Avalon Week 13

I am doing well thank you! I'm a little tired because of the time change, but other than that I'm doing well. Elder Taylor and I are getting along well and striving to work hard here while the day lasts! The weather was starting to look good then it started to snow, then it melted, then it got really cold yesterday, now the sun is somewhat shining, so we're having somewhatofa roller coaster when it comes to the weather.  As to what we've been up to, just the same great thing we get to do everyday! Share the gospel! Here's what happened this week:

This week we had a successful week in helping people come out to church, as well as picking up new investigators. The investigators (3) that were able to come out to church said that they had a great time. One, Danielle S..., just randomly came to church last week and came again this week. She moved here from Altoona and has done A LOT of studying about the church and even the standard works. Apparently she had been taught a couple of times by missionaries in Altoona and since then she has read the whole Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and she’s almost done with the Doctrine and Covenants!!!! Not to mention she told us that she’s read Preach My Gospel as well!! I’ve never met a Non-Member who has done that much reading and studying!! So we set an appointment with her this Thursday and plan on setting her with a baptismal date for within the next 2 weeks because she's come out to church for 2 weeks now. So that is really exciting!

With the other 3 new investigators, one is an 11 year old girl, Abby R..., of an active couple that we started teaching (she had been taught in the past but hasn't been taught for some months) she’s really cool, she would have been baptized a while ago but her biological mother won’t allow it for now. The other 2 are a sister and friend of a former investigator, Kat F... (catfisher, get it? Like dad! J ) and her friend Jess. They are really cool, when we were teaching Julie F..., Kat’s sister, she said that Kat was an atheist and a lost cause, so when we met her and found that she is heavily involved with a church youth group we were a bit surprised. Plus, after talking with her she was interested in hearing about the Book of Mormon, so last Tuesday we were able to teach her about that. We dropped Jeff and Brian as investigators because they’re really not that reliable and didn’t seem like they wanted to change, so that was a bummer.

The C......s are doing well. Sis C..... talked to us about getting her children baptized!! Apparently her brother was re-activated and got the priesthood restored to him, so he’s able to baptize. So she wants them baptized by him out in Ohio, which is a little odd and we’re not sure if that’s allowed or not having them baptized not in the ward that they reside. It’s exciting that they want to get baptized but we need to figure out what’s going to happen where it takes place.

Our week was pretty great I would say. It was an absolute tender mercy and blessing that Danielle came to church and is so prepared! I was getting kind of down on myself and discouraged because I hadn't seen a baptism in a little over 10 months. I know baptisms aren't a measure of success but it's kind of hard when it's been that long. But I know that the Lord is aware of my situation and the desires of my heart, and I feel that this is a great blessing that was received from Him. Now I just need to do my part to make sure everything goes well. :) Please continue to pray for me, it is much appreciated!

I love you and miss you mom and hope that everything goes well for you this next week!

love,

Elder Benjamin Serrano