June 8, 2009 -- Baptismal Experiences

Greetings from Reynosa! Although I sorely miss Juarez, I love it here. I am, as they say in Mexico, like a fish in the water. My companion is wonderful, my ward is incredible, and I am learning so much and feel like I am helping many people, as a missionary and as a district leader.

In some ways Reynosa is quite different from Monterrey. For example, the buses here are called peseras in stead of camiones. The majority of the peseras here are used school buses from the United States. You pay when you get off instead of when you get on, and to tell the driver you want to stop, you have to tap on the window with a coin.

Mom asked if we walk a lot here. Yes. We also use bikes, for the first time in my mission. Luckily, I don't have to buy one because there was one waiting for me, but I do need some money to buy a helmet and a bike lock.

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I had two experiences this week relating to baptism. As a district leader, one of my responsibilites is to conduct the baptismal interviews of the investigators in my district. This week I conducted my first interview. I was very nervous and prayed hard, and the Lord helped me. It ended up being one of the most spiritual experiences that I have had. The man's name is Julio Sanchez, and he has been taught by Sister Praslin and Sister Osejo. As he bore his testimony and expressed his willingness to keep the commandments, I felt the Spirit tell me that he was ready. The only thing was that he had misunderstood the Word of Wisdom and was still drinking coffee, so we had to postpone his baptism a week, but this week he will be baptized.

My other expereince was a baptism of one of our investigators. His name is Adrian Guadalupe Guzman Guerra. He, like Julio, was well prepared for his baptism. At the end of his baptismal service, he bore his testimony and expressed his desire to endure to the end with the changes that the gospel has brought to his life.

I'm now a year old as a missionary! I can't believe it. I remember like it was yesterday my first day in the MTC. And now my mission is halfway gone. I don't want to waste a minute of what remains. I love missioary work. Right now I'm busier than ever before, but I'm also happier.