So You're Not Going to Believe This.....

Am I leaving Elder Garcia....

......and the Geronimo Ward

....and this great sector.......????

.....I DIDN´T get transferred!!!!!!!! Muahahahahaha!  Elder Schwartz is spending the first SIX changes of his mission in the same sector! It was a little surprising, but I'm good with it.  This transfer that just started today is only three weeks long though, so, by the end of February, I WILL be in another sector.  Elder Garcia is still my companion, which is what I wanted, and we are still living in our apartment and sector ALONE, which is also what I wanted.  Dividing one sector between two companionships can be really hard sometimes, so Elder Garcia and I are happy that we don't have to share yet. 

see Phil's head, just to the right of Natalie Morales....

Wow Phil!  What ISN'T he doing out there in Maryland?  He met the Vice President, he was on the Today Show....... what's it going to be next week?  Andrew only has three weeks left of school? WOW, hopefully he´ll keep busy when he´s at home, working at Chairs for Affairs, maybe?  Congratulations Mom!  You're officially a termite inspector!  ¡Que genial!  Proud of you!  And no, I haven't gotten your package yet...... but my fingers are crossed for this week.  And congratulations Ashley on her baptism!  The trip looked like a really good time!  Yes, sadly I heard that the 49er's lost....... I wasn't able to see any of it, but a member from my ward called me this morning and explained the whole thing (he's a Ravens fan too.....:( ...) but he plays football in a league down here which is rather unusual.  He told me that it was an amazing game.  Whelp, better luck next year Niners!  We´ll win the superbowl eventually....probably next year!

 

Wow, what a great week it was!  We were hit a little by the vacations storm, but not nearly as bad as the past several weeks.  Families are slowly but surely coming back from the beach and going back to work and the regular routine, which is great because now we are able to have more lessons in memebers houses, and lessons in the homes of members is the key ingredient to ´´Citas Celestiales´´ or Celestial Lessons...... its a little more catchy in spanish.....  Monday night, we had a really good lesson with in Hna. Chechi's house, with Javier and Chechi's neighbor who is a psychiatrist, so that was WAY cool!  The Psychiatrist/Neighbor is a member who is reactivating and she helped Javier out a lot.  Tuesday I got a letter from the Legendary Marissa Getts.  Watch out Africa!  It was cool hearing form her and how she's preparing to go to the MTC.  It's so cool how many people are leaving for the mission!!!!!  I had the chance to talk to President Wright and Hna. Wright on Sunday.  They came to Eduardo's baptism, and they are both really excited for all of the changes that are happening.  They get a list of new missionaries who recently got their call to the mission EVERY WEEK.  Every week this mission is growing and growing in numbers! SO STOKED!

 

So the highlight of the week was Sunday, Eduardos baptism!  It went SO, SO, so, so, so, so well.  Elder Garcia and I have both talked, and we don't feel like this was our baptism, or that we were the ones who helped Eduardo get to this point.  We feel that it really is the ward´s baptism; they deserve all of the credit, because they took in Eduardo and befriended him and helped him in amazing ways, and I am so proud of them.  After the baptism, we gave Eduardo a journal full of entries from members of the ward congratulating him and welcoming him into the ward.  It was such a good idea, and he absolutely loved it.  Elder Garcia and I printed out photos and glued them in the journal too, so cool.  President Wright came and spoke.  He´s amazing, but you all already know that.  After the baptism, we had Lunch at Eduardo's apartment with the member family that helped introduce him to the church.  It was such a sweet experience, and at the lunch, I got caught up thinking of the transformation process that has happenned in Eduardos life over the past several months, and I am so fortunate to have been able to be a part of it, and to have been able to watch it happen. 

Members at Eduardo's Baptism

 

Today for P-Day, we did a district activity where we cooked chicken Cordon Bleu, and played soccer, and sang at our chapel, and it was a really good time.  Only one companionship got changed out of our zone this transfer; basically our entire zone has been together for three changes, so we are all really close.

Our District

Sadly, I'm running out of time.  I'll try to attach some photos from the baptism and the past week.  I love you all so much.  Thank you for your love, your letters, your prayers, your support, and your thoughts.  I really can feel it out here.  The church is true!  Keep being you, stay safe, and until next week!

 

with love,

Elder Schwartz