February 4, 2013

Hello Family! Bom dia!

This week was pretty good, although it had some weird happenings. Last week I said that we would have a baptism, but that didn't work out too well. When my companion and I went there on Wednesday to fill out the baptismal forms with her, Maria Helena kiiind of went crazy. She decided that she wouldn't be able to give us her full name, in fear that we would make her pay something later on or rob her or steal her identity or something like that. I'm not sure where it all came from. So we decided to try and talk about other things and come back to that part later. So we asked for her parents' names. Yet another request denied. Names of her children? Nothing. Alright. So, we decided to ask her the baptismal interview questions just to see if we could get anywhere with that and to prepare her for the interview. First question - "Do you believe that God is our Eternal Father?" She sat there thinking... and thinking... and thought a bit more... and finally - "No." WHAT?! She doesn't believe in God?! We got to talking, and turns out that she thinks that the question is waaaay too personal for her to respond to.

Anyways, to make a long story short, we left.

But she came to church on Sunday and told us that she could give her mother's name and would talk to a lawyer to see if she can give her full name on the forms. She's just a bit paranoid... But it'll be alright. She'll be baptized some day. I think.

We also had interviews with President this week. Basically my interview consisted of him telling me that as the senior companion, everything that happens in my area is my fault and that I have to figure out some way to fix everything if anything goes wrong. Not to say that anything is going wrong, just that he was warning me. Like if my companion goes and sins, it's my fault. Or if suddenly we stop teaching lessons and all the investigators fall through, it's my fault. Ooooh how being junior companion was great. But now more responsibility and more blessings!

Anyways, I think that's about it. I love you all! Have a great week!

-Elder Hopper #1

P.S. The picture is me and Elder Galleguillos who lives with us (the other companionship), taken last P-Day when we decided to enter the mato (forest).