Translation

Actually, it is not for 1000 days. It is just that 3 years times 365 days plus June 27 through June 30, 2008 equals 1098 days, and that is way too cumbersome to convert into a blog headline. Futhermore, our release date will not be determined until May or June of 2011. Therefore, 1000 Days sounded just about right, more or less. Having noted all that, we are humbled and thrilled (Pres. Uchtdorf would refer to the feeling as "joyfully overwhelmed") about having this marvelous opportunity to serve in La Mision Mexico Veracruz.

Con amor,
Pdte. y Hna. Pete and JoElla Hansen

Thursday, August 19, 2010

We took off for the southern point of the mission, La Venta--just one more trip down there. That is the branch where we opened missionary work 8 weeks before. They have baptized 3 people, including a married couple. They were now ready to baptize a complete family of five. We went down there to witness the event and take care of some other business as well. We arrived and found that the children were being baptized but that the parents could not.

Their mom is married to someone else and needs to get divorced so that she can marry her current "husband." That is what everyone wants to happen. There is one little hangup. She has signed an agreement which is attached to her rights to her legal husband's pension when he retires from PEMEX, the national oil company. If she divorces him, he gets his choice of one of the three children (he is the father) or she loses her rights to the pension which is something over $100,000 pesos. How's that for a pre-nup? So, that will need to be resolved. Then, the couple will marry and be baptized.


On a more normal note, the children were baptized, the parents were there taking pictures and talking about their future as members of the Church including getting sealed as a family someday. The youngest child is a boy whose name could have interesting political significance. He is Iran Milagro. Milagro translates "miracle." He looks like a smiling little milagro. The missionaries are Elders Cifuentes, Gutierrez, and Hernandez.


Elder Cifuentes prepares Milagro to be baptized.


He is getting ready to perform the ordinance, but look at the smile on Milagro's face.


After the baptism, the weight of the water kept pulling Milagro's pants down, so Pres. Cruz carried him to the restroom to change.

Another milagro is that which has happened since the missionaries arrived. When we met with the branch president he said that there were 30-35 attending. Now the average is over 55. The record is 73. There is not enough room in the building. At the baptismal service which was at 7 p.m. on a Thursday night, 44 people attended. Milagros.

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