This is Major Tom to Ground Control

Dear Family,

Not sure how many times I will mention Diomedez in my letters but in short he has been falling back into his old ways and causing the same problems in his family that previously existed. He only went 3 times to Alcoholics Anonymous. My companion and I decided that to help him out we could maintain daily contact with him, and since he doesn't have a phone that means we pass by to see how he is make sure he isn't drinking and is going to go to AA every night at 7. Well, this week was a rough one to start out with considering Friday was the only day out of all the times we passed by where he wasn't drunk. So we made 100 percent sure that he went, we even walked with him to the bus stop. I don't know if they will ever be baptized but we just have to help Diomedez quit drinking.

Yesterday we were thinking "no matter what, if Orlando doesn't come to church we have to leave him" because we have been teaching him for a long time now and he has progressed in everything except the church. Nevertheless he came! And he already had a friend in the church and I am pretty sure he had a good experience. We still don't have ward missionaries but there are a lot of members who are easy to make friends with so all we have to do is say "Hey, go sit by him."

On Saturday we had a really good Family Home Evening with an active family whose daughters are struggling a little bit with their testimonies, ages 18 and 16. So we went planning on teaching about the Book of Mormon and its importance as the keystone of our religion. We taught about the power of a testimony with an object lesson. I guess I can only speak for myself but I felt the spirit.

Yesterday was Branch Conference for the branch who shares our chapel and for some reason we had Priesthood first and the Sacrament last. And almost all of our investigators stayed for all 3 hours. It sort of helped our focus because we were thinking "Oh they have to stay for the sacrament". I guess other weeks we don't really put that much emphasis on the classes because we teach the first hour is the most important and everything. 

We are working super hard here and getting a lot of work done. I knew coming into my mission that it wouldn't be 100% happiness but I am so happy.

I relate a lot more to the story of the kid who is throwing starfish back into the ocean who has so much work to do but trying to make a difference.

I hope you all are doing well. Love you all more than I can express. Enjoy the picture from our Conference with Elder Montoya.

Love, 

Elder Craythorne