It Was Another Amazing Experience

Dear Familia,

Okay… I have to get into my English writing mode. Man, I'm so glad to hear Gabe's doing good. And… let's just say I'm grateful my apartment is on the 4th floor and is relatively safe from getting robbed. Nathan, if you find out who stole your stuff give them a punch in the face for me. Good luck with everything. (Elder Layton's friend, serving a mission in Argentina, was robbed twice recently.)

Honestly it's the weirdest thing for me that Lauren got married… I'm still a kid! My seminary class can't be getting married already… I'm not back yet to eat the food at the receptions!

There's really not much news this week. It was a little discouraging not finding many new people this week. I baptized Mabel on Saturday. It was a another amazing experience. She got up to give her testimony and started bawling. She has a firm testimony that the Gospel is true. Milagros didn't show up to her baptism… ikes!... but it was because her mom didn't want her going out at night. She came to Church yesterday and brought her Cousin Gino who also has a baptism date and was sorry for not being able to go to her baptism. She's preparing for this next Saturday, along with Alexandra and Juan Carlos.

Gainela's (the girl we baptized a week ago) parents are getting married this week on Saturday. They didn't come to Church but we're going to visit them to see how everything's going. Back to Juan Carlos…. He's a gold investigator. He always comes to church. The Jehovah Witnesses have been teaching him for a few months but we challenged him to baptism on our first visit and he accepted. He knows that it is true and is helping all his older brothers, sisters, and cousins come to Church. Cool.

Oh yeah, we found out our changes 20 minutes ago. I'm staying here, in good old Independencia! Elder Chan is going to my same area in Iquitos (9 de Octubre). My new companion´s named Elder Soto! He was in my same Zone in Pucallpa so I already know him good. He's a big round Costa Riccan haha!! (probably the Elder at the far left, and incorrectly labled as "Elder Soio") President Rau probably baptized his family ;), I'll ask him about it. He knows English and Portugese too, so I'll have him teach me a little Brazilero so I can talk with Bryan when he comes back.

Well, I'm making a plan already in my head how we can overcome the challenges of the area for this change. I plan on having big results going into my one year mark. It only makes me feel a little sad, a little old, and a little like I'm running out of time.

Nana, congrats on graduating. Hope it was fun with the girls at our house. I know you'll miss them.

Eric, have fun at EFY.

Curtis, be an Eagle Scout.

Sincerely - Your Missionary,

Elder Layton

I'm Just Really Happy

HEYYY!!!Buenos Dias!!!

I'm happier than ever! We finally were able to help our investigators get into the church yesterday. 12 of them came. Most were youth but we also had a couple families.

Honestly I don't have that much to say this week other than I'm just really happy. We're having the baptism of Milagros (18 anos) and Mabel, who I mentioned last week - she is being baptized this Saturday. Hopefully everything goes well. We're encouraging Milagros the best we can because she just got baptized in another Church right before we found her. She feels like she can't take things like baptism lightly but knows what we've taught her is true so she has mixed feelings right now. She came to church again, and she's doing great.

We visited the Mitma Family and they're going through some crazy stuff. Hermano Mitma had a drinking problem and it was really affecting everything in his family. We taught him the Word of Wisdom and he stopped but then he started getting huge pains in his lower stomach that he's never experienced. He was on the ground for a day almost I guess and had to go to the hospital. With this and their daughter falling from a second story window they're suffering financially, and plus they're trying to get the papers all ready for the wedding. All they need is DNI, birth certificate, and 50 soles. It seems to them impossible but we've assured them it's not. Sister Carmen (the Wife of Brother Mitma) is working like crazy and the kids all help too. The wedding's on the 20th and we need everything in a week so I'm kind of getting nervous a little, especially with all the crazy stuff that's happened. I know it´s only a test for them. It's crazy how all of this happens right before they make a life decision to change. I know if they trust the Lord they can do it. Brother Mitma has to travel to another city to get his birth certificate. Please pray for them.

Umm… what else. Today we're playing soccer at the Church. Elder Chan's doing great as my companion. The more time I have in the mission, the easier it is to work alongside companions and work together. I've never had problem companions, but you know what I mean.

The majority of the missionaries out here all want to work hard. If you just keep helping each other its just a constant work…never stops, but it's the best.

I knew Gabe would pull through, he's the greatest. Keep it up Gabers.

NANA!!! You graduated?! Holy moly pacholy I remember when you were a baby and mom and dad bought me a (toy) truck. Congrats. You're amazing and keep up the good work. You can definitely give me the PSP (Briana won a PSP and some cash at her graduation party) for a present when I return, but only if you want to. I told Elder Hudson sitting next to me (he's from Utah) and he said he won a car for his grad party. That's a little better but good job.

There's nothing better than the mission. Always help others. It will make you happy.

Love,

Elder Layton

A Long Distance Prompting

(To preface this week's post, Elder Layton has a good friend in the hospital right now. Gabe West, shown at left a couple of years ago with Elder Layton's sister, Briana, has been confined to a wheelchair since birth. He was recently called to serve a mission in the Portland, Oregon temple along with his parents. Over the weekend he developed an infection. Things do not look promising. We informed Elder Layton by email last night, and he received it a short time ago.)

Hi Everyone,

Hi Mom and Dad... I'm really sad to hear about Gabe. I didn't email yesterday because today is our pday. When the missionaries go to the temple once a change in Lima the pday changes to the same day. So yes, I just got out of the temple.... and now I just read the email about Gabe.

Interesting enough about 30 minutes ago I felt prompted to put his name in the prayer list at the temple. I knew that he was doing his best on his mission. I wanted the Lord to help him out....but now I understand a little better. I have a letter to him too that I wrote a week ago and I'm waiting to send home with some others.

For anyone reading this and doesn't know Gabe West, let me give you a little background info. Gabe is one of the most loving sincere people I know and one of my best friends. He's been in a wheel chair his whole life and always has a good attitude about it. He's always doing great things. If I can just say one thing to Gabers, I'd like to tell him I love him and to keep serving God.

Well, yeah.... I'm happy Grandma Chiechi's doing better. I prayed hard for that one.

I can't really think of anything cool that happened this week... OTHER than the baptism! I got to baptize a girl named Gianela (I think I spelled Ganela last week). It was great. One of the best things that bappened was that her parents who aren´t members came. We have a cita with them. The mission's cool. We didn't have a great turnout in the Church again so I was sad all Sunday but hey, we commited several people to baptism yesterday.

One girl that's getting baptized is named Mabel. She's awesome. It's almost the same situaton of Gianela. Her parents aren't members but the difference is that they don't want anything to do with the Church. I was extremely impressed by her testimony though. Elder Chan, my Guatamalan companion asked her "what do you want most for you family?" She responded "All I want is that my family goes to Church and reads the scriptures." Haha. I love it. I felt extremely grateful to have a family that always went to Church, and helped me get out of bed on Sundays (thank you mom)... and very ungrateful that I had taken it for granted.

I think we might take a trip to McDonalds today. Maybe. American food how I love you! Rice is great, but not everyday. I'm used to it though, and thankful for all the food my mom ever made me. I would even eat your meatloaf everynight mom...even though I hate it. Gringos don't have the right to be picky!!!

Well....I'm sorry I have to leave early from writing.... my whole zone has officially determined McDonalds and got excited so we have to go....hahaha. Well I love you all. Keep working hard. I know the Church of Jesus Christ is the only true and living church on the earth led by the Lord and living profets.

Peace,

Elder Layton