Hey Family,
This week has been a pretty great one as usual. I've been on divisions alot so I've been speaking very little English lately which is pretty sweet. I got to go out with one of the Zone Leaders, Elder Tequianez, for the whole day on Friday. He actually came to our area and my companion went to a different area for divisions for the day. I had to find all the houses and lead all the lessons and stuff. We had a good time, worked hard, and saw some miracles. We got Rodolfo (a reference form a sister in the ward) all set up with a goal for baptism which is sweet because he hadn't previously seemed very interested in the church. We taught him about repentance and baptism, and he said if the Book of Mormon, prayers, and utilizing the Atonement in his life can really help him get over his habit of drinking and smoking he'll follow through with his baptism, because he knows that only the Lord can help him with the problems he has been having lately in his life. He also has a family. His wife always seemed to hate us alot but the last time we were over there she was really friendly and open.

Later on in the day we ended up taking a taxi because we were going to be late for an interview appointment. When we got in the taxi I told the driver where we were headed, then asked him if he'd ever driven missionaries anywhere before. He said that he drove four missionaries to that conference with Elder Bednar, but that none of them really talked to him about the church. I thought it was a little odd that four missionaries on a long drive wouldn't have contacted the taxi driver. He began to tell us how when he drove the missionaries they had brought their own music for the long drive so the driver could still have something to listen to that was in line with mission rules. He said it was mostly instrumental and had lyrics about the Savior. He began to describe a feeling that he had while listening to the music that wasn't like anything he'd ever felt before. He said when they arrived at the Guadalajara Temple he felt the feeling even a little stronger when he looked around at the missionaries and the Temple. He said since then he gets the same feeling of peace and happiness every time he sees one of the chapels from our church. He asked us what the feeling was and if it meant anything. We almost didn't know what to say because he was obviously so in tune with the Spirit even though he'd only felt it a few times before in his life. We told him what it was he was feeling and began telling him about how he can have a family forever. He said he would like to learn more, but that he was always super busy and only had work off on Sundays! We were pretty excited that we took the right taxi. He gave us his address and is looking forward to the Elders in his area to drop by. I was thinking about the experience later that night, and how the Lord first put four Elders in the life of the taxi driver to help him recognize the Spirit, then He put us right there in the same taxi just a little while later while he still had it all on his mind. There were probably a few taxis that had gone by before he picked us up that didn't see us. It strengthened my testimony that the Lord is watching us each very closely and preparing a way for us to be happy and recieve the blessings He wants us to have.

The start of this week we looked through the area book and took down some addresses of some old investigators. We've been going around visiting them and none of them really know why the missionaries had stopped going by their houses but they're all happy to have us start passing by again. We're pretty excited to be just a little busier as we invite more people to come unto Christ.

So I don't know how much you all remember about Ilda, but we've been visiting her since I got to Mexico, and she's always come to church. We were starting to get a little nervous about her because she's recieved alot of answers to her prayers and already has a testimony and loves the gospel but she just hasn't wanted to get baptized for the longest time. She was starting to become less and less excited about things each time we'd come by but always told us she wanted to wait to get baptized. This week we decided to tell her a little more directly the blessings that she can recieve from baptism and the danger of being idle without taking further steps to follow the example of the Savior on a daily basis. We let her know that the next step for her was baptism. She agreed to pray about it again and let us bring over one of the zone leaders to give her an interview. She was super excited when they showed up for the interview, and she decided to get baptized this coming Wednesday. She's already gained a really strong testimony and I'm sure she'll be a great member of the church. Beatrice and Marcos have also had their interviews and are preparing for baptism.

Carmen and Maria have been a little reluctant to read their scriptures or go to church lately but Ruben blessed the Sacrament yesterday! It was so sweet to see a guy who just a little over a month ago was struggling alot in his life up at the Sacrament table with a white shirt and tie on breaking the bread. After Sacrament we had a little class with him Ilda and Beatrice and Marcos. We watched Finding Faith in Christ and then some testimonies were born. It was the strongest I've felt the Spirit since I've been in the field and it was great to feel the power of the testimonies of all our investigatiors and Ruben especially.

Anyway, I haven't had any real funny experiences this week but it's definitely been the best week of my mission so far. I think my favorite part of Guadalajara is that family is the most important thing in everyone's lives. All businesses are family owned, everyone loves going to the parks with their kids and things, and I found out yesterday that every Sunday the city closes down one of the main streets called Javier Mina so that all the families can ride their bikes on it or walk around to look at all the cool buildings and things. The love the people have here for their families and neighbors is just awesome.

Ok so I've finally been getting a little extra time on P days, and I want to let every one know that I'm working on answering your letters! Thanks for your dear elders and letters everybody and letters should be coming your way soon! I've been getting tons of great letters from Bam, Gram, Katrina, Timmerie, Dayna, Shayla, Katie, Sara, Chris, Wade, Jord, Marq, and Jace, and I'm probably forgetting a few but I'm getting them and I have time to read those every now and then right before bed so keep sending them! But I'm trying to get letters out asap. Thanks!

Nay- Could you please tell Seth that I can only e mail family members. He can e mail me, but to answer I have to send letters. So tell him to keep e mailing and I'll get him a letter soon. Oh and he asked for some advice for preparing for the mission, just tell him to study Preach My Gospel every time he has any free time. Haha. Also if you could tell Tanner and Cris that I'm getting their dear elders that'd be sweet! Anyway enough about that stuff. That story about Tessa's pictures is so weird! That's funny that those are on her camera. Haha. I don't remember taking pictures with you two at the end of the school year but I guess that's cool that she has them now. That is crazy about Jord's graduation and stuff. Your graduation really will be here before you know it just like you were saying. Especially because it sounds like your senior year schedule is going to be sweet! Anyway, I'm glad that Alex Boye music helped ya a little. That thing about having little perfect moments really does help alot. I'm glad you liked the Nacho picture. The guy who owns that chariot was inside our house changing out some broken doors so we were really nervous and trying to hurry and take it before he came out so it wouldn't be akward. Sounds like your dance concert was pretty fun! That is kinda strange not having so many dances to be in this year, but I'm sure the one dance was pretty sweet! So soccer is going a little so so. I'm sure things will get picking up again though. That's too bad that your tournaments done though. I played soccer today and my team did horrible. But it was pretty fun! Anyway Nay, thanks for your letters. I love hearing all about ya. I love you.

Shash- You're on Jazz Attitude! That's soo cool. I can't believe you're already so big sloosh. I can't wait to see you in the Jazz Attitude dances when you get home. And it will be fun being in there with hal and briton.! I love getting your e mails sloosh. Keep telling me all about how stuff is going! I love you Shash.

Dig- That stinks that that scout camp wasn't super fun. It sounds like Sheesh's farewell was a blast though! Thanks for tellin me all about that stuff. How's stuff been going? You gettin ready for some super fun stuff this summer? Love you Dig. Have a wicked sweet week.

Denny- So you're gonna be on a new soccer team eh? that's cool! I bet you'll keep doing great as usual. You seem to be ridin alot of bikes lately which is sweet. There's alot of skate parks here and everybody loves biking! Sweet. Love you denny. Have a good week!

Mom- I'm super relieved your package made it there ok! It got there pretty fast too! I'm glad you like all that stuff. By the way the guy that made the ring said to be careful not to drop it alot or knock hard on doors with it or anything because one of the letters has a pretty fragile part or something. But it should be fine. I'm attaching some baptism pictures from Carmen and Maria's baptisms along with some other pictures to this e mail and I should have the other ones for next week. I'll keep taking pictures too don't worry. I loved the what about bob quote by the way! I was crackin up. Thanks for updating me on Tan. I finally got one of his dear elders. Tell him I'm sending him a letter if ya could and that I want him to keep writing me and telling me what he's been up to because his dear elder was pretty short! Thanks for that story of shash and rhino too. That's hilarious. Good ol Shash and Rhino. I should make a cartoon about them one day for a newspaper or something. Thanks for telling me about Sheesh's farewell and her talk and stuff. It sounds like it was great! Well anyway. Thanks for everything mom. I love you! Have a good week.

Dad- Thanks for updating me on Tanner also. I'm stoked to find out where he's heading on his mission. Yes that was me that took out the money. I know it was quite a bit I was just thinking of the charges the ATMs make and stuff. It'll probably be a while until I take out any money again. That's sweet about the Guadalajara employee. That'll be sweet if they're still working for you when I get back so we could chat. About the changes and stuff. We have two zone leaders in our mission who are also assistants to the president as well. They also have to travel around to help with changes and things. That's sweet that he's doing so well. Changes for us are a little different than they were for you it sounds like. We find out late late on a Sunday night if we're changing and then that night we have to travel to the mission offices to meet our new companion and head to the new area. We'll be having changes again not this coming Sunday but the next. Well anyway. Thanks for everything dad. I love you. Have a good week.

I love you all! thanks for your examples and support.

Elder Dallas Robert Aguilar