I have moved ahead of dad for baptisms this month as we baptized 3 on Saturday. We have a possible 4th in 2 weeks. Don't worry mom...dad won't beat me...haha.  I have already sent pics. The oldest is Ingrid, the youngest is Evelin and the middle one is Olga. They are awesome. I wish you could meet them. They have a brother that we are working with as well. He is the possible in 2 weeks.

 (Don't you just love how there's a little girl next to Darin and they are both holding onto something.  

I think that is so cute--and so Darin.)

It also reminds me of a Christmas picture that was taken one year that Bronwen was in...  :-)  

Yesterday a JW came up to the church and started preaching. We were in a classroom during the 2nd hour helping a member when his brother walks in and said, "There is a guy from another church asking questions." I was like...what? and I looked and sure enough--there he is. We go check it out and he was talking with the primary teachers and asked them about baptism. One of them gave the answer and he said, "I like that answer" and then took out his Bible and started showing us verses to support it. Then he pulled out the JW mag and taught a little from it.  He gave it to us and then thanked us for our time and left. It was definitely interesting...

Also after church we were doing stuff with the records and I noticed a dog in the hallway. (Yes, animals come into the church here.) I asked the secretary whose dog it is. It is brother so and so's. Welll...this brother didn't come to church yesterday but his dog did!...haha He lives basically in front of the church so the dog didn't come from far away but it's funny that it came and he didn't.

Also in the main river that goes through the city, we saw a baby croc or something like that in the river yesterday. We were crossing the bridge and we looked over the edge and there it was just floating there. And then it submerged itself and we lost it. It was defintely a croc or a gator. I think a croc because its head was a little fatter. It was about 2 feet long maybe...maybe less....but crazy none the less. If there is one, there has to be others. And if that's the baby, where's the mom and dad?

It was a good week. It stormed a couple times. Something weird is happening. I have been waking up at like 6ish almost everyday and I'm not tired. I feel good. It's weird but kind of cool. It makes getting up easier...haha...

I hope you had a good week and I hope this is a good week....love you and miss you 

Monday, April 9, 2012

I did not have a special Easter dinner last night. I'm saving it for 2013...haha...

I did see a few colored chicks like last year. Easter here is very religious. On Friday (Holy Friday as they call it) we saw a huge procession of Catholics with their floats. There was Jesus carrying his cross, Mary (Jesus's mom), Mary Magdalene and one other who I'm not sure who it was. Obviously there is the holy Virgin Mary thing with the Catholics but I think they did the other ones because they were at the foot of the cross. They got branches and speakers and they would stop and someone was preaching, then they all did the Padre Nuestro (the example prayer from the Sermon on the Mount) and then they did a prayer to Mary. I recognized the first part of the prayer to her as when the angel comes to her and tells her she will have a baby then they lost me. They started talking about forgiving sins and stuff. Where they got that from...idk.. But they would also put down pictures of Jesus made from dirt and salt and other things like that. They were super cool to see. The funny part was the first one they did was totally a copy of one done by a church member. It was Jesus leaving the tomb. They totally copied it. I was laughing when I saw it. They would stop like every 150 feet or so and do the same thing: preaching, prayers, put down a picture. I was kind of impressed by the sight as to the devotion but it made me think of Jesus with the Samaritan woman when he tells her she worships what she doesn't know.

They also make eggs. They take eggs they have used and fill them with confetti and other things like that and then close it up and then paint it. Then they crack each other on the head with them and there is confetti and little things all around. They are pretty cool.

We had investigators in church in our little branch. Things are good. A few of the people we are working with are thanks to members so we have a few member references here and there. It definitely helps.

I haven't gotten the letter with the picture yet. I'm in Oriente, Mom. Everything takes a year to get here...haha... but I think I might get it tomorrow IF I'm lucky.

It's actually been stormy here. It's surprised me. I didn't think it would storm here for awhile considering it's Oriente and everything but everything is good here.

Love you.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Everything is the same. Same area, same comp, same heat. It's all the same...haha...

We had a good week, although we found out that some investigators will go to Santa Ana for a week or so. I don't like it when they leave because it cuts the continuity that we have with them, but oh well.

Today is actually cloudy and it was stormy yesterday again. The weather hasn't been too bad lately.

I watched General Conference in English with A/C. It was an enjoyable last conference. I really liked the talk by Holland. I always love his talks. But Elder Andersen's to finish was also very good--like you said: "What thinks Christ of me?" And Uchtdorf had another awesome talk. For priesthood I loved Bednar's talk. Anyone who heard it is now running to do home teaching--I hope...

Spring break! Next year I get one...

Tell Mrs. Schick I have not seen her patron saint just yet...haha...but I'll find her and take a picture to show.

I don't remember. I had some stuff from the letters I got after changes to answer for you and Dad but I forgot so this will be short.

Love you...

Monday, March 26, 2012

Changes are this week--Wednesday, the 28th.The same day that I complete 20 months...crazy huh? I still don't know if I'm leaving, but I'm gonna say no. However President in his letter to us said there were going to be a bunch of changes in all of the mission. I guess that happens when 8 missionaries leave and 22 come in...

It rained yesterday. It poured a little. It was super crazy--huge dark clouds and strong gusts, a little thunder and lightening. It was pretty cool. I was super confused because that shouldn't happen yet. We are basically to Semana Santa. But it was nice and it cooled down everything a ton.

Today we were hanging around a mini store that you always find here and this old lady comes up is like "hey jovens" and touches my head with her hand and then the head of my comp and talks with us for a little bit. Then as she is leaving touches our heads again. Why?idk Just a crazy old lady....

I spent the day in La Union. It's hot but not too bad...

And I almost went to Lislique but the bus didn't stop for us. Cool story with that just cause that bus passed us at like 1:00 basically. We had to go to get a birth certificate and we waited for probably an hour before the bus finally came and like I said it just kept going. There was another in an hour but we went the cook's house to eat and she said "Well, It's good it didn't stop because there would be no buses to come back now. (I guess by the time we got there) and we would have had to hitch rides all the way back or spend the night there. To it's a good thing the bus didn't stop.

And I'm super pumped for GC. It's the missionary vacation...haha... :P

That's about it...love you...later

Monday, March 19, 2012

First off...I'm writing so late because we had p-day with Pres. We baptized the most as a zone last month.

I miss George. That's so cool that he is home. I do the same thing he did when I talk in English. I replace English words with Spanish ones...unless I try hard. Maybe you'll get that on mothers day.

I love that dook lost. I hate that Marshall is hurt. I miss march madness. Oh well, last one that I miss :)

Church is good. We are hoping for some baptisms this week. We are sure of a few--just a few that we aren't sure of yet. And actually yesterday was a stake conference but a transmission from SLC. We had Elder Clark and Sister Dibb and Elder Clayton and Pres. Packer. Quick background of what they talked about...

Elder Clark....less actives...the parable of the Lost Sheep

Sister Dibb...virtue...

Elder Clayton...keeping the commandments. If you keep the commandments, you will prosper in the land...like it says in the Book of Mormon.

and Pres. Packer....if there is faith, there is no reason to fear. He told the youth to memorize scriptures and that we are in a time of preparation. Then he left a blessing on them that they will be cared for and they won't have fear and will live the Gospel with a testimony that will be a lighthouse for them and that they will always have everything they need. But the blessing has to do with what Elder Clayton said. He mentioned it right before he pronounced the blessing on them.

We also had Elder Amado with us. It was so great. He spent more time with us than with any other group. He said he felt like he should keep talking and teaching so he stayed til 4. The plan was to go til 2:30. I don't have time to write what he taught thanks to our P-day with President but I'll do it next week.

As for my birthday--I don't need anything. Maybe just money. The drink packets are nice though....haha...

love you

Monday, March 12, 2012

HIII!!!

Life is good here--other than the fact it gets hot and I have to wear a shirt and tie. Honestly, if that wasn't a requirement, I don't think the heat would bug me at all. Well...mostly...

SRdeL (Santa Rosa de Lima) is small I would say, but the area is huge. It's a big area, but SRdeL is probably what one would say is small...

Yes, i still have a cook.

It's kind of nice to wash my clothes. It gets done faster--that's for sure! I just wish there was something to do while it was in the machine. At home I can get on the comp or watch a movie or tv....or play xbox...here no...just wait...and wait...it's kind of boring...

George is coming home. That's so crazy. He sent me a pic a few months ago. Maybe he got parasites and that's what got him skinny....haha....jk...

Honestly...idk what I want to graduate in. That's the big problem. I have been focused on other things obviously and I haven't thought about school in a long time. It might be business but idk. I still have a strong attraction to Sports...something with that...idk what. And then sometimes I think about being a doctor...and..idk...its hard...I can't decide. But you guys can pick. Just make sure it doesn't close doors like you are saying.

and do you have anything new on my license...?

well, they had elections this week. The week started kind of crazy with parties and stuff, but Wednesday was the last day to campaign so since Wednesday it has been chill. They also have a dry law here. They don't sell alcohol of any type the day before the day of or the day after the elections which were yesterday so we are still under the dry law. All the alcohol in the grocery store is marked off with tape saying you can't buy it. The normally drunk people don't know what to do with themselves. They haven't been sober for 3 days in a long time. Part of the law is that if the police see you with alcohol, they take it away. So even if you get your hands on alcohol, you still have to hide it.

That was the only super interesting thing. Hope everything is going good there. Love you.

Cold weather...sounds like an interesting phenomenon. Haha...I might hate my life next year. I might join Dad on hating cold weather with a passion...who knows.

Anyways, Easter in 33 days? Even if you send me a package now, who knows when I would get it--but you could try it. What I use to count down are events, like General Conference--my last one here and then my birthday(kind of) but the next big event is Mother's Day. Then after mothers day, I really don't know what to look forward to--there isn't anything cool. Yeah, Fathers Day will happen, but it's not like I get to talk with you that day so I'll figure something out.

Church was pretty good yesterday despite being a small branch. They had some good testimonies and they took up the whole time. We are aiming for the end of March with a few baptisms. They are the kids of a mom that we are reactivating. There are 4 but one is 8 so doesn't count for us but who cares. That's the hope. They are good kids. I like them a lot.

Wow....school. I haven't seriously thought about school in such a long time. This is weird.

This week was pretty good. They are getting ready for elections, so you know what that means....PARTY!!!! Well, not for me but they like to throw parties. The candidates bring in people and set everything up and throw huge dance parties. And they are kind of close to our house so we hear the music. People paint their house the colors of the political party and you got vans rolling around with speakers blaring songs that the groups made up that say vote for this guy because of this and this and this. It's kind of annoying. It makes the US seem super chill.

Well, I hope everything is good and that you have a good week.

love you