Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 15:08:14 -0300

From: Michael Scott Hancock
To: lauriehancock@digis.net
Subject: Re: from Mom
Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 15:08:14 -0300

Phew! It´s been quite a week for me too! I enjoyed the pics and the talk, sounds like it was a good experience. I hope everyone´s doing well.
Some fun things about my week, besides getting spit on like I told you before, I also had someone try to steal my money from my pockets, I just kind of pushed away and we booked it out of there, I also saw a bunny trying to make offspring with a cat at an investigators house, I saw a dog lying in the road that had pooped its guts out... literally! and at the baptism, Adrian got pooped on by a bird right before hand.... ya! It´s been a fun week :)
More about the baptism: It´s pretty much the best baptism I´ve had so far! ha! No really, Elder Roney and I first met Adrian at the Church several weeks back. He was going because his grilfriend is in the ward and he was also investigating a few different churches. We met him and were really excited to start teaching him. He´s 25 years old and a future priesthood holder! so ya! we were excited. We comenced teaching him at his girlfriend´s house. To make a long story short, he is the perfect example of someone truly prepared by the Lord... I was so lucky to be able to be a part of it. Really, us missionaries didn´t do anything, we just taught. He was willing and ready, by week 2 he had already read first and second Nephi! An investigator that actually reads more than we assign!!! WOW! He´s also been attending seminary. He´s a good kid with a good heart. I didn´t really fully realize how big and amazing this all was until last thursday night, when he had his baptismal interview with our district leader. I was just feeling good that night thinking, my first baptism! alright! We left the room while he had the interview and chatted in the hall, Elder Roney said he´s the best investigator he´s had so far. When he came out of the room, I caught a quick glimpse, I could have sworn his eyes were a little wet... At that moment I realized how important and amazing this was... It was that first time I´d really seen that with any investigator, I knew he had a testimony and he´s found what he was looking for, the Spirit was so strong and it felt so good to know another one of God´s children found his way... and I got to be a part of it. We did have his baptism Sunday, in the photos he´s the one center left, baptised by the bishop´s son (middle right), his girlfriend and her sister are in the photos, you´ll have to crop them a little bit, it was a Uruguyan that took the photos. And us missionaries! Right after the photos he discovered the bird poop, sad thing was that he was wearing Elder Roney´s shirt and my pants, only a little bit got on the pants, but he had to change the shirt, then we got the baptism on the way, he had to go down twice because his hair poked out a little bit, but the best part was after that everyone got a chance to bare testimonies, apparently they hadn´t done that for awhile. It was majorily youth who did it and I don´t think there was a dry eye by the end... it was truly powerful and truly amazing. Anyhow.. now I know why missionaries don´t get depressed out here getting doors slammed in their faces all the time... because even just one baptism like that, makes it all worthwhile... I´m so grateful for this opportunity to serve.
Anyhow, that´s the big stuff so far. Glad to hear you got the tile all put in and you figured out about the termite problem... fun fun! Keep writing! Have a great last week of school and stuff! Got a couple B-days coming up! Ha Ha! hopefully I´ll get the letter tomorrow, and I sent my camera card home last week so hopefully you get that soon too! Love you all and I´ll talk to ya later! thanks for the pics!