Una Semana Exelente

Due to all the birthday wishes, my email will be short this week. But thank you all for your love and support towards me. I feel like 20 is such an old age, but I do feel like I've grown a lot. Unlike a lot of other birthdays, I actually feel 20 years old.

I really loved this week. It was full of surprises. The biggest surprise was when the ward was talking about a ward temple trip, then an investigator rose her hand and said that she wanted to go. She said that she wanted to be baptized in order to enter into the temple and go. In order for that to happen, she would need to be baptized and confirmed on a Wednesday and that never happens. So my bishop called the president and asked him. We got the permission so she will be baptized and confirmed on the fifth, and on the sixth shell be heading out to the temple! :D Super exciting stuff.. :)

A few other surprises happened as well that I'll be explaining the next week along with the pictures. 

Love you guys!

Elder Hilton

Happy Father´s Day!

This week was full of trials and miracles for our investigators. One was in a really awesome family we had called the Manjon Aguilera family. They're really awesome and sincere. They progressed really fast and they loved the gospel and were excited for their baptism. But they passed through some really hard trials. They didn't want to receive us or go to church. They stopped reading the Book of Mormon in family. They didn't come to church. 

Manjon Aguilera Family
(the couple on the right with their kids sitting down)

One day they called us and said some good stuff in a really excited tone of voice. We didn't understand like anything but we were walking and we passed by them in the street! They were really happy to see us and I gave Erith a giant hug and Paola also wanted a hug but I just shook her hand hahha. They told us that everything had passed and that they were going to have their sons birthday with all the members that we had introduced to them and they were going around inviting everyone. Erith confessed that he had given into all the people telling him that he was catholic and a lot of other stuff. They want to be baptized as soon as possible. 

Lopez Family

We gave them to date of the 2nd of July. I know that God allows people to go through hard trials in order to strengthen their faith and edify them on his rock. 

I love going out with the families to contact their neighbors. We've been doing it a lot lately and its such a good way to find families and help them to progress well. The members become their friends and their source of support and answers for their trials and questions. I love working with them because we develop such a strong relationship with them and feel such an immense joy together in these families.

Araus Vargas Family

I love this gospel and I hope that in my life, I don't forget the sacrifices put into this restored gospel. These pioneers passed through so many trials to make it possible for us to live this gospel.

Love you guys

Elder Hilton

The Best Two Days of The Best Two Years

We saw the miracle of Julia signing the permission for her daughter to be baptized and that in itself was a great miracle.
I know that the gospel allows us to participate in such a great and sweet joy. This doesn't come from any other source. The best moment this week was hugging Nestor after saying a prayer together thanking God for allowing us to work together for this incredible family.

A long time ago, like 2 months, Nestor Rojas starting his vacation from his work. We came to his house to propose the idea of contacting his neighbors to teach them in his home. We found the Araus Vargas family. Janeth was so prepared but her husband Maximo was tough. He didn't want to take us seriously. But with the help of the local members we were able to arrive to his heart, and he too changed. 

We then found Janeth´s sister Noemí. She was 17 so she needed the permission of her mom to be baptized. She LOVED hearing the gospel. She has read the Book of Mormon every day since the day we met. Sadly, the week of her baptism, we asked her mom for permission and she wouldn't sign, she started yelling bad words and getting really upset that we wanted to change her religion. But a miracle happened the day of the baptism. Noemí´s boyfriend came in from Santa Cruz and talked to her mom. Somehow he got her to sign. Not just that but her heart changed and now she too wants to listen to us and go to church. 

Its been such an incredible journey, and the best part was the night of the baptism in Nestor´s house. We were talking about the first day we met them. It was when he had started his vacation. Now it was the last day of his vacation and they were getting baptized. Nestor is a recent convert so its been something so exciting for all of us. We said a prayer together on our knees thanking God for such a joyful experience, and begging him to prepare more families so they can also participate in the gospel. We then hugged each other and... that moment.. was the most joyful moment of the mission until now. 

The relationship we formed the the Rojas family working together in this work. That's the most joy I've felt on the mission. I know that this is the work of the Lord here on earth. I love the gospel. I hope to be an instrument to help many other families to come to know the gospel.

After their wedding

Maximo and Janeth

On the left is the wife of Nestor, next to her squatting down is Nestor.
In the middle is the crazy mom of Noemí that didn't want to sign but her heart changed.
On the right the really tall guy is Noemí´s boyfriend who convinced Julia (Noemí´s mom) to sign.

Elder Moreno on the left, Elvis is the little guy who got baptized (son of Maximo)
and on the very right is Noemí.

The climax of the mission!

Next week youll be seeing pictures of the Araus Vargas family´s baptism! Im really really excited. This week I saw such a huge change in them individually and as a family. They used to have a little bit of tension and theyd argue. But we passed by them this sunday and they were all snuggled up wathing a movie and you could tell that there wasnt any tension. Just harmony and peace in their home. Thats the change the gospel offers to every family willing to live it.

Another incredible family is the Manjón Aguilera family and their story is so incredible. Theyll be getting baptized the 18th of June. So youll be getting pics not this next week but the next. Theyve changed SO much and Ill tell a whole lot more the next week for lack of time.
Id like you guys to consider the following inpression I recieved this week:

If Christ came up to you and invited you to come to his house so he can heal you, would you go? 
A lot of people say yes, but when we invite them to church they say no. 
I know that this is the gospel of Jesus Christ and the only way to be healed is to live it.
I invite you to make time for him in your life by reading the Book of Mormon and going to church.

I know this is the restored gospel and that it changes peoples hearts, allowing the family to be healed and united in love and harmony. I feel such great joy by seeing these changes in their lives. im really excited to continue searching familes.

Love you guys

Elder Hilton