Hey! How in the world is everyone doing? Has it maybe been the longest? But the time has gone by too fast.

So my week. Can I just draw you a picture to help you all get a feel for my week?? Do you remember being a kid ready for a day at the beach. Pail and shovel in hand. Working effortlessly on the world's greatest sandcastle. The kind that has a little river circling it. Seashells bordering it. Laboring the whole day. Then standing back feeling the tightness of your sunburnt skin and with dirty sand covered hands attempt to fish out the crawly critters that somehow found place in your swim trunks. Yes. Then looking for your mother to show her your master piece, out of the corner of your eye see it. The wave comes slowly rolling in. And as if in slow motion gently surfs across your masterpiece, then retreats leaving you stunned, staring at the what once was a piece a art, but now nothing more than a piece of mush and seashells.

I don´t know if you´ve had that experience. I have. And this week somehow felt a lot like that. Long story short we prepared a man named Oscar for his baptism. He had his interview. He had all the lessons. He loves the church. He´s way excited for this covenant. Then BAM the wave hit. We went to his house Saturday to confirm everything for his baptism when he confessed to us that he had not really stopped smoking. It was really hard. My comp and I had worked endlessly with him. Prayed, fasted, and delighted to see changes and get everything prepared for his special day. We just sat there feeling like our sandcastle got crashed by a wave. Then on top of that our other investigator told us she decided she did not like the church and did not want us to visit her any more. That was kind of our week.

But I am all hopes that Oscar can change and we set a new date for him to be baptized. But the Lord is good and this week we also were able to see miracles. Maybe some day I´ll have the chance to tell you all about them.

I LOVE the work. Even when it´s hard. When it´s hard is when I have the chance to grow closer to the Lord. Hoorah for Israel. LOVE YOU ALL more than crawly things in the swimsuit....

Hna TAv