Feb. 29th, No Subject

So this week was really good for us. We taught the Caldera family
about 4 times this past week. They love it when we go there. We have
been doing everything to help them progress in the gospel. On Saturday,
we gave them a tour in the chapel and taught them with some members.
The members gave some strong testimonies and we could tell that they
were more receptive in the chapel. In the lesson we felt like we
should invite them to baptism with a specific date and they accepted
to be baptized the 2nd of April. When we invited them, Lady told us
that she was already baptized as a child but then started to think and
told us that she didn't understand why they baptize children when they
can't make the decision for themselves. On Sunday they showed up for
church and stayed only for 1 hour but really enjoyed it. They are
progressing really well!

We also found a family trying to contact a reference. They told us that
they were about to get baptized and the elders had transfers and never
went back. There wasn't a record of them in our area book. But they
seemed happy to see us return and we will see how they progress.

Everything is going well in the area. I'm glad that I will be here for
another transfer.

Élder Britt

The last picture is the Caldera family. We are going to cook something
called masaco this week with them. Its fried banana with cheese. It's
actually pretty good!

Feb. 22nd, Elections

So this week we were stuck in the house for another 3 days. There were
some elections in Bolivia and Friday morning they told us that we had
to stay in the house until Sunday. So we weren't able to do anything
for those few days. Another weekend we had to stay in the house.

But also we couldn't work too much in my area this week. Elder Casas,
the companion of Elder Howard who we live with, had to go to Trinidad
to do some paperwork for his passport so we were stuck in trio. We
spent half the day working in my area and the other half of the day
working in the area of the other elders.

We were able to have two good family home evenings this past week. We
had it with the Ribas family. Our branch president came with us and we
had a good lesson. We taught about how we can become converted to the
gospel of Jesus Christ trying to help him understand what he needs to
do to have his own testimony. He understands what he has to do, he
just needs to act now.

That's about all that happened in this week. But some funny things
happened this week too. The Ribas family and Gonzales family both got
new dogs and they both named it Britt in my honor. So now there are
going to be 2 little dogs running around in Bolivia with the name
Britt. It made me laugh so hard haha.

Elder Britt

Also this week we went to cut the grass for a retirement home in
the city. It was a good service!

Feb. 15th, No Subject

So this week went alright for us. We are trying really hard to get
everybody to go to church but its been hard. That's our biggest problem
out here. The people work really hard on Sunday and its hard for them
to have time to go to church but we are going to keep trying to help
everybody go to church.

Time in carnaval was alright. It was very hot and it was full of
studying and cleaning. This Sunday there are going to be elections
here in Bolivia and there is a law that there cant be any meetings
when there are elections or something like that. So that means that
this Sunday we also wont be able to go to church.

The biggest thing right now that is happening in our area is with the
Caldera family still. We were able to teach them about Joseph Smith
and the Book of Mormon. They were really open towards everything.
Viktor already started reading a bit and said he liked it a lot. His
wife, Lady, takes her Book of Mormon to work with her so when she has
some free time she can read it. Things are going really well with
them and the next time we visit them we are going to see if they have
prayed and if they have received their answer.

But that's about all for this week.
Élder Britt

I haven't sent pictures in a while but a few weeks ago we did another
service where we washed motos again. Something fell in the tank of
water and everybody told me I had to get it.

Also this week we did a service and we had to take down a tree.
Everybody here just cuts wood with their machetes. I've gotten pretty
good at it but while I was doing it this past week I broke the
machete.

Feb. 6th, Carnaval

Well tonight we start carnaval so we are going to be in the house
until Wednesday of the next week which is going to be fun. We will be
reading a lot of the book of Mormon and I'm looking forward for that.

This week we had a good experience with the Caldera family. We have
been able to find them a lot this week. Sadly, I was on exchanges one
of the time that we had a lesson with them so I wasn't able to visit
him. But last night we had a really good lesson with them. We taught
about when Christ was on the earth and the importance of prophets. We
told him the next time we would talk about a prophet called Joseph
Smith and he was like, I've heard that name before. He told us that he
saw a video about him and he pretty much told us the story of the
restoration perfectly but hes never met with missionaries before. It
was weird but hes prepared for the next time we teach them. We are
going to try and find them this afternoon.

Not too much has happened this week for us. We are just going to be
inside for the next few days.

Élder Britt

Feb. 1st, No Subject

This was a decent week for us in Riberalta.

This week we had some good lessons with the Caldera family. It's pretty
hard to find them because they work so much but when we can actually
find them, we always have really good lessons with them. This Saturday
we did another service as a zone where we washed motorcycles free and
I had to scream at all the people that we were washing. While I
was yelling at the people, I saw Viktor Caldera pass by. He stopped
and we washed his motorcycle for him. He sounded so positive that he
was going to attend on Sunday but he didn't show up. We were really sad
to see that he didn't make it and we went in the afternoon to see what
happened. He was confused about what time the church started. He
thought it was going to start at 8 at night. We told him it was in the
morning but he must have forgotten. The sad thing is he won't be able
to go to church next week because it's going to be carnival.

We also had a really good experience with the Gonzales family. I've
been working with them since I got here. I've been able to see a big
change in him. We have helped him over come an addiction to alcohol
and make some big changes. Yesterday he was called to serve as
secretary (I'm not sure how to spell this anymore, I hope that's right).
It made me really happy to see that big change in his life.

But this week end is going to be a little boring for us. We will be
inside from Saturday until Tuesday because of carnival. Its a huge
party here in Bolivia that they do for 3 days. Everybody will be
throwing paint and dirt and a lot of people here drink so its better
that we just stay in the house. But in those days that we are going to
be in house, we have to read the entire book of Mormon and clean the
house really well. So I'll be writing Saturday morning so you'll have to
write me Friday night.

But that's about it for this week. Its been good.

Élder Britt

I would send some pictures but every time I put my flash in the machine
I'm on, I always get a virus, so I'll be sending pictures next week.