He Should Not Be Hitting You, Jenny‏

email dated 9/8/08

So I woke up talking like Forrest Gump today and I couldn’t help it. Enjoy the title and remember the black panther meeting. I think that is an American Classic. Good movie.

So, holy cow!! Shalynn Decker is engaged to Biege Hansen!! Congratulations Shalynn! I think you read the blog page, but if not you wont read me saying "congrats", my mom will have to tell you as she makes your wedding dress. Either way, I am so happy for you. That is so crazy!

It is so weird to think of how fast things are changing. My little brother and older brother are both going to MY university in Logan, and Christian is in high school! I am almost a year old in my mission! Dad is 53!! (Which is still young enough to be in my band by the way.) People I know are getting married! I don’t know if Hannah Merkely is already married, but I was SOO happy when I found out she was marrying Ryan Woolsey. Both of which are such great friends to me. Life is so weird and time just keeps on flying by.

So all is well here in Uruguay. The weather is warmer, although we had a really rainy weekend that put a damper on things. Not a lot of people down here go to church when it is raining. It isn’t like the US where we all have cars. But the important 3 still came, that is the 3 investigators that have baptismal dates for this month.

Maria Rosa, is a 50 year old woman who has gone from smoking 3 packs a day to 6 cigarettes. She has a few more weeks and she wants to be completely stopped so that she can be baptized.

Julieta, 40-ish, quit smoking cold turkey. From half a pack a day to nothing. I am proud of her. It has been a full week and she says every time she feels like smoking she reads the Book of Mormon.

And Federico, our 14 year old boy, has decided that he doesn’t care what anyone thinks. His mom is a member from youth but hasn’t been going to church for 20 years because of her husband. Federico’s brothers and sisters and his dad all said that he shouldn’t go through with it. But he told me yesterday that he wants me to baptize him and he doesn’t care if nobody comes in his whole family because he feels it is what is right for him. He had decided on telling us not to come back anymore, but felt sick about saying that, and then prayed and decided he wanted to continue with us and felt good about it. Very simple prayer answering like we taught him. I am proud of him. We need to soften his dad’s heart. The dad wont prohibit him from being baptized, but he openly says he doesn’t like it.

So those are the 3 we have going on right now. We found a bunch of investigators this last week, my very best finding week in the whole mission. Anyway, the work is progressing. I don’t want to talk about my numbers anymore because I know how not-fun they are to read for you all. Another Elder writes me and always just writes about the numbers and the baptisms, and I know I don’t enjoy that kind of mail so I bet you all don’t enjoy it.

Elder Ballard and I have been playing guitars in our spare time after planning at night, and this morning for P-day, and I have decided that music is saving my life. I don’t remember ever being happier in the whole mission. Playing makes me feel soo good. It makes me want to start a band when I get back to Logan. I think I will. I am already discussing a band name with Ballard. We are writing some fun music, and don’t worry, it is mission appropriate music. We aren’t truchos.

So, I hope everyone is doing just peachy. I am healthier than I was in Tacuarembo and so I feel really good. And my companion is a stud and I love our house of 4. We have a good time together. And we are working hard. The mission has never been better. I think I am finally getting the hang of this whole mission thing.

Take care! I love y'all!!

Andy