(6/22/15) Building up Zion While Babies are Cryin'

T'was a fantastic week in the blazing oven I call home. We had a baptism, and a greeeeat stake conference. Gave me a lot of good insight on how to be a missionary long after the mission. but I'll get to that later!

So I bought a hammock the week before I came to this area, which was a very delayed decision to make. If it could turn back the hands of time, I would have bought one my first week of the mission. There is nothing better than after the morning proselyting than a fresh shower and reading church magazines in a hammock. We've got a nice side room that catching the afternoon breeze and puts me in my xen. Ahh.. It's a beautiful life.

We have been bustin our buns with the family I wrote about last time, Diomedes and Mariela. They have all the desire to be baptized, but cringe at the idea of having to get married to do it. It is very frustrating and hard for me to understand how someone can have 3 kids and 13 years living with a person who you will not accept as your wife. It's a real road-block for their progression right now. We passed by last night with our bishop and thursday with the relief society president, but to no avail. It seems like we just need to keep praying and trust in the Lord's timing. 

Yanediz Montero was baptized by Elder Peña on saturday right before the adult session of stake conference. It was a beautiful service and very very reverent : )

Ha! And then Elder Martinez (the visiting area seventy) picked Elder Peña and I up while we were walking to church on sunday. Who can say they've ever sat in the car of a a general athourity?? Now you can say, Elder Tate has! They called a new stake presidency and gave most of the time for the old leaders to say good bye and allowed the new president and his counsellors including their wives to share as well. The now former stake president and his wife were called to be the first pair of non-proslyting missionaries in Cuba! They are not allowed to even wear plaques, but if they are letting mormons in the country the next step will be to open it for the missionary work. How cool is that gonna be!

Man it's weird to have so many friends finishing their missions! It scares me to think that I'll be right after them. But until then, we're still bustin out buns and coming home tired sweaty and thats the beeeeest way to go.

Have a super week

love

Elder Tate

1) baptism

2) da campo

3) teaco bell