Hello Hello Helloooooooooo!!!
So last week was a bit tough, we had taught a lot and contacted a lot but were running low on new investigators. It was a bit of a trial, but we'll be okay :) We had to change our 3 baptismal dates to this Saturday. With transfer week, we just didn't have time to teach and verify everything, and I felt they weren't quite ready. And I never want to pressure someone into a baptism, so we decided to change it to this week. It also gave their mother a chance to go too! However it makes me sad that so many of our leaders are so focused on the numbers. They have a hard time accepting that date's have changed... It's almost like they'd rather just hear that we have no dates, and no progress. It pains me that they're so focused on success, and not about helping Children of God. Oh well, I'll just do my best to be loving and patient, and not do the same thing.
As you can see I am sending some pictures from a very magical day! On Saturday, the last day of April, we had 4 baptisms! One was 3 in the afternoon, and the other 7 in the evening. The one at 3 was with a man named Teofilo Ortega Hidalgo. He's 55, and has some of the most faith I've ever seen I think! It's sad at times because he's had and has a very hard life. The little girl is her daughter, her name is Maribel, and even though it doesn't look like it, she's 9 years old! He's very crippled and has extreme pain in his back and knees, and as a result has a lot of difficulty walking and even sleeping at night. Also, he's had a difficult life because he's not educated, so he can't read or write. He's unable to work due to his circumstances, so he and his daughter go to the market every day so that he can sit down while his daughter uses that little basket to sell packaged peanuts to the people walking around. It's tough, but that's their life! They're very humble, and they're happy with what they have. So now it's my goal to work with the ward to see how much we can help him. We have a service activity planned to go to his house and clean and organize it. We're planning on giving him new clothes and food to eat. And we're planning on taking him to the hospital to see what it is we can do to better his circumstances. He's had a tough life, and now he has the ability to let the Lord and his church help make it a little easier, little by little :) I'll let you know how it goes! The other 3 are Fiorela, Ronaldinho, and Crhistian Quispe! (No, I did not spell the names wrong, it's weird, but it's right ahaha) They are 16, 14 and 11. And they live alone in their house. Their father is left one day to buy bread and never returned and their Mother works far away and doesn't return home very often. But they're some great kids! And we're hoping to work with them so they can go to the temple by the end of the month and so that Ronaldinho can receieve the Priesthood in the next few weeks.
What a blessing it is to bring souls unto Christ with the Baptism of John the Baptist. Or, a baptism of repentance. Our motto here in my mission is Peru Lima West - Somos Sus Manos (We are his hands). And that's how I feel, like I'm his hands and have the great chance and blessing to do his work here in the land of Peru. It's awesome!!
I started reading Jesus the Christ last week and it's probably one of the greatest books I've ever read, it's incredible! It teaches you so much, and answers so many questions, or puts things in a different perspective, the way you would never think to look at it. I highly recommend it! I think you all would absolutely love it.
Please know I love you, and pray for you daily as well from this strange land of Peru.
With love,
Elder Hatt
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