now i think that's a riot.: January 14, 2013 (Perth Amboy)

Our new district leader got the soundtrack for the Hobbit, so we've been listening to it a bunch, when we're driving around town. AND it's been super rainy and misty lately so the CD has felt perfect.

I don't have a TON of time as everybody sent me a bunch of emails, which was wonderful of you. Mom thanks so much for the information of your mission and revelation received at Stake Conference. It's going to be interested coming home to a new Stake Presidency (except, remember, I'm NEVER coming home). Also, Mom, Elder Giglio is from Guadalajara, Mexico and ceviche is a peruvian dish with raw fish, TONS of lime juice, onion, and a little bit of spices. Dad, great stories. Also, you sound like your billionarie-author self again... on sebatical this time (spelling?).

Lydia, I got your other letter. Thanks so much it was honestly so kind. And I LOVE hearing about your MTC experience. It sounds really similar to mine and it reminds me of how much revelation I received when I was there. Did you get my letter I sent you? I think it put it out on Friday.

This week was rad, although numerically it did not show. We spent some time with some less actives and members that ALWAYS want to feed us. We also visited 17 year old Mario Pena (Dominican kid). He's AWESOME. Only member in the house he lives. He lives with his aunt and uncle. But he is at church every week and has a super strong testimony. He plays saxophone in a Latin band and sings backup. He showed us a video and it was super cool.

Cool experience Friday night. I wrote this in my letter to President:

Friday night. It's raining. It is cold outside. The cheap blue rain jacket I bought at the mall last week isn't exactly doing it's job, and I'm afraid for the cascading water pouring into my backpack and ruining my scriptures. But I am happy. The rain makes me feel alive, like I'm a part of the earth itself; a tree, and my legs are wiry trunks.

After walking about a mile, we found the house we were searching for and we knocked the door. Nobody came to the door. We knocked the neighbor's door. A Dominican lady answered and we told her we were servants of Jesus Christ and we had a message for her and her family that we KNEW would bless her life. She said she wasn't interested.

Tired, wet, and a little defeated, we stepped out again into the damp, cold air. We knew we had to find somebody else. As I scanned the street on which we were standing, I saw a house about 80 yards away with a light on. It looked promising and warm. We ran across the street, disreguarding the umbrella and stepped right up to that brown door. We knocked it. A woman came to the door but didn't answer. She said it was broken. Then she said we could come around back. We hurriedly scurried around the backside of the house and as we approached the back door, it opened wide, yellow light spilling into the blackness, and a woman in her 40's told us to come in. We did. As we sat down with her and found out that she had listened to the missionaries before, we asked her what she had thought of the message that we carried. She smiled and responded, "Yo fui bautizado." (I was baptized). I was shocked. Almost immediately after she said that, as we continued talking, I thanked the Lord in my head for sending us his spirit to direct us to this wonderful, but semi-lost woman (Magdalena is her name).

It was super super great. It's things like THAT that help me realize again and again that God is always with us and he always seeks to direct us. We just need to find his hand and use it.

WE also visited a Honduranian family and Hno Espinoza, who is like 50, was talking about the Beatles and Led Zeppelin and all the music he liked. We then read a scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants about music and how it is a divine gift and blessing. He wanted me to come over and jam with him sometime. ALSO, he was in the air-force when he was younger, and he had an angel Moroni painted on his plane. Super cool.

Friday night was also great because we are seeing more and more progression in Andres and Marisol (Mexican couple who are not baptized because they're not married, BUT their daughter is baptized). Marisol is really softening up. We know that we just need to continue to pray for her, for her to be softened even more, because he husband is totally ready for baptism. We watched the Joseph Smith film with them. For the closing prayer, 4-year-old Angelina was like "Pizo pizo!" so we all got down on our knees and the oldest, baptized daughter prayed (She's 10 i think). Then after, Angelina wanted to say a prayer too, so she said like a 10 minute prayer saying things like "thank you for the flowers that grow and for mommy and poppy and work and dogs..." It was hilarious and Marisol was like "Como quinze minutos" (like 15 minutes). Haha. I love them. There are gettting so close to be being baptized.

The church is restored, true, and wonderful.

Love you all so much. I'm sending a few photos right now. Sorry it's been so long.