Yes Elder Giglio left. My Tapatillo companion went to New City, New York to work up in a trio. He's having a good time up there but there's more snow because it's colder and not by the coast. Anyway, I was making fun of him and laughing because I know how much he hates the cold.
NEW COMPANION: Elder Samuel Blanco from Veracruz Mexico. He's short, has light skin, black hair, loves basketball and soccer, has a slightly crooked button nose, and speaks practically perfect English for only having spoken it for the duration of his mission. ANOTHER MEXICAN. I love having native companions. Dad: you were right. Senior companion right now, though I'm not training. Elder Blanco has been out for 6 months, two transfers less than me. He's an incredible missionary and we have been working harder this week than I ever thought was possible. We set a bunch of awesome, really intense goals for the transfer including tightening up our obedience, asking referrals from EVERYBODY, helping him learn the area by the end of the transfer, and more street contacting.
It seemed like the night that Elder Blanco arrived, we've been having tons of miracles. We randomly chatted with a Dominican guy in the lobby of an apartment building and he said that right before he talked to us, he was praying and asking God if THIS was the time that he should try again to come unto God. And then BOOM! missionaries. Love things that happen like that. We set up another time to meet with him.
Then later that night, we were meeting with Milenia, our Dominican investigator, who told us (right after we taught her the Restoration) that she had been asking God that day about which is the right church of Jesus Christ, and then we come along telling her that we've got it in our back pocket. I LOVE THE CHURCH.
Angel is going to be baptized this Sunday. I can't remember if I introduced him but he is a 25 year old Puerto Rican guy. His girlfriend just left him and took their daughter with him and he has been humbled and broken down so much because of that. We are really excited for him to keep progressing and coming unto Christ through baptism and the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. We've been talking about it every time we meet with him and it's been unreal. He's so prepared. I feel like the Lord has just been throwing people in our path and giving them the trials that they need to be humbled and realize that WE, as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, are the people they need to listen to. Today, we taught him about the Law Of Chastity and the Word of Wisdom and he told us that he's already been living both of them (apart from being with his girlfriend for the past little while). We were a little surprised because practically every male in Perth Amboy drinks from Friday to Sunday nonstop. He also told us that recently his friends have been offering him drugs and he's been denying them because SOMETHING keeps telling him to. I love the work of the spirit in circumstances like that.
Another one of our investigators is a chap from Guatemala named Milton (ps - I love spanish people with white person's names.. because I'm always expecting Juan or Jose or Manuel or something and then I get something like MILTON haha). Milton is rad. He's 24 years old and lives in a room in the home of the Familia Grande (they're from Puebla, Mexico). He has an ulcer because he drank too much coffee and ate too many chiles when he was young and so now he can't drink, smoke, drink coffee or anything against the word of wisdom. Another prepared person. He's really humble and very kind. He has a hard time readin and my heart always goes out to people that have a hard time reading or that are shy. I feel like BAYLEY sometimes because I just wanna say, " DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. COMMEEER!" And then give them a huge hug and tell them that everything is going to be OK. IT IS OK. I love my investigators and members and less actives SO MUCH.
There were more miracles this week but I can't remember them right now. My mission is the best.
Anyway, life is really good. I know God is our Father. This is life eternal. This life is eternity in the sense that everything that we have been sent to do here will determine our place in our rest with the Lord. It's raining right now and I love knowing that our Heavenly Father sent that rain.
Stay close. Take care of each other.
EC
ps - FINN and DAD, the other day I heard "My Sweet Lord" from George Harrison and I remembered how wonderful music is. I was just in the car with Bruce (white member in Perth Amboy) and he had it on. I love Bruce. Me and him get along really well. Sometimes when we're doing service for him, we jsut chat about classic rock for EVER AND EVER.
pps - SORRY I've been really bad at hand-writing people back. I have a ton of people to respond to like Verina, Gemma, Lydia, Tanner, Mom, Dad, Natalie, and more. Sorry.
ppps - BAYLEY - That Jack Kerouac quote is hanging eye-level at my study desk. It motivates me to go mad and talk to everybody and be far too exhuberant about the gospel than I should be. LOVE YOU.
pppps - KENT AND JAEZO. I miss you too. AND your families. How's COLLEGE?
