Another week has flown by in the mission, it is amazing how fast it passes. This week we worked hard but right now we do not have a lot of members leaving with us to visit. The thing is that we just kept working and had a lot of lessons with members, and our contacts have not dropped under 120 since Elder Cusihuaman set the goal-punishment of the push ups. It really takes an effort to contact that many people when the area is a little bit smaller. I have contacted the same people twice or threes times on accident. A question, is it okay if we contact the same people over and over not every day but giving it a break. It gives them another opportunity to accept our message or have the chance to be served.

When it comes to investigators Lucio seems to be the next baptism because the other few are not completing with their committments that we have left them. Lucio has 16 years, and he is working on reading the book of mormon. He is reading the book of mormon for the first time. We will keep working on his parents they have not attended once, but I feel that he is mature enough to be baptized and continue in the church. The leaders and the young men support him well in the ward. Would it be okay to put a baptismal date on him but in a month or 2 so that he can advance more in the book of mormon. A baptismal date would raise his animo because he really wants to progress.

Elder Torrez is progressing well, he has a strong desire to learn english too. He always is asking me how to pronounce names in the book of mormon. He will learn english for sure if he continues with these same desires to learn.

Right now I have the goal to right all of the Old Testament, but in english. so far I in 1 samuel. It is really interesting how many times they fall into worshiping other gods than Jehovah. A talk I listened to recently said that the question is not why did they struggle with these things, but how do we struggle in our own life. Also it was not that they stopped worshipping Jehovah to worship the gods of the Philistines or the Moabites but the changed their customs to worship both at the same time. Maybe we do not worship Baal or Asheroth, but we worship other things like football or facebook. (NOt in the mission) but at home. But more that Zion struggles with is that we worship the world and try to worship the Lord at the same time. The talk gave an amazing example about water skiing. This person has skiied utahs lakes many times, but one year him and his brother decided to ski utah lake every month of the year. Even when it was really cold in the winter he took the chance to glide on the water. He joked that water skiing is basically that closest sport that we have to a celestial sport if we look and the experience of Peter and Jesus. The thing is over the many trips he was able to teach many people how to ski. He found the the most common errors that prevented a learner from experiencing the auxilarating thrill of gliding on water was that they would try to pull themselves up or they would try to stand up against the pull of the boat. Though these actions appear to help they end up doing the contrary and they pull their legs from out from under them. He assured the learners that the boat is strong enough to pull them up the just need to depend on the boat and be patient. The thing is at times the learners would not even notice that they were trying to pull on the the rope. How does this apply? He said at times when we try to worship God and the world we pull our spiritual legs right out from under us, and it leaves us there wondering why we have not progressed. We must not allow the world to set our standards or slowly but surely change our views of what God has made very clear what is right and wrong. I am enjoying the old testament..

This sunday I gave another talk. It was supposed to be ten minutes but I did not watch the time well so I spoke 15. It was on charity. I really enjoy 1 Corinthians 13. It explains the importance of Charity and how with out it

TOday we went hiking to what they call the white rock. It was a great little hike that left me burnt. It is nice to do more on P days to make them more enjoyable.

I am doing well, I hope all is well there

Elder mecham