This Week in Bolivia

Familia,

This week has been more of a normal one for me, but my spanish is developing more, and we have found new investigators.  Today marks 2 months for me in the mission! Not that anyone is counting though.

So last sunday, there was a girl who came to church that nobody seemed to know.  She is a youth, and about 16 years old.  She spoke to her teacher in Sunday school, and said she wants to be baptised.  The teacher found us, and we began to talk to her.  All on her own, she told us that she wants to have the lessons by the missionaries, and then to be baptised.  This of course, was a huge blessing for us.  On Tuesday, she attended a youth activity at the bishops home.  We met her there, and went to her home, which is about a 20 minute Truffi ride towards the mountains.  When we got there we met her family, and did not think much of it, but the mother seemed a bit uncomfortable.  We sat and began to meet with her, and the mother sat in on the lesson.  Eventually, my companion asked the mother if she had something to say.  She eventually told us that her and her husband are members. Not only that, but they have been inactive for 10 years.  What is even stranger is that before becoming inactive, she was the releif society president, and the husband was the ward mission leader.  We couldn't figure out why they went inactive, but were very welcoming to us coming and teacher their daughter, and visiting with them.  The name of this family is the Ramos family, and they have been inactive for so long, that only one family in the entire ward even knows about them.  It has even been over 5 years since missionaries have been to their home. We visited them twice this week, and invited them to church, but this is something they have as a goal, but no date yet.  They also have another son, who is 9, who wants to be baptised, so we will teach him also.

Other than meeting this family, we also have 2 younger girls, about 10, who we are teaching also. They are references from the ward.  Without references here, the work is very hard.  The university is in the heart of the city, and pretty much every one we talk to is an aventist. When tracting, it honestly feels like I am an Adventist or Jehovas witness missionary trying to teach Mormons in Provo.  The ward has been very dilligent in providing some references though.

Until next week,

Elder Potts