Sunday, March 10, 2013

Week 30 - March 4, 2013 - No Regrets!


Wow what a week!! So it all started on Tuesday. President called me last week and asked if I would be able to go to the Zone's council meeting. So on Tuesday we picked some other zone leaders up from the bus station and took them back to our house. Then me and a couple of the other zone leaders went to president's house and met up with all the zone leaders in the mission. Every month the zone leaders have councils at the president's house and it´s pretty much just a fireside and the next day they have a big meeting to discuss the mission. 

Then on Friday we had our baptism for Urial. It went well, Elder Santiago baptized him. It was Elder Santiago´s first baptism.  Then on Saturday we had our baptism for Lorrita- the little American girl. It is so weird because she knows maybe 10 percent of spanish so she is more lost than I was my first few weeks here. We just laugh because she is so funny! She is 10 years old and everyone went up to her to congratulate her and she would just look at me and shrug her shoulders because she had no clue what the people were saying haha. 

While Lorrita and her dad were changing after the baptism, everyone watched a movie on the atonement, I looked over at Elder Santiago and he was crying. We left the room and I gave him a big hug! I knew exactly why he was crying...HIS SISTER GOT BAPTIZED THAT DAY IN GUATAMALA!!!! It was awesome because he got to baptize Uriel on Friday and then he got to see Lorrita (who is the same age as his sister) get baptized on Saturday. He has 9 people in his family and only 3 (now 4) of them are members, but two of his other siblings are also taking the missionary discussions. This morning when we were printing our letters, he just broke down and started crying because his family sent him pictures of the baptism. It was so awesome to be with him for this experience!!

Then Saturday night we went and had a lesson with Lupe. She always tells us that she is going to get baptized but she wants it to be her decision and that she doesn´t want to set a date and get pressured into anything. We told her that it was her decision but that Elder Santiago and I have been praying for her and we feel that she will be ready for baptism on March 16th. She accepted and said  "if I don´t feel ready by then, then I will get baptized the next week.¨  It was such an awesome lesson!!

Then yesterday at church we asked Lorrita and Uriel who they wanted to confirm them and the both chose me...GREAT!! So I was super nervous before and I pulled out my white missionary handbook to start memorizing the ordinance. It came time for the confirmations and Lorrita was first. I took a deep breath and said a little prayer...I didn´t feel nervous at all. I honestly felt like I was speaking my natural language. It was such a weird feeling! It went super well. Then after I confirmed Uriel. The second time was so much easier. It was a cool experience to confirm someone for the first time!

Then as church was ending yesterday, we saw Lupe, Erendira, and Mayra talking to our Stake President. Mayra came up to me crying after and she was so happy. I asked what happened and she told me that her mom is going to get baptized this next Saturday instead of the 16th!! Her mom then said, "I feel really good right now. I talked to President Muños and he said that the ward is going to do baptisms in the temple on the 16th and I want to go. But I have to be a member for at least a week before I can enter. So I want to be baptized this week!" Wow!!!! What a miracle!! This is like my favorite family here! I was scared that I wouldn't be able to see her baptism because of transfers, but now I will be able to see her baptism and also hear about her experience in the temple!!

We also will be baptizing Eric (brother of Edwin and Yazbek) this Saturday. I am so happy for him!
Well that is about it for my crazy week!! What an awesome week!! I don´t want to be transfered but I am almost positive that I will haha! But it´s all good! I am prepared...kinda hahaha! It will definitely be weird because this is all I know about Mexico- Buenos Aires. So it will be cool to get to know another area but at the same time I am going to miss the people here!  I think I am going to get to come to the States for a few weeks at the end of March!  I guess my visa is only good for 6 months, so I need to come back to fill out more paperwork and wait for my new visa to go through.  I'm pretty excited to come back to civilization and maybe drive a car again! haha

I wanted to give a shout-out to Mrs. Carrick and Mrs. Robinson, thanks for reading my emails!  Mom, I love your quote about teaching by showing. It would be easier to be lazy and not work hard, but it would be the worst feeling in the world to be at the end of your mission and have regrets. I have 16 months left and I'm trying to live each day at a time and not take any opportunity for granted!

Well I love you guys and I hope you all have an amazing week!! I know my week will be awesome!! Whenever we have baptisms the weeks always go by super fast!!  I love you all and thank you so much for all the support!!!

Hasta proxima semana,
Elder Mike Payne

Uriel's Baptism! 
Uriel's Baptism! He is such a shy kid, but it was awesome!

Baptism of Lorrita.  Her family is so awesome!  None of them speak Spanish.  Her little brother, Angelk, is such a funny little kid!  He says the funniest things!
Baptism of Lorrita!

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