(Hermana S.) Are we doing our part?

How great has this week been? Very great! I am so happy to be in Actopan. It's one of the best wards in the mission and I feel so lucky. The area is... large. Haha. But it's great! We inherited some great investigators from the Hermanas that left so we're happy about that! And the bikes..... I think I am in love. Seriously, it's the biggest blessing! What used to take half an hour now takes five minutes. We are finding it a lot easier to do the work. We're teaching a lot of lessons and finding a lot of people! This week we taught 43 lessons and had 13 new investigators. What's important now is seeing who really is the Lord's elect. 

Judith is doing so great. She is soooooo awesome. She reads the Book of Mormon or talks from the General Conference Liahona we gave her every day for literally 2-3 hours. Yesterday she came to church dressed up in her cute little skirt and brought her granddaughter. Ahhhh, I just love her! We are looking forward to her baptism on the 29th and getting her good and prepared.

I have really come to learn the importance of the preparation for a convert baptism in these past few weeks. As missionaries, the First Presidency has recently counseled us to teach ALL of the lessons before baptism (including all of the commandments, laws, and ordinances in chapters 4 and 5 of PMG). Then, we must teach all of the lessons again after baptism. What has made me a little sad lately is reviewing the teaching records of many converts and seeing that they were only taught like 5 lessons before baptism and then not taught anything after. My comp. and I now have the huge responsibility of teaching all 5 lessons to about 10 recent converts in our area. The really sad part is that most of these converts are already inactive. 

I have come to understand the importance of the members in this process. How many less-active members do you know? Have you ever visited them? How is your visiting and home teaching? Ask the missionaries how you can help!!! If they're good, they'll give you a list of inactives to visit. If they're not so good, grab the ward directory and get to work! These people need us. They need love. They need you bring the Spirit into their home to help them remember why they were baptized in the first place.

Yesterday something happened that I think has changed the rest of my life. A family of recent converts didn't show up to church, so my comp. and I went to visit them in the afternoon. We hadn't been there a half and hour when an hermano and his wife with their RM son showed up to give a blessing and just visit. They keep the Sabbath day holy. They showed up in their Sunday clothes. No one had to tell them. They were quick to observe and act. I am forever changed by this great example. I understand better what the Lord expects of us and what His true disciples do to honor His holy day. Let's all do less sleeping, less watching TV, less cooking and less cleaning so that we can live one day a little more like what will be every day in the eternities. 

Love you all so much!!!