January 28, 2013 Week #6 in Cosamaloapan

 

"GOLDEN"

Happiness

 Hola hola mi familia!!! So this week was awesome!! Mari was baptized and I am so happy for her and her family. I told her and her husband carlos that a year from this day her baptism Elder Charles and I want to see both of them in white at the temple. They are so great and she definately is truly converted to this gospel how we all should be.  She says it feels so right and like she already knew the things that we were teaching her were right. bueno so we had a great sacrament meeting this past week. 4 of our investigators were at church and the young man Oscar didnt get baptized saturday because he wanted to wait and be baptized with his mom. The both were at church last sunday and we had a great lesson with them last night. And let me just say Oscar must have been inspired to wait because his mom is going to be baptized this saturday as well!! We had two more investigators at church this past sunday and they are so awesome. Javier and his son are so excited about the church. We actually met javier in the street and it is a pretty cool story. He walked past us and he said hello like everyone does here lol but we continued walking about another block and then my comp and I looked at eachother and we were like we have to turn around and talk to this guy. So thats what we did and he turned out to be a member a super inactive member but his son oscar and his daughter Anacarina are going to be baptized the 9th of feb. The lord has truly blessed me this past week. I have been really been trying to submit to his will in all that I do. Which is pretty hard for me I know at times I can be pretty proud and stubborn. But today I was trying to find what becoming as a child really means and I dont know if I found for sure what it means but one thing that I took out of my studies was that we must always be humble as a child is and truly depend on our heavenly father for all of our needs just as a child depends on its parents for all of its needs. So that is something that I have been working on.
  So the ward here is still struggling we have been teaching a ton of non active member trying to strengthen the ward. There are nearly 800 members here and only 75 that are truly active and the majority of them are women. It is saddening how lazing the men here are. The bishop and one of his councelors do just about everything. Dad what is the percentage for sacrament asistance back home? So we have really been trying to strengthen the ward because what good is it to baptize if the ward isnt going to help retain the converts. So we are going to have an activity in 2 weeks and we hope that it will help. We will have to wait and see. 
   So I have really started to miss the temple.....It was such a blessing in the MTC to be able to go to the temple cada semana. I definately think I took it for granted. There is nothing like it and I cant wait to see all of you there. That is going to be a great day. I definately wish that I could be there when emily and tyler are sealed but the lord needs me here in mexico :) I will definately be there in spirit. So I am in 3 nephi 10 in the book of mormon and I cant wait to get to ch 11 when christ comes. And I am just past half way in Jesus the Christ and yes it is still blowing my mind. After planning at night that is what I do till I go to bed read. Who would have thought I would love to read lol So D&C 50 is amazing and I really love verse 24. Oh 3 nephi 9 is awesome as well. Where are all of you in your studies? I love all of you so very much and thank you so much for writing me everyweek. It really does mean so much. I love you all so very much and I know with all my heart that the work that I am doing right now is the work of the lord and that he is with me every day here in the streets of mexico. It is such a blessing to be his representative and to be able to testify that he is our savior and that only through him and his example of baptism may we return to our father in heaven and live with our families for all eternity. I love you all and may god be with you till we meet again.
love your son, brother and friend,
-Elder Ryan Thomas Lehikainen