Family and Friends,

This week was awesome. Funny story to start off. So we hosted interviews with President Palmer this week and after they took Elder Stewart and I out to eat. We went to in-n-out burger and President was over waiting for the food and we were with Sister Palmer. And out of nowhere she told me about how our family sent her a Christmas card and she said, "I looked at it and all of them looked like MODELS...they looked like they came straight out of GQ!" I laughed so hard. Sister Palmer is just the greatest. I got to talk with President about boating too. He said him and his buddies used to go water skiing in Washington on Lake Chelan. (I think that's the lake he is talking about.) But he told us that he would barefoot and skii and they would get up to speeds of 85 miles an hour from whip out acceleration. That's nuts! It was funny. I also told him that if he wanted a good burger he needs to go to Culvers. He said that he has heard about it, but has not been yet.

Another funny story this week! We were on exchanges with the Turlock 1st Ward Elders and we decided to go down to Delhi. Well we got down there and started to knock some doors and there was a man on his front porch. We couldn't communicate with him that well because he spoke spanish and there was definitely a barrier there. Well...we gave him a Jesus card and then went on our way knocking. Well we finished up and started to head back to the car. This man we gave the card too was pretty old. I glanced back at his porch and he was in the front yard. I looked a bit closer and could see liquid streaming directly from his midsection to the lawn...lol...this man was peeing in his front yard. So casually you wouldn't even catch it unless you looked closely. I almost fell on the ground. Now that was a funny sight. I love the mission!

Oh we also had another dinner with Jake in the branch. He is the one that made us jackfruit tacos that one time. Well we got there and we were a little nervous to see if he was going to try and redeem himself with another vegan meal. He didn't. But when we arrived he told us that it would be better and that he was making snake! Hahah. I have heard that snake isn't bad, but I was still trippin' a little bit. When we sat down to eat Jake broke and told us it was chicken. So we had tomato curry and chicken. It was pretty good! I'm glad it wasn't snake.

Now for missionary work...sorry for the stories. We taught a potential, now investigator, named Luis this week. He is amazing. I had one of the best lessons of my mission with this 22 year old. We started talking to him and we could tell that he genuinely wanted to learn. We decided to teach the Plan of Salvation. As we were teaching he was interacting and asking questions that he had. We got halfway through and we were talking about Jesus Christ's Atonement for mankind and how it helps us to get back to our Father in Heaven. He told us that he has been looking for that extra help to get him through hard times. We asked if he wanted to know how he could get that help. He desperately answered telling us that he wanted to know. We opened to 2 Nephi 31 and read these verses:

5 And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!

6 And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?

7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.

8 Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.

9 And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them.

10 And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?

11 And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.

Right after we read these scriptures we asked him if he would follow the example of our Savior and be baptized...we explained that this is how he would find that extra help. He paused for a little bit and we could see that the spirit was working on him. He told us that he would be willing to do that. He further apologized that he paused for a minute...he said that he could feel something. He told us he felt that feeling when the missionaries talked to him on the side of the road and that he was feeling it again. We opened back up to 2 Nephi 31 and read:

12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.

We promised him that after he was baptized he would be able to feel that feeling all the time. We could see the gears turning in his head. It was amazing. We meet with him again next Friday. Please pray that he reads the Book of Mormon.

Some more good news is that our recent converts Josh and Juan are getting ready to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood in this upcoming Stake Conference I hope that they reach their goals. We are also working with a recent convert from Merced named Monte that is working on it too! I am so thankful for this opportunity to work with people who are my age. It is so amazing.

I hope you all have a great week! I love you!

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Love,

Elder Willden