So yes, we did have two baptisms this week.  It was rough cuz we had to drain the font 2 and a half times, with buckets!! That is great!! My back hurts a bit more this week.  We moved a lot of water.

So my companion is just about identical with my first trainer, Elder Mondragon.  He kinda picks and chooses the rules that he should and shouldn't keep.   They both use the strange sentence "you have to know the difference between the law and the spirit of the law".  So I guess I have to work on that a little bit,and worry more about the people while still being obedient. It is seeming to be a very difficult lesson for me to learn. But very interesting to note that both times that God gave me one of these companions I was only with him for 6 weeks.  So we decided that he will work on his obedience, and I will work on my people skills and relating more to them and getting down their level, because he is an expert in that.  He gets down to their level and talks to them like a normal Mexican, the only problem is that sometimes that "normal Mexican vocabulary" is not the best "representative of Jesus Christ vocabulary".... so we are a work in progress.  But aren't we all??

So we did put a ton of baptismal dates this week, just that 3 of them fell through when the people didn't go to church. We are going to spend this week helping the people to want to go to church. My companion is an expert in persuading people to do the things that they need to do, and I have the scriptures to back him up. Actually like Elder Mondragon, he loves to use bible scriptures, and I use Book of Mormon scriptures so that is a great compliment. I guess we are doing that right.

This week all of the youth in the whole mission went on a FSY camp. It's like youth conference or trek and EFY all together in one. It was a great spiritual experience for all of them, and they all shared their testimonies in church yesterday. They sure came back changed and all of them want to go on missions now, so I guess it was a successful activity.  It brought back a lot of memories of EFY and youth conferences.  They are just memories now for me. But take advantage of those activities, they are worth every moment and dollar.  Take good notes too, and take them on your mission. You'll want them while you are there.

I also learned that it is not a good idea to have baptisms the same week as the giant youth activity that is in Monterrey. Everybody is busy and nobody comes to the baptism. So next time this activity comes by (in 4 years) I will make sure not to baptize that week. Or one week before or one week after.  We had to wait both times for a priesthood holder to arrive so that we could have 2 witnesses (I baptized, and my companion and the other brother were witnesses).  I also realized that we need to confirm and re-confirm the talks, prayers, and just about everything. So I can do better in that too!! So many things that I never learned and now I am trying to learn them right at the end, it's like cramming for the final exam.

We have several new people in our teaching circle.  Noelia accepted a baptismal date, so did Vanesa and so did Elizabeth. But they didn't make it to church. They are still on track to get baptized on the 25th of August.  Beatriz had her date for the 18th, but we are going to have to move it back because she didn't go to church. And Luis Alberto and Maura are hiding from us it seems, so we will have to see how to keep helping them.

We worked a lot and learned a lot but there weren't really any super outstanding moments to comment on. Just a lot of character building, and work. I will keep working and I will try to take more care of my back too!!  5 weeks and I will be home!!!  

Thank you for everything and we will see you soon!! I am in this to the end!!

Elder Allred