Week 24

Buenas Tardes Mis Seres Queridos
Yesterday was Breanna's Baptism! Yay! We have been teaching Breanna since my first transfer, so it was just a blessing to witness her baptism. She looked so beautiful in her white dress :) I ended up singing "A Child's Prayer" with her cousin Mimi at the baptismal service, only because Mimi suckered me into it by saying she wouldn't sing if someone didn't sing it with her. Before the baptism we were trying to figure out what picture to put on the front of the baptism program and I had the program from my baptism on my study binder in the car, so we photo copied the front of my baptism program and put it on hers. That was pretty neat, I showed Breanna but she is only 10 so I don't think she really thought anything of it, haha. I showed the Elders my baptism program and they thought it was really cool that I still had it. It is starting to get pretty rugged though so I think I am going to get it laminated at the mission office so it lasts foooorrreeeevvvvver :)
Nothing crazy really happened this week so I will tell you the story of our top investigators, the Davila Family. A long time ago, in an area far far away in Houston...well...actually, my first transfer, in the area I still happen to be serving in, we were teaching a less active woman named Aurelia. She was baptized a long time ago but after she married her husband, who is of another faith, he said she wasn't allowed to go to our church anymore. So, one night we went over to teach Aurelia and her sister-in-law (who lives there with her husband/Aurelia's brother), Elva, decided to listen in. We shared the message of the Restoration of the gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith and at the end of the lesson Elva said she is very very Catholic but she accepted our invitation to read the Restoration pamphlet and pray to know if the story of Joseph Smith is true. Flash forward to the almost present, guess who randomly comes to church with her husband, Juan, and son, Erik, about a month ago? The last month the Davila family has been at church almost every sunday and we have been teaching them twice a week and they want to be baptized! We don't have a date set for their baptism yet because Juan and Elva have to quit smoking first. They seem to be doing really well and are really motivated to quit, so hopefully they will get baptized next transfer. I love them to pieces! The first time Erik prayed, the whole family just sat and sobbed together because they had felt the spirit so strongly and they knew the God was listening to them. Elva recently was telling us that she had prayed and received an answer about Joseph Smith after we invited her to do so, and that's why she went to church, but she isn't ready to tell us what happened. I feel so blessed to be able to teach this amazing family and prepare them for baptism! We have to be careful though because Aurelia's husband hates the church and so we can't call or stop by whenever he is home and he has been really persecuting them. They are trying to find a new place to live, and they have a huge support system from Juan's family, who are all member of the church, Our bishop is his nephew, his brother and all of his like 7 kids and all of their kids are in our ward as well, so they are really helping Juan, Elva, and Erik to prepare for their baptism and be active members of the church.
The Patino's are moving out of the ward boundaries this week to go live with their daughter :( Boo. I am really sad to see them leave but know they will be in good hands in the Bear Creek ward. Adela has surgery this thursday, I am not sure what they are going to do because I don't understand any medical terms in spanish except for operacion. She has some more tests and things going on today and we are going over to their apartment tonight to see how things went and to help them pack up some of their things. Please keep the Patino's in your prayers as Adela begins her battle with cervical cancer. I know she is strong and will overcome this, but it wouldn't hurt to seek the help of the Lord in the process.
Transfers are next week and I am really anxious to find out what will happen! I am 99% sure I will be staying in my area, since we just white washed the area in January I highly doubt President with white wash it again, especially since we have been having a lot of success. So, the big question is...who is coming to my area to "greenie-break" me. I am really excited to get greenie-broken and hope my new companion will really help me to be a more confident and more powerful teacher. Transfer calls are on saturday, so next P-day I will fill y'all in on what will be happening.

Con Amor y Paz
Hermana Taets