Week 61

So to start out, let's just say that next week I will writing you from a different area because I am going back to Santa Patricia! Hahaha I'm going to be companions with Elder Rojas, he is my "homie" so I'm excited and he is going to finish his mission this next transfer! Our area is the richest zone in the whole mission so that will be a change. We have the temple too, in that area. Plus, I will be able to go back to San Borja to see the people I taught there, haha! So ya that's the news, I am excited and have lots of new ideas and stuff to try out in the new zone. 

This week was pretty normal. We did exchanges on Wednesday because I had to go interview our District leader's investigators. The sister I interviewed is super cool and we went to her baptism on Saturday, which was great, but the rest of the day turned out to be a challenge. We had everything planned to go to the temple with our converts and investigators and the whole zone but when we got there everything failed. Another zone was already there and the temple is always super full on Saturdays and especially since it was closing early because of the General Women`s Conference that night. So anyway, we had scheduled to go to the temple but something went wrong and they didn't have us down so we ended up squeezing a couple of investigators in with other groups here and there.  And we had a whole tour with explanations and sights planned but the other zone did as well, so we just jumped in with them and it didn't really turn out well. So the other missionaries were pretty upset with that. Then we went to the chapel after lunch to help the other elders fill the baptismal font and get things ready for their baptism at 4. I still needed to interview their investigator because she couldn't do it on Friday or in the morning on Saturday. And she was running late and then the power and the water went out in the chapel so we had to move the baptism to 5:30 to another chapel in a different area. So we ended up having 3 baptisms in Musa. One was the lady I interviewed, one was from Manchay, and one was from Huertos which is even further away! It was a pretty chaotic letting everyone know that it was going to have to be moved quite a distance away, but I guess that's how things go sometimes...

On Sunday, Elder Garate came with his older brother to our sacrament meeting to say goodbye to everyone. It was super cool to see him. He is gonna go to Utah in January so don't be surprised if he shows up at the door one day. Eduardo passed the sacrament on Sunday and Francisco received the Priesthood and will bless the sacrament after General Conference. It is super cool to see how much progress they have made spiritually in such a small amount of time. It is gonna be so sad to say goodbye to them tonight but that's how it has to be...

Speaking of General Conference, I am so excited to watch it and to hear the messages of the Prophet and Apostles. I hope you all are preparing yourselves to listen to them by praying and taking any questions you may have into the sessions so that they can be answered by these men called of God. 

One more update, Elias and Judith, the couple that was going to get married last week, had their baby. So funny story, we gave them the Liahona Magazine from General Conference last October to read because we have taught them all the lessons and they are just waiting to get married and then be baptized. But anyway, Elias was reading and found the page with pictures of all of the General Authorities; the First Presidency, the Twelve Apostles, the Seventies, The Presiding Bishopric, as well as the Sister Leaders on it. Well, they really liked the name of the General Primary President, I believe she is, Joy D. Jones, so they named their daughter Joy after her! I wish I could be here to continue teaching them and see them get married and baptized but I'm sure they will do fine! 

That is about it for this week. I will be off to my new area tomorrow and listening to conference along with you all this weekend! Thanks for the support! 

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Much Love,

Elder Mortenson