Elder Don DeFreese: The Weekly Semana ¡de transfers!‏

October 15, 2012
Aight, let's get it started,

Who wants to know where I'm going this transfer!? OOOHHHHH BOY!!!

Well, I, having now been in every area in the zone except for Teteles (even though I covered it for a bit), had to have been moved, now didn't I? And I am moving. No lies.

Yep, as I have been here enjoying my time in the wards of Teziutlán and Ahuateno, they're moving me from my house in Ahuateno to a house in Teziutlán with my same companion about 4 blocks away from our old house! WOAH!

Haha yeah, basically they're just splitting the area, and it's good timing too, because we're leaving about 5 or 6 people in Ahuateno ready to be baptized, so the missionaries that get here will hit the ground running with lots of work to do and sunshine to scatter (nobody knows that hymn here, I hope you all do).

It's been going pretty well for us here in these last few days, we've been working hard, and this week a lot of stuff happened at once.

First, on Tuesday we had our Zone Class, where we talked about the things we learned in Xalapa with the other Zone Leaders, but as we were finishing up, Sister Fabregas (from Honduras), suddenly left the room and when she didn't come back for like 10 minutes, we went out to look for her, thinking she'd gone to the bathroom, and there she was on the ground, she'd apparently fainted! So we helped her up, got her to the hospital, and after a long while were able to get started with the normal day.

We were on splits with Elder Villegas and Elder Colmenares, my old comp in San Juan, and after about an hour we got a call from the Assistants that Elder Colmenares had to get packed because he was going to be a secretary in the offices! So, we had to end the splits early and he got started packing.

Then, the next day we got up super early to go meet them in ADO (where the buses are), and then we were in a trio or threesome for the rest of the week with Elder Villegas. But, that same day the Assistants called and told us to look for a nice apartment in Teziutlán for whichever missionaries got there, because they were going to split our area! So what we did, is that we got a young man to go out on splits with us, and for example, I would go with the young man to teach people while my companion and Elder Villegas went to search for a house, and that's the way we did it, switching between my companion and I until we finally found an apartment on Friday.

Then, we also had to be seeing José, Emmanuel, and Oly, who were all to be baptized on Sunday, help them get prepared for it, figure out how to do the interviews, etc.

Sunday, however, was really special. We were able to get Teziutlán super excited to have their own missionaries focused in the ward, and that we were going to be those misisonaries. Then, we said our farewell (more or less, as we'll still be in the same building and all) to the Ahuateno ward, and got everything ready for the baptismal services!

The boiler in the morning lit up fine, but when it was time for Emmanuel to get in the water with his grandpa (second counselor of the Teziutlán ward), they were both shivering. It was freezing cold! José as well was shivering but they both got it done.

Afterward they bore their testimonies and it was super powerful. Emmanuel (12 years old) said, ''I was just like José (joseph) Smith... I was looking around everywhere for the true church, and now I found it.'' As he finished the sentence, he was crying with all the emotions. Then his little brother José (9 years old) got up and said something similar, crying as well in a cute manner because we couldn't understand much of what he said.

Then, it was Olivia's turn. She had her own baptismal service, and we started out with everything normal, the prayers and hymns and all. Then afterward, her and I had to get in the water. It was really really cold, but we got it done. Afterward, she bore her testimony, and mentioned that even though the water was really cold, she'll never forget the heat that enveloped her afterward. She didn't feel cold at all, and she knew that in that moment was when God really cleaned her of all her errors. She as well was crying as she mentioned how she was following this road for her kids, because she wants the best for them, and she wants the help of the ward to be the best mother she can be.

So yeah, they were really special services and had me tearin' up a bit if I do say so myself, and I was able to reaffirm my testimony that this gospel really does change lives. It makes not so good and sad people good and happy, and good and happy people better and happier.

That's why I'm here!

Anyway though, time's runnin' out, love you all! Bye!

Elder DeFreese