Elder Mike Payne: Week 24 - January 14, 2013

Hola!

So on Friday we had the baptism for Edwin!! It was such an amazing experience!! On Thursday we had our interview with him and it was different than any other interview I have had. usually there are some questions we need to ask to make sure they are ready for baptism and to make sure they have a sufficient amount of knowledge but the interview with Edwin was amazing!!

We teach lessons with pamphlets and they have pictures in them that make it super easy to understand. So we basically just went through all the pamphlets and asked him to describe the pictures and bare his testimpony about each of the pamphlets. He did such a good job!! By the end of the interview he was literally sweating and he said ¨That was a lot of thinking...my head hurts!¨

So Friday we got to the church at 4 to prepare for the baptism because the font always has bugs in it. At 6:30 Edwin and his family showed up at the church. We waited for about 30 more minutes because his mom was at work and we didn´t want her to miss it. It turned out she couldn´t make it because she had to stay late at work. But everything went well and there were tons of people at his baptism!!! Everyone loves Edwin. Every week at church he makes sure to shake everyone's hand. If they walk in 30 minutes late to sacrament meeting, Edwin will get up and run to the door to shake their hand. He is the nicest kid in the world!!

As it came time to enter the water, Edwin was so happy because the water was warm, he had the biggest smile on his face and he was super nervous! As I finished the ordinance, I put him under the water and his legs FLEW up out of the water!! The second time was the exact same!! The ward mission leader came up to the font and said ¨Well it doesn´t need to be perfect, right?¨ haha So then I decided to baptize him on my knees! He was so nervous and all three times he held his breath through the entire ordinance because he didn´t know when I was going to put him under the water!! But it all worked out awesome and Edwin turns14 tomorrow and will be ordained into the teachers quorum and will receive the priesthood next week!!! I am so happy for him!!!

Well my companion is trying to learn english, on Saturday during language study I taught him how to count to ten...for 45 minutes!!! And 20 minutes was him trying to pronounce the word ¨ten.¨ But he is getting better.

Well this last week wasn´t too crazy, but we walked 56 miles! I went on divisions with the missionaries in my district because they are having a pretty rough time. One is super sick and will most likely be going home within the next few months. So I went and worked in their areas for a day to help them out and see how they were doing.

Well I love you all and I hope you are all doing well!! We have another baptism planned for this weekend so that should be good!! He is 9 years old and his parents are less active but we are helping them to be reactivated and they will be baptizing their son this weekend!! It should be another good week!!

Looks like I have another team to fast for... first the Giants then the Cougs and now the 9ers!!! Lets go!!!!!!!!

Con Muchisimo Amor,

Elder Mike Payne