AN AMAZING WEEK!

WOW, big week, last week of transfers! Pretty intense, a lot happened. Despite all that President said about me staying here with Elder Johnson, one of the coolest companions I've had, I got a call and will be serving with Elder Margolies, his last transfer and he's a little trunky. Pray for me to be patient and get work done. Please.


Man, ok, I have no time at all, but here it goes:
The 19 year old that I started teaching from Bolivia in my first 20 minutes of this area is getting baptized on Saturday! Cool guy, told us that he felt the Spirit and knows its right. Sweet!


Also! Last week Layton called me, and Jorge Pineda, the 20 year whose wife left him and he had started progressing, well, he decided to get baptized! I was scrambling for a ride over there, I've never been invited to come back to a baptism, but I couldn't find one for Satruday. The elders told Jorge, and he said he would rather pick me up than not have me there. So he drove up through extreme traffic for like 3 hours to pick me up and take me to his own baptism. Hands down the best experience in the mission and the coolest couple hours, just talking to him in the car (we went on exchanges, my comp stayed up here.) He just started thanking me for sticking with him and teaching and being a little stubborn in my teaching and inviting him. He said that he didn't believe us much at first, but then he saw when he stopped going to church, blessings dropped completely. When he DID again, and read and prayed every night, he FELT it, his life changed 180, and he mostly, like EVERY 5 minutes as we drove, told me for the first time in his life he felt so, so happy, so at peace, and never felt surer of anything. It was so amazing. Sometimes I wonder if people do what we say 100% or what they think, but this ride was amazing, I got to see him testify of his own conversion, and see what happened with him the whole time personally. He told me of prayers answered, etc. MAN, so he prayed to meet someone that would help him keep in this new path, and then came to church... and entered gospel principles class and said he stopped dead when he saw KARLA SANDOVAL, (remember her? the girl that her family didnt support her getting baptized and I asked you to pray for her). Well, they are basically head over heels for each other, came to a fun singles activity, made marshmallow temples together, and Jorge said if things work out, hes taking her to the temple in a year. SO COOL. We got stuck in traffic, but we stopped and prayed - had a 35 minute drive left and only 20 minutes to get there to the baptism - prayed, and traffic dispersed, and we made it in time. He was so happy. His dad - who has had a huge turnaround in his relationship with his son, baptized him (ha, 3 times, didn't get him all the way underwater!) Jorge came out and told me that either he had heartburn or felt his chest on fire with something. It was the most spiritual baptism I've been at. He told me later on the way back that he had few best friends, but he considered me to be one of them. I dont know, it just was amazing, and made me feel like, if I hadn't have done anything else in Utah, that this one person would have made these 2 years worth it.


So, yeah, it was awesome. Good week, good stuff. I love you all, it sounds like life is good at home, Jeffrey, good job mooning everyone. Be good everyone, and know that the Savior lives, and literally guides this work. A lady that has listened for 9 months decided to get baptized (I was present at the first lesson in September!!) We prayed 2 weeks ago to know what to teach her, felt inspiration, and made a lesson plan, and this past week we followed those inpsired plans, and she felt the Spirit - we all did - so intensely. She had seen some anti-Mormon dvds and had so many doubts about the book of mormon and such in the past, but she felt the spirit and cried for a few minutes, then she told us, by herself that this was true and she knew it, and asked for us to schedule her interview and baptism!


I know the Lord lives, loves us, and this is the truth. If we follow the Spirit, and really open our hearts to do His will, we will know this is true always.

Love you all, Elder Thelin

Ps size 16 I think.

Ppps Jeffrey, congrats on the Eagle, DO IT, because it will be a blessing for your life to be an Eagle. Sweet!