Marta to be Baptized on Wednesday!

Querida Familia Mia,

Our house is the door on the left.

We... are going to have a baptism! La Hermana Marta is 62 and has been seeing missionaries for a good eight months and has a lot of sass. She's been in and out of the hospital for the longest time and even though her husband was in perfect health, he died two months ago in the middle of a conversation while they were both sitting in their hamacas. Wow, she really is an example to me of letting affliction turn you to Heavenly Father and not away from him. She is really excited for her baptism. It will be a trick to do the ordinance without getting her dialysis tubes wet.  And eeee… it's my first! It's this Wednesday!

We also have another PROGRESSING INVESTIGATOR with a BAPTISMAL DATE, named Pascual. We couldn't teach him for the longest time because he is a very, very serious alcoholic and couldn't go without drinking long enough for us to teach him. But-- we stopped by his house about a week ago to leave him a pamphlet, and he told us he hasn't had a drink in a week! It was so incredible to actually talk to and get to know the real Pascual. He really is a good person and wants to get back to his family so bad. And he loves coming to church.

I have some good news. I had my interview with President and he asked me what I had heard from my family recently, and I told him I hadn't heard from them in a while because email time is short so they write DearElders, but they don't come very reliably. And wow, my mission President really listens to me! He gave me a few suggestions.  My interview with him was beautiful. He gave me a lots of specific advice about what I should do with specific investigators and what I should focus our teaching and time on. 

Mom, could you send me pictures that I can print and paste in my "Mi Familia" pamphlet? I need pictures of you, Bup, my 4 grandparents and my 8 grandparents? They don't need to be in color or anything fancy. I finished your letter today and bought stamps!

Bup, could you send me a story or two about my four great-grandparents on your side? I'm filling in my "Mi Familia" pamphlet with stories and things I remember about the past three generations. Sigh, I miss you... I haven't gotten mail in forever and so I'm hoping sometime in the next month I'll hear from you and how you're doing.

And to the family: What do you think about dedicating our house? I've been thinking about it a lot. I don't have to be there for the house to be dedicated, and it would help to bring more unity and love into the home and help us all to center our lives more on Christ. ¿Qué piensan ustedes? (What do you think?)

Oh, you guys, I love you.

(Referring to the picture) Our neighbor upstairs takes nice care of the plants that he keeps in pots and cans in the entryway. He's young and single and... drinks, so once again we have to buscar casa (find another place to live).

Usually the sky is not gray and you can see how colorful the street is. I'll have to try again to take a picture so you can get a better feel for how the city looks.

Being a missionary is really good.

Love,

Hermana Ludlam