Elder Banta's 1st Baptism!!

Hey Everyone!

Hows it going in good ol Idaho? I have heard that its very hot but at least you don't have the humidity we have here! So this past week has been really nice! the weather has been beautiful and not super hot. Also the work is still going good! Our investigators are progressing more and more each day and i just love watching them come closer to their Heavenly father!

Well on Saturday, (August 3, 2013) I had my first baptism. I baptized Christopher Nolasco. My companion baptized his older brother and it just went perfect! We were worried at first because They were about fifteen minutes late and were not answering their phones so it was very stressful but i all worked out perfect! We had the Stake young Mens Leader come and talk about baptism for the first talk and the second talk on confirmation and the holy ghost was given by Josh Baldabinos(a youth). So it was just all good! When we baptized them Christopher came into the room to change and said wow i feel like a totally different person! And then Me and Elder McMullen were listening to them talk together as brothers and they were arguing with each other who was gonna receive the holy ghost first hah! It was just so awesome and i love it!

So on Friday i got a MRI on my knee and the doctor said it doesn't look good! SO i went back to the apartment and asked Elder Gaytan for a blessing! so today i get the results of the test and we will see what happens! It was been hurting worse and worse everyday but it doesn't bother me because I'm too busy teaching our investigators! I sure have been blessed with a amazing first area! I am scared to leave and go to other areas that are so slow! It just scares me ha! I told President Fenn in my letter that if he could to just leave me in Joliet for my whole mission ha! 

Well so the other Elders have been staying with us because of their car and we just got work that they will be with us for another week or two! I feel bad for them so we will work in our area one day and in their area the next day! its kinda stressful but it works i guess!

So this coming Saturday we have two baptisms. One is for our investigators Jose and Lorena Hernandez and the other is for a eight year old who's parents are less active and they have asked me to baptize their son! Yesterday we were teaching Jose the baptismal interview questions and asked who he wants to baptize him and he looked at me and said Mi amigo pr favor! which is my friend please! it was just awesome to watch him progress and not hopefully baptize him this Saturday! He has a cathator in his leg and said if he don't get it out he cant get baptized but we told him to have faith and the lord will do the rest! so we will see what happens there! So as of right know i will have two baptisms this coming Saturday and i am so excited for that day to come!!!

So this past week we also had my last training meeting! It was such a good meeting but went on for hours on end! it went over so bad that President Fenn was mad ha! I got to see Elder Adams their and we talked for awhile. Hes dong good and is having fun with his new companion! 

Well that's about it for this week! I hope everything is going good at home and hope everyone is having a good summer! Please be safe and keep touch if you can!! I know that this gospel is true and i have seen how it blesses lives! Strive to do better everyday so the lord is proud of you! I love you ll and have a good week everyone!!

Love Elder Banta