WOW. such a
crazy week. I'm just going to get straight to it because there was way more
success this week than i knew was possible! We have 7 people with baptismal
dates right now, and one of those is the familia Sanchez!!!! the best little family
ever.
This week, we
had the whole week of activities because we had the idea that before
conferencia de branch we would do a thing every single day. so we did. monday
was FHE with games and everything, tuesday was yoga night as a branch led by
P90x (I'm still so fat, I'm 197 pounds. like can any of you imagine me that
fat? i was 180 max all of high school and college....like thats really fat. its
passed the point where its funny and now its just sad. but the bread here IS
JUST SO GOOD I CANT STOP. i feel like chris Farley when he says "lay off
me, I'm starving". so yeah, yoga doesn't help. I'm just flexible and fat
now). wednesday was a devotional that so many investigators came to, and
thursday was noche de sports where we had a whole bunch of things going and a
futbol game of like 40 people including women and little children. friday was a
night of sopaipillas (like little scones that you put aji and pebre on. thats
like salsa stuff and theres no way to translate it. or you put mayo on
it....what, doesn't sound good? fried bread with mayo? c'mon guys its
delicious! its probably super healthy too. but for real i had like 10 they are
so delicious) with mensajes mormones, and then saturday was movie night with
popcorn and everything. Friday night i ended up convincing one of our
investigators to come and make the sopaipillas, and he ended up making like
200. and wow they were so good. and then on saturday night we had Major Medina
come and he brought his personal popcorn MACHINE. if that just isn't the coolest
thing ever. our investigator supplied ALL the popcorn and people were just
thrilled. he is progressing like crazy but that will come in a second. so that
was the week of activities, then Presidente Martinez came down yesterday and
spoke and met all of them and it was fantastic.
BUT. The
update on the actual people!
Nicole is kind
of lost this week because her grandpa still continues in a coma, so he is kind
of bad. so we haven't been able to teach her but the girl just wants to get
baptized. she has to travel every day to see him so as soon as this all calms
down.
Bruno and kati
are getting married tuesday! they are doing as good as ever. they couldn't go
sunday to church because not one but BOTH of their daughters were in the
hospital with severe bronchitis, like on oxygen and everything. so sad. but we
got to give them both blessings and they are doing ton better, so we hope
that the 24th they'll be able to complete with their baptism and everything.
Familia
Sanchez. on wednesday, i got to go buy with a joven from the church, Esteban
who got baptized a month ago. anyway we taught the gospel of jesus christ VERY
simply because we were on divisions and he obviously doesn't know how to teach
super well because he is 15 and been baptize for a month, but WOW it was
amazing. we gave them the challenge for the 7th of september and they accepted!
they went to the activities all week, and the girls are so so so happy.
Bernardo was just saying how even THIS week he has already felt like a better
man. less angry, less temper-ish, everything. the mom was saying " i don't
feel like i have an answer yet but i feel genuinely happy and for the
first time in my life i feel like I'm doing the right thing." YEAH okay
thats good enough. they went to church and loved it. it took me awhile to
explain why we raise our hands to sustain people but beyond that, it was so
simple. They just get it and love it. So we are so happy for them because they
are a FAMILY who already wants to go to the temple and the daughters just want
to be little mujeres jovenes and everything. like its adorable. Im just so
grateful to heavenly father for preparing them for us. they really are so
special and i know that we have done NOTHING to deserve success like this. but
heck we will take it and we are working them in with the members so much. the
great thing about victoria is the members. They are SO loving. like they have
just taken this family under their wing and some key families are not letting them
go. its so relieving to have HELP as a missionary because we know we don't do
this on our own. I am just so thrilled. They are a golden family and i truly do
love them. I feel like an older brother to the little girls and i just love
being with them. the picture is of me with Bernardo and Josefina, the daughter
of 11! the other three were eating popcorn and didn't want to get up.....
And Marcelo.
The best joven EVER. We found him contacting, invited him to play football, and
he hasn't let go of us since. he is seriously like a brother to me. he is 14
and his dad is a major in the military here, like way high up there. everyone
knows him. and he is also the most deseoso investigator I've ever had. like all
they want to do is know more. Marcelo sang in the CHOIR with us yesterday. they
came to every activity. his dad, who is also named marcelo, is the one who
brought the popcorn machine. and its just been amazing to see how much they
love the gospel already. marcelo's dad passed through a divorce about 5 years
ago and is now with another lady name andrea who is with me in the foto, and
they are so special. he said all he realized through all of that is that his
kids needed HIM a lot more than they needed money or things. like isn't that
amazing? he talked more than anyone in sunday school yesterday which president
martinez was teaching, and has told me things like "The book of mormon is
just so joyful to read. it makes me so peaceful." "Hey can i borrow
that principles of the gospel book? i would like to learn everything about the
gospel" "Whats the atonement? I want to learn more about it because
it seems really important?" umm.....really? this dad is the best, and says
that if marcelo jr wants to go on a mission he would support him 100%. We
actually haven't even TAUGHT them yet because we found them last saturday, they
came to church the next day, came to all the activities, came to church AGAIN
yesterday. so its super backwards because they are doing everything and we
haven't even taught. So we just love this family. They have 2 14 year old boys
who are studs and are going to strengthen the church so much. And president
martinez said "Marcelo...he is incredible. How did you find him?"
well president...this really crazy tactic called playing futbol. Cool, right?
Anyway, I'm
thrilled. I truly love victoria. I love these people, every convert
and every member, i get sad when i don't see them every couple days, i
genuinely care about their kids and relatives. i just love being a missionary
so much and I'm so genuinely happy. This place is amazing. Anyway, thanks for
all your support, its helping a ton out here. I love you all so much.
Keep them all
in your prayers please! We need miracles. and more, the lord needs these
children to come to him.
besitos,
Elder Tengberg
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