Hi Mom and Dad! How are you? We are doing well here. My companion´s name is Elder Collins. He comes from San Diego California. He´s really talented and loves to surf. It was funny because Dad said that his first junior companion was a surfer from California too!
I´m doing well. I really like conference. It was so good to just sit back and listen for a while. It´s nice not to do the talking. Since Elder Collins doesn´t know much Spanish, I´m having to fill in for him! Yeah it´s a little crazy I´m a trainer. I´m doing well though, and trying to do my best. We haven´t been finding very many people lately, but a week ago we found a family of five that accepted a baptism date. The father, Cristino, we found him completely drunk last night. That was discouraging. He didn´t go to church yesterday either. When he´s not drunk he´s a really nice and sincere person. I hope we get things straightened out with him. He has a serious addiction. But if he just stinkin´stops drinking he could change his whole family.
I didn´t even know it was Easter. Here it´s called the Semana Santa, or Holy Week. They reenact the last week of Jesus´life. They have people carry a cross, and people as the Roman soldiers and the Virgen De Guadalupe. Some people actually take whips and hit themselves. And there are other parts where they crucify themselves to a cross. I didn´t see any of that. Well, I saw the Roman soldiers, but that´s about it.
A lot of people are open to listening and all that stuff, but they aren´t really willing to accept. Here people are really open in comparison with the U.S. But I´ve got the feeling that a lot of people are so religionized here that they accept everything as ¨from God¨. That´s why it´s important to share the restoration with the people. I liked what Elder Andersen said in Conference that we aren´t alone in receiving answers to our prayers, or in receiving guidance or finding joy and happiness. But we are the only ones that have prophets and priesthood and the Book of Mormon. You´ve just gotta believe in it and keep going. That´s great Sterling is doing so well, and Matt too. I hope they can be room mates and be married by the time I´m home. Good for them. I love you Mom and Dad! Russell
Elder West
