Sept. 14, 2009

Hey Everyone!!
How are you all doing? I´m doing just fine. Life in the mission goes on as you all know. This week was especially rewarding. We had 2 baptisms on Saturday!! It was a really good baptism. We got to baptize a family: the mom and the dad. I baptized Gabriel, the dad and Elder Gomez baptized Vanesa. Before I came here, Elder Gomez and his old companion baptized Maria; who is Gabriel and Vanesa´s daughter. It took a little work to get them to the water. They received a testimony really quickly but couldn´t stop smoking for some time. However, Elder Gomez and I made a special tobacco tea that helps people quit smoking. We bought some bagged tobacco and boiled it and gave it to them to drink. Apparently the tea gives them a bad taste in their mouths and makes them throw up after smoking a cigarette. Either way it worked!!! Before they drank it they made me take a sip. It was so gross. If that´s anything compared to smoking I recommend to never smoke. Wow it was nasty.
So as for some interesting news we had a huge fiasco in the branch on Sunday. Supposedly some members called our District President (who is like a Stake President) and told him that we as Elders were hanging out with the young women a lot and that my companion was interviewing them almost every week in his office. Obviously this did NOT happen. The people here are crazy. I´m a little mad at the moment. From what I got out of it, the 2nd counselor´s family and one of his friends want my companion out of here so they made up the rumors. Well, long story short, on Sunday we spent all day in church being interviewed by the District Presidency and we got everything settled. Does stuff like that ever happen back home? I don´t know because I´ve never heard of something of that nature happen. I´m sure somewhere it has happened but still.
Anyway, other than that "incident" things are going great. We still have 4 more baptismal dates here and are looking for more. We are working really hard and I´m losing a little bit of weight because of all the bike riding that we are doing. I like to say that the Lord gives a little and he takes a little, and luckily for me he´s taking a little bit of weight away.
Well it´s time for me to go. I hope things are well for you all. Have a wonderful week!!
Later,
Elder Page