Great to hear that you had a good time finishing off the vacation break. That´s really cool that you got to meet with the Noelle´s trainer and her Mom! You guys should send some cold weather down our way because it has been hot, hot, hot!
Elder Hinostroza and I started our New Year off really well here in Santos Lugares B. The sad news is that it doesn´t look like we´re going to be able to baptize someone this transfer together, but we were able to have a few milestones this week for us in the area.
In Argentina, (maybe in a few other latino countries as well) the 5th of January is when the three wise men come to bring gifts for the baby Jesus. The tradition here is that the kids set their shoes out on the patio with some water and food for the camels, and the three wise men leave gifts on top of each pair of shoes. While I didn´t get the chocolate I was hoping for from the three wise men, we did receive three great gifts in our area this past week.
The first gift that we received this week was that we met Mari. Mari is a woman that Elder Hinostroza had contacted before with a different companion- and had actually acted pretty hostile when they tried to contact her. However, we talked with a neighbor of hers and he said that we should pass by to talk with her because she has been facing some difficulties as she has recovered from cancer.
We decided to give it a shot, and were really surprised when she allowed us to pass by to talk with open arms almost immediately. We were able to teach her about the restoration and invite her to be baptized. She said that she was open to being baptized again (she was baptized as a child in the catholic church). It was really great to see someone with really sincere desires to follow Jesus Christ after passing through many difficulties (before she was diagnosed with cancer, Mari was earning her living selling drugs). We hope to keep working with Mari to prepare her for baptism in the coming weeks!
The second gift that we received this week was a reference that we received from Church headquarters. The reference didn´t give us close to any information about who sent the reference or how they contacted Ramón, but it had what we needed- an address and instructions to stop by after 6 PM.
We headed out to find Ramón Wednesday night, and were greeted lovingly by an older gentleman. It turns out that Ramón is 90 years old, and his wife was a member of the church (she passed away two years ago). Ramón is very unsure about whether there is a God or no. He has a very hard time believing there is more than what he sees. However, he has a great spirit about him and has always lived high moral principles- he married his wife when they were 25 years old, he´s never smoked or used illegal drugs, and he has always been very focused in helping his fellow man.
We were blessed to be able to visit with Ramón a couple of times this past week, and hope to be able to help him to exercise his faith. I know that God is trying to reach out to Ramón right now, and I hope that Elder Hinostroza and I can help him believer like his wife believed.
The third and final gift was that a less active member in our area came to church! Marta is a less active member that I have mentioned briefly before. Our investigador, Lourdes, is living in her house. However, while we have been having trouble finding Lourdes, we have had the privelege of working with Marta.
Marta suffers from Schizophrenia, and with regularity hears voices. Despite her ailment, Marta really likes to read in the scriptures and remembers all of the readings that we leave her really well. We have really been focusing in on helping her so that hopefully her son, Lourdes, and the other people in her house can make changes in their lives as well.
Marta has been reading everything that we have left her, and has also been working towards her goal to quit smoking. When we first talked with her she was smoking 40 cigarrettes a day, and now has already dropped to 20 or less each day. Even more than this, she is praying, and memorizing a scripture when she has the desire to smoke.
All of the faith that she has been exercising has really helped her, and this Sunday she got herself ready and walked to church! She even arrived almost an hour early. It was great to see her cleaned up and in the church. I know that God loves her and wants to help her and her family.
Overall, it was a good week here in Santos Lugares B. We have lots of work to do to help someone prepare to baptized in this ward, but I´m hopeful as we continue thrusting in our sickle that we are going to find people that are prepared to learn and make convenants with their Father in Heaven.
I love all! I know that our God is mindful of us! There is a way prepared to follow him! Stick with your goals each day this year and become more like our Savior Jesus Christ!
Much love,
Elder Lambert
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