2/27/23: Cruzando el rio Mamore

 Este... buenas a todos

Hope everyone had a great week. We sure did down here in Trinidad. We were supposed to fly down to Santa Cruz but that was post poned until next week because Elder Pino, a member of the area presidency, is coming to visit our mission. He spoke in the most recent general conference about "Christlike customs" and putting chili powder on coconuts. 

We still made a little trip though, maybe not by plane but by boat this time. We went out with two other Elders to visit a town called San Ignacio de Moxos. Getting there was half the fun. It was a bumpy car ride down a muddy jungle road in a minivan going way to fast for the road conditions. He was blasting cumbia music for the whole 2 hour ride which quickly got irritating. There were two river crossings. There first was by a small town completely built on stilts. There was a network of makeshift boardwalks connecting the slanted wooded houses, perched over the flooded marsh. The car descended down a steep dirt hill and tumbled onto a large wooden raft. They packed three other vans on, and a tiny boat with a sputtering engine started to push us accross. We watched through the car window as colorful tropical birds chasing one anouther over the coffee brown water. We saw capibaras chewing grass on the shore, cautiously testing the waters for alligators and caiman. We came to a crashing halt on the other shore and started off again. The second crossing was similar but a bit further. We crossed the Mamoré, the same river that divided my last area for Brazil, eventually leading to the Amazon. It was comical to watch a semi truck ahead of us make the same journey. It amazes me the huge truck didn't sink that feeble raft. After that it was anouther hour through the marshy jungle to San Ignacio.

There's a small family group that meets there that's an appendage to a ward here in Trini. President really wants to send full time missionaries there but there is just not quite enough members there. So we went out to give it a kickstart. President said with 30 people attending the group for 3 months, he'd put missionaries there. So the four of us set a goal to invite 30 people each to church and include a testimony with the invitation. Also in every visit we had, we set the goal to invite each person to be baptized. There is only one active family in San Ignacio, la famila Villa Lopez, with  Hermano Agustín and Hermana Maria Elena. They were thrilled to work with us. We divided to go visit family they knew in town. We went with Maria Elena and she inspired me with the her strength of testimony and conviction to the gospel. She invited everyone to church, without a  bit of overbearance but lots love and charity. She knew almost everyone in town and was well respected being the local grade school teacher. Every testimony she bore was powerful and sincere. The other elderes reported a similar experience with Hermano Agustín. We saw many miracles that day and nearly every visit ended with a baptisimal date. The next day 22 others joined la famila Lopez for church in their small brick house. We definitely plan on returning soon for the baptisms of those who continue to attend. 

Honestly one of the best days of my mission for the adventure but also the miracles we saw. As well to witness the testimony of the members we worked with and the gospel speard to the furthest corners of the world. 

Hope everyone has a good week, my new challenge is to invite 2 people to church here this week and include your testimony!