HEY!

Well, first off, I`ve got an announcement to make...Nathan got his mission call!! YEAH BABY!  He`s going to Viña del Mar, Chile!  I was way stoked when I found out.  In fact, when Sister Gulbrandsen called me to tell me, I was in a lesson with one of our investigators, Moises.  Moises Medina is the father of a family who are all members except for him.  He feels really bad for some things he`s done in the past and can`t forgive himself.  In fact, he feels like he should suffer for what he`s done.  So, he just consumes himself in his work (he`s a way famous carpenter here in Buenos Aires) and distances himself from God.  Well, we`ve been having some charlas (lessons) with him and miracles are happening! He had always taken his family to church in his car on sunday, but had never gone in.  So, we waited at the door until he pulled up and gave him a little push, and, after 30 years, he came inside the church!  And, he loved it!  He said afterward that he had never been in such a peaceful place.  His family couldn`t believe it! 

Then, later on that week, we ate dinner with them and had another lesson.  While we were teaching repentence, Moises just couldn`t accept the fact that God will forgive him.  So, out of the blue, I felt prompted to open up a pamphlet that talks about the gospel of jesus christ and have him read a paragraph.  Honestly, I haven`t read that pamphlet in like 6 months at least.  As he read, it was literally exactly what he needed to hear.  He was blown away.  He read it and re read it in silence, thinking very deeply.  Then he told us that he had never understood repentance like that.  He never understood that Christ suffered so that we don`t have to suffer and that to repent doesn`t require huge changes, just a change of heart.  It was awesome.  Right at that moment, actually, Sister Gulbrandsen tried calling us to tell us about Nathan`s call!  But, we ignored it and then put the baptismal date for this weekend!  And, for the first time in 30 years, he kneeled down and prayed!

Yesterday Moises came to church, but still has some doubts about his baptism this weekend.  But, his son, who is about to go on the mission, stopped us in the hall at church and thanked us for all we are doing with his dad, he was pretty emotional.  I love this work!  God is leading it!

We also are teaching a couple in which the boyfriend is a member and the girlfriend isn`t.  And, they aren`t married.  But, they`ve agreed to be married as soon as possible and finally get baptized (she`s been investigating for a long time).  Their names are Maria Laura and Nicolas.

The Mansilla family is doing good, they all came to church except the dad.  We`re going to have some FHE`s with them this week to help them get married and get baptized!

Last night we taught a less active family, actually the bishop`s daughter.  They had gotten offended by somebody at church and hadn`t gone in a couple of months.  THe bishop asked us to visit them.  So, using inspired questions (something we`re really focused on in the mission right now) we were able to find out their doubt and help them resolve it themselves using the Book of Mormon.  The spirit was way strong and through tears they commited to come to church this sunday!  Man, the Lord seriously blesses us with the spirit as we teach.  We honestly just did almost all questions the whole time and the spirit taught them what they needed to hear.

Wilson is another investigator that is super ready to be baptized, but wants to wait for his family who is supposed to move her from Peru.  There are 5 in his family, and when they arrive, they are all going to be baptized together!  Pray that they will be able to move here quickly!

Azul`s parents are progressing well, but they still need to get married.  We`re going to go with them to help them take out a turn to get married as soon as possilbe (like a month) and then get baptized!

We`re having a lot of success right now with incomplete families.  There are a lot here and they are progressing pretty well.  I feel like the Lord is blessing us with a lot of success right now and I`m going to work as hard as I can to bring souls to Him.  I know that this work is true and that lives change in the Gospel of Christ.  I invite you guys to live it.

Love,

Elder J. Hales