tuesday we had a lot of cool lessons. we were able to also have a meeting with president castañeda. it was valentines day. here it is called the day of friendship and love so there were a bunch of ppl outside and ppl selling pillows and stuffed animals and things like that. in the meeting with pres castañeda we met with one of the assistants and the stake presidency and talked about the missionary work in minatitlan. it went well and we talked a lot about having a ward plan for activation and baptisms. i also got my package from mom so that was fun.
wednesday i did diviciones with another companionship that isnt doing so well. we had a good day and we put three ppl on date to be baptized. it was a good day and i learned a lot form the other missionary as well.
on thursday we watched the movie the restoration about the first vision of joseph smith with an investigator named cezar. he is building a house and we have taught him a few times in the last few weeks. he is really shy and it is hard to get out what he feels. we finished watching the movie and i asked him what he thought. he just sat there and stared at the blank screen of the little dvd player we brought and said. ¨its true´´. i felt the spirit so strongly. i know he knows, but we just have to help him complete with going to church so that he can be baptized. it is interesting to see the differences in ppl. it made me sad that some leave the church, satan uses intelligence to try and decieve us sometimes. every case where ppl are fooled by men we can read about and avoid by reading the book of mormon. as we read in 2 nephi 9.28-29.28 O that cunning aplan of the evil one! O the bvainness, and the frailties, and thecfoolishness of men! When they are dlearned they think they are ewise, and they fhearken not unto the gcounsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their hwisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish. 29 But to be alearned is good if they bhearken unto the ccounsels of God.
as we seek revelation and guidance by the spirit in humility and faith, god always answers. i am able to see it everyday. everytime i see it my faith grows. i know god lives and answers us, but he waits for us to look for him before he shows us.
saturday was the baptism for hno vicente. he was a miracle. we fasted and made a promise to god before finding him last week. we said we would contact 80 ppl in two days (talk to someone of the street and invite them to meet with us) and we also fasted. his wife talked to us on the street and asked us to go by. we found him and he had been reading the book of mormon the last 4 years since the missionaries had taught him. he is really special and has a ton of faith. it was hard preparing but the baptism went really well and we had support from the members and the spirit was there.
sunday was an amazing day. vicente was confirmed a member of the church and also josue, who was baptized two weeks ago was given the priesthood (authority and power that god gives to man) and was ordained a deacon. josue's mom, lorena, will be baptized either this week or the following and is keeping a strong testimony and strengthening even though she is receiving lots of opposition.
i love the mission and am thankful for all of the blessings that i have. i am gratefull for each of you my family and friends and hope that all is well at home. tomorrow i complete 19 months and i dont even know what happened to the last month. it is cliche but time does fly by. i am going to work hard and hopefully be the means of helping many more people here come unto christ.
love
elder smith
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