Hey everybody,

It was a great week here in the mission, as normal. But is had it´s ups and downs.
This past week we had the baptism of three members of a family. Diva, Evellin, and Emellin. Their father will be baptized this next Saturday. The baptism was an extremely spiritual and just all around great experience for me. First Diva was baptized, then Emellin, and last came Evellin. She was the most firm of them all. She is already in 2nd Nephi and she is cruising through the book of mormon. When it came for her to enter into the water they called her full name, but she didn´t come. Then a young women came to us and said that she didn´t want to be baptized. I was confused, Elder Rowley, the Bishop, and I all went to talk to her. When we got there she told us that she had a deathly fear of water and that she would not go in. Bishop Douglas gave the idea to say a prayer, so we did. Then Diva came to the rescue and told her 15 year old daughter that they could enter in together. We told her that she would not have to bend backwards like everyone else, but that she could instead just bend her knees until she went completely under. Diva was at her side and it was a very happy moment to see this young woman baptized. She showed a lot of courage and she was so so so scared, yet with her mom at her side and her desire to follow Christ, she overcame. But, I know for a fact that she would never be baptized again. haha.,
My companion and I are the best of friends. The other day we started talking about our parents and I told him all about how Dad puts on Dixie Chicks to wake everyone up on Saturdays to do yard work. I told him about the last bag of mulch that I ever spread on the berm and then the other bag we found in the garage. I told him about the countless times that my Dad called me during high school at random times just telling me to come home. We talked about how much we loved our parents and the great examples that they are and how much they helped us.
I am very happy right now.
Sunday, five minutes before sacrament meeting I was asked to give a talk. I had no idea what to say or where to start. I wanted everyone to listen and feel the spirit, so I wanted to start with a story, but I wasn´t sure which story or where it would take me. Then I remembered that it is winter in the states and I remembered snow. My talked started out with the story of how when it snowed a ton on Sundays how my Dad would take me out in his truck and we would drive together looking at the snow and he would ask me ``What do you think, should church be cancelled or can everyone in the ward make it through this?`` I talk about how my dad would think about each individual member and how it my be dangerous for the people that live really far out. I talked about love and thinking about others before thinking about ourselves. Everyone liked it because there is never ever snow here, so it was a good attention grabber, haha.
I love my mission and I am sad about the fact that it is already half way over, but I don´t think about it. We are seeing miracles here everyday. I know that the Holy Ghost can lead and guide us to bless and change the lives of others, because I have seen it.

Love,
Elder Nothum