SURPRISE!!!!!

Surprise!
This morning the assistants called us and told us that today would be our preparation day, because the president needs to have a meeting with us tomorrow.  So its just going to be for today and next week we will be back to Tuesday again.
The big news of the week is that Elder De Hoyos came to the mission.  It was pretty cool.  We had the meeting with two zones, us and paraiso, but I was in charge of everything since I was the zone leader with the most time.  Everything went perfect.  And it was super cool to have him there.  He told us that since President Monson made the announcement for missionaries, the number of missionary applications have went from 700 per week to 7000 per week! And it has been like that every week since the conference announcement.  When he said that the spirit filled the room. I feel so excited to be a part of this work. I know that the lord is advancing his work at a quicker pace and he needs a lot more missionaries, or at least that is what the spirit testified to me during the meeting. They talked a lot about working with members and the Book of Mormon.  It was great and I learned a lot.

This week we saw a couple miracles in the area.  First we felt like we should go with Marina and Gustavo because we hadn't been able to go with them for all of the intercambios(exchanges we where doing.  We arrived at the precise moment that they needed us.  The dad of Gustavo died just a couple of days earlier and he had a lot of questions about whats after this life and how he could get closer to God.  The lesson was awesome, so awesome that they came to church this week.  The testimonies in the meeting where super strong and Marina was crying the whole time because she said she knows this is where she need to be, and that she had never felt so much peace in her heart before.  They also brought their 4 kids who loved it as well.  The ward really gathered around them.  It was super awesome.

Our ward mission leader is super cool, he is Brother Meza.  He is always super excited to work with us but its hard for him because his wife is less active.  So we went and visited with them this week and she came to church, for the first time in years!  It was awesome, I have never seen our ward mission leader so happy...He is always a happy guy, but to see him there in sacrament meeting with his wife and son was just another level.  I am so grateful for families because I know that's where we can have the greatest happiness

Ok, long letter . . .
The other big miracle this week was Maria Teresa.  She was a person who contacted us, yes SHE contacted US, you would be surprised ever since we have stopped contacting like we used to and started working more with the members, the people have just been running up to us and wanting us to teach them.  The other day we had 4 people contact us before lunch. ha ha.  But Maria Teresa is awesome.  We went in her house and she had a picture with Jesus walking by the shore where Peter and the apostles are fishing. The same one we have in our church.  And then she started talking about her "heavenly father" which is not how the people here usually refer to Him so I started looking around for the hidden cameras, trying to figure out who was pulling the gag, but no one was,she is just a lady who is super prepared to receive the gospel. 
We have stake conference this week and two of my converts will be receiving the Melchizedek priesthood.  I am super excited for them.  This work is great. I am having the time of my life.  I hope you are all doing well and will hear from you next week.
Con Muchísimo Amor,

Elder Joe Fuell