We had another great week! The Perez Coyazos family was baptized (Mirian, Shirley, and Alex)! It was a super crazy week to say the least, but we are glad to have everything done. Of course the craziest part was trying to raise the money for the wedding of Alex and Miriam. They were married on Friday, but before that we had to help Miriam raise the money. Miriam decided to make arroz mixto (it is rice with vegetables and different meats) to sell to the ward to raise the money. On Wednesday we bought all the ingredients (almost) and were searching all over the town to find the cheapest prices. On Thursday we woke up early and had to go search all over Palmira to find two ingredients that were missing. We finally found the meat that Miriam was looking for after we went downtown Palmira. It was a bummer because we bought this meat from one store and then we walked to the other meat shop just on the other street and we found out we could have saved about 10 mil pesos (5 dollars). It seems like that always happens! After that we rushed the missing ingredients to Miriam who had been up since 4 in the morning making rice. Miriam was super stressed, because it ends up the rice was cooking all weird on her. We had told all of the investigators and members that we were going to deliver the rice during lunchtime, but the rice wasn`t cooking well and we didn`t get delivering the rice until like 3! Miriam was sure stressing for the rice, but it ended up turning out well. We sold to 45 member/investigators/
We were busy with that on Wednesday and Thursday, and on Friday we got up and realized that we hadn`t planned much for the wedding! The wedding was at 3 on Friday, but it was so hectic that we almost blew the whole wedding! We had a dress that Miriam was going to wear, but it turns out that the dress didn`t fit her. We didn`t have time to look for another dress and she ended up just going in Jeans! Then we had called a taxi to come pick us all up to go to the wedding at about 2:30, but turns out the taxi didn`t end up coming and at about 2:55 we realized that we were going to have to go search out a taxi. It took about 20 minutes to search for a taxi and when we got to the place it was already about 3:30 and the wedding was supposed to start at 3! We thought for sure that they were going to cancel the wedding, but luckily that Lawyer there was a nice lady and waited for us. It was like super simple, and luckily Miriam and Alex weren`t picky about anything. We just went into the office of the Lawyer and she just talked to Miriam and Alex awhile about like responsibilities of marriage, they signed some papers, and boom they got married! They were both just in Jeans, but at least they were nice pairs of Jeans and Miriam had some members do her makeup, hair, and nails too. After the wedding, we took some pictures in the park nearby (unfortunately, we don`t have the pictures because me and my companion both forgot cameras! but we are going to get the pictures) and then we took Miriam, Alex and Shirley on a pony carriage back to their house. For their honeymoon (Missionary style!) we went to their house later in the night and my companion made some tacos for them. HAHA well I guess you could say it was a super modest wedding and everything, but I think they liked it at least and I`d say everything turned out well. Nothing like a wedding in the U.S. with all the food and people, just us, Miriam and Alex, and a couple of the members. We are so happy that they could make that step in their lives to get married!!
After that they all got baptized on Saturday. The baptism turned out well, and I think they will be some good converts in the church. The husbands from both of the families that we have baptized here already got the Aaronic Priesthood and we are hoping to have them bless the sacrament this Sunday. This is what missionary work is all about!
Well I have more to write, but I've got to get going here in a sec. Things are going good so far as the district leader of 8 people. The only difference has been is that I am pretty much on the phone all night calling all the members of my district. I am a little nervous for my first district meeting with all my district tomorrow, but I know the Lord will help me if I just do my best!
I got a package from the Doman family, a Christmas card from the Thompson family, and a letter from our Bishop so please tell them thank you so much for what they sent! Love everybody a lot and we will talk to everyone next week :) Thank you for the prayers and now pray that we can find some new families to teach this week!
Love,
Elder Armstrong
