So yesterday did have its ups and its downs, because we had two baptismal interviews for Carlos & Brittany Riveroll, a Spanish family that we have been working with since my first week out here in Greenville! I'm seriously way stoked for them, but as always, Satan is starting to amp things on up again. After being out here a while and seeing the pattern that he works in, it just gets super super annoying and I just can't help but wonder if he's ever going to give up! He's just ridiculously predictable and is that constant speed bump that we have to jump again and again. But I also am thankful that I get to be a part of the work that he's constantly attacking and am super blessed to see the success that he's trying to stop. The problem with this Family is that their Dad is...well to put it mildly would be to say he's an alcoholic. We had been working with him a ton back in November and December to get him over this daily drinking problem of his, and at the beginning of December....he was finally able to just give up! He had been keeping our commitments and even fasted with us for a day! I remember we passed by while he was fasting just to check up on him and see how he was doing, and we found him just trembling as he had gone 24 hours without drinking. He was shaking really bad so we made sure that he ate something and we kept his spirits up. Whenever we would talk about it, he would always start crying and would end up stuttering out in Spanish, "I want to stop so bad! But I don't think I can do it!" Well after crossing that bridge back in December and going without for about 2 months, we found him drunk and completely passed out on his bed. It's a test of faith for Carlos and Brittany as we try to continue to unite their family (where the mother and older sister are very very inactive members). They were still able to do the interviews and the little super bowl party that they had planned, but the mood was dampened a little as we saw that Hermano Riveroll had fallen back into previous temptations. So as always, the battle continues, and as always, we know who's going to win and just have to trudge through whatever trial is put in our path while helping lift others on the way. I just hope that I can keep going without letting all the stress get to me. For example, It's a mission norm, especially out here in Texas, that the missionaries gain an unbelievable amount of weight on the mission (like Elder Downer whose gained 40 pounds since he left haha crazy!) But one of our members told me I looked like I'm getting skinnier and skinnier, which as y'all know aint good, so I just have to get over all the stress and whatever else is going on out here. The good news though is that the Spanish Group is continuing to feed us fruitful referrals and the stake is finally seeing through all the schedule changes that we've pushed for...so what we've been doing these past few transfers is finally working! I'm seriously super super super stoked for this area that is continuing to grow and progress! Yall are in my prayers and I want to thank you for yours! They seriously work and have blessed me tons out here! I hope everything's going great back home and that yall had fun for Natle's birthday! Good luck for school Shane and Brett! You've got this week! Even if your teachers do want to kill you haha.
Love
Elder Justin Wilson
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