush!

Photos: Here are pictures of Deiver, Shirley and they're  kids Jimmy(the oldest) Caleb( the middle child) and Pablo (the youngest).