¡Familia mia! This Saturday was really lovely. Paula, a lass of 13 (don't ask me where 'lass' came from. my english is getting rustier by the second. Except on mondays, when I speak way too much of it), had her baptism. It was a little bit stressful, because we weren't entirely organized. we had a somewhat last-minute change in the schedule so that her mother, Clara, could attend, and it was right on top of a stake leadership meeting, so all the people who were supposed to help us were in the meeting. And then, their family dog, Toti, died that afternoon, so when we went to pick them up, Paula, Clara, and Carmen (paula's abuelita who is a recent convert) were all in tears and not at all ready to leave. But everything went alright. :) We had a talk on faith and repentance by una jovencita in our barrio, Ashly, who has helped us a lot, and another by Hermana Irma, who is Ashly's aunt and whose family is very missionary-work centered. They're great. And then I gave a musical number 'Cuando me bautice,' (when I am baptized) which is, like, one of my favorite primary songs and I had been memorizing. It was actually quite lovely. I sang acapella, so I could pick what key it was in. That's one thing that I do like here. But I always have to sing melody--almost never alto or tenor or bass--because very few people here can carry a tune. :)
I can't believe that I've already been here for a month! It's crazy. I should be applying myself more. Pdte. Turk has challenged us to read el Libro de Mormón before Christmas. I'm in second nefi! I read so slowly in Spanish! I find that I do understand quite a bit, except in Isaiah they use a lot of unusual words. I'm just really glad that I'm familiar with the Book of Mormon in English. Yikes. I'm afraid that I'll never finish, but I read for at least 30 minutes a day, and I'm trusting that my reading will speed up and I'll be able to complete it. It's amazing how you can recieve personal revelation while reading the scriptures in a different language. I think that it's a blessing so that I can use my personal study time to read in spanish and achieve the goal. :) I'm so glad that as a family we've always practiced the principles of reading the scriptures (especially the book of Mormon), praying, and attending church. Those really are the essentials to build a testimony. Thanks, Mom and Dad! I love you all! Have a wonderfully fantastic week!
hna. Jackson
