Cerro

Transfers are in...and my companion and I are both leaving. He is going to the offices and I am going to a place called Cerro, which is down in Montevideo more or less. I don’t really know much about it. It is hard that we are both leaving; this is the second time that has happened to me, but I know the missionary who is coming in. He is a guy named Elder Hansen and there aren’t better missionaries in the world. He is one of the most sincere, obedient, and hard working guys I have ever met. It won’t surprise me when he is in the Quorum of the 12 someday. He is training in my area. I feel good leaving him our investigators. It is sad to leave when it felt like we were getting things together, but I did want to go so I am not complaining. He and his greenie are spoiled. We left them some of the best investigators I have seen my whole mission, including a family we found last week that is AMAZING. The 14 year old and 10 year old boy even participate in the lessons!! It is truly a whole family with mom and dad and brothers and sister. They are so nice! The mom cried when we said we were leaving, but also promised to keep reading and praying and of course to go to church this Sunday.

On the flipside of things, in Cerro I will be with one Elder Stevenson. He has been out a few months less than I have and they say he is really strong. He supposedly can bench 300 pounds or something like that, so I will be safe even though I am in the city. I am also excited for the opportunity to lose a few pounds, I hope. The missionaries don’t eat with members every day down there. Furthermore, I am excited because I hear I am going to be in a house of 4 missionaries. I have never done that before, but I think I will like it. A lot of missionaries say it sucks to be in a house with 4, sharing the bathroom and all that, but I think I won’t mind. I am kind of excited. You get to meet and get to know more people that way. It is a new adventure.

I feel content. I honestly feel I can tell myself that I gave Tacuarembo the best I could. I feel like with Elder Surtees and Elder Oliphant that we made a difference here. We did leave it better than we found it.

There isn’t much great to tell. I don’t have any funny stories today, nor any political rants, nor any funny jokes. I am tired. I packed this morning, and I HATE packing, and I still have to run around and say a few more goodbyes today.

Pray for me. I know God will hear you. He always hears me. But pray and remember that it makes a difference. Just because God knows everything already does not take the responsibility off of us nor the necessity to speak to Him with full purpose of heart. He knows our heart. It says in the scriptures more times than I know, "ask and ye shall receive." Understand and know that when you pray for me I feel it. I feel it when you don’t. There are some blessings God is waiting to give us if we remember to ask. "This is life eternal" to know God the Eternal Father, and His son whom He sent (John 17:3). If we want to get to know Him we have to be on frequent communication. I am praying for you and, as often as memory permits, by name. There are a lot of people to remember, but I do my best. I never really understood what MJ, my cuñado, was saying about falling asleep on your knees and being so tired, but now that I am out here as a missionary I get it. I have lost count of the times I have fallen asleep on my knees. I finally made a deal with God, because my knees hurt, that I would end the official prayer and get into bed and then keep talking to Him until I fell asleep. It is working out fine. He is always listening and it isn’t a joke. You need to converse with Him and He will give you rest.

I wish you all the best. I love you!

Andy