Turns Out I Haven't Killed Anybody

Elder Jacob Stiles 
El Salvador San Salvador/Belize Mision
Apartado Postal #81
Correos Multiplaza, S.S.
San Salvador, El Salvador, C.A.

jacob.stiles@myldsmail.net

Hey Everyone, 

Well, the 2nd to the last week of preparation is done, and one more to go before changes!  This whole change we have been working with a couple, and two kids to be baptized on the 31st of this month.  Joel is the son of a recent convert named Maria.  He's going to get married to Anna, and they will both get baptized together.  They are an amazing family, and are ready to take this step.  The next ones are Keven and Daniel.  They are the Grandkids of Sister Candelaria.  They have been taught for a while but we have finally got them to go to church and they have the desire to be baptized.  So we are hoping to leave Elder Smith with some good memories before he leaves (10 more days until changes). 

We also had some zone business we had to take care of as well.  As Zone Leaders we have to do "Interchanges" with other missionaries or the Zone Leaders to help them with things that are happening, and to help train them, and show them how things should be done by example.  It's a cool opportunity to get to know the other missionaries and their areas.  We were also able to go to the District Leaders area and sit in on their weekly planning where they plan on what they will teach their investigators, and pray about what they should do in their area.  We had to travel quite a ways out into the middle of nowhere, but it has been a very spiritual week.  

We were able to get five people to church this week who all have a very good chance of being baptized here in the near future.  We also taught a lesson to a girl that is dating a member in the church.  She is super awesome and she went up the the Bishop a couple of weeks ago and told him she wanted to be baptized.  We had an amazing lesson yesterday about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Spirit was so strong there were tears running down her face.  I'd have to say that's the best part about being a missionary, and being able to bring the Spirit to the hearts of so many people and to see the changes in their life.  

I'll leave it at that and talk to you next week!

Love, Elder Stiles

Questions:

Why do you have to go to San Salvador to get police records?  We had to go to to get police records to make sure that I haven't killed anybody (turns out I haven't!). 

What do you have to do with the records?  We just gave the records to the lawyer. 

What kind of living conditions do your investigators have? What are their families like?  Well most of them live in little shacks but there are some nicer houses.  The families we are teaching are really prepared and they are super sweet.

(click on photos to enlarge)