This was a great week! I had my first baptism, and Franco, who usually is very timid and shy, had a huge smile on his face during the baptismal service! His family was there, as well as several friends of his who are non-members. We were able to get several new investigators out of that, and over all, the baptism was a great experience! 

This week, there was also both progression, and digression with our investigators.  Eduardo again came to church with his son, and is taking the commitment to be baptized seriously (something I never would have predicted).  However, one of our most prospective investigators, Maricel, will not be able to be contacted for a month or so, as she has to go visit her mother who is in bad health. Maricel has long been our most interested investigator, already with a huge testimony of the things we teach, but has continued having problems that have prevented her from coming to church.  I've thought about this whole situation quite a bit. The fact that one of our most stubborn investigators has a baptismal date, and that one of the most promising is unable to be contacted, shows me that we as missionaries will never truly know who is the most ready for baptism, if we are preparing people WE WANT for the church, rather than people GOD WANTS for the church.  I know God prepares souls ready to hear the gospel, to be placed in the path of the missionaries.  But I think, sometimes we focus on our needs first, and that blinds us.  If the prepared people in need of help from the gospel are like the beaten traveler in the story of the Good Samaritan, we need to make sure we are filling the role of the Good Samaritan, and not the priest, who walks on the other side of the road, saying, ´´I would help.... if I weren't busy with the Lord's work´´. When we focus on what God wants from us, we will always accomplish our purpose as missionaries, members, and children of God.  

I hope everyone has a good week, and are led to the people who are in need of their help! I'll update you all again, next week! 

-Elder Checketts

Below are pictures from Franco's baptism!

And here is a little bit from the email PJ sent to our family, that I thought was so great:

"...It's about Christ.  I'm not perfect.... but He is, and so if I do what I have been called to do, Christ will perfectly bless his son or daughter through an imperfect missionary.  And that is why it is also worth it... because it is hard. I love all of you, and I want you to know that if something is really hard for you to work through, it's probably because there is something you are meant to learn from it. I hope you all have another great week! Love you so much!"