October 14, 2013 E-mail

Answers to last week's questions:

1. They put me on this anti-biotic called Ciproflaxacina 500 mg. I guess it kills bacterias or parasites... I don't know haha
2. Haha oh my gosh, the sassy red-headed sister is my favorite in the zone. Her name is Hermana Bohr and she is from Idaho, she's awesome haha
3. They do celebrate Halloween here, but it isn't with costumes and stuff like that. It's more so just big parties where everybody drinks a ton. Last year for Halloween they didn't let us go out and work, so we will have to see what the area presidency says about that this year.
4. I have a new little buddy on my foot. I think it's like a corn or something like that, it's pretty big haha
5. My last box was the best because of the memory card, and the picture book and the candy! It was awesome!!!
6. We are starting to exercise again now. Elder Schweinfurth usually goes and jump ropes in the morning while I play basketball and shoot around. I hate exercising (running, lifting weights etc. but I like playing sports)
7. I guess people think I am a good basketball player, we don't really play that much here becuase all they do is play soccer (girls sport... just kidding! I love it!)
8. I always play the piano, but the last time in church was a couple months ago haha, but yeah we have this investigator named Jorge and I'm teaching him how to play right now.

Okay, well this past week we were blessed with the baptism of Aaron Isaac Zarate Silva!!! I love this little kid! He is 12 years old, and he is so smart! He will be a great missionary someday, and he will help to contribute so much to the growth of this church. It was an awesome baptism because he was a reference form the 1st counselor in the Stake Presidency (he's the 1st counselor's nephew). The Silva family is the strongest family in our ward, and one of the strongest in the country and so at the baptism we had like 60 members of that family! And a ton of food! So it was awesome, and one of the most fun baptisms ever. I would send you a picture right now, but I am writing from San Jose, and these computers are the nastiest things ever, so I am afraid to hook up my camera haha.

Well, we are seeing a lot of great things in our area. We will have a baptism on the 26th, this super awesome guy named Jorge. He is a reference from a less active member named Sirleni. She met him while they were both in a psychiatric hospital and they are the perfect match!!! Jorge is a stud though. This last sunday we talked to him about word of wisdom, and the law of chastity, (two things that they both needed to hear.) He took it like a champ and told us that he was quitting smoking dry turkey, and that nothing was stopping him from getting baptized the 26th. He always goes off on monologues during the lessons, but they are so inspiring! During that lesson he said, "Come at me challenges, I have had so many in my life, I want a bunch just so I can overcome them! I have never overcome any trial in my life, and now I am ready to overcome all that Satan throws at me!!!!" He is so rad, and I am stoked for all the changes he is making in his life!

We are also teaching the coolest guy ever, named Armando. So a couple of weeks ago, Elder Schweinfurth and I were chilling waiting for a bus, and this guy with a weird limp stops us and he is like, "Hey, you guys want something to eat? There's a bakery down there, and I want to get you guys some food." So he bought us food and we wrote down his number. Well fast forward a couple weeks and he came to church yesterday, so we taught him about prophets after church. It was so funny because he is attending another church and after the lesson he told us, "Oh Dude! This means that your church is the true church!!! I don't have to go to my old church anymore!!!" And we were like, "Hey, just pray and ask God because we don't want you to believe us..." and he was like, "No, I don't want to ask God because I already know the answer!!!" He is a little afraid to drop his old church, but with time and prayers he will do it! He's got a baptismal date for the 23rd of November.

Well everything is going good here on the mission. I love it so much, and I love all the experience that I am having here. I hope all of the Young Men in our ward can enjoy the mission and live worthily to have this experience. I love you all! Take care, and I hope all is well back home!

Pura Vida,
Elder Taylor