Elder Nathan Pollock: Happy Valentines Day!

How did we celebrate? Well our zone happened to have interviews with the mission president and his wife the day of Valentine's Day so they made us real sugar cookies and let me tell you, they are even better when you're BIEN lejos (real far) from your home. AND we got to attend the wedding of some recent converts with my old companion and three other pairs of missionaries, it's so amazing to see the happiness this gospel brings to all, knowing that they can have eternity together, and to rejoice in that joy together.

Okay, remember Hermana Sonia? Yeah, she's doing FANTASTIC!! She is so excited for her baptism and is striving so hard (and succeeding) to live the gospel and all Christ's teachings. When we taught her about the Law of Tithing she was so excited to give her part that even more could receive this gospel. We explained a little poorly that, while it's not something we do publicly (as those who do their works in the public eye to receive the public praise receive their reward there and not from the blessings God has from us), it's not some huge secret, so she proceeded to act out football plays to secretly hand off her tithing to the Bishop. Also in our last lesson she bore her testimony to us telling us how she had already felt these things to be true even before praying, and that when she prayed she continued in that feeling even stronger, and she called us angels sent to teach her this truth. I mean, I can barely speak Spanish, so I definitely know that really she was recognizing the strength of the Holy Ghost as it bore witness to her these things, and that really built my testimony that this is God's work.

Someone else that we are really excited to be teaching is another Hermana named Rosario, at first she just wanted us to answer some questions for her kids and so she invited us into her home. As we answered all of her kids' questions about bible stories and taught the doctrine of Jesus Christ, she payed attention to all of our words as well. Shortly, the lessons transferred from us teacher her kids to teaching her about the restoration of the gospel, and in our third visit, she told us "I know that Joseph Smith saw this vision and that he was a prophet of God, as you told me about his confusion at all the different religions and sects I recognized myself in the same confusion, and now I know the truth", and so now we're continuing teaching her frequently! Unfortunately she is con vive (meaning living with her boyfriend) but she has plans to get married really soon and then be baptized!!

Okay, one last story: this friday we had a miracle contact. As Elder Mamani and I were walking, to a person who some other elders from a previous change were teaching, I realized that I had dropped the map of the area somewhere along the way. We quickly retraced our steps for about 10 minutes and finally found it dropped on the ground, as we walked back to the same area we had turned ourselves around, we got a random call from some hermana about keys to our door (but it wasn't actually to our apartment, just some other apartment for future elders) and so we had to sit still for about another 15 minutes as we talked to our leaders about what to do. Right about as we were about to get up and go, a Hermana walked right up to us, and started asking us how she could start learning more about "our church"... she actually just contacted US! We immediately jumped into the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and she accepted to come to church and to receive lessons AND to read the Book of Mormon - all in about 10 minutes! It's crazy how the Lord just places us in the right place at the right time, and through the strangest means.

I'm praying for all of you! Once again let me know if there is absolutely anything I can do for y'all! HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!

Elder Pollock