Everyday I'm Learning How to Be a Better Child of God

HEYYYY,

How's everyone? This week has been great. We're being very blessed. You remember the Earls right? The gringo couple from Utah in my zone. They're still working on the Spanish. Not completely fluent yet.... but on Wednesday I went out with them all day to help out. I taught them how to do the numbers and everything because it' not like they have a senior companion to teach them everything. We worked on the grammar a bit and taught several families.

They also came with us to an appointment yesterday that was a reference they gave us, and....it's an absolutely great family. They're the Galazar family....and it's a big family. Honestly I felt the spirit incredibly strong during the lesson. We taught the restauration with the help of the Earls. They taught the first principles and everything. What I like about this family is that they were paying a lot of attention. We left a Book of Mormon and everything and invited them to read and pray so we'll see what happen in our return visit.

Peru is getting to feel more like home... I really can't imagine the states anymore. That's weird.

Haha, I can't believe you found my passport! I looked for a week for that thing! About rooming, I can't find the info to Elder Stewart and Cope.....they were in my mission but they went back to their real mission in Bolivia. I'm not sure if they're done or about to get done but they definitely have more time than I do. So....if you can't get a hold of them, the most important is just get a room with Nate. Something cool south of campus is what I'm thinking. My companion will call in a couple of weeks. He's ending his mission the 24th of Feb. What else...

Tell Eileen I say hi. (My voice teacher.) I would do lessons again if I have a little time before school. I'm planning on getting relatively involved there at BYU. I have no clue what yet, but you'll see. Tell Logan I say hi when he comes home. I miss you all very much. Today we're going to go throw water balloons, play soccer, and have a BBQ. Very cool.

I'll just add that I really know the Church of Jesus Christ is true. Everyday I'm learning how to be a better child of God, and through constant prayer and scripture study we can do it better. It's so important to be constant. Like Elder Bednar talked about in one of his conference talks. If you were to ask his kids how were the scripture studies they wouldn't tell you it was exactly spectacular. They fought at times and didn't always learn a ton, but what they would tell you is that they were constant. They never missed a day of family prayer, or a night of scripture study. For that they've been blessed. They did what was necessary to overcome the temptation the rise up every day in our lives.

Have a good day!!!!

Elder Layton

Teaching By Example

Hello!!!

Everything I told you in that letter was true.... believe me I know.

Okay before I forget!!! Hopefully you haven't done it yet. I want to room with Elder Nathan Stewart and Elder Cope (who knows Elder Stewart).... I have the number of Elder Cope....but I forgot it in my room...ahhh. Nathan Rau of course! And also my companion wants to room with us. He's going to apply to BYU soon and he'll get in and everything. His name's Giancarlos Rodriguez. He'll be calling dad in a couple weeks to get into contact. By the time school starts he'll speak English don't worry. (Okay, I know my Spanish is a little rusty, but c'mon.) What's your phone number dad?

Okay....send me what I need to do with all that stuff asap and I'll get permission from President if there's anything I need to do. Thanks!

This week was great!!! We baptized a single mother named Roxana! Her brother got off the mission 2 months ago we call him El Chino so he baptized her. She was honestly really happy. We have other baptism dates and everything so we're still baptizing. Our zone's doing better. We had the only baptism this week here in Independencia but the zone has other dates really soon.

Yesterday we had a lesson with a man named Jose. It was a lesson kind've different than normal. It was a reference from a member of the church but I had heard a lot about him before because we always teach the recent convert next door. I think he's broken about every commandment you can think of ( I won`t go into details). We taught a lesson purely on repentance. I had him read Alma 27-30 and of course we explained it as he read. This is when Alma is calling the people to repentance and tells them some of the things they must do. What is our hope. What our fears are if we don't repent. In the end of the lesson he told us he really wants to change. His daughter doesn't want to get baptized mostly because he told her not to. Now he feels bad cause she's going to parties and everything and he sees his mistake.

I shared with him something that Albert Einstein taught. Example isn't another way to teach. It is the ONLY way to teach. I told him that the only way he can really help his daughter is by showing her what to do by his own example.

Well, I'm still helping my companion not be trunkie. No, joke, he's doing great.

Love,

Elder Layton