Lizzy Soulfriend! I got your Dear Elder, thank you! I haven´t written because I lost your Georgia address, I´m sorry! But now that I have it from the Dear Elder, I´m writing you today without exception :)
This week was changes, and Elder Caicedo left already! The same thing has happened to me that has happened to Elder Pierce. The only time I´ve been with one companion for more than a change and a half was with my trainer for 2 and a half changes. I don´t know if it´s a good thing or a bad thing haha, but I´ve convinced myself that it´s good :). Elder Caicedo went to Yuty (basically way way far away), and I´m still here in Obrero. My 4th change here, but I don´t mind. I like it now, and I know that it is the Lord´s plan. Helps me to know that if he kept me here, it´s because there´s somebody to baptize :)
My new companion is Elder Perales. He´s from Peru, and a really good worker. Kinda goofy, but he works incredibly efficiently. I think we´re going to do a lot of work; he´s already got a lot of baptisms. He has 1 year 4 months in the mission. It is really weird to work with somebody who knows what they´re doing haha. Of my last 5 companions, 4 have been my trainees and the other - Elder Avendaño - was relatively new (6 months in
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Eternal Life is Earned, Not Deserved
Hello my family,
Ouch, this week was tough. There are only 2 things in this country that can stop the people from playing soccer: rain and politics. This week we had a both. The temperature is FINALLY starting to go down after an incredibly hot and humid summer season. We got up to about 112 degrees and like...150% humidity. It´s alright though, I was much more used to it this year, so I dealt with it much better. We had some rain here last week, and yesterday we had local elections. NOBODY was home, and those that were didn´t want to hear us that day. We visited the leaders and the less-active members. Turned out pretty well. We made some plans with the second councelor in the branch presidency. He is a 24-year-old return missionary and a really smart guy. Kind of a class-clown, but he knows how to run a branch really well. We´ll see what happens next week.
This week, I´ll finish on the Atonement. I´ll start now so I have time.
Ouch, this week was tough. There are only 2 things in this country that can stop the people from playing soccer: rain and politics. This week we had a both. The temperature is FINALLY starting to go down after an incredibly hot and humid summer season. We got up to about 112 degrees and like...150% humidity. It´s alright though, I was much more used to it this year, so I dealt with it much better. We had some rain here last week, and yesterday we had local elections. NOBODY was home, and those that were didn´t want to hear us that day. We visited the leaders and the less-active members. Turned out pretty well. We made some plans with the second councelor in the branch presidency. He is a 24-year-old return missionary and a really smart guy. Kind of a class-clown, but he knows how to run a branch really well. We´ll see what happens next week.
This week, I´ll finish on the Atonement. I´ll start now so I have time.
Monday, March 7, 2011
March From Babylon into Zion
Hello family :)
This week was pretty normal. We have 2 good families that we´re working with. One couple is Nelson and Blanca. We´ve been teaching them for a while, but they´ve just recently started to progress. Whew! The other is one that we just found last week. They are Ramón and Marta. He is just excellent, already progressing. She is a bit slower to progress, but she is very nice and there is great potential there. She studied with the Jehova´s Witnesses (does Jehova have an "h" on the end? In spanish, it doesn´t. I´ve forgotten haha), so she has some other beliefs that we´re working on. But I think it will turn out well.
A lot of things are changing in the mission. Thankfully it´s all for the better. With the recent visit from the area president, Elder Arnold, everybody is very motivated and excited about the work, and we´ve changed a few rules to make things run more smoothly and to have more success. The vision for this mission is a bit overwhelming sometimes. Elder Arnold said that a goal of 2 baptisms every month for every companionship is very low compared to what this mission can really do. There is a silent monster of potential explosive
This week was pretty normal. We have 2 good families that we´re working with. One couple is Nelson and Blanca. We´ve been teaching them for a while, but they´ve just recently started to progress. Whew! The other is one that we just found last week. They are Ramón and Marta. He is just excellent, already progressing. She is a bit slower to progress, but she is very nice and there is great potential there. She studied with the Jehova´s Witnesses (does Jehova have an "h" on the end? In spanish, it doesn´t. I´ve forgotten haha), so she has some other beliefs that we´re working on. But I think it will turn out well.
A lot of things are changing in the mission. Thankfully it´s all for the better. With the recent visit from the area president, Elder Arnold, everybody is very motivated and excited about the work, and we´ve changed a few rules to make things run more smoothly and to have more success. The vision for this mission is a bit overwhelming sometimes. Elder Arnold said that a goal of 2 baptisms every month for every companionship is very low compared to what this mission can really do. There is a silent monster of potential explosive
Monday, February 28, 2011
Mail Me A Birthday Gift - The Bigger The Better
Well if you ask me, this will be the best letter any of you ever get from me, because it was received on the world´s best and most important international holiday - MY BIRTHDAY!
But that´s just my opinion :)
Thank you all for the birthday wishes (Kitty Kat, I did get yours, but I can´t write back because I can only write family through the internet, but thank you! :D). It makes me feel at home. And it doesn´t hurt that like 6 members have offered to feed me and give me cake haha. But we´re just going to visit the first member that asked me (to be fair in choosing) and just do a small something. I actually don´t know what they´re going to be doing, but I told them that we´ll still be working today and that I didn´t want anything big. So we´ll see what happens. This is my last birthday that really matters haha. Weird huh? After 21, who cares how old you are? There are no more milestones. I mean, maybe if you hit 100, that´s an accomplishment (or maybe a punishment, depending on how you want to think about it), but other than that there are no fun birthdays anymore. So I´ll try to enjoy this one and sleep as much as possible :)
But that´s just my opinion :)
Thank you all for the birthday wishes (Kitty Kat, I did get yours, but I can´t write back because I can only write family through the internet, but thank you! :D). It makes me feel at home. And it doesn´t hurt that like 6 members have offered to feed me and give me cake haha. But we´re just going to visit the first member that asked me (to be fair in choosing) and just do a small something. I actually don´t know what they´re going to be doing, but I told them that we´ll still be working today and that I didn´t want anything big. So we´ll see what happens. This is my last birthday that really matters haha. Weird huh? After 21, who cares how old you are? There are no more milestones. I mean, maybe if you hit 100, that´s an accomplishment (or maybe a punishment, depending on how you want to think about it), but other than that there are no fun birthdays anymore. So I´ll try to enjoy this one and sleep as much as possible :)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Luz Gets Baptized
¡Hola mi familia y mis queridos amigazos! Hace mucho que no les escribo más en español, y quisiera hacerlo hoy :). ¡Disfruten el trabajo de traducir! Quizás puedan llamar a Cristina para que traduzca esto. Estoy muy bien aquí con mi nuevo compañero. El es rre-bueno, tiene mucho ánimo y muchos deseos de servirle al Señor. Estoy leyendo el Libro de Mormón en Guaraní. Puedo entender la mayoría de lo que leo, pero me es muy difícil hablar todavía. Esta semana voy a mandar por un libro que enseña Guaraní y estudiar eso hasta el final de mi misión. 6 meses es bastante para aprender mucho Guaraní. Vamos a ver qué pasa.
Ok, that´s enough of Spanish. You´ll have plenty of translating to do with that paragraph :). First news is first: we had the baptism on Saturday! I´ll attach pictures that Elder Beckett took from his camera. That little girl is the sweetest little girl I´ve ever seen. Her family is so incredible as well; I´ve really come to love them. Her little sister Asir didn´t get baptized yet, but Luz told me that after the baptism Asir said "I wanted to get baptized with you." haha. She regretted not doing it. We´ll see if we can set something up for her in the next coming week. She already has her interview, she could get baptized tomorrow if she wanted to. Also, one of the friends of Luz´s family came to the baptism. Her name is Chila. She had talked with missionaries before, but
Ok, that´s enough of Spanish. You´ll have plenty of translating to do with that paragraph :). First news is first: we had the baptism on Saturday! I´ll attach pictures that Elder Beckett took from his camera. That little girl is the sweetest little girl I´ve ever seen. Her family is so incredible as well; I´ve really come to love them. Her little sister Asir didn´t get baptized yet, but Luz told me that after the baptism Asir said "I wanted to get baptized with you." haha. She regretted not doing it. We´ll see if we can set something up for her in the next coming week. She already has her interview, she could get baptized tomorrow if she wanted to. Also, one of the friends of Luz´s family came to the baptism. Her name is Chila. She had talked with missionaries before, but
Monday, February 14, 2011
In a Galaxy Far, Far Away...
So a quick little news before I forget. Last week, the company that sends us our letters every week lost the envelope for our area. So Dear Elders from about 3 weeks ago are lost, and if you´ve sent me a letter in the last month or 2, its possible that it got lost as well. Bleh, drives me nuts. But what can ya do?
Some better news: we´re having a baptism on Saturday! She is the sweetest 10-year-old girl I´ve ever seen. Her name is Luz. Her mom, her aunt, her 2 uncles, and both her grandparents are inactive members. Even though they are inactive, they are just an incredible family. Luz´s mom told me that her daughters tell her how I´m their friend and also how it´s my birthday on the 28th, so she went out and bought me a cake to thank me and to celebrate. I about cried, it was so nice. We´re working with Luz´s little sister Asir as well. She´s 9, and isn´t quite sure if she wants to be baptized yet or not. But she comes to church with Luz (they come all by themselves), and the Primary has done a fantastic job making them feel part of the ward, so she likes it and I know she´ll come around. I hope my package with my camera is in the office tomorrow when we go for Zone Conference so I can take pictures Saturday and send them to you guys. I´m really excited about that.
Some better news: we´re having a baptism on Saturday! She is the sweetest 10-year-old girl I´ve ever seen. Her name is Luz. Her mom, her aunt, her 2 uncles, and both her grandparents are inactive members. Even though they are inactive, they are just an incredible family. Luz´s mom told me that her daughters tell her how I´m their friend and also how it´s my birthday on the 28th, so she went out and bought me a cake to thank me and to celebrate. I about cried, it was so nice. We´re working with Luz´s little sister Asir as well. She´s 9, and isn´t quite sure if she wants to be baptized yet or not. But she comes to church with Luz (they come all by themselves), and the Primary has done a fantastic job making them feel part of the ward, so she likes it and I know she´ll come around. I hope my package with my camera is in the office tomorrow when we go for Zone Conference so I can take pictures Saturday and send them to you guys. I´m really excited about that.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
My New Companion...Another Trainee!!
Hello my family and friends! Really though, you´re all my family :)
Ok, so I´ve got some good news and some bad news. I´ll start with the bad so we end on a good note.
Yesterday during changes I met up with Elder Patterson who is in Guarambaré (my old area). Do you remember the story I told you all about, about that old guy (the dad of a member family) who hit my companion when he was drunk and how we had the chance to teach him a few times? Well, Elder Patterson told me that he died about a month ago. He was lost for about a week and didn´t come home, and they started to worry. They started looking for him. 2 or 3 of his grandkids found him behind the cemetary. He was murdered :(. Elder Patterson told me that they described the body, and he was brutally murdered. It was really savage, so I´ll save you the details. Poor guy. The family is doing well and continue active in church, thank goodness. The missionaries are visiting them almost every day. They are coping well and learning to depend on the Lord, so they are moving on little by little.
Ok, so I´ve got some good news and some bad news. I´ll start with the bad so we end on a good note.
Yesterday during changes I met up with Elder Patterson who is in Guarambaré (my old area). Do you remember the story I told you all about, about that old guy (the dad of a member family) who hit my companion when he was drunk and how we had the chance to teach him a few times? Well, Elder Patterson told me that he died about a month ago. He was lost for about a week and didn´t come home, and they started to worry. They started looking for him. 2 or 3 of his grandkids found him behind the cemetary. He was murdered :(. Elder Patterson told me that they described the body, and he was brutally murdered. It was really savage, so I´ll save you the details. Poor guy. The family is doing well and continue active in church, thank goodness. The missionaries are visiting them almost every day. They are coping well and learning to depend on the Lord, so they are moving on little by little.
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