Semana 32

¡Hola! How are you all doing? I hope everything is going well. Well it´s been almost a year since I got my mission call and I almost have 9 months in the mission. Time has gone by way fast.

Every Monday now we´re baking cookies and brownies for the members to help gain their trust and show that we appreciate them. We don´t get very much support from the members but the cookies are helping. We gave them to the Branch President last week and then he called us the next day just to tell us thanks and now he´s invited us and the sisters to his house for lunch this Saturday. If we can get to the leaders first then the rest of the members will see it.

Well the work is really starting to pick up here. There´s been a Branch here in Pelileo for 40 years and the growth and progress has been slow. But now the work is really picking up. There´s a new excitement in the members and more people are coming back to church and more investigators are coming too. In order to be a Ward, they need 15 men who hold the Melquisedec Priesthood and are faithful and active. Right now we have 14 and there´s a few that are going to get sustained to received the priesthood in the next stake conference this April!! In about a year there should be a Ward here. It´s a really exciting time to be here. There´s a new wave of enthusiasm and the members are starting to help us a lot more now. Yesterday we had 115 people at church which is the most I´ve ever seen it. normally there are about 80 to 90 coming. They´ve been running out of bread and water during the sacrament lately and have to bless more. There´s also not very much room in the classes now. 

Well the Family G came to church yesterday and have their baptismal interviews with the zone leaders this Thursday!! The only problem is that the wife doesn´t think she´s prepared for their baptismal date for this Saturday. Their big fear is getting baptized without preparation because the same thing happened to them in another church a few years ago and they don´t want to do the same thing. We´re going to pray a lot for them and help them feel prepared. They´re prepared, they just don´t realize it. 

Well that´s all for this week. Hope you all have a great week!!!

Élder Gómez