Hey everyone!

I am just gonna jump right into some updates from this week. The awesome grandma investigator name Blanca is no longer. Her evil adventist sister got the best of her. She admitted to us that she doesn't think the Adventist church is right, but she isn't brave enough to join the true church yet. Hopefully in a few more months she will change her mind.

The crap hit the fan with one of our investigators named Marcelo Torres. He is 13 and wants to get baptized. His crazy manipulative grandmother has been doing everything in her power to stop him from getting baptized. She is a member, but doesn't know ANYTHING about anything. No testimony. She assists the Catholic church. Anyway the crazy grandma called me during Concilio and said that Marcelo wasn't going to be able to get baptized. I was so mad I didn't say anything, I just said we were going to come by later in the week and chat. Well. We chatted. We read D&C 68. Along with a few other tough scriptures. And evil grandma changed her mind. She admitted in front of us her error and said Marcelo can be baptized. We also learned what it is exactly that makes Marcelo so special. He has aspergers. Its a mild case. None the less, he has it. His mother we also learned, is schizophrenic(that's not enough close to how its spelled, but who cares). She takes meds so powerful that she is like a lifeless blob. No facial expression. No personality. Not even in reality.

Our new investigators Nubia and her daughter Maria Jose are doing GREAT. Maria Jose accepted the pamphlet of the Restoration, read it, did the additional study, prayed, and received an answer before we even taught her Lesson 1. Wahoo.

We also put 4 baptismal dates yesterday. It's a complete family. The Lilleo-Lopez family. Luis, Dalma, and their kids Franco(19) and Javiera(14). It was awesome. Luis started out SUPER catholic, but has felt we are teaching him the truth for a long time. Keep this family in your prayers, they are incredible and need lots of support!!!

I dropped my shoes off at a shoe repair dude. Best 6 bucks I have spent so far. They came back new almost. He patched my holes seamlessly, replaced the laces, and put a permanent shine like you can't even believe. Wahoo. I am gonna drop off my other pair today or tomorrow.

Elder Diestra, one of the missionaries from the other half of my ward, fixed my old SD camera card. He called me like an hour ago and told me he saved all the photos I ruined. WAHOO!!! he is a peruvian technology wiz. I will get the SD card back on Wednesday and see if it's true.

During church on Sunday, one of moms of a missionary that left here from my ward got up and bore her testimony. No offense Chile, but you are WAY to attached to your children. Every Chilean Mom turns out to be just a distraction to their son in the mission field. They cry, tell their sons how much they miss them every week, and how much they want them to be home. Grow UP!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry. I am just sick of the backwards attitude they have. It makes it so much harder from young men to leave here because even their parents who are long time members just don't get it sometimes.

Concilio with President King was fun this week. We had a little chat alone in his house about some stuff that's going on in my zone. It's a lot more fun talking to President King now that we both are more experienced in the mission.

Well I am sick of writing. Thanks to everyone for writing and sending photos.

I am super happy to be where I am and doing what I am doing. I also am hopeful for the future. We are going to have a fun next couple of weeks. Changes are on the 27th. Lots more time .

I love you all. Thanks for everything

Chao

Elder Van Dyke