Back to Villa Nueva...

Dear All,

After the transfer, here I am, back in the city of Villa Nueva. This is my 3rd area within this big city, my first being Jerusalén, in Zone 7, then Sonora 1 in Zones 3 and 4, and now Villa Nueva 1 in Zones 1 and 6. It's a great area. There's a lot of potential here to be able to take advantage of. I feel that we'll have many baptisms here.

I am still a District Leader and in the district are my companion Elder Martinez and I, Elder Medina and Elder Zavala in Villa Nueva 2 aka "Tabacal," and Elder Mendoza and Elder Barahona, the Zone Leaders of the zone Villa Nueva, in the area "La Unión." This part of the vineyard needs some work, but we'll be doing that work, so there is no problem. We will be working even harder than we ever have.

My companion, Elder Martinez, is in the same group as Elder Muñoz. They were companions in the Provo MTC. So, it's kind of cool to be able to see how they've been doing. Elder Martinez is very energetic, and cool. It was funny when he entered the mission, because he looks the part of a Central American, and Elder Israelsen, the AP who was reading the changes said his name with a good Spanish accent, when presenting the new missionaries. After the new missionaries' names are called in a change meeting, they stand up and say where they're from. After that from Elder Israelsen, Elder Martinez stood up, and in his good North American accent, said where he was from: "Ogden, Utah." Overall, we're doing great, there are just a few things we're working on.

One tradition we have here in the mission is to call your trainer your "papá" or your "dad." Your 2nd companion is then your "padrastro" or "step-dad." This is my first time being a step-dad, and it's kind of funny, because Elder Martinez' dad is Elder Krantz, who came in with me to the mission.

This is the most city area I've ever had. We're basically in the center of Villa Nueva. There's an enormous city park, and a couple of malls and everything, all in our area. It's nice and big. The streets are pretty narrow, and there are a LOT of cars. The ward is pretty good, too, we have some great members, and a fantastic ward mission leader. This Sunday, we actually had 4 baptisms: a family, and another girl. I would love to have attached the pictures, but this computer doesn't have a functioning USB port I can get to, so it'll have to wait until next week.

We just had a great district meeting about the Book of Mormon. It really is the key to our religion, and it really is another testament of Jesus Christ. If you have not read it, I exhort you to do so. If you have read it, I would exhort you to do so again. I am now reading it for the 7th time in my life, and I always find something new that I can use in my teaching, or that I can apply to my life. The Book of Mormon is the evidence of everything I'm here for. I read it, I prayed about it, and I found out that it's true, directly from our Father in Heaven. And I know that he will answer you with the same process, no matter how many times you may have done it before.

I love you all. Please keep praying for us.

Sincerely,
Elder Banks