March 10, 2008

Hey Family,
I apologize that my last week email didn't get to you. I re-sent it so hopefully you get it. And I wrote it before Ashlyn’s and Preston's, mom!
So this week has been really good like the last week, we had the confirmations of Pamela and Jose yesterday and they were both extremely happy. It took some work to get them baptized but it was worth all the effort we put in. Rumaldo Sanchez is going to get baptized this Sunday and on the the 30th we have Luis Rojas who will get baptized as well. Rumaldo (Guatamalteco) ordered a video from the church and use to work on Sundays. We asked him to ask his boss for Sundays off and he said no! And so we told him that he needed to ask once more or quit. After that we lost contact with him for a week and he finally got Sundays off and it's his only day off during the whole week. And to teach him we have been passing by his house in the mornings and riding the train with him to work. He came yesterday and really likes the church and he always has the biggest smile when he sees us. He told me yesterday that he want us to send the book of Mormon to his old pastor and congregation in Guatemala. We told him we can. So he is going try to get the addresses of everyone down there.
Luis Rojas, we found him knocking and he is a 26year old (Mexican) he is amazing and really loves us passing by, he use to drive buses in Mexico in a lot of different places and he told us that he would be in the furtherest weirdest places and he would always see missionaries walking or riding bikes and he saw them everywhere in Mexico. He always thought they were students and always wanted to ask them who they were. So we came to his door he wanted to know who we were and let us in and we had a very powerful first lesson and he has been reading the book of Mormon and he told me that it has a power that keeps his attention. He will make an amazing priesthood holder. I’m really excited for him and Rumaldo.
Last night we went to look up a lady that I contacted on the street, so we passed by her house and we found Florida’s number one investigator. When we knocked on the door a Dominican lady answered holding a copy of the Book of Mormon in Spanish with her finger marking the spot where she was reading. And we were shocked at first and then we got really excited because, who anwsers the door reading the book of Mormon? We started to ask her how she likes the book and if she lives here. We found out that she is from Florida and she is planning on getting baptized and she said she really likes our church and she keep saying "it's cool", it was funny to us so anyways we are going back to teach the friend that I contacted and she is going to have to join the church because her friend is getting baptized in Florida and she has a sister that is already a member. So she is getting attacked by every direction. It’s exciting to know that the gospel is being taught in every place and that the Lord is preparing people in every place to hear us.
This next Tuesday is transfers and I think Elder Imlay will be leaving but it would be cool to leave him here for one more. I really hope I don't get transferred so quick like last time. I still get to see a lot of the members here because we live so close to the church, I saw a less active on the train the other day. It’s a small world even in New York. I have even seen some investigators from Jamaica two weeks ago.
I got the letter with the announcement, thanks for sending it. Tell them congratulations and good luck with everything. This week I’ll hit 7 months left! Time is flying!
I love you all!
Love Russ