Week 70 Jardines Obregón

Wow, this week was a pretty great week. Here´s some of the highlights:

On Monday, we had a Family Home Evening with our recent converts Maria and Milagros and our investigator Ivonne. We had 9 members present in that family home evening. It was perfect and what we needed to motivate Ivonne to get baptized.

On Tuesday we had the Leadership council. It was pretty interesting. The activity was that we had a baptismal service. The Ponce family finally got baptized. They are a family Elder Poaletti from Pioneros taught. I got to teach them a few times too. Elder Poaletti got transferred to Los Mochis as Zone Leader, but the family showed up as a surprise during the meeting and he got to baptize them. Another Sister missionary was there, Sister Garcia Soto, who had actually found the Ponce Family more than a year ago.

I got to see my whole old district during the baptism (except for Sister Cruz). It was great to see my son Elder Alvarenga again.

On Friday I had my first zone meeting as a zone leader. It was actually a lot better than I thought it was going to turn out. They want us to give the exact same training that we saw in the leadership council, so that´s what I did. It kinda takes away our creativity, but it´s super easy. I always thought that the zone leaders prepared all those amazing trainings, but they are just copies of what President and other leaders come up with.

On Saturday we had a baptism! Ivonne got baptized! Her husband Pedro also came to the service. He lives outside of our area so we haven´t been able to teach him yet. He went to church this week and last week. When he showed up, he told us that he also wanted to be baptized so that he could get sealed with his family in the temple. I was actually mopping the baptismal font when he said that, and I was just like, "alright, how about May 28th?" He said yes. We weren't even in a lesson and were able to place a baptismal date. It was pretty awesome.

Sunday was super awesome too. Obviously the best part was when I got to talk to my family on Skype. Another great part was when 5 investigators showed up to church by themselves with baptismal dates. I've been amazed how chosen all of our investigators are. All have read a ton in the Book of Mormon, have said their prayers, and walk to church on Sundays. They are self-sufficient, which means that when they are baptized, they are going to stay active.

Olga: She is amazing. She is a single mom with 4 sons. 3 of them live with her and she has brought them to church. She is almost to 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon already. She seems to fit in perfectly at church. Her problem is that she went to church years ago with one of her friends. The missionaries never started teaching her, but they did teach and baptize her friend, who went inactive afterwards. Olga doesn´t want that to happen to her. I know it won´t, and I can already tell that she knows that the church is true.

Gregorio: He is kinda weird honestly. His sister is a returned missionary. Yesterday was the first time that Gregorio had gone to church. His problem is that his sister took like 12 years to be baptized, so he doesn't want to rush the decision either. He always has a ton of questions.

Pedro: I already talked a little about him. I just want you to know just how chosen this man is. He volunteered in the Elders quorum to make the food for the mothers day activity this Wednesday. We are going to try to teach him as fast as we can so he can be baptized as soon as possible. We are thinking of changing his goal to the 21st of May so that he can go do baptisms for the dead with his family on the 28th when they go to the temple.

Well, that´s just about it for today. I have more investigators, but those are the five that are progressing. I´m loving it here in Jardines. Thanks for reading my letter. Feliz día de las Madres. Les amo a todos!

-Elder Steele

The Leadership council meeting last week

Mision Mexico Ciudad Obregon

"Ahora es el momento en que los miembros y los misioneros se unan, que trabajen juntos, que trabajen en la viña del Señor para traer almas a Él."        ---Presidente Thomas S. Monson

"Now it is the time for members and missionaries to unite, work together, 

work in the Lord's vineyard to bring souls to Him."     ---President Thomas S. Monson