Goodbye El Paso......

Hey Friends and Family,

Goodbye El Paso, Hello somewhere up North. We got transfer calls last Saturday and the Lord is bringing me up North. This has its ups and downs. I’m really going to miss my birth area, I am the only white person in the ward and to be honest I often forget that I’m not a Mexican (until I look in the mirror.), plus we spent all last transfer trying to revive this area with investigators and getting the members more active. When I got here we had 2 investigators both with B-Dates and no ward missionaries or Mission Leader. Now I’m leaving this ward with 10 progressing investigators and 7 with a baptism date with a consistent 5+ coming to church every week, as well as a mission leader and active missionaries. When the Bishop heard that I was leaving he asked for my President's number so that he could call and ask if he would give me 6 more weeks. Yes it’s hard to go, seeing as we have worked so hard for it, but I know the lord will bless me for the work I have done here and at least I know deep down that I had a big part in the conversion of people here, even if I won’t be here for their baptism.

I was here for the Baptism of Raul and Alicia Castillo though, and what a wonderful experience. I got to baptize the Mexican version of Grandma Stewart and my companion, my Grandpa. It just seemed so perfect, it was exactly a month since we first met them that they were baptized and they accepted everything with an open heart. The best part is this connection that I feel with them. I knew that on my mission that "People where specifically prepared for me" but I don’t think I really believed that in my heart.  I can honestly say that I know that’s the truth, and now after their baptism, I’m leaving. I feel like they were the main reason I was here. Not to mention the help we got from the members with these two. We must have had 30 people at the baptism. All willing to make them feel like they have always been members of the ward and that they will always be loved and accepted. I hope that one day when I get home that I can bring my whole family here and they can meet them. True they only speak Spanish, but I’ll translate or something.

So I’m really pretty nervous about leaving, and even more about going up north. If any of you guys have or can easily get the Book of Mormon and/or the D&C audio disks in Spanish or even English that would be such a life saver. I think I can call the distribution center and buy some. But I thought I would ask you guys to see if anyone had some hook ups cause I’m not sure if I can afford them as of right now. But basically, up North all Spanish missionaries lose their ability to speak Spanish because they rarely get to hear it, so I figured that if I listened to the Book of Mormon tape in Spanish for a little every day that it could help me keep up what I have worked so hard for down here.

Anyways I love you all,

Elder Stewart