Thanks to Heavenly Father We've Been Blessed With Success

Hey what's up?

Things out here in Zapallal 1 of Puente Piedra are doing amazingly. I just got out of the temple. We woke up at 4:30 in the morning.... so of course I feel a little exhausted right now. I think we'll go home and sleep an hour or two before 6pm. We've been busy here working hard.

Thanks to my Heavenly Father we've been blessed with success beyond anything I could have ever hoped for.

13 INCAS! (Investigators in the Church) I was privileged again to be John the Baptist on Saturday! We baptized five people. William, a young man who has a brother in the ward but their parents aren't members. Leidy a young women and reference from the grandmother of Astrid (Astrid the girl we baptized two weeks ago). Claudia, a girl whose mother is less active. Rosa, the best friend of a women in the ward named Adela. Rosa has two little children and a husband but her husband is never home so we haven't had the opportunity to talk with him yet. Rosa had been taught by missionaries for a long time but they never challenged her to baptism. She accepted right away! Also we baptized Rosa's younger brother who's 19 years old!!! (I thought he was 16 before). All of them were confirmed on Sunday and are doing great!!!

I ate chicken feet this week. I would have to lie if I said they were delicious.

We contacted 202 people.

The girl that was baptized on Saturday named Leidy has two sisters Shirley and Giosselyn and a friend that lives with them named Edith. Leidy introduced us to them a while back and they're stoked for their baptism this week. Also a young man named Junior will be getting baptized this week. We've taught him all of the discussions as of last Thursday and a little in Church because it's impossible to find him because of work, but he's committed to come to his interview this week and be baptized on Saturday. Junior's great! He's fifteen years old and he has family that lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

On the 5th of September we'll be baptizing a man named Jesus (he'll really feel like John the Baptist on the 5th) who has been going to church forever but finally made the decision to get baptized. He told me a story about a while back his life was really messed up and he was about to join the Neo Nazis or something, but he has a changed spirit and I feel he's prepared for the 5th. Also a girl named Paola will be getting baptized on the 5th.

The cousins and brothers of Paola need a little more time to prepare. Jhair and Alizon her cousins and Martin her brother have baptism dates for September 19th. The mother would be getting baptized but she's not married. We taught her the law of chastity and we have to verify but I think she'll decide to split up from her boyfriend. The mom's been living with this guy for 20 years or something but he abuses her and I encouraged her that to live the law of chastity one of her options was to split up. She said that she wants to.

We also found a family that have 8 kids, the parents are married. We have an appointment to go back and the mom and 3 of the kids have baptism dates for September 12th. We have permission slips signed and everything so it should all go pretty smoothly.

Also a mom and her daughter came to church. The mom didn't have desires to get baptized but she signed the permission slip of her daughter Merlit and she wants to prepare for September 19th.

All I know is I haven't really done anything but be obedient and work hard. It's been hard being Senior companion but my companion is one of the best examples to me. I feel blessed more than I can explain.

Saturday was so funny. I got to the last baptism and Claudia didn't want to get into the water. She was screaming because the water was freezing cold... hahaha. After about 15 minutes with the help of her aunt and uncle she got into the water, step by step. Also when Rosa (Women with two kids) came up out of the water she made the loudest gasp of air of any baptism I've ever had. Funny stuff. She sounded like an injured animal or something.

That's about it. Hasta luego. The Gospel blesses lives.

I love you all, keep writing people!

Your Elder,

Elder Layton

We Must Come Unto Him With a Broken Heart

Dearest Family and Friends,

But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.

(At left, Elders Soto and Layton during a recent preparation day in Indpendencia)

In this day is this profecy coming to pass. I testify that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I'm in an area called Zapallal 1, where we're in the middle of nowhere, and there are hills that top the hills in all my other areas combined. This area's huge... and this ward is functioning better than many wards I've seen in the states.

We had a couple of baptism dates when I entered and we ended yesterday with 8 baptism dates. Mostly youth and kids but we're focusing on finding families. It's difficult because there aren't that many people married, and out here in Zapallal mass weddings don't exist, God has blessed us and I know we'll find them. These Lamanites are blossoming as the rose.

Right now I have 10 rocks in my pockets. My companion does also. We have to carry around these rocks until someone is confirmed. Every rock symbolizes someone, so, as you can imagine.... we have the goal to baptize 20 people this change. I know looking back at my mission it would seem impossible, but we prayed and the Lord wants us to do it. I know that we can help 20 people into the waters of baptism. As of yet we have 0 so we have a lot of work left to do.

I'm grateful for you Papa, Mama, Nana, Eric, and Curtis. Keep working hard.

This week was new. I got here Wednesday in the afternoon and found out where we live! We live on a 45 degree hill. We open the door to walk into a small open area. On the right there are wooden stairs that lead up to a couple of different, small castle looking places, and then we get to our room. We don't actually have a door. It's a metal fence thing that we keep safe with a chain and padlock. It's extremely cold here, but finally we have warm water to shower. Hallelujah!

Elder Pontius in Indy gave me his snow hat because he finished up his mission, so now my ears won't be cold at night. Yes! Honestly Independencia's way behind me now.... I absolutely love this place.

Sometimes I think about all the commandments we have. There's so many. They seem so strict. Even Jesus taught that "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone..." But to say that we must obey every law that God gives us isn't like the Pharisees!!! Jesus taught something very important. Look at this:

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
　
Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

I know that we must come unto Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

Love,

Elder Layton