Elder Jordan Duke: January 28, 2013: Week 67

Hey family!

So this week was great! It started with the baptisms of Carlos and his daughter Carla! WooT! I was really excited for them and they are really going to help lift up this branch. They are a great family and now they are a family inside the church. It was really great to see them grow and progress to take this step in their lives. He is a really great guy and it helps us here in the Rama (branch) since we are short priesthood holders. He isn't getting it, the priesthoot, yet but soon he will. His daughter is really great too and she is who keeps them going. They said that the week before they didn't want to go to church but that the Carla had told them that if they didn't go to church then they wouldn't be blessed and that they needed the blessing so they had to go. She's very persistant, lol!

Victor is going good also. He got a new job that lets him have more time off and he can go to church now, which is a miracle. He will be getting baptized on the 16th of Feb if all goes well. This week we're going to try to find the other Carlos, because he was gone to Tacuarembo until February. Hopefully we can get him started up again. He was really progressing before he left, so I hope that desire to continue hasn't changed.

This week the story is of the baptism. We asked the wife Monica to give the first prayer and it was the first time in years she had done a prayer in front of people besides the missionaries. She did really well and it was really emotional especially when she asked that her husband and daughter could feel the same love from our Heavenly father that she felt when she was baptized and how she was eternally grateful that her family could be together in the church. Not lying... her prayer brought a little tear in my eye. And it really set the mood of the baptism and invited the Spirit so well. After that we had great talks and an overall great experience. I'm very grateful to have been able to be a part of the life of this family and be able to help them change it for the better. I know that God puts people in our path that need to hear the word from us and with this family I can testify of the truthulness of that. I'm happy that I can be here in Uruguay serving the Lord and that I've been able to meet and help such wonderful people.

I'm getting along well with Elder Rodriguez. He is really a great guy and we have a lot in common. He's not the best at sports and i sa little slow at that but other than that no complaints. I know that I could be better at serving my comps and I'll start doing it and tell you how it goes.

SO, souds like the family is the same as ever, runningall over the place and having alot to do. Sounds like Sarah is taking after me in driving eh? lol ;) Kaili more like Emily, lol! JK! Emily you drive fine, most of the time...... at least now you'll have more to drive people around soon.

Remember to send me pictures and stuff when you finish the renovations. Oh and from Emily's email... Hey Pace! What's up man?

We'll I love you guys and I hope that you all have a great week full of happy moments and the Saviors love.

I love you guys,

Elder Jordan Duke

Some pics below:

The chapel in Tranqueras