Email May 20, 2013

Hello Family! This week was a rough one! There were some really good points, but the dengue just really had me in bed a lot. I was hurting a lot on Saturday so I went to lay down for five minutes between lunch and 12 week program study, and I sacked out for four hours. It was really crazy. I feel like on the mission I have suffered a lot physically haha. Torn abdomen. Dengue Fever. But I've really found that through those experiences the Lord is humbling me: I'm grateful for those chances to wait on the Lord. I can humbly say the Lord has helped me become more humble. And I've found a lot of peace in my life despite the trials. We had a really great lesson with a couple named Andres and Lowra. They live up in the campo at the end of a random road. Elder Smith and I sometimes just drive around to really explore the area so that we know where we can go. And every time we come to a dead end we contact the houses at the end. It's a good system: that's how we found Andres and Lowra. When we were talking to Andres for the first time he told us, "Something needs to happen to help fix things in our lives." We testified of the power of the restored gospel, and he invited us back. We taught he and Lowra about the restoration. As we talked I asked them when the last time was that they felt peace. They couldn't answer. So I promised them peace as they read the Book of Mormon. And they've been reading! I'm really excited about the potential they have. They have a little six year old daughter who's really cute too haha she goes crazy when we are there. Another investigator we teach for the sisters has gone to church three times. His name is Ferdinand: he has accepted to be baptized, but doesn't want to commit to a baptismal date because he's "poor". It's true, he really has nothing. They just recently announced here in Puerto Rico that they are going to stop producing food coupons, which is the support a lot of people here have--like Ferdinand. And Ferdinand lost his job because he punched a kid he worked with...so it's not an ideal situation. But he loves going to church: he was praying to God for guidance, walking through the street, when the sisters found him, and he says that he believes God has directed him to the church. So he'll be baptized, it's just a matter of asking when. He's really cool. I had a sort of sentimental moment yesterday. I was talking to Lin--I used to call her Lym, but that's because I didn't understand her perfectly haha--at church about when she wanted to get married to Esteban. She told me she's just basically waiting for him to propose, but that he doesn't have the money to buy a ring. Then she said, "I'd accept a bread-bag tie around my finger!" I was surprised and really humbled! She loves him so much she's willing to take basically nothing as a commitment to marry him. Ha. It made me think "I hope one day a woman loves me enough that she would accept even a "bread-bag tie" from me." :) haha. That's all sentimental and stuff, but it's an honest, heart-felt thing. Anyway, love you all! Elder Cevering