It was a good week. We’ve continued to see miracles with the less-active R--- family and especially their daughter, L--. She sang in the stake choir yesterday! Last night, we stopped by and she was so excited to tell us about how she did some missionary work! She helped a homeless man Saturday night by getting him some food, and then invited him to Stake Conference, and he came and loved it.  So the Ventura elders invited him to come back for the Sunday session, and he showed up for that as well, and now has scheduled appointments to meet with them and take the lessons. L-- was so excited.  She started crying talking about it and how good it feels to possibly help someone find the truth.  Then, last night she told us she wants to meet with the bishop to see what she needs to do in order to go to the temple and take out her endowments!! That’s the best thing a missionary can hear from their recently-activated member! 

Speaking of the temple, our investigator B---- is doing wonderfully. We have taught him all the lessons, including the Laws and Ordinances from chapter 5 of Preach My Gospel, which went really good! It makes me wonder why we haven’t always taught chapter 5 before baptism...(they recently changed that).  When we taught him about the temple and vicarious work for the dead, it just really helped him look at everything with a completely different perspective, and help him realize that we truly do have what no other church has. It seems to me like that could/SHOULD be the driving force behind so many more people's desire to be baptized, so there’s no use in waiting till after baptism to teach it! He did have some trouble accepting tithing at first, but after a couple days he told us that he wanted us to know, even though he doesn’t necessarily understand all the why's behind tithing or agree with it one hundred percent, he still wants to pay it, because if that is what God has commanded then he will do it, because he knows obedience is the most important thing. I love him! He really wants it! So I am extremely grateful Elder MacKay and I have 6 more weeks here to help him.

Unfortunately B---- was not able to attend Stake Conference in Ventura, but we have had lessons with him every single day this week, and a couple of those inside the church building with members present. He is absolutely loving the gospel and it shows. You can see it in his face. Plus... he really wants to be baptized in the ocean or a river... fingers crossed:) thats my dream!!

B---- is our only really solid investigator at the moment.  His mom and sister are on the verge of investigating the church  as well, and we are still working with a couple part member families as well, but we definitely need to step it up when it comes to finding new investigators. That will be our main focus this transfer. 

Love,

"Elder Perez"