Memorial Day!

Dear, dear Family!
  This week we baptized TWO people!! Whoop whoop! That really made us so excited! All the deep doubts that Salvador had about whether Jesus was even the Son of God all came back this week. We tried to help him resolve them again, to tell him to read and pray, but this time he was so concerned and overwhelmed with these doubts that he said he couldn't even concentrate enough to read or pray. Honestly, it was a little frustrating, but we knew that if only he read, he'd find his answer. The day before his baptism, we took him to see the baptismal font and gave him a blessing of comfort. The next morning he told us he had read Alma 32 again and "The Living Christ" as we'd asked him to do, and he got his answer!! He was baptized that evening. Salvador really felt amazing after coming out of the water. I'm not sure I've ever been given such a long and big hug! I'm pretty sure that no missionary at that baptism had ever received as big hug as Salvador gave them. Elder Moberg (my brother) says that Salvador was practically having a seizure in his arms. We felt thrilled to see both Salvador and Abel confirmed on Sunday! I love baptizing! Abel was able to quit smoking! He now joins his family! In one year they can be sealed as an eternal family!
  We had a pretty busy week. I had to give two baptismal interviews. They really are really special experiences. Unfortunately one of them wasn't ready to be baptized; we decided she needed more time. One of the baptismal interviews was all the way in a part of the city called Tepatitlan. We have to take an hour long bus to get there and stay the night with those two elders. (District leaders do baptismal interviews for their district, zone leaders for the baptisms of the district leaders).  So I started reading "Our Heritage" again.  Hooligan! But anyway, we found some really cool people this week. We hope to baptize this coming weekend again. It's Israel, the guy who bakes pies and cares for his godfather who has cancer. Israel still hasn't got an answer yet, but has quit smoking so that if he does feel he should get baptized, he could do it this Saturday. He's a really great guy, so I really pray that Heavenly Father will help him recognize his answer.
  We haven't had electricity for two weeks now. It's ridiculous. They should have put it back on by now. We've been planning/journaling in candlelight every night recently. One night two Catholic youths knocked on our door to invite us to some event. I opened the door, and they were a little nervous, quickly invited me, but said something like, "I see you're busy, bye!" I thought it was because I was still wearing missionary clothes and laughed to myself. But then I realized they were freaked out to see four missionaries with candles lit, as if it were some ritual or sacrifice. Aye. How embarrassing! What do those Mormons do?!
   I love you family!
Love,
  Elder Mitchell Poirier