Magic Tricks

Hola mi familia y mis amigos

 

Greetings from Salt Lake City. 

 

Highlight of my week:  Elena's baptism.  We met Elena through her best friend, Rita, who was baptized a few weeks ago (she was part of the huge family that was baptized together).  This past weekend, Elena, who is the most amazing 10 year old girl in the world, was also baptized.  Her words when I talked with her afterwards: "I forgot all the bad things that I ever did."  Her faith is incredible.  She invited all her friends and her teacher at school to her baptism.  She reads the scriptures because she knows that what Christ wants her to do, even though she has trouble understanding very much of it.  And one of the most amazing parts of the baptismal service was when Aracely offered the closing prayer.  Aracely wants to be baptized and knows that it is the right thing for herself and her family, but her "husband"/partner doesn't want to get married (even though they've been together for 15 years).  In the prayer, she said, "...and I pray that both me and Horacio can be baptized as soon as possible."  It killed me to see her want to do this so badly but have Horacio hold her back. 

 

Second highlight of me week: Yesterday, on Mother's Day, I got to call home and talk with my family for a little while.  It felt more like 5 minutes than 45 minutes, but when you haven't talked with them for four months, I guess that's what it feels like.  Next time it will probably feel like 2 minutes instead of 5.  Thanks to technology,  Meredith, who is in Spain, Jared, who is in Utah, Mom, Dad, and Kevin, who are in Georiga, and I were all able to talk on a conference call.

 

So, I need you to help me.  And by "you" I mean each person who spends 3 minutes a week reading these letters, whether or not they are Mormon.  I'm going to ask you to double your efforts this week and use six minutes of your time.  I have a magic trick that involves a tie that my dad taught me from his long gone days as a missionary in the Phillipine Islands (by the way dad, I use the tie trick probably 5 times a day).  But here's the problem.  I don't know any other magic tricks. But a kid who is 5 years old typically won't accept that all I can do is make a tie disappear into my fist.  They want more.  And I've got nothing.  So here is where you come in.  Spend 3 minutes sending my mom an email with any magic tricks you know.  If you don't know any, google it (I'm not too lazy to do it myself, we just aren't allowed on google).  My mom's email is jericolton@comcast.net (mom, if you don't want anyone emailing you then just use my old one).  If you decide not to do this, then picture a 5 year old beating me up because I can't make a coin disappear.  (And after you picture that, send my mom an email anyways because I know there are some of you ***cough cough Mike Rettker *** who would simply refuse to send a magic trick just because they would want a five year old to beat me up).

 

Love you all,

-Elder Colton