Elijah is Baptized!

I love being a missionary! And being able to help people feel God's love. This week was amazing! Let's focus on the main big things that happened:

Exchanges in Carlsbad. They went amazing! In times past this has been the harder area to do exchanges with because let's just say they don't want us to come. But this time it went so good. We were able to help them especially with planning and have spiritual experiences and teach and go to lunch at Happy's! (a local place that has been on TV for how good it is, I think the show is called "Drive-ins and Diners" something like that) Also they moved apartments and I am pretty sure that they live in the prettiest place of the whole mission. It is right by the Pecos River and so in the morning we go to run by the river on this little path and they have a dock out back with ducks! The whole time I was just waiting and waiting to feed the ducks, I even sacrificed eating my food I brought so that I would have bread to feed them and so then we were leaving and they were no where to be found. Then I prayed and 2 little duckies came! Not quite as many as I would hope but enough :) I love exchanges and this week we are going back to Portales! Which means that with this transfer I have officially been serving in or visiting that place for 1 year now :) New Mexico to the end! Our other two main focus this week were Silka and Elijah. Silka is the sweet old lady that we visit. We are really worried about her so if you could please pray for her. We visited her three times this week. And each time she kept telling us how bad she hates eating and how she forces herself just to eat enough but she wakes up in the night feeling so week and so she reaches for her ensure to drink a sip. So pray she has an appetite. We were able to bring applesauce over that she wanted to try and so today we are going to follow-up how she likes that with her oatmeal. The other time we were able to visit her and eat with the Navas and that was perfect. She ate more, she was laughing, it was great! We are trying to get the scheduled for this week too. Tonight we plan on teaching her about the grace of Jesus Christ. Which has been a focus of my studies lately. I am so grateful for grace because without it I can do nothing. So please pray that her faith in Jesus Christ can increase and that she can rely on His grace. Our other focus was Elijah!! I realized that I can't remember if I have explained his story too well. Elijah is the grandson of the Battles who are recent converts of 6 years that moved to Roswell about 2 years ago when their daughter Crystal, Elijah's mom needed their help. Her husband has been in jail for 6 months for domestic violence and drugs but recently just got out. They live with the Battles where Sister Battles does everything she can to raise them in a a gospel home. I hope that helps make things cleaner. But anyway his baptism was perfect. We were super stressed about it because a ton of crazy things kept on happening, like they always do when Satan attacks. But the baptism went great. We texted everyone and wow over 60 people came to support him and the Battles family (his grandparents). We sang Follow The Prophet his favorite primary song. We had the best refreshments--even dairy free brownies. The weather was great. His dad came all the way from Colorado leaving at 4:30 am. The spirit was SO strong. The only thing missing was Elijah's mom. Like I said Satan attacked and she fell back into drugs and so she was on the streets with her husband because he had gotten fired that day also do to drugs. The Battles are hear broken and scared that the kids are going to be taken away by the state. But their faith is strong and their prayers bold. But please pray for them. Sister Battles is tired. There are three kids, Elijah and his 2 younger brothers. They live in the tiniest apartment and are just trying to survive. They are some of the good heart-ed people I know and the things they have had to go through and not fair. Their charity is truly an example to me! They want what is best for their family and ask for our prayers! We are excited for General Womens Conference and then General Conference the next week! We have been preparing ourselves for the personal revelation and can't wait!! xoxoxo Hna. Slade