Stressful Week

Dear Family,

Alright, I'm a little rushed today because I had to send a lot of documents and things to missionaries and I spent some time writing my mission president, but I'll do my best to write a good letter with the time that is left. So this past week was very stressful. We as a mission have had a really low month in baptisms and our zone has a history of being one of the lower zones as it is. So Elder Cruz and I have been doing everything possible to get the missionaries excited to work and to have success. We have a zone goal of baptizing nine people this month and we had seven confirmations yesterday! SO we were really excited for that, but now we have to get two more next week and the candidates aren't looking too well. So Cruz and I went to the areas in our zone and decided to teach those investigators that could make it to baptism next week. We're praying for a miracle to get the zone goal now. 

Another stressful event was last night. Two of our elders were robbed and we had to go to their pench and look for them to make sure they were ok last night. We got to their pench really late and when we were on our way back, the train was canceled and no buses were coming by. And on top of that, there wasn't any taxi services!!! So we started walking back . . . One guy tried to rob us and we blew him off and kept going and then finally found a security guard who helped us find a bus stop that doesn't stop at night and we were able to get back to the pench safely. We finally arrived at almost two in the morning . . . all just to go get the numbers of two elders and to see if they were ok.  It was a little stressful.

We have taught a lot of lessons lately and have several progressing investigators with a baptismal dates too. May is looking quite promising. We had a dry April, though. I've only had four months of my mission when I didn't baptize. Bummer. May should be a good one though! I'm expecting at least five baptisms! 

The Chilean man, Hugo, is a little crazy but has a huge desire to learn about God and to improve his life. He is kind of deaf and I have to talk fairly loud to teach him. My companion has a soft voice and loses patience with him. ha ha!

We have a bunch of young kids from part member families taking the discussions. This is one of my favorite ways to baptize. We can activate people, improve sacrament attendance, and we still baptize all in one! 

Oh, and I'm going to be a grandpa in the mission! Elder Haynie is going to be training in my zone! I'm super excited for him! We're going to start a genealogy book and pass it on from missionary to missionary. It's going to be sweet! 

Also a member who just found out that she is pregnant decided she's going to name her child Blake if it is a boy after me. I felt honored! This will be the second baby to carry one of my names. ha ha!

Well, I'm out of ideas this week. I'm too rushed to think straight. But I love you all and I know this is the Lord's work. You have to do it how He wants it done. I love my Savior and I feel so much closer to him now than ever. It's a start of a new transfer today and it's the second to last. Just two transfers left. . . I plan to apply myself to the maximum now to be able to be the best missionary that the Lord sees that I can be.

Love,

Elder Blake W. Cowan