November Pictures

Oct. 29th

I honestly dont know what to say about last week. We had a service with an innactive member and we put in a new concrete floor for him which was fun work. He thought it would be easier to mix it all at once instead of parts at a time, so on a large piece of tin we had about 30 buckets of rocks, 40 of sand, 10 of cement, and water. I was tired afterwards. Im not sure if its because it was actually tough or that im just a baby since ive been here. On Saturday we went to go contact a reference we got of a man and 10 kids who want to listen. Bad news is we went on our bikes, about15 miles on a very skinny highway where people aim for you, and we wasnt there. The good news is we are going to go back one of these days. This last week we found some great people. Really amazing. The problem is its so sad sometimes to hear some of the trials people go through. I know my job is to teach them the truth that can bring them a new hope but its hard. The message i share I believe with all my heart, but sometimes I even wonder if some poeple can make it through these trials. I have wondered and am doing alot of that wondering right now about myself but thats just when he step back and let my faith take control. I love the people in this branch but while i am here there is alot of work to be done. I´m willing to do it except for the fact i just dont know what to do. We met one guy Miguel, turns out he was baptized when he was little, 50 years ago, but never been back. We leaves alone with his mom. We went the other day tohis house and he was completely different this time. At first he was a happy big man. We listened to him this time and he just looked like he was fighting with all he had with no affect. We cant leave his mom who is blind home alone or many things could and most likely would happen to her, but because of that he cant work. He is fighting between the love for his mom and the need to work to have money to live. He is a great guy and i really know something good will happen to him and he will be able to get out of this ditch. Everything is going well for me. Its getting nice and warm here, except for today. Last night it rained and everything is flooded so it cooled down quiet a bit. Well have a good week. Dangit, it just started pouring outside and i didnt bring my rain coat... Love, Elder Martino

22nd and Muddy

Exciting news, we got new bikes on Friday. Bad news, they dont work to well in the mud and i already got it super dirty. This week was a tough one. It flew by most of it and i didnt even feel like i was in my area at all. I spent one day on exchanges in Longchamps and another 2 days on splits with a youth in my ward working Brandsen. The good news is we have 8 baptismal dates out in Brandsen so at least the work out there is going alright. On saturday i had a wonderful surprise. Ruben, Jacqui, Hno. Berta, and Carlito (all members from Acevedo) showed up at our church building with a cake to celebrate my birthday! :) That was actually a nice surprise and they told me many people wanted to come but couldnt. Yesterday was a rough day and exhausted me. At church none of our investigators showed up which was rough. We left and ate lunch in the pinch that the hna. Nina gave to us. (she lives in front of us and is amazing). Speaking of her, i met her mom the other day who is 102 and still kicking. Well when it came time to leave and work it started pouring and we pushed through the fiaka and left. We went down a one-way dirt path about a mile and a half but when we turned around we couldnt get back... the rain made the mud so thick that the mud built up on the bikes and we couldnt ride back. well we finally got back (mud everywhere) and as we were biking to take the sacrament to an elderly woman we saw a guy in his car that slid into a ditch. Well, it was kind of fun and took a while but we got it out. When we showed up at the house to give the Hermana, who is 98, the sacrament they just laughed but felt bad because it was raining, cold, and we were covered in mud head to toe. Well i got the mud out of my hair and face the best i could and we gave her the santa cena. we got back and washed the bikes off a little and then i took a nice warm shower. It was definately and interesting day and im waiting for the blessings to come from this one.... Really we are working but this area has a lot of work to go. This is one of the challenges in the mission that you have to love. If you dont that just sucks because your still gonna be here. You might as well be optimistic and it will help everything. Love yall! Elder Martino