Feb 6, Mazatlan Mexico

Top of mountain overlooking Mazatlan

View from mountain top

Elder Carlson with Elder Soto

David's zone - Feb 2012

What a cute guy!

Hola Familia,

Well it is February now and things are going pretty good still! There was a little bad news though, the day we were going to baptize Irwing he didn´t show up and he has been having a little doubts. He mentioned something about not knowing if he is ready still, we know he is ready and he has been really excited about his baptism. We asked him if he had prayed about it and he hadn´t, but he said he is going to pray about it now. We have an appointment with him later today so hopefully we can help him with whatever he is going through. Elder Soto and I have a good idea what it is he needs but we will see!.. But aside from that their wedding in the beginning of the week went well. We were witnesses for the wedding and everything. It was nice to see Irwing and Marisol making such an awesome step in their lives together.

We found some more people to teach this week too and they both seem like they have been very prepared for our message! It´s always amazing when we run into people who seem like they´ve already known everything that we are saying is true. It´s like we help them find a part of them that has just been dorment in their lives!.. One of them is this lady named Gladis who actually lives really close to our house. We were looking for this one street and asked her, ended up talking to her more, and teaching her a lesson right then in her house. We left her a Book of Mormon and she has been reading it and everything. We want to teach her husband now too. The other is this old man who is 89 and likes to talk a lot but is very wise! I´ve been learning a lot of things from him and we taught him the Plan of Salvation the first time we meet with him because we felt that he needed it. He told us we´re the only people in his life that have ever really wanted to teach him something. And was very happy for us teaching him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today we had an activity in the morning with our Zone. We hiked up this mountain right near the beach and it was really awesome. It was a fun little activity and our zone leader Elder Foulger is leaving this week, so it was kind of like his farewell too. We had a good district meeting after and Elder Soto and I have been doing good this week. My spanish is getting better but definitely still needs improvement. I´m not too worried about that anymore though. Mainly just am trying to figure out how we can help all the people we are teaching!.. It´s awesome being able to see how much the gospel effects the peoples lives around me, and thinking about how much of an effect it has had on my life.

I hope everybody has a wonderful week. Thanks for all the support, love, and prayers.

Love,
Elder David Carlson