June 25, 2012

Today is the last week of June...weird...

I'm still in Sta. Rosa and I'm still with Elder Azuara, so nothing new really here in Sta. Rosa. We had some investigators for the first time and others came for the 2nd, so things are progressing here We also had a family who hadn't come to church for years that was in church again yesterday. They seemed pretty happy to be back, so hopefully they keep on coming. 

WHoo! Number 1 on the board! That's whats up! Maybe you should take a picture to commerate the moment...haha...

But...let's see...something that is interesting--and kind of funny--depending on your point of view....

So, in Santa Rosa, there are two statues. One is the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus and the other is just Mary by herself...I think. Anyways, the mayor of Sta. Rosa right now that just got voted in goes to some Evangelical church. I had noticed that they had started building something behind the statues of the Virgin Mary. So finally I asked the cook about it and what she told me was that he had decided to build public bathrooms (they aren't super big) behind the statues and the Catholics are super mad about it. Apparently a lot of people aren't super happy about it. And the mayor is building like a park next to the church where he goes...so it's a little interesting. Apparently some old Catholics stopped at the construction sites and started doing the Hail Mary prayer and some other ones in protest of the construction...Kind of interesting, huh?

Lets see...what else idk I don't really have time. I was looking over my schedule and stuff so that took some time so I don't have time to write. I hope you like the gecko picture and I´ll give you some more things next week.

We got a ride from a member from Sta. Rosa to San Miguel. It was pretty sweet. Thanks for everything. Thanks for the updates. Love you and miss you and see you in...idk how many days...later

June 18, 2012

We had a meeting with Elder Richard J. Maynes of the Presidency of the 70. We didn't get back to San Miguel until like 9:30 pm. The only thing I remember was he talked about the Book of Mormon a lot and it's importance. He also mentioned President Woods from the San Antonio mission. He said that he was doing changes and at the end two Utah cowboys were together and he wasn't sure if they should be together so he started changing everything again but at the end they were still together.  He prayed and felt it was right so he left it at that. They were the perfect combo to baptize a lady who owned a ranch...haha...go figure...The lady had come into contact with members because she went to Montana or some place like that to another ranch (like a vacation one) and the owners were members and she wanted to pay them extra because she loved the week. They used that money to "buy" time from her saying that if two guys with white shirts and ties ever showed up that she would let them in and she agreed. So when the missionaries showed up, she remembered the other members and the promise and let the missionaries in (even thought she honestly didn't want to) and they had a lot in common (obviously them being cowboys and she had her own ranch) and in something like 3 weeks she was baptized...Fun, huh?

6 weeks left...kinda...idk for sure..

The investigators are good. We have found a bunch of good ones lately and they are progressing good. We had a handful in church yesterday and they liked it. We are gonna try and raise the number this week that come. So...if everything goes according to plan...I'll be leaving with a few more baptisms. But honestly I'm happy that we got a less active family in church. It was super cool to see them there. I was happy. 

And my comp is good. He is a good Elder. I hope I don't get changed.I don't think so but it's always possible.

I got some pictures to send. We made pizza with the cook and I got a bunch of pics from it. Hope you like them. Later. Love you!

Oh yeah, I actually got around to talking with a 7th Day Adventist. She was very smart. It was very interesting to hear their side of things--but obviously the Gospel is true--I don't doubt it.

 Pizza!

Random Pictures

June 11, 2012

Just so you know, the transfer didn't have to do with us. Azuara (my new comp) had a bunch of problems with his old comp. That's why the change happened.

I look forward to seeing Evan, even though I think he won't see me because he will be asleep...haha...

If Devin comes home saying Coach K isn't that bad of a guy, I will force him to resign or I'll do it for him...haha Or maybe just hit him one time and he will come to his senses...

Baby Flip...huh...I still like Wilfredo and Wilhelma...haha...

My comp asks people if they have ever talked with missionaries as handsome as us. It normally gets a laugh. All the woman say, "No, of course not..."

Today at the laundry place there was a racoon tied up. It was someone's pet. It was super cool. I wish I had had my camera. The racoon was super funny. If you came close, it would come over to you and if you held out your hand above it, it would get on it's hind legs and try and grab your hand. My comp got too close and it actually basically hugged his leg. I just let it hug my foot...haha...It was super fun.

Also my comp got his agenda signed by a drunk guy. That was interesting and he also burned the hairs on his hand lighting the cook's stove because he turned on the gas before he lit the match and so there was a little explosion...haha It was funny after we knew he was fine.

We had a good week finding and teaching. Definitely looking positive for the future of Sta. Rosa. And we should be able to get some more growth in the branch with them. I feel like they can progress. I hope they open their hearts and do progress...

Well, that's about it. I got some pics to send. Tomorrow I'm down to 50 days. Fun, huh? That's the only milestone I have marked down...

Miss you and love you....

June 4, 2012

Time does fly by. Sometimes at night i think of stuff from the mission or I read my journal and it's weird because I remember things like it happened yesterday but some of the things were from over a year ago.

I wish I had nothing to do. I guess I just have to wait like 2 months huh? But it's all good. Don't be surprised if I sleep during the day when I get home. I want to now but I can't. Maybe when I can, I won't want to. Who knows?

Other than my new comp, Elder Azuara from Mexico, nothing. It was a good week though. I got some good videos to show when I get home. We finally got a YM pres here in the branch. The last one left for his mission so the branch didn't have one for like...7 months. Welcome to branches...haha...

I got to do divisions with one of the Zls. He came with the Elder I trained, Elder Martin. He's a cool kid. I had a blast with him that one day. We crossed the freakiest bridge ever--there is no way to describe it--it's not so much a bridge but the people use it as one. I'll see if I can get a pic of it before I leave...

You know what's weird? That I get asked my opinion a lot now. From other missionaries-- they always ask what would I do in such and such situation. My DL has done it a bunch. I understand why. I just think it's interesting. I guess it comes with the amount of time because no one asked for it before...haha...

Well, I got to go now, but thanks for the pics and the updates. I love you. Later...

May 28, 2012

Sounds like it was a good crazy week. He looks cute in the pics. I can't wait to see him in a few months. He'll probably be a little bigger by then I guess. But I'm glad that Erik was able to make it there in time to be there when Evan was born and I can't wait to hear the stories from the day. I look forward to them...

And my room sounds cool.  I think I'll like it a lot. Thanks for everything that you are doing for me.

Man, you get summer soon...lucky...but I get it kind of soon...haha...not really...

It was a good week. It rained  everyday. That was the bad part of the week. I got soaked a couple times. Not the funnest thing in the world to be soaked and working...haha...but it's all good. We had a good amount of gators in church and one is progressing really well. She should get baptized soon. The other ones were there for the first time, so we will see what happens with them. I hope they progress. There were some other interesting things, but I'll save that for when I get home...haha I'll send some pics right now. That's why it's so short...

Later. Love you and miss you!

Going to the temple....

El Salvador Temple

 Pizza Hut

 Flight Plans

May 21, 2012

We went to the temple on Friday...quite the trip honestly. It was good to be back in the temple but Thursday night we had to go stay with some Elders in San Miguel because Friday in the morning we left at like 5:30 in the morning to head to San Salvador on a private bus. It was pouring on Thursday before we left for San Miguel. It was a huge storm. The streets basically flooded and it had huge lightning and thunder.

 

Coming back from the temple was pretty interesting. The bus got a flat tire so they had to put on a spare and then went and changed that to a real tire so that we could make it back to San Miguel. When the bus was stopped in traffic working our way out of San Salvador, this lady comes up to the bus windows (it was a mini bus so it's lower) trying to sell us chocolates and she sees all the gringos (well, not me...I was farther back) but she sees some of them and she says "oh...wow....you're so handsome" (talking with them) and she started basically flirting with them trying to sell them choclates and she starts working her way back so I put my head down and act like im sleeping but I hear"oh...your eyes are so beautiful". I was like...shoot...shes talking to me...she saw them before I closed them....but no...she was talking to another elder...haha..but that was the joke for the rest of the trip...oh how beautiful your eyes!!!!

 

Also the police stopped the bus on a routine bus check stop and when the policeman stepped on the bus, the elders in front started talking to him about the church and invited him and everything. He was kind of surprised to see a bunch of missionaries on the bus.

 

The week was pretty good. We had an investigator who came to church and is on track to be baptized in June and we have been able to have good visits with some inactives. We were actually able to get attendance over 50 yesterday so we are working now to get that an every week occurance and raise it to 60. That's the plan. We talked with the Branch President asking for his help and the help of the organizations, but we haven't had the chance to sit down and share ideas, but we'll see what up. Honestly I feel good about what we are doing here. Maybe we haven't baptized a lot, but we have been reactivating. Everything helps.

 

I'm excited to get to know Sallie more in a few months...

 

Well, that's about it really...I think The biggest thing was the temple. It was fun. I can't wait to go back in 2 months...more or less...

 

I miss you and I can't wait to see you in 10 weeks...more or less :)

 

Saludddd

May 14, 2012

First off. This Friday we are going to the temple again so I don't know if that will be our P-day or not. Last time they said it was our P-day but they haven't said anything about that this time so I don't really know what will happen. So it's possible that I might be writing again on Friday or it might be Monday like always. I don t really know. I think Monday but just in case...

 

It was fun talking with the fam. How do you feel about the news you got? haha...

But...yeah...everyone looked the same except for Jenna...haha...and the girls. They are a lot bigger now. I can tell they are super active and fun to be around. Delainey is really good at talking now. It was fun having the little conversation we had. And Sallie...she's cute. Smiling and throwing kisses like that. I can't wait to get to see them again. Sallie is probably the most different but that's just cause when I left she had 1 month and just slept all the time, but Delainey is definitely different now too.

 

Yeah, I'm good with living at home. That's fine. I just asked because I didn't know. It was just a question I had. I'm fine with living at home. It's got a lot of cool stuff around it and it's 20 minutes to State and Jamie and Jenna and 20 minutes to visit with Devin. It's a good central location. It should work well I think. So don't worry...I'll be around a lot.

 

One thing I was thinking was that I know it might have been a joke about helping Bro. Hemming with his AAU team but I'd definitely do it. I think it would be fun and you know I love Bro. Hemming. It was be cool. And I think it would help me get back in shape and back in bball mode. So if I can...I'd do it. I guess we'd have to talk with Bro. Hemming.

 

Sounds like you're gonna have a crazy 3 weeks coming up. I hope it all goes well.

 

One question I do have for you is games to do during lessons...on Sundays. We are trying to make the Gospel Principles class fun and interesting and so we like do games. What are different types of games that we can do? Like ones that you have done in Seminary that worked well or other ones that you know of.

 

This week was definitely a good week. We had more people in Church then we have had before so that was fun to see. Now we just got to get them every week. haha...but it was a good step forward to see. I was definitely pleasantly surprised by what happened. We must be doing something right.

 

I don't have anything else to say really. It was fun talking with you. See you in 79 days...haha...thanks for letting me know ...

 

Hope you have a good week...love you