Learning to Love Trials

hello family and friends! this is another crazy week. somehow, only by the grace of god, we completed this week. we have been running around like nuts for appointments, members, preparation for the zone conference, and trying to reactivate a few members. our membership in the ward had dropped a ton in the past two months, and now we are starting to also help the ward re-activate, because if we stay low, the stake will have to drop us to a branch, and our ward is the oldest. well we had a rough week with finding nuevos and having a lot of lessons, but we did do well with what we had. we also were about to go home and decided to contact a last street on thursday. we had just dropped off a member that was helping us, and went to the street below him. one of the first houses we contacted was an old reference that elder cardenas passed to us, but gave us a bad direction. we came across him and he invited us into his house. he is pretty cool, but a little scary. he lived in los angeles all of his life and came back after being deported for doing a lot of bad stuff. he is a big scary looking guy, but has a good heart. when elder cardenas was in this zone, he taught this guy, named david, and so david accepted us well and really has desires to change. the only problem is that he has killed some one before and the repentance for that isnt easy. so we will really have to take a while with him, before he can write the prophet and ask for forgiveness.. wow its a really long process. i would send a pic of him, but the only one i have of him is for his work that i took for him to send him. it is him breeding his pit bulls. haha so i dont think ill send it. haha. ill take one for you guys when he is in white!
ivan is getting ready for his baptism which is this saturday and he is really excited about it. even though he is really busy, be is willing to take the time to read and go to church and do what is required of him. we are also working on his mom and a sister right now! his sister seems really great and has a ton of interest, but she has to provide for three kids without a husband, so she is even harder to find than him..... but i think they all will be baptized some day!
elder zazueta and i have had some difficulties in our companionship, but its just because he is very hot headed and loses his temper much faster than i do, sadly when we arent finding many new people, sometimes he has blown up in the face of a door contact, and i have gotten pretty mad at him. we are trying to resolve these conflicts, but this is a new challenge. i really cant believe how many challenges the lord can give us in so many different ways. i thought it couldnt have gotten any harder after elder snyder, but with every companion there are new struggles, and i was with the kids of the bishop yesterday, and i cant believe how much patience he has with them. if god can test us with so many trials of patience, love, humility, etc just in the mission, i dont want to see what he has in store for me after the mission.......... but with every trial, he has made me stronger to face the new one. i wonder what it would be like if he had put me with elder zazueta as my first companion. would i have been able to handle it then? who knows but god.
well i ask that you all pray for ivan, david, gaby, luis and jon and their sister, jose guadalupe, because they are the ones that have the possibility of baptism in this month. we really need help and guidance in this, and ask for your humble prayers. thanks and i love you all. i am really so blessed to have you all supporting me. it is hard to think that e. zazueta is the only member in his entire family besides his mom, and uncle.... be thankful that the lord has blessed you with a mormon family with good principles. god speed my friends. much love,
elder facer