Hello all.

Sup y'all?

This week was great. I am now officially a father. Padre. Hahaha. In case you're really worried now and don't remember...or if I just didn't tell you, new missionaries aren't "greenies" here, they're hijos. Sons. My son is from Santiago, Chile. He's a very eager missionary, with a lot of anxiety to get out a preach and baptize. He's a very hard worker, which is really good. I talked to my old companion, Elder Ochoa, last Saturday. He left for Peru this morning, and will be coming to Utah at the end of March, beginning of April! You'll have to look him up. :)

The work is going well. We haven't seen Felipe for several weeks now, and we're thinking that his parents just don't want him to listen to us. But we found some other investigators and are working with them. Pilar (female) is a student here at the UPTC. She came to a baptismal service this week and felt really good. She had expressed doubts about "re-baptism" because she had already been baptized as a child and didn't see the need to be baptized again. We explained that for a baptism to be valid it needs 3 things. 1. Sufficient water, 2. An age of accountability, and 3. The proper authority. After the baptism on Saturday, she told us that now she understood why we are baptized at an older age. The young woman that was baptized bore a powerful testimony of why she was baptized and how she felt when she entered and left the font. Pilar told us she understood and yesterday she came to church as well (without us having to go pick her up...). It was great. 

We're also working with Diana. She has a boyfriend in the ward and her other best friend/roommate are members. She's been attending church for about 6 months, on and off, and recently after we helped them move to a new apartment, she expressed the desire to take the lessons and consider a baptism. Yesterday we taught her the Restoration, even though she already knew most of the story. We invited her to be baptized on the 24th of March, and she said she'd think about it. I gave the example of the boys throwing their cap over the wall to motivate themselves to learn to climb it (thanks mom, I use that a lot). If we never commit ourselves, we're just going to keep telling ourselves, "Someday I'll do it." Or "It's so high...I don't think I can." When we commit to something and set a goal with a deadline, we're much more motivated to prepare ourselves for that date. Even still, she said she'd think about it. Which is fine. I don't want to pressure her into being baptized. I want her to be the one that makes the decision, because then she'll be 100% more commited. 

The other investigator we've been working with se llama Angel. He's had a pretty crazy and difficult life. Yesterday when we went to visit him, he started telling us his story. We didn't say a word for about an hour and a half, and just listened. Afterwards, we shared a small message, and let him know that anything he needed, we'd be there for him. It was a neat experience. He asked for our prayers. For him, his children, his wife, etc. We told him he'd definitely be in our prayers. He was also in our fast.

I've really been able to see the results of hard work here in this area. We don't really have the confidence of the members in the north, because of the previous missionaries that were here, but the more we work, and bring investigators to church from our own work, the more they begin to trust in us, and give us their referrals. The more we contact, the more refferals we receive. It's kinda funny how that works, but it's true. 

Today we played futbol with all the missionaries in the zone. It was a blast. We played here in Tunja, which made it all the better. We didn't have to pay for any buses. I'm not that great at futbol, but I enjoy playing. All these latinos are easily 10 times better than me. Haha. But it's fun. 

I'm attaching fotos. Of my son, and of the zone after playing 2 hours of futbol. Enjoy. :)

I hope everything is well. I can't beLIEVE it's already march. Oh, and happy March Forth everyone. Hehe. Next week is Pi day. :) I'm gonna be 20 in a month and a half. How un-freaking-believable is that? :P

Life's good. Take care. Don't do drugs. Don't take candy from strangers. And above all, Do what tastes right.

I love you all,

Elder Joey

P.S. There is no Easter Bunny, there is no Santa Claus, and there is no Queen of England!

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