Hermosillo

 

I left my colder town of Agua Prieta back to the oven of Hermosillo. It was difficult to leave the people I had met there even if it was only a little over a month. In my last week there, we got to see a lot of blessings: we had a freind really like General Conference and that helped her be more interested in the restored gospel, we talked to one of our friends that is going to our church and another and about her desire to be baptized, had a baby blessing, and we got to see our little baptized friend Luis testify in front of everyone in the sacrament meeting where we finally got to see a lot of the people we had been hoping to see there for weeks. It was hard to say goodbye to a lot of my friends there. They are really good people that love the Lord and want to do what is right. The best part is we get get laugh a lot while we talk to them as well. A lot of them asked us if we're going to come back someday and we joyfully responded, "Claro que si!"  

 When I came to Hermosillo, the familiar heat wave embraced me welcoming me back. My companion is from the state of Mexico but for his complexion, he almost looks like a gringo. So when we walk in the streets or in stores or with members or with investigators or with almost anyone, the conversation starts with an anticipative, "How are you guys doing with the heat?" Our reactions of raised sweaty eyebrows and nervous smiles gives them a quick chuckle. They finish the punch line with, "We're just getting started! It still isn't that hot yet". We hope to make it through the Sonoran Summer in good form and not the ice cream bag I left outside too long. 

 

We've been able to work a lot here. My companion and I are both new to this area and so our progression isn't as fast as we would like, but we have a lot of fun together all the while. The ward we're in wants to help us a lot and wants us to simply teach and baptize. We have a lot of plans to help them and for them to help us. We have some good friends that we've been able to teach. One of them is a lawyer with a lot of questions and observations. He wants to learn about the Gospel and the Chruch and is very sociable about his the analysis he makes of our teaching. We got to teach another older couple about the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a simple yet very spiritual lesson that made us all happy. Other families that want to come to Chruch and some want to be baptized but have to wrestle with that desire and the demanding events of their lives. 

 

But one of the people we were able to teach and help get baptized is named Hector. He is a kid that likes to smile and to be with his brother and sister. In his sometimes goofy ways, I connect with him and we make each other laugh. Although we didn't have much time with him before he was baptized, we had an interesting lesson/conversation with his mom, a member, and the things she wanted to see in him before he was baptized. She told us of her own experience being converted and her other kids as well. She showed her point and concern in Hector that I really admired and agreed to. But we were able to talk in the familiar embrace of the spirit. We were able to see Hector be baptized and start on the covenant path with the positive spiritual momentum they needed. 

 

Love, with love, 

Elder d'Evegnee