Week 34...3/30/15...Miracle and Hard Work

Hey guys! First of all, I just want to let you all know that I feel like I'm the most loved missionary ever. Thank you all so much for all of the letters, love, and everything. I really can feel all of the support and prayers they help a ton! 

Anyway, this week was pretty great! We had a bunch of emergency changes within all of the leaders of the mission this week. We had our District Leader, Elder Saunders, move up to Zone Leader, and our Zone Leader, Elder Krueger, moved up to Assistant to the President. They also closed an area in our district that had our District Leader.  So Elder Dial is now our District Leader. They're all fantastic missionaries and I'm so stoked to be able to work underneath all of them. 

We had a small set back this week though. We had a girl named Yeisi scheduled to be baptized this week but when we went to visit her she told us she didn't want to anymore. It seems just like the teenage girl drama but we're gonna give her some time to think about it and I think that she'll realize what she's missing.

The biggest highlight of the week requires me to tell all of the week and some of the weeks farther back.  So the Husband of Hna Flor is named Abel. Their family is super poor and they can't afford much.  He is an alcoholic but the thing is he never buys alcohol.  It's always his friends that invite him and buy him drinks.  A few nights ago we found him in his house just wasted.  We caught him a few times from falling on his face and then brought him in from sleeping off the street a few times. So that was like Wednesday. On Saturday we went back to visit them and we found him sober which was surprising.  What he told us next was even more shocking.  He told us that he was done drinking and that he had taken a look and realized that it was destroying his life.  So now he's not going with his friends when they invite him to drink.  Then he told us he had been thinking and he told us that in 8  days he was going to be baptized.  We were so shocked.  Because he's been the reason the missionaries have been working with this family for over 3 years!!!  But now I guess is his time.  We just kinda sat there stunned for a little bit until The Spirit started kicking us to say something. So we started to studder out what he needed to do and how we were gonna help him progress. But really I think he's going to do everything on his own.  So we scheduled his baptism for the 11th of April after General Conference.  Really this was the biggest miracle I've seen The Lord work here on my mission.  I know that He can touch the hearts of people even when we can't. He knows his children and what they need and how they can progress.  I'm so happy to be blessed enough to be a part of his work and to be a tool working in the Lord's hands. Hopefully, he can continue to give up his addiction but his desire to do so is real.

The other big part that we were working on all week is inviting anyone and everyone to the General Conference. This is gonna be such a huge challenge for us because the General Conference is going to be in Champerico (Champe for short).  It's kinda far away and we aren't going to be able to go because the Zone Leaders are pulling us and the Elders from Champe out of our areas for Semana Santa. So we are only going to get like 2 days to work with the members so they can help us so everyone can make it to the conference. But this Sunday I made the announcement with my companion, Elder Rodas, and the whole Rama started getting way pumped about it so hopefully, they help us out.  We had them all promise to bring at least one person each to the conference.  We're really excited to see how it all turns out this next Sunday.

Mom, you asked me if I was losing weight and I'm going to have to say yes. I left on the mission weighing 180. Leaving San Pablo I weighed 190.  In one week I dropped 5 pounds just from sweating so much.  'I'm not sure what I'm at now but I'm guessing less than 180. My comp is always telling people how hard we work. With his first trainer they didn't do as much is what I'm guessing but I'm working him really hard.  Like way hard. We are on our bikes all day long and barely have time to eat or rest.  But The Lord Blesses those who put the work in his Vineyard, even one as dusty dry and hot as this one. This week we were in the area to baptize the most people in the zone. So we were pretty excited about that. Really this work is inspired and changes the lives of millions, mine included. I'm extremely grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I've been reading in the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  I have been reading about the last week of the Savior's life and I'd invite you all to do the same.  Especially this week that comes being Easter. 

I love you all so much, and you are all in my prayers!

Love,

Elder Pugmire     

I thought this was funny for Grandpa.   They do this so they don't drink from the mom's udder anymore.

Last week I drank my first coconut and actually enjoyed it! My comp opened it for me.