Hey, everyone!!!!

This has been a good week! Lately it's been harder to find new people, but on Sunday, between us four elders in the branch, there were six investigators at church!!! That is usually the hardest part with helping people to progress... is getting them to church, but we were definitely blessed this week.  Other than that, we have just continued to have lessons, and help people to prepare to get closer to baptism.  

We had an awesome investigator named Ivan come to church yesterday.  He is one of our most receptive investigators, but getting him ready for baptism will be a long process.  He's married to a woman he split up with years ago, but never got divorced, and is now living with his girlfriend and two sons he has with her.  It is very common in Chile for people to be living together, unmarried, but his situation is complicated, because his legal wife doesn't want to get divorced, because she gets monetary benefits... and he has a lot of real intent, and wants to get married to his girlfriend to have a good, solid family, and then get baptized.  So he's awesome, and has lot's of great desires... and Maricel also came to church finally, and she brought her friend too, and both of them are planning to get baptized on June 25!  A lot of things have happened lately to keep Maricel from coming to church, but she finally quit her job to have the opportunity to go.  Her friend Dina is also wanting to get baptized, which is a miracle in itself because she previously was not at all interested, and very Evangelical... but she started listening to the lessons with Maricel, and then accepted a baptismal date!!! We also have several other very promising investigators, such as Francisca, whose husband is less active, and who just had a baby, and Manuel... the 19-year old with mental disabilities.  This has been a good week for us, and hope you liked hearing about the investigators! 

My Spanish has been improving, and I feel like I can say most everything I want to.... but the hard part is understanding rapid Chilean speech.  It's now winter here in Chile, and it actually gets pretty cold at night, since we're in the desert.  It's really hot during the day, and pretty cold at night.  I'm loving the people here, and really starting to enjoy the Chilean culture.  Hope everyone has a good week! Sorry no pictures this time! Talk to you all again next Monday!

-Elder Checketts