not much to say

It's difficult to decide what to say every week. If I wrote every detail, I fear I would go on endlessly, and if I don't write every detail, nothing seems to stand out above the rest. Maybe you should send me suggestions of things you would like to hear (or read) about my mission, then I can write better to my audience.

As for today, I suppose I can write a little bit about the investigators that we've got here in San Luis. Edgar is the 16-year-old son of the Young Men's president in the branch. Brother Aguilar (Adelmo) joined the church a few years ago without the rest of his family. He has studied the gospel, and become an influential and incredibly serviceful member of the branch since his baptism. Adelmo is the definition of being constantly engaged in good works, as he never seems to tire of helping the needy in the branch, and is always asking us when he can come teaching with us, and offering rides and everything. He is so good that for the first month or so, I thought he must have grown up in the Church and served a mission to become like that. I was wrong. When Adelmo was baptized, his two kids and his wife were fine with it, but they definitely did not have a desire to jump into the font along with him. He continued to progress, even going to the temple, a lone member in his family. Then recently, Edgar decided he wanted to be baptized. We have been teaching him all the lessons, and it has been very fun. There is a different feeling when teaching a teenager and definitely a difference when we teach in English. My favorite lesson so far has been when we taught about missionary work. Elder Snyder and I talked all about the blessings of serving a mission. There would be no greater reward than to see Edgar serve a mission when he turns 19. His baptism is close and we are excited for him.

In March, a father and his two daughters were baptized, but the wife and mother were not. The Beltrans had all heard the lessons together and done everything together, but Sister Beltran just didn't get baptized. She comes to church every week with her family, is an avid participant in all classes and activities, and has a rock-solid testimony. But she just never got baptized. We taught a lesson to the Beltrans yesterday and it was an incredible moment that I was blessed to witness as both Brother and Sister Beltran bore their testimonies of the gospel and of the Savior, of the changes they had experienced in their lives as well as the blessings they have received since beginning to live and obey the commandments of God. We all know she will get baptized literally any day, and we are hoping to let the Spirit give her the nudge she needs.

We are also teaching a man with muscular sclerosis who is very, very Christian. He was "called" to the gospel after he was diagnosed and has been studying in a local Christian church ever since. Teaching him is very educational for us, because we really have to study out what we want to teach. Our struggle is to help him feel the Spirit, which he has been taught is a loud, commotion-causing, adrenaline rush. As the quiet warmth of the true Spirit testifies of the doctrines of the gospel, he feels strangely attracted to what we teach, though he can't explain why. Many times he has just had a hard time understanding as we've explained the Holy Ghost to him. But he is completely genuine and good-hearted, and gave me a gift of a beautiful miniature Santa Biblia (Holy Bible).

Those are some of our main investigators, though not all. We have been blessed to receive some great referrals from members recently, and are beginning to teach new people. Elder Snyder and I are always working on teaching more effectively together, and we both hope that we'll get another six weeks together in "Spanish Missionary Paradise."

I love you all. Let me know some updates, and new news. The Church is true, and there is nothing more important. If we learn to prioritize our lives with the most important thing first, we will be prepared for anything that may come in these last and difficult days.

-Elder Sam Bostwick