March 8th

Hello once again to all of my family and friends out there. This week has been quite a week of up and downs for me, and I sincerely hope that all of you are doing okay back home. I just want to say to all of you, don't worry about me. I am doing just fine over here and you have no reason to worry about me, keep going strong, and help each other out, for me! Haha cause the only thing I am sad about is that I won't be there to help everyone out that needs help, especially Grandpa. I love you Grandpa, and I just want you to know that I am praying for you extra hard this week.

Anyways, as I said it has been a busy week for me. Elder Hansack and I have been working extra hard this week to prepare for the wedding, baptism, and confirmation of the Ruiz Matamoros Family. We had the wedding on Friday in the morning, the baptism on Saturday in the afternoon. I am going to try and send a few pictures of the wedding and the baptism, because they were both the cutest thing I have ever seen, it brought such joy in my week seeing the testimonies of this family grow, and seeing the love they have for one another, and for their Savior, has grown. We spent a lot of time in their house this week preparing them with the last lessons, and getting the baptismal interviews done, and celebrating. After the wedding, us missionaries went to a bakery and we bought the family a cake to celebrate in their house, it was a really fun experience and moments I will never forget.

As for other investigators, we have been working hard to find our next baptismal candidates in our area. We have found various families recently in our area, but what seems like the most positive to me is the family Torres. Lester and Sara are cousins, and the mom Ramona who raised them both. Ramona has been going to a couple of Evangelical churches, searching for a church were she could be baptized correctly. The other day we had a wonderful lesson with her where we explained that if she would visit the church with us this Sunday, she would end her search of finding her baptism if she would come with the intent to answer that question. So I really hope she will come this next Sunday! Denia, is still doing really good. I just do not know why she doesn't want to make the decision to be baptized. I really think it is because her boyfriend who lives in the States doesn't want her too, and that makes me sad. But the good news is that her daughter, Sharon, is going to be baptized this upcoming Saturday. Maybe Denia will be touched by the Spirit and make the decision to be baptized very soon.

I had an amazing experience on Saturday during the baptism of the Ruiz Matamoros Family. President Flores called me about 20 minutes before the baptism was going to start to tell me that Grandma had passed away. It was very shocking news for me, and at first I didn't know what to think. I just sat down in a chair for a minute to think, and I said a quick prayer. I asked for the strength to continue on, and that my family at home will be alright. The answer to my prayer came when the Ruiz family walked in the door, hand in hand, ready to be baptized. At that moment, my testimony grew that families really are eternal. I knew that grandma was doing absolutely fine with her family, resting from her pains, and enjoying her time. My testimony of the Plan of Salvation grew as these 2 spiritual experiences came to me in the same moment. This plan really is a perfect plan, we will be united with our families again one day, as long as we are living faithful lives and obeying the commandments of God. I would beg each and everyone of you, do not deny yourself the gift of receiving an eternal family with one wrong choice that we make in our lives. I love you all, and I'm grateful for each and everyone of you. And like I said before, don't worry about me!

Vaya Pues,
Elder Tinkham