July 22, 2013--Week 72

Hello everyone!

So, I just got finished eating cow stomach--for the second time in my entire misión (I´ve been told I´m very lucky to have only eaten it twice).  It wasn´t actually that bad.  The first time it was horrible.  But this time I kind of liked it...like I wouldn´t ask for it in a restaurant or anything but I wasn´t choking it down either. 

Anyway, apart from that, this has been a pretty awesome week.  Capped off with the cambios!  I´m staying here in Chahuites!  And so is Elder Reyes.  So, we both get to be here for the baptism of our super awesome family that we´re teaching this Saturday!  Woohoo!!!  We´re psyched.  Things are going very, very well here.  We don´t actually have that many investigators right now, but the members are giving us a lot of referrals.  And member referrals are like 1000000000000000000x´s better than knocking doors.  Seriously.  So much easier.  And so much more successful.  Anyway, the lady we´re going to baptize this week is named Imara.  And her kids that are going to get baptized are Owen and Brittney (They were born in the US.  Those aren´t normal Mexican names).  And they´re super awesome.  I thought this whole week that I was going to get changed and that I wasn´t going to get to see their baptism, but it looks like the Lord want´s me to stay here :) Which is fine with me.  I love Chahuites!  It´s the ugliest, smelliest, most horrible little town in the world that I love completely. :) Anyway, Imara is a teacher, and a lot of people know her here (like the entire town), so we´re expecting a pretty good turnout at her baptism and we´re hoping to find quite a few new investigators because of that.  So this is basically how the work of salvation is going down here:  The members give us references.  Then we teach them.  Then they get baptized.  Then those new members give us references.  Then we teach them.  Then they get baptized.  It´s like a domino effect.  And it´s wonderful. :) One of the sisters that we baptized last month is a perfect example of that.  She gave us 2 referrals and went with us to meet them and teach the lesson with us (she also got called 2 weeks ago as the secretary in the RS presidency and she went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead).  So, we´re pretty happy around here.  And the best part is that we get to stay here :) and keep helping this branch to grow.  Since we set the goal for 100 people attending in the first week of August, we went from like 50-60 per week to 72 this past Sunday.  We´ll see how things are the first week of August. :)  Anyway, sorry this is kind of rushed, but I already have to go.

Just know that this work is incredible.  It´s the most important work on this Earth.  We have to be involved in it.  We can only reach salvation ourselves if we´re doing everything we can to bring other people with us.

Have a great week, everyone!  I love you all very much.

Con mucho amor,

Elder Andrew Nickerl