Elder Tyson S. Vance

Hello Friends & Family,

A couple of notable events this week: (pictures tell a thousand words so go check those out, you can just ask me to expound upon the stories)

Luz and Eduardo got married!!

CODIE was absolutely no help and actually sent us the wrong information (after 4 months of waiting) so we couldn't get them a marriage license. However, Elder Hallsted and I were determined to see them through, so we went into the Riverside capital building (or some other very official looking building) and demanded that we walk out with a marriage license.

We were then informed that the office would close at 5 pm and it was currently 4:55 pm. We rushed to the desks, typed in some info, verified it with the clerk (who was very nice and waited after 5pm to help us).

However we didn't have Eduardo's mother's maiden name. His family all lived in Mexico and didn't speak a lick of english, nor did I speak any spanish. We called 5 family members, when finally his brother answered and started speaking spanish to us. We didn't know what to do, then I asked if the clerk knew spanish, she replied that she did and then asked Eduardo's brother for the name. After some time she found the name we were looking for, and continued to interpret the spanish into english so we could interpret it into ASL.

We found out that Eduardo hadn't told his family about his marriage, but they were still excited for him!

Anyway, we got the

marriage license, and had

them married on Friday

by the Branch president (President Smith).

President Smith was

leaving for Utah for a

month the next morning,

so everything happened

at the very last minute.

The next day both of them

were baptised and it was a beautiful moment 2 years

in the making.

Elder Hallsted and I had started teaching Luz and Eduardo soon after we finished our training (in 2019). Luz had come from Mexico and didn't know much ASL (or english for that matter). She now has lots of conversations with us and has taught many of her friends the Gospel and the importance of repentance, and her personal favorite, Patience (that's an inside joke).

After Luz and Eduardo's baptism, our friend Cassandra called us and told us that she wanted to be baptised ASAP. Cassandra lives in the other Elder's area, and so we called them and told them to call her immediately, she will be baptised July 10th!

We also snuck up to President Watson's house after our Sunday night Miracle Meeting to surprise him and sing "happy birthday" to him. Fun fact: President Watson was born on the same day Joseph Smith was martyred (but many years later).
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We will return this upcoming week to the scary office building in Riverside to get Luz and Eduardo's certificate. We are so very happy for them, and there is an easily distinguishable light in both of them now!

Also on a side note, if anyone needs a marriage license *wink wink* I know how to get one. Just thought there might be people who would want to know.

I also was able to visit some Vance relatives again. We had a family meeting to give Steve Vance a blessing.