email 7/8/09
Hey, I just wanted to write you all and let you know that you are off the hook this Saturday. I will not be having a P-Day. I am going on divisions this whole week and then we have an interview tour and so I won’t write again until Saturday the 18th.
The baptism of the Garcia Family was AMAZING!! Dardo, Gonzalo, and Santiago all received the Aaronic Priesthood on Sunday, and the ward received the family really well. Everyone bore their testimonies and said "congratulations Garcia family. Welcome to the ward!" There was a real spirit of brotherhood and friendshipping of new members that I have never had with a baptism. Perhaps it is because the whole family got baptized together. Dardo, (who is tall and with dark hair and an intense man with a deep voice), bore a sweet testimony in the baptism. He said, and I quote "I wasn’t sure about the whole religion thing. And they talked to me about Joseph Smith and baptism and a few times I just wanted to ask them to leave. But I remember one day when they were there I felt something that I couldn’t deny. I wont try to describe it because you all must have felt the same thing and that is why you are here. I received my answer from the Holy Ghost and I knew that what the missionaries taught me was true." :) - I think that about says it.
Well, it isn’t my P-day so I gotta go. I just thought I would throw you a quick line en vista de que no tengo un dia de preparacion esta semana. Cuidense! Les quiero!!
Andy
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Baptisms
email 7/4/09
Yesterday I went down the street to my last area of Barrio 12 to baptize Kariza Nuñez Vargas, an 11 year old girl of a member family that I was teaching while I was there. When the Elders gave her a baptismal date they asked who she wanted to baptize her and she said "the tall blonde that used to come". And thus I was called upon to baptize Kariza. Her parents are both police officers, named Leonardo and Mariza, and they are way cool people. I like them a lot. It was really good to see old friends and my old ward. My old ward mission leader’s wife is pregnant. I asked her what they were going to name the baby girl and she said "Mía", which means "Mine". I said that that wasn’t a good idea and that they would regret that when she was a teenager because she would have teenage boys calling her "Mine" all the time. So I suggested a middle name to make the name more safe: "Mía No-Me-Toques Gutierrez", or "Mine Don’t-touch-me Gutierrez". I thought it was a hilarious idea and it made her laugh, but I got a scold look from our Zone Leader Elder Perez.
Tonight we have the baptism for Dardo, Graciela, and Santiago. They had their interviews this week and Elder Layton, my old companion, did the interview and said that they seemed REALLY prepared. Elder Harmon and I are going to do another musical number. We have done so many musical numbers together that I have lost count.
I am driving now. I got lucky because my Utah license expires next month but my Uruguay license doesn’t expire until 2019. At the DMV place down here the lady asked me if my name was spelled right and then looked at me and said "I think we will just give you a license for 10 years, is that okay?" And I replied "That’ll be fine." That was a real blessing because had she wanted to she could have expired my license in August with my Utah one. The good news: I can drive without any problems in Uruguay until July 2019. I compared the pics of my 16 year old license to the Uruguay one and I have concluded that I have grown up a lot in 4-5 years.
This week Elder Harmon went up to Rivera and I stayed in our area with an Elder Martinez from El Salvador. He was really cool and really good at English. We had some good lessons together, including a lesson in the chapel with Lorena, the girl I wrote about last week. We do divisions every week for half the week or more. It gets tiring because we come and go on buses and don’t get much sleep at nights on the buses. I am really tired today and I didn’t even have to travel this week.
Have ye any questions for me? Anything y'all wanna know? I don’t know if there is much left to tell. Take care! I love you all!
Andy
Yesterday I went down the street to my last area of Barrio 12 to baptize Kariza Nuñez Vargas, an 11 year old girl of a member family that I was teaching while I was there. When the Elders gave her a baptismal date they asked who she wanted to baptize her and she said "the tall blonde that used to come". And thus I was called upon to baptize Kariza. Her parents are both police officers, named Leonardo and Mariza, and they are way cool people. I like them a lot. It was really good to see old friends and my old ward. My old ward mission leader’s wife is pregnant. I asked her what they were going to name the baby girl and she said "Mía", which means "Mine". I said that that wasn’t a good idea and that they would regret that when she was a teenager because she would have teenage boys calling her "Mine" all the time. So I suggested a middle name to make the name more safe: "Mía No-Me-Toques Gutierrez", or "Mine Don’t-touch-me Gutierrez". I thought it was a hilarious idea and it made her laugh, but I got a scold look from our Zone Leader Elder Perez.
Tonight we have the baptism for Dardo, Graciela, and Santiago. They had their interviews this week and Elder Layton, my old companion, did the interview and said that they seemed REALLY prepared. Elder Harmon and I are going to do another musical number. We have done so many musical numbers together that I have lost count.
I am driving now. I got lucky because my Utah license expires next month but my Uruguay license doesn’t expire until 2019. At the DMV place down here the lady asked me if my name was spelled right and then looked at me and said "I think we will just give you a license for 10 years, is that okay?" And I replied "That’ll be fine." That was a real blessing because had she wanted to she could have expired my license in August with my Utah one. The good news: I can drive without any problems in Uruguay until July 2019. I compared the pics of my 16 year old license to the Uruguay one and I have concluded that I have grown up a lot in 4-5 years.
This week Elder Harmon went up to Rivera and I stayed in our area with an Elder Martinez from El Salvador. He was really cool and really good at English. We had some good lessons together, including a lesson in the chapel with Lorena, the girl I wrote about last week. We do divisions every week for half the week or more. It gets tiring because we come and go on buses and don’t get much sleep at nights on the buses. I am really tired today and I didn’t even have to travel this week.
Have ye any questions for me? Anything y'all wanna know? I don’t know if there is much left to tell. Take care! I love you all!
Andy
Monday, June 29, 2009
email 6/27/09
Another week gone by and still no baptisms. Just kidding. But really, we didn’t have any baptisms this week. But the good news is that this coming Saturday we should have 3 baptisms. The Familia Garcia, composed of Dardo the dad, Graciela the mom, and Santiago who is 14. And the week after that we have a baptism of a lady that we found and taught yesterday named Adriana. She had been an investigator a while back in Fray Bentos, and now lives here in Montevideo. She has been to church a lot of times already and so we just told her that it was time to get baptized. We had a really spiritual lesson with her and talked a lot about prayer and the positive attitude and blessings that we gain from the gospel. The problems never go away but our understanding of our purpose in life changes completely how we react to life’s challenges. She accepted a date for the following Saturday.
We found a great girl named Lorena last night. My companion had contacted her earlier in the week, but we had to set up for last night because she is a pretty 23 year old girl that lives with her college roommate. They are both in medical school. So we got a young member couple that was recently sealed in the temple to accompany us to the visit. Lorena was there alone and we talked mainly about the existence of God. She didn’t have any religious background. She said that she didn’t disbelieve in God, nor did she believe in Him. We talked about how we need to try and know Him, and we read John 17:3. “This is life eternal, that they know thee the one true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” She is really smart and a very special person. I have a really good feeling about her. She accepted the invitation to say the prayer before we left. She was nervous because she had never prayed before. We all bowed our heads and she waited probably ten seconds. I was about to tell her she didn’t need to say the prayer today when she said “Padre Celestial…” I got the chills all over my body. She said a short prayer in which she thanked God for her family and friends and for our visit. She accepted the conditional baptismal date, meaning that when she knows these things are true she will be baptized. My companion and I invite people to be baptized in every lesson. Anyway, I found myself immediately loving Lorena. When I asked her about her family and she told us that her parents were divorced but that she saw them every now and then, I sensed a sad and broken heart in her. She is really alone. She is a humble and beautiful person. I hate that it is against mission rules to hug women. I agree 100% with the rule because I understand why, and it really is a necessary rule, but I really wanted to hug Lorena. Didn’t do it, but I sure wanted to. I wanted to assure her that she had friends and family with us. But her praying to God will prove to be even more valuable for her so it is alright. She said she would start praying.
My companion Elder Harmon and I are having a great time. Life is great and I love being a missionary and teaching. I love talking to people. I have grown up more on my mission than you can all imagine. I can’t describe how different I feel now. I feel that I have learned to love people in a way I couldn’t even fathom before I left. And I smile now a lot more. I feel more sincere and happy. I have come a long way since Tacuarembo a year ago.
Take care! I love you all!!
Andy
We found a great girl named Lorena last night. My companion had contacted her earlier in the week, but we had to set up for last night because she is a pretty 23 year old girl that lives with her college roommate. They are both in medical school. So we got a young member couple that was recently sealed in the temple to accompany us to the visit. Lorena was there alone and we talked mainly about the existence of God. She didn’t have any religious background. She said that she didn’t disbelieve in God, nor did she believe in Him. We talked about how we need to try and know Him, and we read John 17:3. “This is life eternal, that they know thee the one true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” She is really smart and a very special person. I have a really good feeling about her. She accepted the invitation to say the prayer before we left. She was nervous because she had never prayed before. We all bowed our heads and she waited probably ten seconds. I was about to tell her she didn’t need to say the prayer today when she said “Padre Celestial…” I got the chills all over my body. She said a short prayer in which she thanked God for her family and friends and for our visit. She accepted the conditional baptismal date, meaning that when she knows these things are true she will be baptized. My companion and I invite people to be baptized in every lesson. Anyway, I found myself immediately loving Lorena. When I asked her about her family and she told us that her parents were divorced but that she saw them every now and then, I sensed a sad and broken heart in her. She is really alone. She is a humble and beautiful person. I hate that it is against mission rules to hug women. I agree 100% with the rule because I understand why, and it really is a necessary rule, but I really wanted to hug Lorena. Didn’t do it, but I sure wanted to. I wanted to assure her that she had friends and family with us. But her praying to God will prove to be even more valuable for her so it is alright. She said she would start praying.
My companion Elder Harmon and I are having a great time. Life is great and I love being a missionary and teaching. I love talking to people. I have grown up more on my mission than you can all imagine. I can’t describe how different I feel now. I feel that I have learned to love people in a way I couldn’t even fathom before I left. And I smile now a lot more. I feel more sincere and happy. I have come a long way since Tacuarembo a year ago.
Take care! I love you all!!
Andy
email 6/20/09
This week was an impacting week in my mission. The Elder Bowen conferences were very spiritual. He had a very different style than did Elder Aidukaitis. I learned from the experience that both leaders inspired a great desire for change in us and to be better. I also learned that there is more than one way to roll the dice, or more than one way to eat a Reeses. Elder Bowen was a teddy bear. He is a sweet man who showed his love for the missionaries. The both of them were called of the Lord to help our mission. I feel bad that I now have about 21 months in the mission and I feel like I am just barely learning how to be a faithful missionary. I guess that is how life is.
He talked about knowing who we really are. He said that if we really understand that we are a people of the covenant than our mission president should never again have to wonder about or talk about our obedience. I am an obedient missionary, nevertheless I realized there were things to improve upon. The trick is having a good attitude about it all. I really liked it when he put it this way: “Can we be perfect? No. But can I be a perfect tithe payer? Of course I can. Can I have perfect charity for all mankind? That is a little tougher. But I can be a perfect tithe payer. Are there any mission rules that are impossible to be perfect at? Up at 6:30? In bed at 10:30? Obeying the schedule? Etc…” He also wasn’t extremist. He recognizes that things can happen. He didn’t want questions like “what happens if…” to which he always responded “follow the spirit.” Every little detailed question he was given he said “follow the spirit”. “If you feel square with God than I am okay with that. Just remember the words of Huckleberry Finn: You just can’t pray a lie.” When he said that he became one of my favorite people.
I am an Assistant. I am having a hard time telling you all stories because all the fun stuff would give it away. I wanted to see how long I could go without telling you all, but I give up. So this week I was shaking in my boots. We had a general authority come and the first thing he asked me was, “Is your area the best baptizing area in the mission?” “uhhh…no sir.” “Will you all work and make it the best baptizing area in the mission?” “Yes sir.” The thing about it is that he really made me believe that we can do it. If we are obedient and faithful I really know that we can turn our area here in the city into the best baptizing area in the mission. It is going to happen. Faith is always accompanied by a positive attitude. We don’t have to be unrealistic, and I don’t think that what he asked was unrealistic. Elder Harmon and I can do it. Last week we baptized a man named Gonzalo, age 25. His family wasn’t really coming along. We went and taught his parents and his little brother and challenged the three of them to be baptized. It was a very spiritual lesson. We started talking about the pioneers for some reason, showed them the maps in the back of the scriptures, and I had no idea how we were going to tie it into baptism. Elder Harmon and I have a goal to talk about baptism and invite in every lesson. It is the whole philosophy, the more applications you fill out the better chance you have at getting a job. Dardo, is the name of the father and Graciela the mother, and the little brother is Santiago. Well, after talking about the pioneers, my family ancestry, and a little about the succession of prophets, we just asked them why they hadn’t been baptized yet. They said they needed to and now they will get baptized next week!
This is why Elder Harmon is my favorite companion. As soon as we walked out the door and into the night we both started singing at the same exact time in harmonies because he has a great singing voice, “Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest.” We want to be humble but hungry. I am glad the lesson was how it was because I know that it wasn’t our teaching abilities that spoke to them at all. We had no idea why we were talking about the pioneers. The spirit spoke to them and as always the glory belongs to Heavenly Father.
Elder Harmon and I got to do the road trip for the conferences. We drove up to Tacuarembo and I saw some familiar faces. I never had been happier to be in T-bo. I recognized that cold city as my refiners fire from the year before. I had all the money for the conferences, 25000 pesos to be exact, and I had to not lose a single receipt or peso or else it was on my head. I was so nervous. I was really jumpy about it all week, but I will have you know, that when the week ended and I reported to the financial secretary Elder Hughes I presented receipts and change that added up to 25003 pesos. I told him to keep the change.
One morning before a conference Elder Harmon and I went to President’s hotel to get his computer equipment to take to the church and set up. He told us to stay 10 minutes and grab a quick breakfast. We went in and grabbed some muffins and orange juice and were eating when Elder Bowen came and sat down right next to us. We had been trying to stay out of his hair, but he was asking for it. My 10 minute breakfast turned into 30 minutes of Q and A. I kept trying to let Elder Harmon ask something, but every time I did he didn’t say anything. I wasn’t afraid to ask questions and so I kept talking. Elder Bowen didn’t seem opposed at all and I loved talking to him so we had a good little chat that morning. It was a fun experience. That man has a profound love for the gospel and a deep understanding of the mysteries of the Kingdom.
My week was a fun road trip with Elder Harmon. We swapped manly stories and talked about how to be better missionaries and some deep doctrine. It was a good time and I didn’t lose any of the church’s money! That was probably what I was most happy about.
Well, I must be going. I love you all very much! Take care and be positive! Life is always better when you have a positive attitude!
Andy
He talked about knowing who we really are. He said that if we really understand that we are a people of the covenant than our mission president should never again have to wonder about or talk about our obedience. I am an obedient missionary, nevertheless I realized there were things to improve upon. The trick is having a good attitude about it all. I really liked it when he put it this way: “Can we be perfect? No. But can I be a perfect tithe payer? Of course I can. Can I have perfect charity for all mankind? That is a little tougher. But I can be a perfect tithe payer. Are there any mission rules that are impossible to be perfect at? Up at 6:30? In bed at 10:30? Obeying the schedule? Etc…” He also wasn’t extremist. He recognizes that things can happen. He didn’t want questions like “what happens if…” to which he always responded “follow the spirit.” Every little detailed question he was given he said “follow the spirit”. “If you feel square with God than I am okay with that. Just remember the words of Huckleberry Finn: You just can’t pray a lie.” When he said that he became one of my favorite people.
I am an Assistant. I am having a hard time telling you all stories because all the fun stuff would give it away. I wanted to see how long I could go without telling you all, but I give up. So this week I was shaking in my boots. We had a general authority come and the first thing he asked me was, “Is your area the best baptizing area in the mission?” “uhhh…no sir.” “Will you all work and make it the best baptizing area in the mission?” “Yes sir.” The thing about it is that he really made me believe that we can do it. If we are obedient and faithful I really know that we can turn our area here in the city into the best baptizing area in the mission. It is going to happen. Faith is always accompanied by a positive attitude. We don’t have to be unrealistic, and I don’t think that what he asked was unrealistic. Elder Harmon and I can do it. Last week we baptized a man named Gonzalo, age 25. His family wasn’t really coming along. We went and taught his parents and his little brother and challenged the three of them to be baptized. It was a very spiritual lesson. We started talking about the pioneers for some reason, showed them the maps in the back of the scriptures, and I had no idea how we were going to tie it into baptism. Elder Harmon and I have a goal to talk about baptism and invite in every lesson. It is the whole philosophy, the more applications you fill out the better chance you have at getting a job. Dardo, is the name of the father and Graciela the mother, and the little brother is Santiago. Well, after talking about the pioneers, my family ancestry, and a little about the succession of prophets, we just asked them why they hadn’t been baptized yet. They said they needed to and now they will get baptized next week!
This is why Elder Harmon is my favorite companion. As soon as we walked out the door and into the night we both started singing at the same exact time in harmonies because he has a great singing voice, “Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest.” We want to be humble but hungry. I am glad the lesson was how it was because I know that it wasn’t our teaching abilities that spoke to them at all. We had no idea why we were talking about the pioneers. The spirit spoke to them and as always the glory belongs to Heavenly Father.
Elder Harmon and I got to do the road trip for the conferences. We drove up to Tacuarembo and I saw some familiar faces. I never had been happier to be in T-bo. I recognized that cold city as my refiners fire from the year before. I had all the money for the conferences, 25000 pesos to be exact, and I had to not lose a single receipt or peso or else it was on my head. I was so nervous. I was really jumpy about it all week, but I will have you know, that when the week ended and I reported to the financial secretary Elder Hughes I presented receipts and change that added up to 25003 pesos. I told him to keep the change.
One morning before a conference Elder Harmon and I went to President’s hotel to get his computer equipment to take to the church and set up. He told us to stay 10 minutes and grab a quick breakfast. We went in and grabbed some muffins and orange juice and were eating when Elder Bowen came and sat down right next to us. We had been trying to stay out of his hair, but he was asking for it. My 10 minute breakfast turned into 30 minutes of Q and A. I kept trying to let Elder Harmon ask something, but every time I did he didn’t say anything. I wasn’t afraid to ask questions and so I kept talking. Elder Bowen didn’t seem opposed at all and I loved talking to him so we had a good little chat that morning. It was a fun experience. That man has a profound love for the gospel and a deep understanding of the mysteries of the Kingdom.
My week was a fun road trip with Elder Harmon. We swapped manly stories and talked about how to be better missionaries and some deep doctrine. It was a good time and I didn’t lose any of the church’s money! That was probably what I was most happy about.
Well, I must be going. I love you all very much! Take care and be positive! Life is always better when you have a positive attitude!
Andy
Monday, June 15, 2009
Saturday in the Park
email 6/13/09
I supposed I should have warned you all that my P-Day has been changed to Saturday. My lack of email today is very much my own fault. But that is okay.
This week was transfers week. I stayed in the same stake but am in a different ward. My new companion is Elder Steven Harmon from AZ. We are gonna have a lot of fun together. He is already my favorite companion.
As of this week I am hitting the big 20 month mark in the mission. I feel really old. On the mission board with the pics of all the missionaries I am on what they call "death row". From top to bottom by age is the board and I am on the very top row. It is weird. It is definitely true that the 2nd year of the mission goes by twice as fast as the first. I haven’t been able to hold on to a transfer or a companion for more than a few days it seems like. I can’t believe how fast the time is now flying by.
So this next week Elder Bowen of the 70 is coming to the mission. He is the President of the Area South America South. I just hope that he doesn’t attack me like Elder Aidukatis did. Elder Aidukaitis is from Brazil but he looks like a Russian and he speaks English, Portuguese, and is learning Spanish. He was an intense man. But the way he dropped the cane on the mission seems now absolutely necessary. Our mission has improved in the number of baptisms by at least 20 percent since he was here. And we are going up. I am a little nervous for Elder Bowen to come but I think it should all be alright.
So Matt is now 2 months away from getting married and Luke is 2 months away from leaving on his mission. Bummer. Looks like Matt will now have a wedding minus 2 brothers.
I am really tired because today for P-Day we got together and played basketball in the church. It had been a really long time since I had played basketball. It was a lot of fun but I now have blistered feet and am really sore. I have never really understood how Preparation days are the day for sports. It does anything but make me feel prepared. I am going to hurt for days walking around. Nevertheless it was worth the game.
I don’t have much to tell this week because of transfers. Still in Montevideo and so not much is new. Don’t forget that from now on you all need to write me before Saturday. I totally forgot that my P-Day was changing and so I forgot to warn you all. Take care. The church is true. I love you all!
Andy
I supposed I should have warned you all that my P-Day has been changed to Saturday. My lack of email today is very much my own fault. But that is okay.
This week was transfers week. I stayed in the same stake but am in a different ward. My new companion is Elder Steven Harmon from AZ. We are gonna have a lot of fun together. He is already my favorite companion.
As of this week I am hitting the big 20 month mark in the mission. I feel really old. On the mission board with the pics of all the missionaries I am on what they call "death row". From top to bottom by age is the board and I am on the very top row. It is weird. It is definitely true that the 2nd year of the mission goes by twice as fast as the first. I haven’t been able to hold on to a transfer or a companion for more than a few days it seems like. I can’t believe how fast the time is now flying by.
So this next week Elder Bowen of the 70 is coming to the mission. He is the President of the Area South America South. I just hope that he doesn’t attack me like Elder Aidukatis did. Elder Aidukaitis is from Brazil but he looks like a Russian and he speaks English, Portuguese, and is learning Spanish. He was an intense man. But the way he dropped the cane on the mission seems now absolutely necessary. Our mission has improved in the number of baptisms by at least 20 percent since he was here. And we are going up. I am a little nervous for Elder Bowen to come but I think it should all be alright.
So Matt is now 2 months away from getting married and Luke is 2 months away from leaving on his mission. Bummer. Looks like Matt will now have a wedding minus 2 brothers.
I am really tired because today for P-Day we got together and played basketball in the church. It had been a really long time since I had played basketball. It was a lot of fun but I now have blistered feet and am really sore. I have never really understood how Preparation days are the day for sports. It does anything but make me feel prepared. I am going to hurt for days walking around. Nevertheless it was worth the game.
I don’t have much to tell this week because of transfers. Still in Montevideo and so not much is new. Don’t forget that from now on you all need to write me before Saturday. I totally forgot that my P-Day was changing and so I forgot to warn you all. Take care. The church is true. I love you all!
Andy
Transfers
email 6/9/09
Another transfer...are we counting? I am going in to my 14th transfer and in the mission for a person who spent 9 weeks in the MTC there are 16 transfers. I will soon complete 20 months in the mission. I see all the greenies coming in and they see me as old. I am almost 21! And the fact that they are new to the mission and I seem to already know what is going on makes me appear ancient to them. I remember what that was like. I was talking to my hijo Elder Ericson and he just thinks that I am so old and good. He looks up to me the way I looked up to my trainer. It is funny how that works. And as we get older in the mission we come to realize that the mission becomes normal to you and you begin to love it. I used to view the old missionaries as on a higher plane, as all knowing, near perfection leaders, etc... And now that I am here I see that that is not the case. And I talk to my hijo and it seems he views me the same way I viewed them, and I bet they looked up to the older missionaries when they started. What a crazy thing!? I don’t know why I didn’t see that before.
I was transferred but I stayed here in the same stake, just a different ward. My new companion will be Elder Harmon from AZ. I LOVE Elder Harmon! He is Josh Wilson’s twin. He is tall, plays basketball, sings, is brilliant, works hard, etc... I feel like I am with my best friend all the time again. It is cool. Still here in Montevideo and couldn’t be happier about it.
The mission goes well. I am working hard and being obedient. Pray for me. I love you all!!
Andy
Another transfer...are we counting? I am going in to my 14th transfer and in the mission for a person who spent 9 weeks in the MTC there are 16 transfers. I will soon complete 20 months in the mission. I see all the greenies coming in and they see me as old. I am almost 21! And the fact that they are new to the mission and I seem to already know what is going on makes me appear ancient to them. I remember what that was like. I was talking to my hijo Elder Ericson and he just thinks that I am so old and good. He looks up to me the way I looked up to my trainer. It is funny how that works. And as we get older in the mission we come to realize that the mission becomes normal to you and you begin to love it. I used to view the old missionaries as on a higher plane, as all knowing, near perfection leaders, etc... And now that I am here I see that that is not the case. And I talk to my hijo and it seems he views me the same way I viewed them, and I bet they looked up to the older missionaries when they started. What a crazy thing!? I don’t know why I didn’t see that before.
I was transferred but I stayed here in the same stake, just a different ward. My new companion will be Elder Harmon from AZ. I LOVE Elder Harmon! He is Josh Wilson’s twin. He is tall, plays basketball, sings, is brilliant, works hard, etc... I feel like I am with my best friend all the time again. It is cool. Still here in Montevideo and couldn’t be happier about it.
The mission goes well. I am working hard and being obedient. Pray for me. I love you all!!
Andy
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Mr Brown, first test I will not call you that
email dated 6/1/09
So life continues. Our mission baptized 126 people in the month of May!! That is the record for the past 10 years or so. And June looks even better!! That is pretty cool.
I am having fun. I really love the companions that I have around me. I am as happy as I have been in the mission. It has been getting pretty cold these days. I am not a big fan of the cold but I will survive. The knowledge that it is my last humid winter helps me stay warm at nights I think. It is frigid. The wind cuts straight through my trench coat and jacket and shirt sometimes. But I have invested in cocoa this year and have a cup of hot chocolate every morning. That helps me start off the day on the up and up.
My investigator Maria Elena who I believe will be baptized in June now helped us teach the Plan of Salvation to her niece. She and her niece were both active catholics. Maria Elena was converting but the niece didn't like it and didn't help us out. We finally had a lesson with the niece involved and ended up getting through to her too as Maria Elena herself explained the pre-existence and our purpose in life. The doubt was the need for eternal marriage if we are all brothers and sisters in God. Maria Elena said something to the effect of "We had our gender before coming here. And if I am not mistaken we have a heavenly mother, and if we want to become like Him and Her, celestial marriage would be completely legitimate". !!!!! I was knocked over by the spirit. I was so impressed with her help in that lesson.
Anyway, I gotta go. Se me fue el tiempo. Take care!! I love you all!!
Andy
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