More photos!

I have to agree with everyone the time is going really fast but I also agree with mom that it is moving slow.  I don´t get how it can be both but we never have much time and Sunday always gets here way too fast and then suddenly it's May, but it feels like the time is going a bit slower.  I don't get it but I guess that's how life works.

We had a baptismal interview Saturday for Lolis (I had no idea but her real name is Dolores, but they call her Lolis.  She passed and this Friday we are going to have another baptism.  We are pretty excited.  She is really excited too and I think that she is really ready to get baptized.

The good news is that I shared an experience that helped her decide to get baptized.  She and her husband fight a lot.  It doesn't help that her husband lives in the US and she lives here and then they aren't actually married.  So they fight a lot.  And we were talking about how to help them  We pulled out the Family Proclamation and read the 7th (I think, it's the big one) paragraph.  When I got to the list of 9 things to have a happy successful family I realized that we have used all of them to overcome problems that we have faced as a family.  Forgiveness, repentance, prayer, activities (opening presents is a good activity) love, faith... and the others that I don't remember right now.  So I was told by the spirit that I had to share a story.  I almost cried, Lolis did cry and it helped her a lot to realize that she can overcome all of her problems.  And I'll be honest, it has changed her a lot.  She has a very new attitude to her spouse now and it seems that he is treating her better too.  I guess that all things happen for a reason even if it's just to help someone else that is passing through a similar trial later.

It was kinda cool a few weeks ago to see a scorpion and I couldn't help but take a picture.  BTW that was right in front of our house, but the owner sprays poison to keep them out so don't worry.  And if it does grab me it won't kill me.  Supposedly they are just like a bee sting here in Ebano.  So don't worry.

Another fun note, my fear of dogs is growing.  They always want to bite me.  My companion says that I just have really bad luck or that the dogs don't like gringos but I always put my companion between me and the dogs now.  The good news is that I now know that an umbrella is a really good way to scare dogs away.

We are walking plenty, sweating more.  We only made it to 48 degrees Celsius on Saturday, but we made it through the day.  Or for those of you that don´t speak Celsius we made it to 119 degrees.  And the good news is that I wasn't in Zone Valles where it did make it to 61 degrees, or 142 degrees Fahrenheit.  And it is only going to get hotter.  And if you don't believe me then I invite you to come and try it out.  The wind is hot, the sun is hot, the camel pack is hot, the shade is hot.  But we are blessed by the AC in our house.  You have to see it to believe it.  (BTW the thermometer you sent me won't be able to tell me the temperature in a few weeks, all I'll know is that it is HOT HOT HOT).

And I do use sunscreen and an umbrella because I don't want to die at such a young age.

I invite you to listen to President Monson's conference talk from October 1987 called "Missionary Memories" it's pretty good and laughed a bit. President Nelsons talk called "Self Mastery" is pretty good too, but I didn't write down which year it's from.

I know that the church is true.  I am here to help people find the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ more than preach his church or another Religion.  I am loving learning more through the study of the scriptures and I love seeing the fulfillment of my Patriarchal blessing when it talks about my mission.  I know that God loves us and that he has a perfect plan and the center is His perfect son.  I love you.

 

Elder Brady Allred