Week 69

Hair cut day!

Walking home after dinner.

To the airport!

At the airport!

AY YA!  Dressing up for Halloween Zone Party

Early Morning work-out!

Dear Family and Friends, 

This week was a solid week! We had a zone Halloween Party, interviews with the President, went on another trip to the airport, and had 5 different Elders sleep in our house for 3 different nights! There are always sleepovers in my house! This upcoming Wednesday night we are going to have close to 10 zone leaders in our house for the leadership council so we are going to have a party! 

Most of the pictures I sent this week are pictures with one of my best friends here in Saltillo! His name is Lalo and he is an incredible investigator! Not only do we go to his house to teach him and his family, but he is also our taxi man, workout trainer, and best ward missionary, even though he isn't a member yet! He and his wife always take us to church, take us to the airport, help us when we have to run to the immigration offices to avoid multi thousand dollar fines for having missionaries with outdated visas... etc. Don't worry, we always compensate him for his gas and time but it's way fun to spend time with him. 

Also, since he and his family live 5 houses down from us on the same street, we also have time in the morning to work out with him! Lalo used to be a police officer and had dreams of being in the military so he is basically ripped. At 5:30 every morning, Elder Lopez and I get up and go running with him and then spend a good 40 minutes doing rather intense body weight workouts that have left me so sore I could barely walk and my companion vomiting.

Elder and Sister Lugo, my financial trainer on the mission, found Lalo and his wife Gabi looking for a place to eat lunch. Turns out that Lalo and Gabi had wanted to go to church for long time because they always see the chapel but never knew how to go for the first time. Turns out, Elder Lugo ate in their restaurant and then invited them to listen to the missionaries.   Because of a lagging divorce we are still waiting their baptism. However, they have told us that if they could be baptized tomorrow, they would do it in a heart beat. Elder Lopez and I will spend a long time planning their baptism and making it the best of our missions! 

Lalo and Gabi invited over 10 members of their families to a family home evening with the hope that the rest of the family will also listen to the missionaries and starts going to church! It was such an awesome experience to see them share what they have learned over the past couple of months about prayer, scripture study, fasting, sabbath day observance, the restoration of the gospel, and the power of the Atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

It is truly a pleasure, privilege, and blessing to be able to share the gospel with them and watch them invite others unto Christ. Every time they mention that their goal is to be married in the temple for time and eternity is the most joyful moment of my week. I love the mission! 

All the best, 

Elder Shipley