Goodbye Elder Rich and Surprise Baptism!

 Man I have missed American food this past week! I would just love some pie! But you guys seemed like you had so much fun for Thanksgiving week!

I don't have much time to write this week because the computer shut down in the middle of my emails. But This week was pretty crazy. I sent my package home with Elder Rich this past week and he might call you this week but I am not sure. He left Saturday in the afternoon. So he wasn't able to attend the baptism. It was weird and hard saying goodbye to him. We had so much fun and I really learned a lot. At least he only lives 20 minutes away from us in Utah. 

Well on Wednesday we went to an investigators house and her name is Gleny. She is 19. About a month ago we started to teach her. I remember after the first lesson we had with her, Elder Rich and I walked out of the house and we just said how hard she is because she didn't accept anything we taught her and had so many doubts and questions. Thankfully with time, many lessons, many questions answered, and she always attended church. She expressed to us that she wanted to be baptized. So we saidm "How about this saturday?" Haha and she said yes! At her baptism, about 15 minutes before it started, the power went out, in all of Jaen! We took out the flashlights and did it! I changed in the dark and I baptized her in the dark with flashlights! It was so awesome! She has already told us that she wants to serve a mission and she is super strong. I am really excited to see how strong she is going to serve in the church.

Also on Thursday we went to a members house to say goodbye for Elder Rich and she gave us guinea pig! Yes I ate my first guinea pig! It wasn't too bad, it was really rubbery actually but not that bad. I have pictures that I will send you next week. The only bad thing was that Elder Rich made me eat the cheek muscle, the ear, the brain, and the eye! I felt like I was on the show "Bizarre Foods!" The eye and brain were so nasty! When I bit the eye,  juice came out! It was a weird experience.

Also we taught the investigator named Ruth and she plans on getting baptized this Saturday. Please pray that we will be able to get permission from her Dad because she is 14 years old. She is probably the strongest investigator I have ever taught because she marks up the Book of Mormon, knows so much, goes to church and all activities.

I haven't received my new companion but I will tomorrow night. I am still in the same area. Right now I am with Elder Harper from California and he only has 4 months. It has been fun to kind of lead in Spanish.

Oh and I also gave out 4 CTR rings to Leydi, Mirella, Maria, and a little 6 year old named Adriana. The other 3 are the converts. They just loved them Mom so thank you so much for sending me some.

For Thanksgiving, our pencionista bought a huge rotisserie chicken and a ton of fries! It wasn't that good but I was so grateful since they don't celebrate it here and she went out of her way to buy us something. When we were eating dinner,  I told them about our tradition and how we go around the table and we say things that we are grateful for and we all did it! So just a little love and shout out to the fam!  

Don't worry about me. I am so happy for the baptisms that I have had and that are to come. I just about understand everything in Spanish. I feel the Lord with me every day. It has been a good week and I am excited for my new companion. I don't know who it is yet though.

I love you all. He loves you.

Elder Smith