ONE YEAR OUT & a great week it was!

HOLA MI FAMILIA Y MIS AMIGOS!!! I hope that this letter finds you all doing great. I loved all the emails that I got about the fourth of July and all. Don’t you worry, we made everyone here know that it was the fourth of July back in the promise land! HAHA They all thought that we were crazy HAHA but my companion and I had a great time to say the least! This week was one of the best weeks of my mission. We had a ton of work and absolutely got after it. We were running with our heads cut off every day. So lets get down to it shall we!

Monday we went to the local park and played some basketball against their ¨team¨ that they have here in Talanga. It was a blast! Other than being out of shape we balled them up. We found some new people out of it too, so that was good. My companion and I really enjoyed it and it was a good time to say the least!

Thursday we had interviews with president! All I can say is that he is a stud. He is a man full of such insight and all and I love it. I want to be more like him. So that was a privilege to be able to ask him some questions and give him my insight on some things. We had a good talk to say the least. He’s a great man! Gotta love Papi Fortuna. 

So this week we were preparing for three baptims that we had this weekend! One was of a familia, familia L, and the other was a man named K. K. is a familia friend of the L. familia! It was a great weekend to say the least. We were very focused on them this week but still had time to have about 20 other lessons, we are literally killing it right now.

So Friday we had the wedding of the familia L. They got married Friday morning and then about two hours later we had their baptisms. It was the BEST way that I could have spent my fourth of July here in Honduras. Marrying a couple and baptizing them all in one day was so great. The husband gave up some strong habits in order to be baptized. He went weeks preparing and it was amazing. We are so proud of him.

One could feel the spirit so strong and can see the Lords hand once again in our work. Once again the spirit testified that this is the Lords work. I am so happy to be a part of the Lords army helping my brothers and sisters come unto Christ.

So Friday morning was the wedding and the baptism and then on Friday night there was a party for them. All the family came and it was amazing! There were about 50 people there. It was sweet! It gets better! One of the familia members asked us if we could share a message with everyone that was there, I was like, HECK YES, I can!

So the first thing I was thinking was that the spirit is going to blow them away so I said a quick prayer and asked the spirit to be with me and got after it. I was in front of about 50 people, doesn’t get much better than that! Many of them we didn’t know but what a great opportunity to share such a great message. So fun to say the least and I was grateful for the opportunity to do it.

I talked about families and the importance of having Jesus Christ in our lives. I shared my favorite scripture - helaman5:12. It went so well. After I shared my message we ate some amazing food! Then we busted out the cakes that my companion and I bought for them! We bought three huge cakes just for 25 bucks... good deal huh, and they were amazing! Overall it was SUCH a great night! I loved every minute of it! So that was Friday! 

Saturday we had another baptism, his name is K. He is a family friend of familia L. It was wonderful. He’s a stud! He wants to leave and serve a mission with O! His familia came to the baptism which was really cool for him too. I just love all these people.

I also had the privilege to do a baptism of a person from the other ward here in T. I had the opportunity to do his baptism interview and then he asked me to perform the baptism so that was really special. His name is J. I am so thankful to be doing the Lords work and there is nothing better. I know that this is the Lords work, the Lord has testified to me time and time again. When we put everything into things spiritually the Lord will bless us more than we know. 

Thanks so much for all of your love and support while I am here on the mission! It means a lot to me familia and friends. I want you all to know that I love each of you very much and am so thankful to have you each in my life. I am learning more than I ever thought that I would learn here on my mission and would not want to be anywhere else in the world than here right now at this time.

As a representative of Jesus Christ I know that the Lords lives, and that he loves each of us so much, and that he has a PLAN for each of us. I know this to be true. I know that The Bible and The Book of Mormon are sacred scriptures that we must read and edify our testimonies to withstand the windstorms that are trying to blow us over. I love each of you so much and want the best for each of you. If there is anything that I can do for you , let me know. LOVESLOVESLOVES

Make it a special week, do something different for the better. Aim high in all that you do and put your best foot forward in all that you do as well. 

Com mucho amor,

Elder Long! 

Happy 4th of July

Hello my loving friends and family, here we are another week down! It’s so crazy how time is just flying. I am loving life down here in T. So lets get down to it shall we! 

So right now my companion and I are helping and teaching people how to get things organized that need to be. So we are moving the work a long here with the members. I had a meeting with the stake president (this is a man that has a calling to serve over multiple wards/areas) this week to tell him what my plan is... or in other words what’s the plan here for Talanga. He is pumped. We are motivating the members and everyone to take over Talanga for the better! :) So this week we killed it. There were a few different activities and they had turnouts that they have not had here in a while, so they were super happy about that. We are cracking the whip and making sure the people do their home teaching and all. It’s all about verifying. When there is no verification, there is no motivation. So we are helping President out with that. Their Priesthood Conference is this Sunday so this week we spent a lot of time passing by members and less actives to make sure they would go Sunday to campamento for the activity. We had the most out of any ward there... we killed it to say the least :) no big deal :) It’s fun to see the fruits of our labors. I know that this is the Lords work and we are only servants in His hands. When people feel the spirit, it brings action. It is our job to help people feel the spirit and in the end they will change. So we had a very good turnout for the activity yesterday. 

So last week there was someone that passed away. Our good friend O. who we work a lot with, it was his relative. So most of the familia has been kinda down this past week. There doing good considering, but you know how it is when someone passes away…hard stuff. BUT, this week we taught them all about how our Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us. It brightened up the situation a lot. I want you all to know that we have a LOVING Heavenly Father that really does have a plan for each one of us. It’s great! When we really understand this plan and our purpose of why we are here on this earth, our lives are so much better. We will have a different mindset on things and we will grow closer to our Heavenly Father. This family is great and they are doing better. So we will continue to help them all out, and there is a ton of them!

So that brings me to another story. So this week we planned a night to bring all the family together and to have a Family Night. My companion and I along with the Stake President had plans to bring all the familia together and share a very powerful message with them. So it was all planned and all and we still had the activity. We planned for about 25-30 people to come (all familia) and the night that we had planned to do the activity the pastor of their church was going around and talking HORRIBLE about us and the church. He was going to everyone and telling them all these lies so that they wouldn’t go to our activity that we had planned for them with food and all. I was disappointed that a pastor would say unkind and untrue things about Christ’s church.  He was standing near the street by where we were meeting so all the familia and people that were trying to go had to pass him and he was just planting stupid ideas in their heads. In the end we had about 15 people for the noche de hogar and all and it was amazing. The people that were there could feel the love that our Savior has for them and the spirit was way strong. I am so happy that the people that came could really feel our message and love for them. For the ones that didn’t come, they missed out and had to hear from the other family members how well it went. The next day I told them how it was... and that maybe you should have come and not listened to lies about Christ’s church. If you have questions about something  listen to us who actually know what we believe in and know the doctrine of the gospel. I am still a little fired up about it. But we will leave it at that.

I know that this family will be good and that the Lord will comfort them. I know with all my heart. I am so happy to know and feel that my loving Savior has such a specific plan for me. Aveces no understand this plan que Dios tiene para us but I know that he really does have a specific plan. Follow the spirit in all that you do, it will guide you during times of good and during times of turmoil. I promise you that brothers and sisters. 

So this week is going to be a busy one! This Friday we are going to have a boda (wedding) and then they are going to be baptized. I am so happy for them. It’s O’s parents. Also a friend of O’s is going to be baptized as well. O. got ordained this week so he is going to baptize his parents and his good good friend! I am so happy for them! Brother L. has made changes in his life for a while now so that he can feel the influence of the spirit stronger in his life. His whole family has seen a difference. We are so happy for each of them. Nothing better then growing closer to our Savior and seeing the blessings in our life. I wouldn’t want to spend the 4th of July doing something else besides helping a family get married and then having them make such an important covenant with our Heavenly Father. It doesn’t get much better than that! I’ll imagine the fireworks in my head at this point hahah but I am so glad that I can do this on my dad’s birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!! I am so thankful for such a great father. I wouldn’t want a better example then you. I have learned so much from you and continue to learn from you. I am thankful to have a loving father who is a great example to his two boys. I can’t express my gratitude enough to have such a wonderful dad. I wish you a Happy Brthday Dad! Make it a great day Friday. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING DAD!!! LOVESSSSSSS! 

Well, loving hermanos y hermanas, mucho gracias por todo! Estoy gracias por cada uno de ustedes en mi vida! cada uno de ustedes son un luz en mi vida. sin ustedes, yo no estoy aqui ahorita en mi mision ayudando nuestro hermanos crecer mas cerca de nuestro padre celestial. GRACIAS POR TODO! Tenga un buen dia viernes! Celebrar nuestro dia de independencia en la manera correcto! Ustedes saben! Gracias mis amigos y familia! 

con mucho amor, Elder Long!!! 

A birthday bash I'll never forget

Hey my loving friends and family. Hope that your all doing great and enjoying life where ever this email finds you. I am doing great, I really don’t know where the time is going here on the mission! I am enjoying every minute here in Honduras and right now in Talanga. It’s great and I wouldn't want to be doing anything else right now in my life, or wouldn't want to be any place else at this time. Soaking it all up before it ends! So this week absolutely flew bye... we killed it this week to say the least! 

So this past Monday we went to a birthday party. It's not like the states where families wait to have big family parties on the weekends for someone that is having a party. They do it on the day they have their birthday. So we got a call from a family that we are teaching, the O Family and that it was his moms birthday y que ella queria que we go to the party... so when we got there, there was all the familia. So then they asked us if we could give a message to all the family that they had invited. She said that the only thing that she wanted for her birthday was that her family listens to us because this message has changed her sons life and now her husband and her life. We shared a message about families and the importance of families in our lives and how everything in the Lords plan is based on the family. They loved our message that we gave them. So many of the extended family members and all invited us to come to their own homes and to teach them... it was like jumping into a jackpot. So we got about 11 new investigators out of this birthday party. HAHA… couldn't get any better, right! So many of them are so interested and are preparing for O’s parents to get married on July 4th and to get baptized on that same day! What a great way that we are going to spend the fourth of July here in Honduras baby!!! woohhooooo! Couldn't be more excited for it! The husband is preparing to be baptized as well! Can’t wait for this day. Their family is great and the extended family and all is so happy to see the change in familia L. as well. Now we are in the process of changing the rest of the familia for the better. They are such good people. So all good, time to work and work and work. 

This week we got after it and found a lot of new people. We had about 25 lessons and I can honestly say every single one went great. It was a great week! Here, there are a lot of people waiting for the gospel and the message that we have. There are people that need it, everyone needs it. We must grow closer to our Savior now, it’s not tomorrow, it’s today. We are teaching a ton...everyday flies by because we are running with our heads cut off. We also had to put the big boy pants on again today with some leaders here. We gave them the plan that Papi Long brought here to Talanga and we are going to complete it that's for sure. We have goals to make things even better and we are going to do them fast. We have 6 people right now with baptism dates and that includes two familias. So we are going to work hard and have tons of success this Julio to say the least. Everything is possible with the help of the Lord. This is the Lords work. I feel it and see it everyday. We are only instruments in the Lords hands. The Lord prepares people that need the Savior in their lives. It's their job and your job to do the little things to be able to feel the influence of the spirit in your lives. I promise each of you that if you align your life closer to the teachings of the Savior, you will reap the benefits and see the blessings in your life. If you don't know what you can do to align your life closer to the teachings of the Savior, email me, I'll tell you what is good. I promise you that you will see a change in your lives. YOU MUST NOT WAIT. Today is the day. We are children of God. We must act like it. I know that the work that I am doing is the work of the Lord. I know that with all my heart. We must do the little things right. It makes all the difference.

In 1 John 4:18-21 it reads:

18  “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

21  And this commandment have we from hi, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

The love for others is huge. It’s the first step in serving others. Christ served others and was a great example to others, we must be too. 

This week we had the opportunidad to hear from Elder Ochoa. He was a stud. He talked about agency and how there is opposition in all things. We must do the little things so that when we are faced with opposition we will make smart choices. When we make choices guided by the spirit I promise you brothers and sisters that the spirit will never lead us astray. We will feel and know that we are making smart and correct decisions in our lives. We are here to prepare to live with our heavenly father once again. Now is the time to prepare to live with our heavenly father once again. We must not take this lightly for any means. Today is the day to DO THE LITTLE THINGS RIGHT. Read your scriptures, go to church and apply what you learn, say your prayers in the morning and at night. The communication that we have with our Heavenly Father is crucial. We must say our prayers. I promise that this is one way to grow closer to our Heavenly Father and one way to help avoid opposition because it will always be tempting us. Through prayer we can help avoid temptations that we all have. I promise you friends and family that you will see change in your lives. Do it. Love it. And see the blessings. 

Thanks so much for all your love and support! I couldn't be more happy then I am right now serving my Heavenly Father. I know that we have a loving Havenly Father and that we are all brothers and sisters. Thanks so much family and friends for your love and support. Make it a special week, aim high in all that you do, put your best foot forward and do something this week to grow closer to your Savior. I love you guys and think and pray for you daily. Now... go find the one that needs you to make a difference in their life. LOVES!

con mucho amor, 

Elder Long!!! 

Goodbyes can be hard...hello new area!

Hey my loving friends and family! I hope that you guys are doing great this past week. I miss you guys. This week I had changes so I am in a new area! I had a good time in Sabana Grande, full of ups and downs, but we left the area a lot better than we found it and that is always my goal. This change will be hard for me. It is one of the difficult aspects of being a missionary. You truly learn to love the people and they become your family away from family. I am now in an area that is called Talanga! It’s like a city/pueblo feel. So you have the mix of both.  It’s not the prettiest area that you can find here but that’s okay. We are going to do a lot of work here. So lets get down to the Talanga report shall we! 

Well, I had changes on Wednesday and when I arrived I immediately saw and felt why I am here. I know my Heavenly Father needs me here and that I know for sure. I am in an area that needs some help in many different ways. There is SO much more that we can do to help as missionaries. I am really excited for the challenge. We need to get things straightened out baby! So I am in charge of three different companionships here and that’s where the work will begin. The first day I brought the companionships together and laid out a plan and once again we needed to put on the big boy pants and have a talk. Hermana W. is also here with me and she came from Sabana Grande also which it will be so nice to have her here in my area to help out. She is a stud of a missionary and I learn many good things from her. She will definetly help out here in Talanga. My meeting with all the missionaries went well, and I addressed issues that are going on, how we can reunite and come together as missionaries and servants of the Lord in carrying out the work. It all starts with us missionaries and how we want to be, how we want to be perceived in the village with members and non members. There are some great challenges but I truly believe we can make great strides with some plans and goals. I spoke a lot about obedience and the importance of it in all that we do. It starts with us and then we can teach others about it. I know that I am needed here to make some changes and make them quick. I am glad grateful that I have this opportunity to help my fellow missionaries out, and also the people of Talanga.

My companion is from Los Angeles, California, and he is Tongan. I haven’t had anyone from the states since my original companion whom was my trainer. I am anxious to share my strengths with him and I know he will teach me a lot too. He is sports minded and so we have that in common. So we will have a good time together, we are going to work hard that I do know.

This area will be a great challenge for me in many ways, but I am excited to change some things around and see the outcome. We had about 75 in church this week, the church building is very big, usually they have about 100 in church but Honduras was playing Sunday in the mundial so everyone was watching that. Right now everyone is watching the Mundial. It’s pretty crazy to say the least, imagine super bowl parties and everything all day every day... that’s what it is like. So we are working around that and all. Doing what we can.

Lets talk about our house, HAHA! It’s… I don’t even know how to describe it. Tons of mosquitos... and in the roof there are like raccoons, so at night we can barely sleep HAHA…there is so much noise from them. But I am going to get used to it. Everything that we need is close to the house. We don’t walk like we did in Sabana Grande. My companion told me we walk far... he has no idea what a lot of walking is. So that’s nice and I’m giving my shoes a break!

There is a super nice gym close to our house so my companion and I go every morning to get a good pump in. HAHA! So that’s fun and convenient. It close to the house so we get up at 5:30 to go there. I am teaching discipline to my companion.... that attribute helps a lot in life.

We are teaching a guy right now that is from the special forces here... we were exchanging stories about boot camp and all... he was loving it. He is a stud! He will be getting baptized soon. There are many people here that are ready but when missionaries don’t do their part... its a problem. So we will see how things move a long here. Excited to see it! Its been a few packed days to say the least... and many days ahead that are going to be jammed packed.... lovin it though! Working a lot and giving it my all. 

Info for you mom that I know you will wanna know! 

- no running water, so no hot water hahah good joke in house

- we don’t walk as much as before in S.G.

- its a barrio , its not a rama, a lot bigger 80-100 each week in church

- area can be MUCH better

- we have to buy out a lot because members don’t feed us much

- clothes and shoes are holding up :)

I think that’s about all that I have for you guys. I love you guys and miss you all.

I will attach some pictures of an activity that we had at the temple this week for our investigators. Thanks for everything mom and dad and Gi, you guys are great! Make it a great week! Gi, work hard this summer and I promise that it will pay off. When others are playing and you are working you will see the benefits, I promise you that. Use your time wisely and it will pay off down the road. Work hard now, and play harder later. Get after it, love ya stud. Thanks for your hard work dad! Love ya! 

Con Mucho Amor!

Elder Long

Where is time going?

Hey there my loving friends and familia! I hope that this weeks letter finds you all doing great as usual! I really don’t know where time is going... each week seems faster and faster. Well lets get down to it shall we. 

So this week we had a baptism! And it included one of the craziest trips/excursions that I have ever taken in my life. Well the place that we wanted to go to do the baptism, we missed the bus. So a few people that we were with said that we could go to another place that’s super cool and not too far away. First, we needed to take a mototaxi. So we did, then we walked about two hours to get to this place that was so far away. And since its been raining a ton the trees and bushes had all overgrown the path so pretty much we were walking down this river to get to this really cool area where there is a huge waterfall where we would do the baptism. It was crazy! We literally were walking on like the edge of a cliff to say the least and below was the water. It was INSANE. But, we did get there in one piece and did the baptism. Then... we had to get back... well we pretty much got lost and couldn’t find the path that we came on.. so we headed back through the mountains making our own paths. I literally felt like a monkey to say the least. It was one of the craziest things that I have ever done in my life. Literally monkeys going through the trees! But don’t worry, we all made it out of there 3 hours later and all in one piece. ALL GOOD! :) This took up all Saturday morning and afternoon. But the young man we baptized is a STUD. He is 17 and amazing. His name is E. Has a strong desire to grow closer to our Heavenly Father and make stronger and better choices, so my companion and I are all very happy for him. So he and his family were all super happy.

This week no se porque but many people have been kinda down here in the area. I don’t know what hit them this week. So I thought that I would help them out and read them a poem. I know that you all are probably laughing right now thinking that I am a poet now. HAHA! But I would really like to share it with you. I had to translate it so here it is. But I want you guys to think about your lives and how we could, can apply it. So here we go! It’s called “Don’t You Quit.”

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will

When the road your trudging seems all uphill

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh

When pressure is weighing you down a bit

Rest if you must, but don’t you quite

Life is a queer with its twists and turns.

As every one of us sometimes learns

And many a fellow turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than it seems

To a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victors cup

And he learned too late when the night came down

How close he was to the golden crown

Success is failure turn inside out

The silver tint in the clouds of doubt

And you never tell how close you are

It might be near when it seems afar

So stick to the fight when your hardest hit

Its when things seem worst that you must not quite. 

I really liked this poem for some reason. I don’t want you guys to think that I am having a hard time, because right now I am living the life. Spreading the gospel, helping people come unto Christ, does life get any better? No! All is good here baby! Some days are much harder than others, but overall everything is good! I am really loving my time here and the opportunities that I am having and the personal growth spiritually that I know will carry me through hard times later in life. I encourage all of you to do something this week to draw closer to your Savior. Do something that will bring action. Don’t only think about it, but do something DIFFERENT. I know that you will be blessed from your action. I am so thankful to all of you for your love and support. It means the world to me! 

Make it a great week aim high in all that you do and put your best foot forward. Do something different for the better!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Long! 

Finding the ONE

Alright my loving friends and family! I hope that you are all doing great and enjoying life and all. As far as me, all is good baby. I am alive and kicking. We absolutely had a great week this week. I was a little sick to say the least. I got hit with some kind of food poisoning virus or something but that didn’t stop us for anything, we had work to do... in the meantime haha I lost about 6 pounds this week... but it’s all good. It was humid as ever but we didn’t have too much time to think about that. So lets get down to it shall we! 

So a few weeks ago we had a baptism farther south from Sabana Grande in an area called Nueva Armenia. It’s a small little town about an hour south from Sabana Grande. So when we were there, we just felt that we needed to return that following week. So we followed the prompting of the spirit and this week we went back there. Let me tell you… it’s amazing there! NEVER before had the people heard missionaries in their lives. They were SO intrigued and interested in our message and all. So we got into a lot of homes. So we talked to our leaders and now they are going to open up a church there! It’s so cool to know that we are a part of opening up a new area and church! And it all started with my companion and I! It’s been a crazy week. We had over 30 lessons with people, more than ever with missionaries here in our area and we went to two places where missionaries had never gone before. We found 45 new people and 5 new families and more are on the way! It has been an incredible week to say the least. We really got after it this week. Nueva Armenia was about 92 when we were there this week and all the people were saying that it was cooler out. HAHA But yes, very hot. But all good! We were walking down the street there and there was a lady that had her backs to us and she couldn’t see us. For some reason I had a strong impression to talk to her. So I did. When she turned her head around and saw my companion and I she started like running towards us! Come to find out the entire family are members. Due to financial problems they moved from the city to Nueva Armenia and can’t go to church because there is no transportation there on the weekends (it’s a VERY remote but cool area) so she was SO happy to see two hot young boys in shirts and ties to say the least. HAHA! So we met with the family, had a good talk and all and then callled up the leaders and said that we needed to get the show on the road here. So the process is starting. The stake had a meeting yesterday with Papi Fortuna and they are going to open up the area! Elder M. and I are so pumped.

This week absolutely flew bye… I don’t know where the time is going. There are so many good cosas pasando right now in our area. We are seeing the blessings come through in a lot of different ways. I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father that looks over us all the time and wants the best for us. He is ready to bless us always, we just need to do our part. I am convinced that the Lord doesn’t make our paths siempre facil because he wants us to learn and grow through our experiences. I am so realizing that more and more through my time at The Academy and through my time on my mission. We are faced with adversity for so many differente razones. We need to stay firm to the iron rod (the gospel) and follow the teachings of our Savior and always try to choose the right and follow Christ’s example. When we do this, we will be blessed and see good things come our way always. I am so thankful for the time that I have to serve right now. Yes, it’s not always easy, but its the best thing for me and for my life at this time. I am so thankful for each of you and the blessings that you all are for me in my life. I hope that you are all doing the little things right... because the little things bring the blessing and help us assure that we are doing the big things right.. everything starts out small. I continue to challenge each of you to say your prayers daily, read your scriptures, and GO to church. Just don’t think about going and say yea.. I know I need to and its something good, but ACTUALLY go and make an action. Actions bring blessings. Take action my friends and family! 

I want to send a shout out to my bro who is a stud muffin! I am proud of you Gi. You are working hard in school and in sports! Always remember that everything starts in the classroom and you will see the benefits on the field! I am proud of you! Hard work always pays off! Always out work your competitor in all that you do! I am SO proud of you man, keep it up! Enjoy your summer and work hard in sports, use this time to get better and when the rest are playing, work- Long style. Love ya stud! Have a good one! 

Thanks for all your love and support, make it a great week! Aim high in all that you do and put your best foot forward in all that you do too! 

Con mucho amor,

Eder Long! 

Loving my life as a missionary!

May 26, 2014

Hey my loving friends and family. I hope that this weeks’ letter finds you all alive and kicking and doing great! Time is... I really don’t know where it is going. It’s crazy fast and I am just soaking up all my time here. I love my mission more and more every day. There isn’t a day where it’s easy but it is the best thing I have ever done in my life. I love helping the people grow closer to our savior and know that this is the Lords work. So lets get down to the good stuff! 

This week we were just dodging bullets all week... just kidding haha! Nothing too crazy happened this week so nothing too crazy to report! But here it is. This week we were running around with our heads cut off visiting a ton of different people. We have focused a lot on just finding more and inviting more. The more that we find and the more that we open our mouths the more success one will have. So we have been tearing it up. This week we had a baptism. His name is M. and he is a stud to say the least. He comes from a super duper catholic family but is very open-minded. His mother has cancer but is a overcoming the sickness and is doing great. M. has seen the blessings that the Lord has given him and his family in recent months. What a perfect time we have had to get to know him. He is family with J. here and is always in the house when we are there eating and all. Little by little we have been sharing messages with him and his best friend who is a member. When I got here his best friend was not very active, but with me here my little friend C. didn’t have a choice but to get his butt back to church. He is a stud too. Now the best friend of C. is a member. They are on mile high right now. They have so much ganas to serve a mission... I think that I have been like a Tyler W. for them. These two 17 and 16 year olds mean the world to me. I have taken them in and now there on the right path. They are great guys with a bright future. So this past Saturday we had his baptism. We went down to the river in Nueva Armenia and its so beautiful there. So we baptized him the same way that Jesus Christ was baptized, in the river.

The hermanas also had a baptism this weekend too. I had the opportunity to do the interview to see if he was ready and all. It was such a powerful experience to see and hear his story and his conversion. He was very emotional and I could feel and see that the gospel of Jesus Christ has had a very big part in his life and the change that he needed. It was an unbelievable experience to be able to interview him and feel his love and testimony of the gospel in the 30-40 minutes that I was with him one on one. What a cool experience for me. So we dunked the two gators on Saturday and on Sunday they were confirmed. Great day! It gets better. We had 51 people in church! That doesn’t seem like a lot probably to you guys.. but here that is a lot. It was great! So pretty much we killed it this week. But that means NOTHING, this is a new week baby!

Okay, well this week I studied a lot about faith and a lot about patience. These are two virtues and characteristics that Jesus Christ has. We all need to be more patient and have more faith. Yes, I know that it is not always easy, but there are no ifs, ands or buts... we need these qualities. I was reading in Romans 5:1-5 and I really loved these verses. They are cince versus that we need to study and put into practice. I really love versiculo 3. We are all going to face tribulations and problems in our lives, that is normal but the question is how are we going to react and what are we going to different? When we are working our faith, at the same time we are working our patience. I love this because we all can apply it to our lives. God and his son Jesus Christ love us so much and want us to succeed in every way possible, they want the best for us. They have an abundance of patience and faith in us so why is it that sometimes we don’t in them? We must be patience. Blessings and good things will always come our way. That’s a promise from our Heavenly Father. BUT, we must be doing our part. We must be in line with the teaching of our Savior. There is no other way to put it. So if you are doing all that you can, keep doing it. If you are not, take a look in the mirror and make some changes. I ask each one of you to do better. We ALL can do better. And that is daily. We must not wait to be in front of the Lord and have to say that I could have done more... today is the day. Pray, read your scriptures, go to church, serve others and aim high in all that you do and put your best foot forward! 

Brothers and sisters, I promise you that this is the Lords work. We are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. When we do our part, the Lord is ready to bless us in many different ways. WE MUST DO OUR PART. I thank each of you for your love and support while I am here. You guys mean the world to me and it has made the difference for me while I am gone. I know that The Bible is the word of God and can CHANGE our lives for the better and that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ that testifies of our loving Savior. I know that when we read the word of God, our lives CHANGE for the BETTER. I promise you that my brothers and sisters. I love each of you and want the best for each of you. Say your prayers, serve others and you will be engulfed with the spirit. Now get up, stand up, and make a change! 

I hope that you all have a special week and do something DIFFERENT for the better. LOVE YOU all. 

Con mucho amor,

Elder Mariano Long