Staying in Alegrete

So first things first, I will be staying here in Alegrete for another transfer! I was really suprised and thought I would be transferred, because I´ve never stayed more than two transfers in one area. But I´m so glad I get to stay more time here! We have a lot of work to do, and a lot of people to baptize! Now the sad part: my companion will be transferred to Santa Maria to train. I thought for sure he would stay, so that was a huge suprise. But he is an amazing elder and will be an awesome trainer. It´ll be sad to say goodbye to him, but hopefully he´ll still be in Santa Maria when you come pick me up Mom and Dad!!!

So this week was wonderful. Julia was baptized on Saturday!!! It was one of the most spiritual baptisms I´ve ever seen, it was amazing. Her entire family came, her 4 brothers and sisters and parents who all live near Porto Alegre. They are such a great family, and it was so cool to see them all together. You can tell that each one of them has a testimony, but has fallen away from the church each for thier own reasons. Elder Cotrim baptized her, and afterward, she threw her arms around her neck and was so incredibly happy. We both bore our testimonies after the baptism, everyone full of tears, and then one of her brothers went up and talked about how not going on his mission was one of the worst decisions he has ever made in his life, but that he was so happy to be able to see his family completed and that he would do everything he could to get out on a mission. We ate lunch with them after the baptism, shared a bunch of laughs together, and I will never forget how happy I was that day, to see a family reunited at church and to see the most perfect little girl baptized. I wish you could all meet her, because she is the most adorable little thing ever. Sunday she asked me to confirm her, and it was yet another spiritual experience. I was crying throughout the entire sacrament meeting just thinking about how lucky I am to be serving a mission, to have these amazing experiences and to meet these wonderful people. I will never forget all of the things I have done and people I have met here and I am so incredibly grateful to my Heavenly Father to have given me the chance to be here. I love this church, I love this gospel, I love my family and I love my Father in Heaven. These truly are the only things that matter in this life, and everything else is just extra.

We had three other investigators at church as well, and hopefully all 3 will be baptized this month! One is for sure, Marcos on the 29th. Another, Maria Mafalda, is an old lady who needs to get married or move out, but she doesn´t want to get married so we´re trying to find a place for her to move. And the other is Marilene, her son is on a mission and she has never really shown interest in being baptized until this Sunday. She was really touched by everything and told us she would think and pray about being baptized before her son comes home so they can go to the temple when he gets back. It was quite amazing that she actually came and felt such a desire.

So that´s about the best part of my week. Yesterday I got sick out of nothing and almost passed out in the street, but I made it home, drank a lot of water and rested a bit. I´m feeling much better now and I´m ready for a new week, a new companion and new week! I can´t wait to dig in these last few transfers and see more miracles in my mission. I love you all so much and hope everything is well. Send some of those snow flurries down here, I´m dying of heat!!! Loves!!!

Love,

Elder Weight