Happy Valentine's Day from the Ox 5 boys!! Matching ties from Mama Barlow :)

L--- got baptized !  It’s not possible to have a bad week when you have a baptism! Everything was so great.  It was a really powerful service, and the room was packed. A lot of people had to stand in the hall, because there wasn’t enough chairs!  L--- asked me to confirm him on Sunday, so that was an awesome opportunity. He is doing so well. His wife has started taking the missionary lessons in Xilocuautla Huachinango Puebla Mexico (took me forever to learn how to spell that) and L--- is so excited to introduce his friends and family to the gospel. His little sister has made some friends with the young women in the ward and is a really awesome kid, so she shouldn’t be too far behind with her own baptism, as well. 

The 5th ward is still plugging along.  Everything just keeps moving along and it’s amazing. Two of the recent converts in the ward received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday, and will see more priesthood bearers in the weeks to come!   H--- from Nicaragua is progressing.  We had a good lesson about the plan of salvation with them in the home of the A--- family, and he was pretty blown away by it all, just because it was all new to him. He wanted Bible references for everything, which we were prepared for, and it all went great!  On Friday, we had a solid lesson about the Atonement with H---, and he is reading the Book of Mormon with his wife and mother in law every night and praying for a confirmation that it’s true!  He says he hasn’t gotten an answer yet, but that he’s going to keep praying. He has a lot of questions about plural marriage and the sort, but they are legitimate concerns and he really just wants to understand and not be closed-minded.

Elder Griffin is a champion like always. He was a little under the weather all week with a cough, but worked all day every day and never complains. 

I love the part from Preach My Gospel that says how the Restoration in comparison to the Apostasy is like a diamond that stands out against black velvet.  It is so true.  The brilliant light that the restoration brings destroys all darkness and doubt that existed for so many centuries.  So I have been studying the apostasy a lot lately and pondering quite a bit about how I can teach it better.  I think I just need to be more bold and tell people more straight forward that no other church has the truth other than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that it is the only church authorized of God to perform saving ordinances. I know it’s true, so I shouldn’t hesitate to be more bold about it. 

Love, Elder Parrish