Dear Mom and Dad,
Yes, this is the last letter I will be sending from the mission field. I´ll try to make it a good one.
Saturday morning we spent in a service project with the Elders Quorum. We went over to a plot of land owned by the Z family, recent converts that really exemplify what a convert to the church should be like. We cleared away some weeds for them, but lest you think that I´m talking about a little bit of weeding like in the garden out back, these weeds were bigger than cars. We attacked them with shovels, picks, and poles, and then carried away the branches and threw them into a little ravine. When we finished, my arms were all scratched up from carrying branches, but it was a ton of fun.
The other cool thing we did this week was a tour of the chapel with a local preschool. We were walking through the street one day when a lady approached us and asked if she could take her preschool to see the chapel, they came with a couple members of the church who helped out in the tour. It was quite fun, and they all loved the baptismal font.
On Monday, we had a fantastic Family Home Evening with three families from the ward plus JC and J. They talked about testimony, and J got to share her powerful spiritual experience with the whole room.
This week we also taught about the Word of Wisdom, and J told us that she smoked. She now has gone about 3 days without smoking (3 1/2 already), and is excited to be baptized this next Saturday.
Yesterday was JC's baptism. It was probably the most reverent, spiritual baptismal service I´ve ever seen, and it was really a privilege to be there. After changing clothes, JC got up to the pulpit and said, "today I signed a contract with God. And I´ll keep it." I thought about how he almost rejected us the first time we saw him, and how much he had changed and softened his heart since then. What a miracle!
So this next week we will be working to help J and her daughter Ja be ready for baptism. I will be giving it all my heart, might, mind, and strength, and thanking God for this wonderful, cherished opportunity to serve. What a blessing my mission has been, and will yet be to me.
I know this work is true. For these two years, I have been a representative of Jesus Christ, carrying His name and doing His work. I know that it will continue on until it is finished, and I hope then to be there waiting to welcome Christ as He comes in glory.
Viviendo el sueño,
Elder Jason Ray
