10-12-10

Hi all,

Library was closed on Monday so we're finally getting our e-mails done! This week has been kind of slow but it's been a good week all in all. To be honest, I can't really remember what really went on -- my brain just kind of mixes things up all into one big ball and I can't discern between yesterday and 6 months ago.

We did have some luck with an old investigator named Brenda last week. She thought we were J.Ws the first few months the missionaries were meeting with her. Finally I asked her to compare her bible with mine and she found... they're the same! So then she said "Well, then what's this book?" So everything actually went really great with her! She seemed a lot less confused! But, tragedy struck. This morning during studies we got a phone call from her husband -- he says he doesn't want us to come over anymore to meet with her. So that kind of bums us out, but hopefully his heart will be softened. We just told him "if you need anything, give us a call."

We are teaching a part member family from Paraguay. Very interesting accent, too. TrabajaR. They have really american R's. The husband was pretty heard hearted up until now, for some reason he wants to meet with us. So we're happy about that. Last night we taught the restoration and we told him about the apostles having the same authority as Jesus Christ, he thought it was blasphemy and questioned me on it. It was such basic knowledge (so I thought) I didn't even know where to look to answer him! Finally I looked at Acts... DUH, acts of the apostles. And read him a few of the miracles done at the hand of Filipe. He is opening more and more, he just needs to have scriptures to back up what we say for him to believe. Which is fine with me, I feel comfortable answering questions with scriptures. I feel like I don't get the chance to do it enough, actually. People will usually just believe our testimonies, so it's fun to use a little spiritual knowledge. He asked last night though, "Why should I have to read alone? I will just listen to my wife read, we're going to be together forever aren't we? So we'll just read together." Those are the kinds of questions he asks. I was kind of stumped, I thought "Yeah, good point." I can't really explain to him the difference in studying alone and with someone. Personally, I like to study alone -- but I didn't have a good reason to give him to study alone, other than I like it! haha.

Elsi's daughter, Camila was in the hospital the other day! We gave her a blessing though and then we prayed that night asking that she would be healed by morning. She left the hospital at 12 the next day! Talk about a cool miracle, huh?

A woman in our ward named Amelia (Mexican) lives with her daughter, son and son in law. Her daughter is 7 months pregnant with her first child and has been married less than a year. They were sealed in the temple. Well, her husband decided he doesn't like whatever he's got so he skipped off to Mexico without any warning and just abandoned his wife/baby. So that has been kind of hard for her. She's 23 and is about to have a child! She feels pretty vulnerable. So we're having them over tonight with the Sanchez' to try to get a good friendship going. And, to have a little time away from sitting at their house in the dark. They need time away!

We're going to see if we can track down the ladies from Spain. The family they were living with have no idea what happened. They just took off randomly one day. The mom wants to stay past her Visa and from what the other family said she's a little insane. She is basically the boss of her daughter and wants to marry her daughter off to an American to get papers. So we're going to see if we can catch them near her highschool today. Hopefully we can, they definitely need some help in that family!

Transfers are coming up next week and I'm hoping I don't take off.

We moved apartments by the way. Same address, just apt. 111 now.

I love you and I am praying for you.
-Elder Conner Allred