Week 80

 Saltillo Sunset

 Trio

 Elder Lopez is tired! 

 Yep...that is a pig!

 Christmas is still going strong in Salitllo!

Splits with Elder Davidson from Wyoming

Hello everyone!! I hope everyone had an awesome week! This week was about as wild as the weather here in Saltillo. Last Saturday it was below freezing so I had on my beanie, scarf, 2 sweaters, 2 winter coats, and my gloves and I was still cold! Today however reached about 80 degrees and sunny so I can’t complain about that in January.

We spent a few days in a trio with another missionary named Elder Norman who I met his first day on the mission. He arrived in Saltillo the same day as my son, Elder Smith, so he is technically my nephew. It was a lot of fun for him to sleep over for a few days but then he left on Monday morning so now Elder Lopez and I are back together alone. Also, since the President hasn’t called a new secretary to come to the office yet to be trained, Elder Lopez and I assume we are going to have a 4^th change together as secretaries! We will most likely be together until my birthday in March but are excited because lots of people in our area are learning about the gospel and going to church!

Two miracles highlighted this week. We had been waiting for the first miracle for close to 5 months and the other happened all in the matter of minutes. As I have mentioned in past letters, we are currently teaching a young couple named Lalo and Gabi. Elder Lugo found them back in August and they were taught for close to 2 months by the Elders that used to be in this area. When they went home, Elder Lopez and I continued teaching them but they could never get baptized. Even though Lalo and Gabi wanted to get baptized back in September, they couldn’t, because they were waiting for a legal paper to arrive in order to finalize a couple of divorces to make marriage possible.

I am very happy to report that the long-awaited certificate of divorce arrived from Mexico City on Sunday night making their marriage and baptism possible! It was truly a miracle. They have waited so long for this one dinky piece of paper and it finally arrived! Later, on Wednesday night, with the help of the Bishop, we made plans for their wedding and baptism next Saturday! We are so excited and happy for them to finally experience the blessings that come through baptism!

The other miracle of the week was super special! We went to a teaching appointment on Monday night and knocked on the door. A young man we hadn’t meet before came out of the house and said that nobody was home and that he wasn’t very interested in listening to our message. We then asked him if he knew of someone that we could visit, who was perhaps going through challenges in his or her life. He told us to visit an older woman named Mari who lived 3 houses down.

A few minutes later we knocked on the door of Mari and an older woman opened the door. Before we even had a chance to say anything she said, ‘’Why did it take so long for you guys to knock on my door? I have been waiting for you to share your message with me’’.  I was very taken aback, since nobody has ever told me something like that here in Saltillo. She then pointed at me and said, ‘’And I already met you! Why hadn’t you come yet?’’.  I was rather speechless and amazed. Before this moment, I had never seen or talked to this older woman in my entire life. The only thing I could think of saying was asking her if we could share a message of Jesus Christ with her. Little did we know that this wonderful lady had recently lost two of her 5 daughters to cancer and is struggling to raise her grandson who has special needs. We had a wonderful discussion with her and she is now enjoying greater peace that only our Savior Jesus Christ can bring us. We hope that she comes with us to church on Sunday!

Thanks for all your support!

All love, 

Elder Shipley