One down, 16 to go

[Picture of Allen and new comp]

Dear Everyone,

This week was CRAZY!!! So as you are all well aware, I had the grand opportunity to be ¨zone leader¨ for the week. I really wasn’t, but I was the zone leaders companion. So we had many problems with baptisms and bishops and investigators falling in love with elders and investigators wanting to wait until pigs fly to be baptized so it was crazy.

But amidst all the craziness, I witnessed a miracle. The area that I was in, Altos de Merlo 1, there is the Familia Arias. The Mother and Father, Norma and Antonio, had been investigators for some time. They finally wanted to get baptized so the missionaries put a fecha for the baptism. I happen to come in on the weekend of the baptism and both of them are backing out. And so what do desperate missionaries do? That’s right. Beg. Just kidding. We didn’t beg. We tried to convince them that being baptized was the right thing for them to do. Well blah blah blah. We did that the entire week. Well we told them to come to the church Saturday because an elder that they were taught by and who they loved dearly, was leaving to go home and he wanted to say goodbye to them.

So Saturday they came to the capilla, not knowing that Elder Kirkham and I went earlier in the day and filled up the pileta. JAJA And so they went on saying their goodbyes and stuff and then all of a sudden…. The husband, Antonio, he all of a sudden said ¨I want to be baptized today¨. OH MY GOSH! So we weren’t expecting this even though we filled up the pileta. So Elder Kirkham and I, ran all the way back to the pench to grab baptism clothes while another companionship did the baptismal interview. We got people to give talks and even a musical number and WOW. So we baptized him. He was the only baptism that day. We had been praying long and hard for him. It sure paid off but boy was it hard. We did everything physically we could and the rest was just the Spirit doing what it does best. Gets people wet. That is the miracle that I witnessed this week.

The moral of the story: ¨Pray always that ye may come off conqueror¨ (D&C 10:5) We were surely blessed. Let’s just say also that having an apostolic blessing on the mission helped out a whole lot for the faith part of everything. Elder Bednar told us that if we do everything physically possible and then put all your faith in Jesus Christ, the rest will come. He gave an example of when Nephi was tied up, do you think Nephi just prayed that the bands be loosed and they just came off?? Heck no!! He had to fight and struggle to get out of those bands. And once Heavenly Father saw that he did everything in his strength, He then helped the rest of the way. Nephi still had to do work but now he had help from the Lord. We need to follow that example and have faith. But remember that faith without works is dead. Do all that we can, then ask for help from the Lord.

[Edit: Picture of Allen with Elder Cubero]

That was the spiritual message of the week. Hope you enjoyed that. Well, HAPPY TWO MONTHS ELDER PICKETT!! Oh thanks everyone, thanks. Wow, two months. I can’t tell you if it went fast or slow. I think it went like normal. Only 22 more to go! Yahoo!!!

Well, it’s flipping hot and humid. I’m going to kill a dog. I think I have seen more people on one motorcycle than in one car. Six people on a Moto. And the trains and buses are ridiculous. Thanks for the heads up there Grandpa Pickett.

Well, I bet everyone is excited to know who my companion is right? I said RIGHT?? Ok good. I’ll tell you. It is………… Elder Gonzalez!! He is from El Salvador. It doesn’t speak a lot of English so here goes the trial of the mission. Speaking in constant Spanish. He and his companion in his last area were the best missionaries in that area ever so I am really excited to work with him.

[Edit: this is Allen with Elder Gonzalez, Elder Decker, and Elder???]

YAAAAHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Heck yeah! GO REAL!!! That is so flipping awesome. But they do it when I am gone. I think I was the bad luck. Hmmm…. We’ll see when I get back lol. Thank you to Dad, Mom, Sara, Cui, y Tia Lelani for the emails and Britney for the dear elder. I think I’ll work on the attribute of patience. I definitely need that. Hope everyone is safe and sound minus my own father who decided to retire from tree cutting this week. Geez jaja.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! And eat some turkey for me. We’ll probably have an asado or something. Chiste. Anyway, I love you and I hope you love me back

Love,
Elder Pickett