Querida familia (dear family),

I have had a crazy week this past week, and now this week should be even crazier. We're having special transfers in our area. Elder Marchant is leaving, and we had plans to go visit ll the other areas this week, who knows what it will be like with my new companion. If he doesn't know the areas, it might get a little tricky. We'll do fine.

I have loved this week. i have learned so much. one thing i learned really moved me. I've been thinking about it alot since..

Yesterday I went to Playa Larga in the combi, and coming back to the church building to meet up with elder Marchant, I found a man named Manuel in the church building. An interesting man, very humble, not poor or anything, but in need of help. He came from far away, with problems with his papers because he's an immigrant in Mexico. He was just looking for some help, and it seemed as if nobody was willing to help him. With tatoos all over his arms, even some on his face, he was now a bit older, about 35 years old. But I felt when I saw him that he wasn't what he looked like. I went up and started to talk to him, to find out his story. And i talked with him, asking a few questions about his needs temporal and spiritual, and he was well receptive. He left for a bit, I had given him what I had in my wallet (some 70 pesos, ..like 5 dollars), and he confirmed that he was going to come back and talk with the district presidente because our branch presidente said he couldn't help him.

Everyone was talking to me about how he just came to ask for money and that he was lying because such and such thing he said and then another thing he said to someone else. I listened to everyone, but something kept telling me to just help him, it doesn't matter if it's true or not. I wasn't really sure to be honest, whether he was being honest or just playing me. But I didn't care. What I was sure of is that he is a child of God, and therefore a brother of mine. I realized that he might have a dark past, with scars from it on his own skin that he could not remove. But inside we can all turn around, we can find a change of heart.

Well he told us where he was staying, apparently some people were letting him sleep in their house with him because he was traveling and didn't have money for a hotel for the week. We went to a member who had dispensas from the political parties, with rice and beans and sugar and soup and stuff. We asked them for a bag (because they have hundreds haha) and we went to find his temporary home. We couldn't find it, so we returned to the church building. There we found Manuel again, showered and returned, he had come to talk with the district president, who couldn't help him much either.  I think he decided to give him some oil to cook the dispensa food with.

I kept thinking if what had really happened was true or not. I kept asking myself if he really was in need or not and it was bothering me! And so i decided it didn't matter. If he needed it or not, who knows. God knows, and knows mine and his intentions. he will find more help someday if he needs so. I am content. And I feel like a better person, not for what I did, but for the lesson it taught me. It doesn't matter if I know whether or not they really need help, I should be willing to help them.

Love, Elder Knight