Another Rainy Monday

OUR CASTLE HOME

From: Alison Royal <alison.royal@myldsmail.net>
To: Patricia Royal
Sent: Mon, July 11, 2011 8:54:29 AM
Subject: Hola on another cold Monday morning!

Hola to all my favorite Peeps! ¿Como les va? Are you tired of reading my emails yet?? haha I hope not! This week has been yet another great week :) Surprise surprise. haha I really have not had a day in my mission that wasn't great. Each day I wake up and go to sleep happy to be a missionary! Even on days like yesterday when we were drenched in rain and all of our appointments fell through... haha but we still manage to have fun. I am loving being companions with Hermana Rivera. haha I think we have arrived at the point when we are best friends and we laugh at everything, what a blessing. haha Everything in much more fun when your companion is a great friend. I really hope we stay together for another change. (We have changes this next week... what in the world does the Lord have in store for me... vamos a ver!)

Anyways, I heard that there was giant sand storm in Phoenix! Is this true?? Everyone and there dogs have been telling me that my city had a sand storm and that it was exactly like the Sand Storm from the Mummy. Haha How crazy! These really are the signs of the times eh? I want to see pictures if it really was as crazy as it sounds! Its weird to think you are all enjoying Monsoon season in AZ. I think night-time monsoons on a hot summer night with lightning and thunder is the thing I miss the most about Arizona. I hope you are all enjoying it for me!

This week we found an awesome investigator! His name is Guillermo and he is GOLDEN! He is a single dad who is about 45 years old. He looks like Will Farrell except way taller and has a deep gruff voice. But it turns out he is a big softie. haha The first lesson we had with him, he was pretty skeptical. He said he was catholic and wasn't going to change, but was willing to listen. We taught about The Restoration and Jospeh Smith and how we have the Authority to baptize. He said there were a lot of false prophets. We invited him to pray and ask God if Joseph Simith was a prophet and to read a chapter in the Book of Mormon. Saturday we had a lesson with him and we were planning on inviting him to be baptized. As we were walking into his home, he had his Book of Mormon open on the table and told us he had been reading. He asked us "What else do I need to do?" I asked him if he beleived that this was the only true church and he answered Yes. He went on to explain how he really believes that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that we arrived at his house at the prefect time becuase there are lots of struggles in his life right now. We invited him to be baptized on the 6 of August and he accepted. YAY! His only doubt was that all the rivers are pretty cold right now, but he was happy to hear that we don't baptize in rivers anymore. haha Yesterday he accompanied us at church and he stayed for all 3 hours! I really can't believe how prepared he is, but The Lord really has the power to touch and change hearts!

Last week Pablo received the Priesthood and this week Carla is going to have her baby.They are preparing their family history so they can go to the temple for baptisms! Also, Maria Jofre told us last night that she has been having dreams that her parents and grandparents are visiting her in the night. She also is excited and preparing to do the baptisms for her father. It is amazing to see the progress that these people are making here!

I don't want to think about leaving this ward. I am hoping the Lord will let me stay one more change here. But I will always trust in him, he hasn't failed me yet!

I hope you enjoy the pictures of our Castle/home. It is probably one of the nicest buildings in our sector.

I love you all SOOO much.

Hasta NEXT WEEK

Hermana Royal!