November 24, 2008

From Michael's email:

This week I felt much better but still I get the occasional real bad sharp pains but hey all is well at least I have all my limbs some people don’t.

This week was real good though we spent a great deal of time walking this week cause our area is pretty big but that just means stronger legs haha we had a cool experience with this recent convert named Carlos who is in a wheel chair and who is about 54 years old and was catholic before but this man wants so bad to have such a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and he reads anything we put in his hands cause he cannot do too much cause he is in a wheel chair but he is so smart and we get to bring him to church each week and he just makes me feel so good cause he is so humble haha man I really look up to him.

This week was really good for me cause I’m really starting to get real comfortable with talking in Spanish and even though I still don’t speak perfect I can kinda express my true personality kinda to people and the people in the ward are so nice there are a few that don’t have respect for the missionaries but it’s okay we still love them even if they don’t love us haha.

Oh and yeah we had transfers the last week but I will probably stay with my companion for one more transfer then he will probably go and I will get another companion here in my area.

This week also we were able to find some good families one family was a reference to a sister in the ward and we have been teaching this little family of 4 a husband wife and two tiny cute little kids they even came to church yesterday so we were really happy about that!!! But the dad doesn’t really wanna quit drinking but the mom wants the best for her kids and so she wants the church so we are working hard with them, so we have another family that is kinda the same the mom and kids love it but the dad likes to drink and plays futbol on Sundays during church! So... we got our work cut out for us haha but all will turn out well.

We also have been finding a lot here that a lot of the people we contact have already been taught by the missionaries and it has just been years since they have done anything about it haha like 5 times this week this happened and so we just re taught them it and tried to get them to attend and actually a few did haha so it ended up working good haha.

Man I really do have a testimony of the mission builds you into what the Lord wants you to become as I have been praying the last week I keep getting this hinting or feeling that the lord has something in store big for me later in life and this mission is what is getting me ready for it. Every day pushes you and tests you but if you do your best and at the end of the day when you come off conqueror... oh boy how sweet it is! Haha I love this work oh man I think about what my life was before and just how much I have changed already and I have only been out 4 months! Haha imagine in two years!

Love always,
Elder Michael Dean Riding