A Wedding and A Miracle

            So as the title suggests, this was a good week! We had the long awaited wedding of Mariana and Hudo which was quite nice. It ran a bit late so we didn't get to eat since we were already late to get home when the ceremony ended.  However they let us take some food home which was quite good.  Mariana is a member who for more then five years wanted absolutely nothing to do with the Church even though her entire family is active. She had begun living with her boyfriend, Hudo. Then, through a series of miracles, she realized that she needed the Church and Hudo also gained a testimony of it. Then they marked a date to get married, and sold their motorcycle to pay for the wedding. Hudo will be baptized in two weeks. It is nice to know that you make a difference in people's lives. The whole wedding, I was just blown away by the fact that all of this was happening because two people really wanted to have a better life together and were willing to sacrifice a lot for that.

            And about the Miracle (well the bigger one).  We had been working with the husband of another member who had been going to church for more than a year but didn't want to be baptized.  We had talked with him many times and he really seemed to be against the idea but then this Sunday, he changed his mind is going to be baptized this next Sunday after Stake Conference which will also make this my first baptism in an actual Chapel since I have only had baptism in portable swimming pools until now (which are very annoying to clean). It is really nice to know that no effort is wasted. Many missionaries have talked with and taught this man, and I am sure they would be happy to know that their effort wasn't wasted because I am happy to know that mine wasn't. No effort made for God is wasted.

Honestly, so many good things happened this week that I don't even have time to write about them all. So I guess I will just leave you with these two.  But I hope you all have a good week!  I love you all!

Elder Russell

Description of the picture: We asked one of the young men in the ward to take this photo and I don't think he understands centering but at least we got the picture.