First Baptism

Thahaahahahammie

I bet you´re expecting me to email you. That´s a good point, cuz that´s what I´m going to do right now. First off, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE EMAILS!!!!!!!!! I am positive that I enjoy your emails more than you enjoy mine. It´s way fun to hear about the home and what everyone´s doing and all the hilarious callings you are all receiving. When I get back I want to be the Ward Drinking Fountain Monitor Specialist. Or maybe you guys just need another ward..... I am so stoked every week that I get to read about home and I always always have more than one email, thank you.

The truth is that, yes, I did baptize her. It was such a cool experience! Haha the water was freezing cold (its a baptismal font like we have) adn she got down in and looked at me and said, ¨I don´t want to!¨ and I just started laughing and said ¨It´s ok!¨ and we finally convinced her to get down in the water and just do it really quick so she hesitantly joined me and I messed up the prayer hahaha then I said it right and we had the baptism and she was happy and it was all good to go. Happy day. I love that family so much. Other than that, not much happened in my life this week. My companion is beyond ready to go home and I´m just going with the flow cuz I don´t want to ruin our relationship. I know my emails are always happy and cheerful and funny, but I have something to tell you that´s a little more on the serious side:

So there is this family in our ward and they are awesome! We have been over to their house dozens of times for lunch, family nights, lessons, and just to say hello. They are really spiritual and extremely nice to us and we have a really good relationship. The parents are not married and we have been helping them get everything set up to be ready to get married and it has just been a good experience knowing this family. They have a daughter named Jessenia. She is my age and I don´t know how long ago, but she was diagnosed with blood cancer. The disease is apparent in her physical appearance, she has bone-skinny arms, and a big, bloated stomach and her breathing is labored. She is always really really happy and always smiles for us when we visit her. Just last week, the youth in the stake went down to the beach for the day, and she went with them. She spent the whole day at the beach with them and I´m sure she had a great time, but it made her really really sick. She died saturday night. We figured out sunday morning and spent the whole day helping set up the funeral and talking with the family and ward members. This family was hit really hard by this loss, they really don´t have much. Please remember the Ponte family in your prayers.

I spent a lot of the day yesterday just thinking. I thought about our family and the relationship we have and how close we are and I want to take a second to let you know that I really do love you all so much. I have the family picture taped to the wall next to my bed and I look at it every night and sometimes I just talk to you guys cuz nobody speaks english haha. Thank you so much, mom, for raising me to know the things I know and for giving me so many brothers and sisters to support me. Just like you, I wouldn´t trade our big, loud, hungry, messy family for anything.

Wow, back to the happy stuff. My zone is the greatest, I´m stoked and super ready for this coming transfer and I am having the time of my life in the mission. I´m catching on to spanish and I´m building relationships with these people. Tell Zac that latins are the greatest if you just arent racist. First soccer game this friday!!!!!!!!?????????? I´m so excited! Tell Ben that he can email me cuz I need to hear it all from his point of view! Tell him that I can receive pictures and home-made videos, too! So if he has any time or if dad films anything, then hook me up. Hahaha Jessica actually gave you the iPod back??? I´m glad she got it figured out and you guys had a little time to talk, that makes me happy. Ok, little side note for Ben. Tell him to tell Coach to not let him break his knee and also tell him to tell coach ¨good luck¨. That´s all. I love you all. Keep writing me and keep busy. Enjoy the soccer season and keep me updated as much as you can.

Elder Emett