Ponce Ultimo

GOOD MORNING EVENING AFTERNOON 

Welcome to Ponce Puerto Rico

EDVELIO- was baptized this week. That was super good. I was able to baptize him with my companion because he has a prosthetic leg which is pretty unique no? Interesting. He's so humble and wholesome it was so awesome to get to work with him for the last month. Everything was so easy. But that's because he was just prepared for the gospel. He said one day he just felt like saying yes to going to church with the member. Something inside him told him to say yes and he came and hasn't missed a Sunday yet. 

He was confirmed Sunday and the lord really wanted our friends to see it. We had 6 people in Sacrament meeting yesterday.

Luz- came to church and the activity Saturday. She's doing really good. We unfortunately were not able to have any lessons with her. She was supposed to be home and we showed up and she had  to go help a family emergency. But she did come to church like she said she would.

Marcus ( the AA baseball player)- he came to church as well. He loved it I think..he was asking me to see the primary so I think he wants to bring his son. He was having struggles with baptism because he was born catholic and is saying his baptism works. We said that's fair. Explained authority and  left him with Moroni 8. We came back and he read it and was like "yeah, you guys make sense. You have all the reason" the reason he's progressing is because he reads the Book of mormon. The power that book has and the spiritual feelings that it gives are so strong. Everyone that actually reads the Book of Mormon progresses. 

Jose Pagan (the professor at college).- came to church for the second week in a row. We invited him to be baptized this week and he was like well... I am down but I want to be SURE and know everything. It's okay though. He has a fair desire. It's good to know but he doesn't need to know everything I think he thinks he needs like all church history memorized and the doctrine and to read all of the general conferences. Hey. He's reading and coming to church. Two more lessons and he'll be baptized. 

Betzabel- Came to church as well. She's a sneaky one as in she's slowly been progressing and showing up on our radar. We found her by looking for a less active and the less active either died or moved I can't remember. But she lives in the house now and now she's going to be a member sooner or later too. Funny thing is she's also reading the Book of Mormon and came to church. She's kinda shy but not. More just chill like my sister chandler. So we are trying to open her up and get her to talk more and feel more comfortable with us but she will be back at church for sure. 

Ramon Torres- he's a cool guy, the actual only friend we have from Santa Isabel. The rest of the time we spent in coamo. We have 1 friend in Santa Isabel. Anyways I felt prompted at MLC to call gray dots that have been to Sacrament so we called him in April and he set up a cita but it got canceled and we just forgot. About 3 weeks later he referred himself on Facebook to meet with us again..so we went over and we've been teaching him. We've only Had 1 lesson. But he came to church and that was super awesome. He had a nice Hawaiian flow at church. 

It's so interesting how someone only needs to read the Book of Mormon. And 95% of the time they get baptized and keep other commitments, one of the coolest lessons I learned on my first day of the mission. About 664 days ago president Skinner taught us that we need to focus on reading, prayer, and church attendance. If they can keep those three small commitments the rest will fall into place and it's so true. 

It's sad the work here is finally going because I white washed this area 6 months ago while training and it was awesome but it has taken the lord's time for the work to pick up and it's finally been going these last few weeks. We finally helped someone make Covenants here. And I only have a week left. I'm just extremely grateful I can leave Santa Isabel better than I found it. 

We have received even more mangoes this week. In the exact words of the Puerto Ricans. "Se quedan tan juicy, los ponga en el fridge mmmmm tan juicy" I love the spanglish the Puerto Ricans speak.  "2 en el fridge, los saca, los come, mmmmmm juicy" 

Me and Elder Arreaga went on an exchange this week. We found a dudé that was bashing us that he was agnostic. We had no problems with that he just insisted that he was agnostic we said okay, nice so ho long have you been agnostic. "I'm not catholic, I'm not a Jehovah's witness I am agnostic" yes we know we respect it. Then he'd say it again. Then he asked us if drinking was bad. We said yes. He started going off again. 

We had interviews with President Skinner. It was fun to talk to him. He helped a lot with what I'm feeling. He understands because he finishes his mission in June. And he's been here for 3 years and served his mission as a young person in Puerto Rico. We were both very sad to leave. 

I love Puerto Rico. Nothing makes sense here. Everything is exactly how I would work if I was a country. It's sad to leave and very unfortunate. 

Last week, next week it's over. It's been a good ride. I love this island and its people.