Los Minas 1 - 7th Inning Stretch (or Sprint!)

Los Minas 1 - 7th Inning Stretch (or Sprint!)

I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF THIS LETTER SAYING A HAPPY VERY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO MY DAD JORDAN MCKAY GRAFF. Due to our schedule as missionaries, we can only write on Mondays. Last Monday, I didn't have any time to write because of transfer work and such. But I just want to say that I love you so much Dad and happy 43 or such big ones.

MY "KID" (aka "Greenie", "new young missionary")  and I with President and Sister Corbitt

How do I start? Well the Mother's Day call with the family was awesome. It was a bit weird talking a little about studying, books, jobs and all that fun stuff because that hasn't been a part of my life for two years. All I know now is mission work pretty much. I don't even really speak good English anymore haha. Apparently I have a Caribbean accent now? Don't know what that means. But anyways, it's a bit frightening that I'm coming up to the end and frankly, I don't even want to focus on that right now. 

I was transferred last week to a new area called Los Minas!!! It's in the Zone Ozama so unfortunately I didn't go back to Las Americas or stay in Santo Domingo. But it's a really cool part of the country. It's pretty urbanized and everything. But the ward is REALLY excited to work with us it seems like. I'm training a new elder from Guatemala named Elder Reyes. He's super cool and has a ton of energy. Understands why he's here and just ready to work which is great. I actually got to know a member named Alberto that was companions with my cousin Mike in his mission in Mexico. Pretty big coincidence huh? But I love the ward and we've already seen so many miracles. We found a family that belongs to the Evangelist church contacting on the way to visit a member the first day and they're really interested; especially a 26 year old named Peterson. He's actually preparing right now to serve a mission for his church. He welcomed us in and we sat down and shared the Plan of Salvation. We found out that both his parents had died when he was younger and as we testified that he could be with them again and have an eternal family of his own in the future, the Spirit was undeniable. I'm without words to describe it. You could tell he was soaking it in, because it's a lot different from the beliefs he has his whole life believing. But in the end, he told us to come back and he went to church on Sunday!!! It was awesome. He's SUPER interested and told us that if keeps feeling like this and receives an answer from God that it's really true, he'll do all it takes to accept it. Cool to see how much it's motivated him and how much he wants to learn more.

Some CHICKEN WANGSSS and other vegetables with some rice and Elder Reyes and I made. Who ever said that a gringo and Guatemalteco made a bad chef team?

Elder Reyes and I also got to go back to Los Molinos in Las Americas to see the baptism of a family Elder Pediet, Searle and I were teaching, the Florián family. Words cannot describe the sheer happiness I had that night. I got to see all the members, many recent converts including Dashmin, Yokasta and Waldo and Alberto a less active we were teaching who's the recently called Teachers Quorum President. The baptism was so special. Their family was so grateful and the change they had made since we started teaching them was obvious just looking at them. The father is now investigating the church as well and the mom Liz is helping him out a lot. A really special night for us all.

I know that my time here is closing in. I lose sleep at night sometimes thinking about it. I just see it as a baseball game. In the 7th inning stretch. But in this work, right now, its a 7th inning RUN SPRINT GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT. Cause you're only a full time missionary once. And there's so many people waiting for this Gospel. All you can do is love, teach, and invite everyone you can. And God does the rest.

I know these things are true. And I invite all of you that haven't heard it before or studied it out in your heart, to start your own search for the truth. And I testify that it will change your life and give you blessings you can't even begin to comprehend.

Have a great week and I can't wait to see all the graduation pictures soon.

Elder Graff

Bittersweet times . . . . 

I hope I can get a picture of the baptism from Elder Richards because I didn't bring my camera to take pictures of it. If not, Ill send it next week.