Sorry, we're out of town, so I won't get the new pictures on until next week, but here is the latest update from Elder Campbell
Wow, ok, story time!!! So Friday we went to Waynesboro because the spanish elders hadn't been there in abotu a year. So wer're there doing some followups not having much success and Elder Gleave finds this former investigator in the area book, so we punch it into his GPS and it takes us about 38 minutes to get there because it's in the MIDDLE OF FREAKING NOWHERE and we thought we were lost. We pull up to this little tiny cottage house, and we're like "there's no way a hispanic lives here! But we knock and sure enough, this lady Erica opens the door. So we start talking and she looked really surprised this whole time. So we ask her what was wrong and she says "Well, the missionaries havent' been here in almost a year. I was ready to get baptized, but they stopped coming when I was going to tell them. And my life is really terrible right now, I'm thinking about going back to Mexico because my husband is never home and I stay here all day alone with my daughter and I don't have any friends. So I was talking wtih my husband last night. I told him how much I missed hearing from the missionaries. I missed their visits and their friendship and how I felt when they would come. And then you show up today." HOW AMAZING IS THAT??? Coolest story ever!!! She told us that she has already received an answer about the Book of Mormon, and when the answer came it was so strong and powerful she was scared and almost stopped reading! So we're trying to get rides to church for her, but she lives about an hour away from the chapel and her husband has the only car and she doesn't have any friends. So it's reallly tough! But the lord has been pouring out amazing investigators our way! That Rosalva lady I told you about!? She was talking wtih Elder Nelson on Monday and told him how she was ready to change religions and liked ours. So she's coming to conference this weekend! And she's cooking us rabbits on thursday! haha how sweet!? She's so awesome! And then there's Santiago. He's living with his friend Iglien. Elders Gleave and Nelson had taught Iglien before and given him a book of mormon, but we hadn't been able to follow up with him. So on Sunday night planning, I suggested we follow up with him. SO we stop by on Monday and Santiago opens the door. Elder nelson talks with him for a little bit and gives him a card and says "We'll pass by some day this week to see how you're doing" Santiago says ok and the door closes. About 20 seconds later, he comes running after us and says "When can you come by? Tomorrow? I really want to hear from you tomorrow!" so we came back yesterday. We're talking about all different kinds of stuff, and I asked him if he would have time to attend conference this weekend. When we tell him what it is, he says he'll definitely be there. Then he asked what we do regularly for church. When we told him it's at 12:30-3:30, which is when most hispanics come up with excuses, he goes "Oh great, that ends 30 minutes before I have to work! That means I can go to all of it every week!!" He committed himself to conference and regular ettendance! Who does that? It's crazy! He also told us he didn't know everything about our religion and so he couldn't be baptized. So we told him he didn't need to know everything right away. Then he told us he wanted us to start coming by 2-3 times a week! So we came back today and taught him the Restauracion. I did the first vision with him and it was absolutely incredible!!! The spirit was amazing and after we got done talking about it, he says "Well I guess I need to pray to god to know if all this is true. I'll do that tonight." At that point we're freaking out. Then we tell him about the Book of Mormon and what it is, and he says "That sounds nice. I'd like to know if that's true as well. I need to read that." So we gave him a LdM and He just says "Call me on sabado at 11 to remind me about conference." He just set up our verificacion time for us!!!! This guy is amazing! And he WANTED to give the opening prayer both times we've met together! What is going on in Virginia? We just started the 40 day fast 4 days ago and this is already happening! It's insane!!!!!!
Wow so this week has been crazy! Ana is progressing nicely, but her boss hasn't come to work since we committed her so she hasn't been able to come to church yet and you have to attend 4 times to be baptized. But she's coming to general conference this saturday, so there's 1! And dad, who says co-habitating? I almost squirted milk out my nose when I read that! haha we just call it juntar-ing(spanglish) and since we're pretty sure her and Felix have been juntar-ed for about 24 years, they're going to have to get married or one of them has to move! And Ana has told us before that she thinks they need to get married, so we'll see how that goes down! But we're trying to keep her excited and interersted and progressing, so pray for that please! I'm teaching my first solo lesson tonight! I'm going with Hermano Beni(I don't know his last name) and we're going to teach the Restauracion with the video, so hopefully I'll be able to pull that off. I'm not too worried though. THe people we're teaching feed us a TON every wednesday when we go over there. It's ridiculous. Last week they made us quesidillas and gave us flan and pan dulce and smoothies. It was insane! SO we'll see what I end up with tonight! And the Aguilar's haven't been feeding us AS much which is good. Juan got a job at a ranch, so that's good, and America shoudl be getting baptized in the next month. But we havne't been going ovre there as much because we have lots of investigators to worry about. Actually, we have just as many investigators because for every really solid investigator we found, we dropped a useless one. So far we've dropped Cecilia, Adolfo/Pablo, Tomas, Eloy and we're about to drop Medarlo/Kenia/ninya(there's no n-yay on this keyboard) and Maria. Its sad because elder nelson and I both got the same feeling at an appointment with Maria that she was going to be a great member, but we must have done something wrong teaching her, cause she hasn't progressed at ALL! But oh well, the Lord has a plan for her. So Monday night, Elder Fraga gave us this referral for these guys in this apartment complex we've tracted a ton. We go knock on the door of a building we didn't even know existed and these Costa Rican brothers answer to door, Johnny and Roy. They just invite us in and we sit down and they are the COOLEST! They are so awesome! I think they're my favorite people I've met so far! There's 12 other brothers of theirs living in the 2 floors above them and 2 more living with them. So there's 16 brothers, all from the same family! I don't know how that happened, but I dont' care because they are AWESOME! And they gave us about 4 referrals! so that was nice. but they are so sweet! I want to go to Costa Rica so bad now! If everyone is taht awesome! Ok, so I need to pick a soccer team so I have something to talk about with the hispanos. I picked the Pumas but I don't know anything about them. So could you look up the Pumas in the Liga Mexico and give me some stats of their better players please? Maybe some results of some games? I just need something to talk about with the hispanics cause I dont' have anything right now. So I'd really appreciate that! And then yeah, if you could send me my sweatshirt, some multivitamins, and now a stencil of the alphabet I would really appreciate it. Maybe get mallory to throw in some baked goods :) I want to start writing scriptures and hanging them up around the apartment, but I haven't been able to find a stencil anywhere! It's insane! But I'd appreciate that. And I'll see if Brinae can drop those sweats off before you send it off. Thats so funny mallory found the girls eating dog food. That doesnt' surprise me. I knew they were going to be trouble ;) I'm glad to hear they're doing well though. Hows juliann? I haven't heard from her in likea month and a half? I know she's busy, but I'd love to jsut hear a little from her every now and then. How's Remy doing? I bought a 365-day kitten calendar for next year, so I'm excited to start using that! My companions haven't stopped making fun of me, but whatever. They're just jealous. haha so wow I can't believe it's p-day again already. seems like I just wrote you like 2 days ago! It's insane! Its amazing how fast the weeks go when they're good weeks! And this was a reallllllly good week! Oh, did I tell you, I got my drivers license? I think that came in the mail after I wrote you last week. It's really ugly. They make you keep a 'neutral' face, so that means "Look really ugly for your picture!" adn they punched a hole in my Nevada drivers license :( sad day. But I'm officially licensed and legal in Virginia. I just need a car now! haha but yeah, that's all taken care of, so I don't have to worry about that.
Alright, well I think that's all this week. Thank you for your letters and support. Love you all. Miss you. But not enough to come home :) haha -Skyler
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