Well this week was toped off on a very high note with Louisa being Baptized at 7 o'clock in the church of Aruba! Yes she went threw with it and we were all very happy to see her make this very important decission in her life! We were passing by every day to make sure that she was all ready the whole week and it definately was worth it. Especialy when we asked her who it was that she would like to preform the baptism for her. She answered us by saying well of coarse i want some one who's helped me from the begining and asked me if i would do it! I was very humbled and very willing to accept, and on baptism saturday there i was standing in the water in white with Louisa and performed the baptism!!!! The moment passed fairly quickly, but the memory and the feelings are going to last with me an eternity! It was such a honor to be able to help Luisa make one of the biggest choices every for her eternal life! I felt so warm inside and so happy for her that words literally cant explain it! Then the next day, sunday, she was confirmed as a member of the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints! Its weeks like these that make the mission so great! Not only was it great because Luisa was baptized but what made it even better was that Alexandra, one of our investigators, said she would also be baptised so we set a date for her on November 21. Yeah Awesome week right?... With Alexandra we still have some work to do but she has a lot of potential and were going to be working for her goal of the 21st of November to be baptized. So as you can tell the work is progressing down here in Aruba quite well and i love every moment of it! i'm really just at a lose of words because of how great this week has been and to just throw a cherry on top i'm an uncle again! Congrats Lachelle!!! i cant wait to see some picks of that little stud! Man count your many blessings right! ? I'm very grateful to my Heavenly Father right now for all the blessings he's given us in our lifes to experience this past week!
Man i love this life!
Elder Lopez
Friday, October 30, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Good start to another transfer (email dated 10/19/2009)
Hello back home, Well this week i was in a 3some until my companion got down here on friday morning! But it was a great week to be honest. The day Elder Kolar got in we went out and found 4 new investigators right off the bat... and 3 of them were part of a family that was a reference from a member family. That all ways gives them a better chance of excepting the gospel and becoming converted! That made us pretty excited and then the other new investigator we found is named a Marina and she was very cool to say the least! It was lesson in Papiamentu which ment i was doing all of the talking because it was my companions first day down here with the language. I felt like i did alright but obviously with a lot of room to improve... Any how the language didnt even play a big factor because Marina could put it all together in her head and loved it. When we got to the part of the BOM she read the last 2 paragraphs in the introduction, which invites all to read and pray, then looked up at us with out us saying anything. Then she told us right away, "i'm going to read this book, and i'm going to pray, and when i do i'm going to call you..." Let me tell you we were more then happy to hear those words come from her mouth because i know what that book is capiable of doing to people in their life. So we set up a cita with her this tuesday and are going to pass by to see how her reading goes! I was really blown away at the way she just commited her own self to read and pray with out us even having to say anything. It was a wonderful lesson, and now we'll wait to see if she's for real when we come back this week.
Now as for the Ocean baptism this weekend... well... we had a change in plans.. No worries about the baptism part its just the Ocean part was shut down by our mission President. I called him up because to do a baptism in the ocean you have to have permission, and i guess the area presidency made the decission that if the church has a baptismal font you have to do it in the font. Then he went off on the reasons why which are pretty lagit... they were its not a controled inviornment, which means other people who are dressed inmodestly could be by, also that some people focus more on the scenery then on the baptismal covenent, and last but not least it could be dangerous... yeah i know sad right, but its just the way it is!
Well all in all it was a great week still because Louisa is set up on her baptism still and we'll be having that this week! also we have some great potential investigators for this transfer lined up. so we just hope all goes accroding to plan.
anyhow until next time much love!
Elder Lopez
Now as for the Ocean baptism this weekend... well... we had a change in plans.. No worries about the baptism part its just the Ocean part was shut down by our mission President. I called him up because to do a baptism in the ocean you have to have permission, and i guess the area presidency made the decission that if the church has a baptismal font you have to do it in the font. Then he went off on the reasons why which are pretty lagit... they were its not a controled inviornment, which means other people who are dressed inmodestly could be by, also that some people focus more on the scenery then on the baptismal covenent, and last but not least it could be dangerous... yeah i know sad right, but its just the way it is!
Well all in all it was a great week still because Louisa is set up on her baptism still and we'll be having that this week! also we have some great potential investigators for this transfer lined up. so we just hope all goes accroding to plan.
anyhow until next time much love!
Elder Lopez
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Short update for the week (email dated 10/13/2009)
Hey, hey, Hey,
Well this week was Elder Brownings last week of his mission which ment that he was a little trunky as we say here on the mission! yeah he was just counting down the days until he could fly out today! Anyhow, as for the info with the transfers and whats going on here in Aruba. I'm Staying in the same area which does mean i'll be able to see Louisa be baptized! Now we just have to get the ocean baptisim cleared threw president Martineau and we'll be good to go for the 24 of this month! that will be awesome! Anyhow also this week we had a little activity with Louisa's son at a baseball field with his buddies... yup we went over to the ball field right next to our apartment and had a homerun derby! The field was a perfect size for us also, just 300 ft to all sides... yeah lets just say i'm a little rusty but not to rusty not to take it... ha it was a blast (litteraly)!well much love, oh yeah and just to let you know my new companion that i get this friday is named Elder Kolar and i'm going to have to island train him. He's fresh from Puerto Rico and i have to teach him a language i'm not really sure of yet myself... but with the Lords help all is possible. I mean look at the Apostles in the Bible at the penticost.. they spoke in a bunch of different languages to preach the gosple that they had no way of knowing! Only through the spirit is it possible and thats what i'm going to be relying on... thanks for the prayers!
I Love you!
Elder Lopez
Well this week was Elder Brownings last week of his mission which ment that he was a little trunky as we say here on the mission! yeah he was just counting down the days until he could fly out today! Anyhow, as for the info with the transfers and whats going on here in Aruba. I'm Staying in the same area which does mean i'll be able to see Louisa be baptized! Now we just have to get the ocean baptisim cleared threw president Martineau and we'll be good to go for the 24 of this month! that will be awesome! Anyhow also this week we had a little activity with Louisa's son at a baseball field with his buddies... yup we went over to the ball field right next to our apartment and had a homerun derby! The field was a perfect size for us also, just 300 ft to all sides... yeah lets just say i'm a little rusty but not to rusty not to take it... ha it was a blast (litteraly)!well much love, oh yeah and just to let you know my new companion that i get this friday is named Elder Kolar and i'm going to have to island train him. He's fresh from Puerto Rico and i have to teach him a language i'm not really sure of yet myself... but with the Lords help all is possible. I mean look at the Apostles in the Bible at the penticost.. they spoke in a bunch of different languages to preach the gosple that they had no way of knowing! Only through the spirit is it possible and thats what i'm going to be relying on... thanks for the prayers!
I Love you!
Elder Lopez
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Missionary pictures
These are the pictures we took of your sons when we were in Aruba a few weeks ago. My wife called to get your emails.
As a former Mission President I can tell you that these two are about as good as they get. I talked to the Branch President who is from where I was serving, and he said they are great workers. That is the best endorsement a missionary can get.
Keep smilin'
Rick & Sue Hall
Baptisimal date (email dated 10/6/2009)
Hey,
Well this week started out on a high because yesterday we were able to set a Baptismal date for Louisa this 24th of october and today for p-day we went golfing! Yeah i know, i know sweet right? Well this General Conference was awesome and helped Lousia a whole bunch to make the decision to take the step of baptism! We went over to her house yesterday and she made us these amazing lemonade drinks that she always makes for us and then she brought us our some flan! Then from there on i just had a good feeling on where our cita(appointment) with her was going! We then continued on to ask her what she thought about conference and the talks by the living Apostals and Prophets. Then she continued to say well i really liked Elder Nelsons talk... she said it really touched her and that she now has made the disicion that she wants to be baptized... Right when she said that my heart just was so happy and i felt so good inside. She followed to say that the story that Elder Nelson told about the old man who lost his hearing before he decided to be baptized effected her alot. She started to think about her own life and how she doesn't know what could happen tomorrow and how she doesnt want to be like that man and wait so long to the point that it becomes to late! She told us the only obstical she has right now is buying new clothes so that she can come to church in because she doesnt have enough skirts she said. So pretty much in my eyes thats a small obstacle that we can get over here pretty quick! She's awesome, all we have to do is finish up the commandments with her and she'll be good but i think were going to start from the begining again because her son who is 11 really is starting to like the chruch also and we want to have them both be baptized at the same time! Then a little bit down the road i believe her other son will be baptized also who's 18 years old and a great kid also. (He likes baseball and keeps me updated on the playoffs)... But with him i think once we get him to come to the church we'll be good to go and especialy when he see's his mother be baptized. Any how its a great family and we have a lot of hope for them. The other best part about the whole thing is that Lousia really wants to be baptized the ocean! So were going to have to call president martineau up to get it approved, but as for me, i think we're going to be having a caribbean sea baptism here this 24th of october! Now i just hope president doesnt do something crazy and pull me out of this area next week... that wouldnt be to cool, but i think i'm going to be safe, at least hopefully! so that about sums up the big news for the week!
REmember i love you all a ton and appriciate the prayers!
Love always
Elder Lopez
Well this week started out on a high because yesterday we were able to set a Baptismal date for Louisa this 24th of october and today for p-day we went golfing! Yeah i know, i know sweet right? Well this General Conference was awesome and helped Lousia a whole bunch to make the decision to take the step of baptism! We went over to her house yesterday and she made us these amazing lemonade drinks that she always makes for us and then she brought us our some flan! Then from there on i just had a good feeling on where our cita(appointment) with her was going! We then continued on to ask her what she thought about conference and the talks by the living Apostals and Prophets. Then she continued to say well i really liked Elder Nelsons talk... she said it really touched her and that she now has made the disicion that she wants to be baptized... Right when she said that my heart just was so happy and i felt so good inside. She followed to say that the story that Elder Nelson told about the old man who lost his hearing before he decided to be baptized effected her alot. She started to think about her own life and how she doesn't know what could happen tomorrow and how she doesnt want to be like that man and wait so long to the point that it becomes to late! She told us the only obstical she has right now is buying new clothes so that she can come to church in because she doesnt have enough skirts she said. So pretty much in my eyes thats a small obstacle that we can get over here pretty quick! She's awesome, all we have to do is finish up the commandments with her and she'll be good but i think were going to start from the begining again because her son who is 11 really is starting to like the chruch also and we want to have them both be baptized at the same time! Then a little bit down the road i believe her other son will be baptized also who's 18 years old and a great kid also. (He likes baseball and keeps me updated on the playoffs)... But with him i think once we get him to come to the church we'll be good to go and especialy when he see's his mother be baptized. Any how its a great family and we have a lot of hope for them. The other best part about the whole thing is that Lousia really wants to be baptized the ocean! So were going to have to call president martineau up to get it approved, but as for me, i think we're going to be having a caribbean sea baptism here this 24th of october! Now i just hope president doesnt do something crazy and pull me out of this area next week... that wouldnt be to cool, but i think i'm going to be safe, at least hopefully! so that about sums up the big news for the week!
REmember i love you all a ton and appriciate the prayers!
Love always
Elder Lopez
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