Hi All,
In honesty, it's just been a tough week for me. I am not dis-animated in any way, I've just been struggling a lot lately with who I am as a missionary. But that's okay. It's that kind of inner reflection that just pushes us to greater heights. It's what makes it so that we aren't pleased with being mediocre, but rather seeking excellence. Anyways, I'm in one piece, I'm still fighting tooth and nail and for the vast majority of the time, I've had a smile on my face.
Funny story of the week....Monday night we had a BRUTAL storm come
screaming in at about 9 pm and our power went out at 9:30. I have my flash
light and the cell phone has a little flash light so my comp was using
that.
WELLLLLLL....he went to the bathroom to get ready for bed and I
was finishing something and I hear clunk clunk.
E'Mar: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
E'Simpson: Que paso??? (What happened?)
E'Mar: Venga rapido!! (Come quick)
I get to the bathroom...no light....uh-oh. CELLPHONE IN THE TOILET YEA SON!
E'Simpson:.....
agarre lo elder. Ahora. Tenemos que desarmarlo y ponerlo en una bolsa
de arroz. Ademas....es su pichi y yo no quiero meter mi mano ahi. Que
asco. (Oh elder. We need to get it and put it in a back of rice. More over, its your pee, so I don't want to put my hand it there. That sucks)
Yea so we put it in a bag of rice and by Tuesday night it was
fine...just slightly traumatized. The screen is wack and it likes to
turn off by itself now and then, but it still works so it's all good. I
just laughed the whole time. My comp was pretty stressed but I just
couldn't stop laughing. .
Zone Conference was a blast. It was really good to see the elders from Rivera. My
MTC comp Elder Tyree is in Tranqueras finishing up the training of his
jr companion. It was really good to see them both and talk about the
area. It's a good area. Tranqueras and Cardona have been my favorite
areas so far. It's interesting because you'd think I'd healthy wards but
I prefer hellish doubt-filled firey pits. Go figure. The zone
conference was our meeting before Christmas and I loved the Christmas
letters. I loved Jessica's peanut themed card and Jakes tribute to
childhood. They both made me very trunky, but I love them anyways. The
snow monster consuming Calvin is currently pinned to the wall in front
of my desk. Win.
The investigator pool is shallow, but we're still digging. And the
hillssssssss are getting easier. Which means my legs are getting bigger.
I hope by the end of my time here that they still fit into my pants. I wish it were just a little bit cooler here. To put it this way, I'm tired of sweating. But it's alright. I know that it will only get hotter and that time is absolutely flying here. I can't believe that I've already been here for a month. 2 more weeks and the change is over. That's just nuts.
Teaching by the Spirit is the only way to teach. It's something that we stress a lot out here. You know and recognize the voice of the Spirit, all you have to do is open your mouth when it comes to your mind. That part is a little difficult at first and usually one has to humble themselves to do it, but it always goes so much better when we speak by the Spirit, sharing the things of our hearts. It can be the difference between an okay lesson and a sacred grove experience.
I'd like to share quote from our bishop, something that he shared about 2 weeks ago in sacrament meeting. "The greatest things that happen in this life are the spiritual things. They are gifts from God."
I agree. I couldn't agree more. The greatest things that happen in this life are the ones where we feel the presence of our home around us, remembering what it feels like to be in the presence of our heavenly parents. The birth of a child, often lauded to be one of the most amazing things on this world. is really the arrival of another of God's precious spirit children, arriving for this mortal sojurn. Of course one is going to feel the spirit at that point, I'm sure there are big beefy angels with gnarly spiritual swords that protect the ethereal conduit that conducts from heaven to a small human body. Anyways, thought that illustrated the point nicely.
I will honestly submit that I think I'm the most dedicated now to the work of the Lord that I ever have been. Regardless, I'm still striving to feel the spirit in greater and greater measures and I struggle at times. This is the work of the Lord. It just has to be. I've received answered to prayers so fast that it's utterly stunning. Take yesterday for example....We got of ward council where some remarks were made about the fact that we weren't baptizing. Those words cut me to the soul. As we were walking to our next appointment, at first I was mad at the inconsiderate remark. Then, the anger turned to grief at the fact that they're right. But then....I just started to look inside....and question....and ask....and wonder....and doubt....(Yes, I doubted, even Frodo Baggins doubted. The difference between Frodo and Gollum is that Frodo made it through the trial (with the very important help of Samwise Gamgee)) and within an hour we were teaching the Restoration, centered on the happiness of families and God quelled the fear of my soul. I know I'm doing what's right. The spirit filled my heart in that lesson and I know it's true. All of it. I'm not wasting my time, but learning at the feet of God. I love being a missionary. And so at the very edge, the point of tumbling into boiling lava, The Savior extended His hand...and eyes shining with tears and realization, once more I took it and He hoisted me to safety, out of the dangerous mouth of Mt. Doubt. H,ave a stupendous week.
Elder Simpson
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Tacuarembó Uruguay - Dec 10th 2012
Hi All,
Things are warming up around here. I'm happy, a bit tired and a little bit sore from the ultimate frisbee that we played this morning. I'll explain that a little further on.
It's been a long hard week. We're still really looking hard for the chosen that are waiting to hear the gospel we're not finding too many people that are wanting to progress. I actually told Elder Mar on Friday that I feel bad that everything seems to have dried up in the area since I got here. Trial of faith right? Anyways, we just keep chugging on and on and on.
We're using the bikes some days, and some days we're not, because it's getting so hot already that we're showing up to lessons almost literally soaked in sweat and that's just not too presentable. We work up less of a sweat by foot, I have my cowboy hat still, the only down side is, we take a little bit longer to get to our lessons instead of zipping around on our bikes. Really the biggest reason it's so hard for us is beacuse the entire area is situated on a set of decent sized hills and so we just have to plug up and down hill after hill and at like 1 and 2 in the afternoon it's just miserable. Let me tell you a little about Elder Chiilders, one of my new best friends. His is in our district and on Saturday's we do divisions. He and I got along really well. He's from St. George and so we can talk about anything we want and know exactly what the other is talking about. He's really goofy and loves to write so we just got along swimmingly. I hope so much that I will be able to keep in touch with the elders that I've really connected with on my mission.
Alright, so today as a zone we went to the bañario. It's like a pond and wilderness park area about 10 minutes outside of town. Elder Mar and I went and stayed at the house of Elder Childers last night, (because we live so far away from everything) and this morning the entire zone went out there because we met our zone baptismal goal last month. We have such a good zone and they are all so fun and get along so well. We played ultimate frisbee and mafia (the card game) and uno and just had a lot of fun during the morning and a lot of the afternoon which is why I have so little time here. I really didn't take pictures because you know how chill I am (almost to a fault) so i just didn't want to worry about pictures. Anyways, it was like any park in Utah that has tree-y portions and open areas like all the parks up Provo Canyon. Lots of fun.
We had fun with the zone and did a banana eating contest between one of the sisters (she volunteered.....) and one of the elders that we recruited and me. They blind folded the three of us and had us start pounding bananas down. Well....problem is.....I just took of the blind fold and started eating a banana because I was peckish and the rest of the zone started cheering and shouting and saying that I was eating like a machine (all according to plan). So the elder and the hermana started pounding banana after banana for like 2 minutes. I think the hermana quit after 4 and the elder got 6 and a half done and they pulled of the blind folds and I was just sitting there with my arms crossed leisurely eating my second banana. Pretty funny.
In my district I have one set of Hermanas, 2 sets of Elders and 1 of the zone leaders. I really like my district a lot. I've been having a problem with one of the elders in my district who likes to try and change everything that I say or ask of him which just really bugs me, but I don't want to sew the seeds of strife and so I just side step a lot of potential problems by not letting it bug me. It's both a lesson in charity and in patience. We'll see what changes bring, if i'm still DL and if he's still in my district, all quite possilbe. Not that I want changes to come, but we've always got our eyes on the future out here.
We usually have a rough plan of the next 6 weeks, every single week so it's really hard not to think of dates and numbers and statistics. That said, I don't like the focus on numbers out here. I know that they are supposed to help us grow and indicate performance. All of that is great, but I refuse to put of good numbers on empty lessons, and eternal investigators. There are some elders that do that and it's their call, but I just don't feel like that's okay. I've really been trying lately to love the people here, develop my charity and learn more about the atonement in this area.
I feel like I know what I'm doing is true but that it's become monotonous and hollow. as such, the lord answered my prayers through Mosiah 3. Great great chapter on the atonement and all things that have to do with it. So yea, zone conference tomorrow, no real investigators and it's getting hot. Life is good, the gospel is true. I spoke on sunday about sharing the gospel through our testimonies of Jesus Christ and meditating upon the eternities to open the windows of heaven ( see D&C 76:19-24)
19 And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about.
Have a great week,
Elder Simpson
Things are warming up around here. I'm happy, a bit tired and a little bit sore from the ultimate frisbee that we played this morning. I'll explain that a little further on.
It's been a long hard week. We're still really looking hard for the chosen that are waiting to hear the gospel we're not finding too many people that are wanting to progress. I actually told Elder Mar on Friday that I feel bad that everything seems to have dried up in the area since I got here. Trial of faith right? Anyways, we just keep chugging on and on and on.
We're using the bikes some days, and some days we're not, because it's getting so hot already that we're showing up to lessons almost literally soaked in sweat and that's just not too presentable. We work up less of a sweat by foot, I have my cowboy hat still, the only down side is, we take a little bit longer to get to our lessons instead of zipping around on our bikes. Really the biggest reason it's so hard for us is beacuse the entire area is situated on a set of decent sized hills and so we just have to plug up and down hill after hill and at like 1 and 2 in the afternoon it's just miserable. Let me tell you a little about Elder Chiilders, one of my new best friends. His is in our district and on Saturday's we do divisions. He and I got along really well. He's from St. George and so we can talk about anything we want and know exactly what the other is talking about. He's really goofy and loves to write so we just got along swimmingly. I hope so much that I will be able to keep in touch with the elders that I've really connected with on my mission.
Alright, so today as a zone we went to the bañario. It's like a pond and wilderness park area about 10 minutes outside of town. Elder Mar and I went and stayed at the house of Elder Childers last night, (because we live so far away from everything) and this morning the entire zone went out there because we met our zone baptismal goal last month. We have such a good zone and they are all so fun and get along so well. We played ultimate frisbee and mafia (the card game) and uno and just had a lot of fun during the morning and a lot of the afternoon which is why I have so little time here. I really didn't take pictures because you know how chill I am (almost to a fault) so i just didn't want to worry about pictures. Anyways, it was like any park in Utah that has tree-y portions and open areas like all the parks up Provo Canyon. Lots of fun.
We had fun with the zone and did a banana eating contest between one of the sisters (she volunteered.....) and one of the elders that we recruited and me. They blind folded the three of us and had us start pounding bananas down. Well....problem is.....I just took of the blind fold and started eating a banana because I was peckish and the rest of the zone started cheering and shouting and saying that I was eating like a machine (all according to plan). So the elder and the hermana started pounding banana after banana for like 2 minutes. I think the hermana quit after 4 and the elder got 6 and a half done and they pulled of the blind folds and I was just sitting there with my arms crossed leisurely eating my second banana. Pretty funny.
In my district I have one set of Hermanas, 2 sets of Elders and 1 of the zone leaders. I really like my district a lot. I've been having a problem with one of the elders in my district who likes to try and change everything that I say or ask of him which just really bugs me, but I don't want to sew the seeds of strife and so I just side step a lot of potential problems by not letting it bug me. It's both a lesson in charity and in patience. We'll see what changes bring, if i'm still DL and if he's still in my district, all quite possilbe. Not that I want changes to come, but we've always got our eyes on the future out here.
We usually have a rough plan of the next 6 weeks, every single week so it's really hard not to think of dates and numbers and statistics. That said, I don't like the focus on numbers out here. I know that they are supposed to help us grow and indicate performance. All of that is great, but I refuse to put of good numbers on empty lessons, and eternal investigators. There are some elders that do that and it's their call, but I just don't feel like that's okay. I've really been trying lately to love the people here, develop my charity and learn more about the atonement in this area.
I feel like I know what I'm doing is true but that it's become monotonous and hollow. as such, the lord answered my prayers through Mosiah 3. Great great chapter on the atonement and all things that have to do with it. So yea, zone conference tomorrow, no real investigators and it's getting hot. Life is good, the gospel is true. I spoke on sunday about sharing the gospel through our testimonies of Jesus Christ and meditating upon the eternities to open the windows of heaven ( see D&C 76:19-24)
19 And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about.
20 And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness;
21 And saw the holy angels, and them who are sanctified before his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship him forever and ever.
22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.
Pretty awesome. I love speaking in church.Have a great week,
Elder Simpson
Monday, December 3, 2012
Tacuarembó Uruguay - Dec 3rd 2012
Hi All,
Our part of the city of t-bo is super super tranquilo. We’re almost out in the sticks, but not quite. We’re just outside of the road and our area is composed of roughly 5 neighborhoods. You can see at least two of the other neighborhoods from each area so they’re really not spread out that much but there is at least a couple of blocks between each area and lots of fields in that area.
Our ward is really good. They love the missionaries and are willing to help us. The catch is, church attendance has steadily been dropping for about a month now, so we’ve got to reverse that trend and by doing so that should help us to be able to find new investigators, something that we’ve been lacking. Sunday here was a tough day for the ward. Attendance was pretty low for some reason so that was one of our main concerns in ward council. We’re really trying to stregthen the ward with reactivation and solid investigators. Last week was the primary program. There was a little boy who was just full to bursting with energy…..we’re talking Spencer Lewis-esque antics here. Quite enjoyable. Lil’ Spencer Lewis is a legend, so this kid really has nothin on him, but I thought about him anyways. Hello to the Lewis family :)
All that being said, I’ve been pondering and praying and studying a lot as to how the Lord wants me to be working here so we’ll see what this week brings. Which brings us to "The who" which is the real problem actually….. we’re almost pretty much starting from zero with investigators because we really didn’t have any when I got here. We’re doing a lot of looking and trying to activate memebers and find through them. Our most promising investigators, Daianna and Victoria have been …..complicated lately. Daianna has had to reschedule every single day of the week for some reason or another and didn’t come to church. Victoria…..well turns out she wasn’t interested in Jesus Christ, just my companion. So we left her rather quickly. Don’t want problems in that area!
There are really no mosquitoes here and the weather is just…..hot. Just plain hot, but there is usually always a breeze and the temps really haven’t gotten that high yet, so whenever I even pause to consider if it’s hot or not, I just tell myself that I’ve passed through worse. Today is pretty humid and it’s been needing to rain all week long to get rid of the humidity, but thus far I don’t think it’s rained since my second day here.
Elder Mar is great. We get along really well and he’s really happy to be out here a lot. We laugh and joke a lot, but we’re still very focused on helping and loving the people. We get along really well. He’s still really new so I have to be careful not to dominate lessons because he’s not a very aggressive teacher. That means we’ve been doing a LOT of practices to sharpen up his blades. Problem is, he’s always using the same moves, or rather he says a lot of the same things and uses a lot of the same examples, which means we have to boost his arsenal. I like to use a lot of tools when I’m working, which means my knife belt is full and always growing. You know how I like to paint pretty pictures with precise words. ?
Not only is my companion great, but my district is GREAT TOO!! I love them all a lot. This last district meeting was fantastic! I wish you guys could have been there because I really don’t know how to describe it. We talked a lot about the spirit and helping other people by being powerful vessels of the spirit. There was a lot of…..stunned and heavy silence. The spirit was very very strong and I know we all left feeling pretty animated.
This last Friday….we did service…..and I just can’t believe it still. We get there and the brother says, you boys ready? Yes….Good. Lets go. We arrive at his horse pasture. Alright, what you’re going to be doing today is gathering raw organic materials to aid in the fertilization of gardens. Yup. That’s right. I was pickin up horse poop. With my bare hands. And the fresher the better. I picked up some pretty warm turds. And hucked a couple at my comp, just to say I’ve flung poo. We got back to his house with some rather dirty hands….well he’s a nurse and had a good scrubber and gnarly soap and told us to scrub our hands down until the smell was gone so it’s all good. Then…I fell off my bike on the way home. We were coming down a big dirt hill to a sharp turn and so I knew I was gonna fall and put my foot down and did a slow split and then sat down. Pretty darn funny. People came running to check on my and I just sat there and laughed and then stood up and we left.
Elder Mar and I got the Christmas tree up on Saturday night, so we’re both pretty excited about that. We had a strand of Christmas lights in the house, but it doesn’t work which was pretty depressing, but we had a good time. We listened to Christmas music and decorated our tree. And got a little bit of the Christmas spirit flowing here in South America, where the sun is hot and the fireworks are cheap and easily found. Lots and lots of fireworks….all the time….kinda obnoxious but hey... Whatevs.
I’m going on divisions tomorrow after zone capacitation (not to be confused with zone conference , that’s next week.) We’re always working super hard here, racing around to each appointment trying to talk with people and help them out. I’m happy and tired….I'm currently trying to figure out how I can have a greater appreciation for the Atonement of Christ and what it means for me personally… Just something for each of us to think on during the week. Have a great week.
Elder Simpson
Our part of the city of t-bo is super super tranquilo. We’re almost out in the sticks, but not quite. We’re just outside of the road and our area is composed of roughly 5 neighborhoods. You can see at least two of the other neighborhoods from each area so they’re really not spread out that much but there is at least a couple of blocks between each area and lots of fields in that area.
Our ward is really good. They love the missionaries and are willing to help us. The catch is, church attendance has steadily been dropping for about a month now, so we’ve got to reverse that trend and by doing so that should help us to be able to find new investigators, something that we’ve been lacking. Sunday here was a tough day for the ward. Attendance was pretty low for some reason so that was one of our main concerns in ward council. We’re really trying to stregthen the ward with reactivation and solid investigators. Last week was the primary program. There was a little boy who was just full to bursting with energy…..we’re talking Spencer Lewis-esque antics here. Quite enjoyable. Lil’ Spencer Lewis is a legend, so this kid really has nothin on him, but I thought about him anyways. Hello to the Lewis family :)
All that being said, I’ve been pondering and praying and studying a lot as to how the Lord wants me to be working here so we’ll see what this week brings. Which brings us to "The who" which is the real problem actually….. we’re almost pretty much starting from zero with investigators because we really didn’t have any when I got here. We’re doing a lot of looking and trying to activate memebers and find through them. Our most promising investigators, Daianna and Victoria have been …..complicated lately. Daianna has had to reschedule every single day of the week for some reason or another and didn’t come to church. Victoria…..well turns out she wasn’t interested in Jesus Christ, just my companion. So we left her rather quickly. Don’t want problems in that area!
There are really no mosquitoes here and the weather is just…..hot. Just plain hot, but there is usually always a breeze and the temps really haven’t gotten that high yet, so whenever I even pause to consider if it’s hot or not, I just tell myself that I’ve passed through worse. Today is pretty humid and it’s been needing to rain all week long to get rid of the humidity, but thus far I don’t think it’s rained since my second day here.
Elder Mar is great. We get along really well and he’s really happy to be out here a lot. We laugh and joke a lot, but we’re still very focused on helping and loving the people. We get along really well. He’s still really new so I have to be careful not to dominate lessons because he’s not a very aggressive teacher. That means we’ve been doing a LOT of practices to sharpen up his blades. Problem is, he’s always using the same moves, or rather he says a lot of the same things and uses a lot of the same examples, which means we have to boost his arsenal. I like to use a lot of tools when I’m working, which means my knife belt is full and always growing. You know how I like to paint pretty pictures with precise words. ?
Not only is my companion great, but my district is GREAT TOO!! I love them all a lot. This last district meeting was fantastic! I wish you guys could have been there because I really don’t know how to describe it. We talked a lot about the spirit and helping other people by being powerful vessels of the spirit. There was a lot of…..stunned and heavy silence. The spirit was very very strong and I know we all left feeling pretty animated.
 |
| The Elders in the District |
This last Friday….we did service…..and I just can’t believe it still. We get there and the brother says, you boys ready? Yes….Good. Lets go. We arrive at his horse pasture. Alright, what you’re going to be doing today is gathering raw organic materials to aid in the fertilization of gardens. Yup. That’s right. I was pickin up horse poop. With my bare hands. And the fresher the better. I picked up some pretty warm turds. And hucked a couple at my comp, just to say I’ve flung poo. We got back to his house with some rather dirty hands….well he’s a nurse and had a good scrubber and gnarly soap and told us to scrub our hands down until the smell was gone so it’s all good. Then…I fell off my bike on the way home. We were coming down a big dirt hill to a sharp turn and so I knew I was gonna fall and put my foot down and did a slow split and then sat down. Pretty darn funny. People came running to check on my and I just sat there and laughed and then stood up and we left.
Elder Mar and I got the Christmas tree up on Saturday night, so we’re both pretty excited about that. We had a strand of Christmas lights in the house, but it doesn’t work which was pretty depressing, but we had a good time. We listened to Christmas music and decorated our tree. And got a little bit of the Christmas spirit flowing here in South America, where the sun is hot and the fireworks are cheap and easily found. Lots and lots of fireworks….all the time….kinda obnoxious but hey... Whatevs.
I’m going on divisions tomorrow after zone capacitation (not to be confused with zone conference , that’s next week.) We’re always working super hard here, racing around to each appointment trying to talk with people and help them out. I’m happy and tired….I'm currently trying to figure out how I can have a greater appreciation for the Atonement of Christ and what it means for me personally… Just something for each of us to think on during the week. Have a great week.
Elder Simpson
Monday, November 26, 2012
Tacuarembó Uruguay - Nov 26th 2012
Hi All,
Mantutina is actually a suburb type area of Tacuarembo (T'Bo) so we're kinda out in the sticks but I'm almost positive that our entire area has just as many people as the entire town of Cardona/Florencio Sanchez. It's really nice being back with people and really close to the other elders. As much as it didn't bother me being out in the middle of nowhere for 4 and a half months, it's actually kinda nice and fun to be back close to other elders. Just so you know, Elder Merrill is in the other district here. I actually just got done eating tacos at his house and getting a free hair cut from him. Buzz cut, but it got the job done and for free!
T'Bo is really fun. I like it a lot. The people here are really rather accepting to the gospel and we have a WARD with a CHURCH! I'm so excited. The zone is in the entire of town and there are 2 sets of sister missionaries, and something like 6 companionships of elders, so 16 missionaries. I think.... We are on bikes again in this area because it's a lot of spread out neighborhoods. We'll give it a shot for the next 6 weeks and see what I think. The bikes are in pretty shoddy condition, but it makes the work a lot faster here. We're teaching a lot more than before and I get home super tired every night but super happy.
Every Saturday, we go out to Quiebrayugos next to Cerro Pastoreo and it's roughly 13 km outside of town, so 26 km round trip. I think that comes out to like 15 miles round trip I want to say....with some of the most disgusting hills of my life. It wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that we have beach cruisers as bikes. 5 speed bikes....yea....it's kinda hard.
We get food from the members almost every day of the week out here so I'm rather happy about not having to cook and clean every day of the week. We just have to fend for ourselves Mondays and Tuesdays.
I am still district leader and there are 3 other companionships in my district. A set of sister missionaries and 2 more sets of elders. My companion is Elder Mar and he is from veracruz Mexico. This is his third change and I'm his second companion. We work pretty well together, but he's still pretty new so sometimes I build up a head of steam and just get rollin in the lessons. We're going to practice a lot this week on teaching with unity and taking more turns with our teaching. We get along really well. We don't talk much in the streets because we cannot ride side by side most of the time but we have fun together. We get along well thus far, so I'm not worried. I'm also 10 days behind on my journal and haven't finished unpacking yet because we have 0 time for any of that. It's okay though, I like working.
I will be talking with my district about the power and authority of our calling and the armour of God. The base for my work, 2nd Nephi 1:23. So just stand up and be a man. We've been having fun and I love getting super charged by the spirit and going sayan mode on them. (Yes that was a DBZ reference for all you nerds out there.)
I'm still waiting for the conference issue ensign but I really want to be able to go back and read all of the talks. I know that I enjoyed it in Spanish, so I can only imagine how great it was in English.
I had a thought that made me consider the fact that a lot of missionaries start a decline when they hit their year mark. They start to relax...they get sloppy...Heck we just get tired. It's hard being a missionary, but it should be the time to improve. Think of it as a false summit in a hike. You see the crest that you are working at for mile after mile and finally get to the top. But instead of looking even higher, you just turn around and head back down and by the time you get done, you're at the altitude in which you started. But a false summit is when you peak and then look around and realize that you're currently at the crest of the first of a series of hills, like the saddle of Timpanogos. Each peak is gradually higher and we have 2 choices. We can turn around and go back down, or we can keep climbing. I don't know how else to explain it, but that was the thought I had. I reflected on it a couple of times, so it's still being developed, but I don't want to go back down.
People are already telling me that I have a little time left, but I feel like Aragorn on the morning of the third day in Helm's Deep. I've just looked to the east to see Gandolf riding down on the furious wings of death to crush the Orc hoard. I feel like the sun is just starting to dawn on my mission after such a long dark...the sun hurts my eyes a little bit, but the light is good. In the immortal words of king Theodan, 'Now for wrath! Now for ruin, and the red dawn!' Forward into the the crushing black we ride, with the light upon our shoulders and in our eyes. Onward, swifter now, to the foes gaping jaws. Fear not and ride on, the battle has yet begun.
Forward the Light Brigade!
Elder Simpson
Mantutina is actually a suburb type area of Tacuarembo (T'Bo) so we're kinda out in the sticks but I'm almost positive that our entire area has just as many people as the entire town of Cardona/Florencio Sanchez. It's really nice being back with people and really close to the other elders. As much as it didn't bother me being out in the middle of nowhere for 4 and a half months, it's actually kinda nice and fun to be back close to other elders. Just so you know, Elder Merrill is in the other district here. I actually just got done eating tacos at his house and getting a free hair cut from him. Buzz cut, but it got the job done and for free!
T'Bo is really fun. I like it a lot. The people here are really rather accepting to the gospel and we have a WARD with a CHURCH! I'm so excited. The zone is in the entire of town and there are 2 sets of sister missionaries, and something like 6 companionships of elders, so 16 missionaries. I think.... We are on bikes again in this area because it's a lot of spread out neighborhoods. We'll give it a shot for the next 6 weeks and see what I think. The bikes are in pretty shoddy condition, but it makes the work a lot faster here. We're teaching a lot more than before and I get home super tired every night but super happy.
Every Saturday, we go out to Quiebrayugos next to Cerro Pastoreo and it's roughly 13 km outside of town, so 26 km round trip. I think that comes out to like 15 miles round trip I want to say....with some of the most disgusting hills of my life. It wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that we have beach cruisers as bikes. 5 speed bikes....yea....it's kinda hard.
We get food from the members almost every day of the week out here so I'm rather happy about not having to cook and clean every day of the week. We just have to fend for ourselves Mondays and Tuesdays.
I am still district leader and there are 3 other companionships in my district. A set of sister missionaries and 2 more sets of elders. My companion is Elder Mar and he is from veracruz Mexico. This is his third change and I'm his second companion. We work pretty well together, but he's still pretty new so sometimes I build up a head of steam and just get rollin in the lessons. We're going to practice a lot this week on teaching with unity and taking more turns with our teaching. We get along really well. We don't talk much in the streets because we cannot ride side by side most of the time but we have fun together. We get along well thus far, so I'm not worried. I'm also 10 days behind on my journal and haven't finished unpacking yet because we have 0 time for any of that. It's okay though, I like working.
I will be talking with my district about the power and authority of our calling and the armour of God. The base for my work, 2nd Nephi 1:23. So just stand up and be a man. We've been having fun and I love getting super charged by the spirit and going sayan mode on them. (Yes that was a DBZ reference for all you nerds out there.)
I'm still waiting for the conference issue ensign but I really want to be able to go back and read all of the talks. I know that I enjoyed it in Spanish, so I can only imagine how great it was in English.
I had a thought that made me consider the fact that a lot of missionaries start a decline when they hit their year mark. They start to relax...they get sloppy...Heck we just get tired. It's hard being a missionary, but it should be the time to improve. Think of it as a false summit in a hike. You see the crest that you are working at for mile after mile and finally get to the top. But instead of looking even higher, you just turn around and head back down and by the time you get done, you're at the altitude in which you started. But a false summit is when you peak and then look around and realize that you're currently at the crest of the first of a series of hills, like the saddle of Timpanogos. Each peak is gradually higher and we have 2 choices. We can turn around and go back down, or we can keep climbing. I don't know how else to explain it, but that was the thought I had. I reflected on it a couple of times, so it's still being developed, but I don't want to go back down.
People are already telling me that I have a little time left, but I feel like Aragorn on the morning of the third day in Helm's Deep. I've just looked to the east to see Gandolf riding down on the furious wings of death to crush the Orc hoard. I feel like the sun is just starting to dawn on my mission after such a long dark...the sun hurts my eyes a little bit, but the light is good. In the immortal words of king Theodan, 'Now for wrath! Now for ruin, and the red dawn!' Forward into the the crushing black we ride, with the light upon our shoulders and in our eyes. Onward, swifter now, to the foes gaping jaws. Fear not and ride on, the battle has yet begun.
Forward the Light Brigade!
Elder Simpson
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Tacuarembó Uruguay - Nov 20th 2012
Hi All,
It's been rather hot this week and somewhat humid. Not as much rain as the week before, just a couple of days really. Nothing too chaotic like the last week. Absurd...
I'm currently writing you from Cardona but in about 12 hours I will be in....(drum roll please. Double stroke roll if you can pull it off. If not, buzz roll is okay.) Mantutina Tacuarembó!!! See it on the Map I'm rather excited about that. I have actually been wanting rather much to head on out to T-BO. You get food from the members. That's a HUGE plus! So in a week I'll have a lot more information about the area, my comp, who is elder Mar. This will be his 3rd change and I'll be his second comp. He has about 3 months so he's really really new but I think it should be fun. There won't be so much stress from having to travel a lot and I already have my class for district meeting prepped. I did it this morning.
As for new missionaries, we will for the next year or so, be having groups of elders from about 13 to 25 going home every 6 weeks. That said, by march we will have around 250 missionaries and will maintain from then on. We currently have close to 200, so things are going to get interesting rather quickly.
I'll be honest. I cried when I saw that Hostess closed. Maybe not, but it's still really sad. That's....it's a part of AMERICA! You can't kill Hostess! It's in the heart of the people! Like literally. I'm sure that it was the cause of more than a couple early deaths by cause of heart failure... Regardless... Isn't there a verse in the national anthem about the twinkies gold glare or something like that? They can't kill Hostess....they just can't....the States will never be the same without the Ho-Hos.....that's like Santa without his Ho-Ho! Nuts.
Speaking of the temple, Jean is 100% committed to getting baptized on the second of December. His mom hit 1 year as a member this month and his step dad has been a member for 6 years so they are going to go to the temple in January! Heck yea! It's going to be great. I'm almost positive that they are going to get sealed so that will be such a blessing for them as a family. They've been really busy for the last week, so last night was the first lesson that we've been able to have with them in a week and a half, but they are all rather excited at the prospect of going to the temple. I pray that everything works in their favor.
I finished the book of 1 Nephi today. I love reading the Book of Mormon. It's amazing. Its the best. It really does testify of Jesus Christ and contains so many promises that apply to us today! They saw us! The prophets of the ancient Americas saw our day and they know the crushing reality of our challenges. They know what we're going through. What's more, under the direction of the influence of All Powerful Creator, they wrote to us! As they say, we are voices callings as from the dust! What manner of men and women would we be if we did not give heed to such vital and authentic warnings! It doesn't get much more real than that folks. I love the Book of Mormon.
I've been reading the Teachings of the Prophets: Joseph Smith lately. It's a nice little read. The doctrine that he revealed in relation to the nature of the Godhead is so so important. We must understand that they are physical beings! How can we expect to receive coherent, applicable and specific answers from some ethereal everywhere and nowhere type spirit? We have so much truth it's unbelievable. All you have to do is reach out and grab it. Just try it. Feel it. Learn it. It's worth it... I'm so glad you've taught me that all my life.
Well, that's all that I've got time for I believe. I'm doing well. Don't worry about me. The Lord has me in His hands. I know He does. And what sure and powerful hands they are! They guide me each and every day, as long as I am willing to follow where they lead me. That goes for everyone in the whole wide world, doesn't it? :)
Just so you know, I'm going to be using that picture you sent of the gnarly warrior that Jake drew. I'm going to show it to my district when we talk about Romans 13:12.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Yea...I have a scripture chain that I made today about it. And all of that is going to come after we talk about the power and authority of our calling. I just get so amped when I think about all of this awesomeness. Sometimes I think I should have been there with Aragorn when he stormed the gates of Moridor...So much epicness in such few words... "For Frodo...:" You get chills?!?! Because I sure have em right now! Now strap up and buckle down cuz this armor ain't just for show. It's time to do battle with an eternal foe.
From the front lines,
Elder Andy
If your armor isn't scratched and dented, you aren't fighting hard enough.
It's been rather hot this week and somewhat humid. Not as much rain as the week before, just a couple of days really. Nothing too chaotic like the last week. Absurd...
I'm currently writing you from Cardona but in about 12 hours I will be in....(drum roll please. Double stroke roll if you can pull it off. If not, buzz roll is okay.) Mantutina Tacuarembó!!! See it on the Map I'm rather excited about that. I have actually been wanting rather much to head on out to T-BO. You get food from the members. That's a HUGE plus! So in a week I'll have a lot more information about the area, my comp, who is elder Mar. This will be his 3rd change and I'll be his second comp. He has about 3 months so he's really really new but I think it should be fun. There won't be so much stress from having to travel a lot and I already have my class for district meeting prepped. I did it this morning.
As for new missionaries, we will for the next year or so, be having groups of elders from about 13 to 25 going home every 6 weeks. That said, by march we will have around 250 missionaries and will maintain from then on. We currently have close to 200, so things are going to get interesting rather quickly.
I'll be honest. I cried when I saw that Hostess closed. Maybe not, but it's still really sad. That's....it's a part of AMERICA! You can't kill Hostess! It's in the heart of the people! Like literally. I'm sure that it was the cause of more than a couple early deaths by cause of heart failure... Regardless... Isn't there a verse in the national anthem about the twinkies gold glare or something like that? They can't kill Hostess....they just can't....the States will never be the same without the Ho-Hos.....that's like Santa without his Ho-Ho! Nuts.
Speaking of the temple, Jean is 100% committed to getting baptized on the second of December. His mom hit 1 year as a member this month and his step dad has been a member for 6 years so they are going to go to the temple in January! Heck yea! It's going to be great. I'm almost positive that they are going to get sealed so that will be such a blessing for them as a family. They've been really busy for the last week, so last night was the first lesson that we've been able to have with them in a week and a half, but they are all rather excited at the prospect of going to the temple. I pray that everything works in their favor.
I finished the book of 1 Nephi today. I love reading the Book of Mormon. It's amazing. Its the best. It really does testify of Jesus Christ and contains so many promises that apply to us today! They saw us! The prophets of the ancient Americas saw our day and they know the crushing reality of our challenges. They know what we're going through. What's more, under the direction of the influence of All Powerful Creator, they wrote to us! As they say, we are voices callings as from the dust! What manner of men and women would we be if we did not give heed to such vital and authentic warnings! It doesn't get much more real than that folks. I love the Book of Mormon.
I've been reading the Teachings of the Prophets: Joseph Smith lately. It's a nice little read. The doctrine that he revealed in relation to the nature of the Godhead is so so important. We must understand that they are physical beings! How can we expect to receive coherent, applicable and specific answers from some ethereal everywhere and nowhere type spirit? We have so much truth it's unbelievable. All you have to do is reach out and grab it. Just try it. Feel it. Learn it. It's worth it... I'm so glad you've taught me that all my life.
Well, that's all that I've got time for I believe. I'm doing well. Don't worry about me. The Lord has me in His hands. I know He does. And what sure and powerful hands they are! They guide me each and every day, as long as I am willing to follow where they lead me. That goes for everyone in the whole wide world, doesn't it? :)
 |
| Jacob's Drawing |
Just so you know, I'm going to be using that picture you sent of the gnarly warrior that Jake drew. I'm going to show it to my district when we talk about Romans 13:12.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Yea...I have a scripture chain that I made today about it. And all of that is going to come after we talk about the power and authority of our calling. I just get so amped when I think about all of this awesomeness. Sometimes I think I should have been there with Aragorn when he stormed the gates of Moridor...So much epicness in such few words... "For Frodo...:" You get chills?!?! Because I sure have em right now! Now strap up and buckle down cuz this armor ain't just for show. It's time to do battle with an eternal foe.
From the front lines,
Elder Andy
If your armor isn't scratched and dented, you aren't fighting hard enough.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Cardona Uruguay - Nov 12th 2012
Hi All,
I thought I'd start off with a funny fact about bugs. We’ve got ‘roaches...and skeeters.... freakin skeeters. I put up my mosquito net for the first time in my mission this week. Turns out we’d left a kitchen ventilator uncovered one night and it was ridiculous! We had a ton of mosquitoes inside for 3 days. Not cool. That said, it was really hot for the first half of the week. Up til about Saturday. And I mean hot when I say hot. It’s finally starting to get warm for me. I just keep telling myself that I’ve seen worse, and it helps a bit. Granted, with all that heat, we had a ton of sun. As such, we bought sombreros! They’re pretty fun and keep the sun off of my tender white face. Then, Friday it was hot til about noon and then it got cloudy and the temperature started to drop and it absolutely poured at 4! It was INSANE! Luckily, we had just stepped inside and it blew past in about 15 minutes. Then for the rest of the day, Saturday and Sunday it was overcast and cool. Now it’s sunny and heading towards hot. I’`m just happy all the friggin humidity is gone.
You probably already know, but changes are on Tuesday the 20th. This change is just about over and I'm almost positive that I'll be moving to another area on the 20th. The zone leaders made a couple of cracks on Sunday during our weekly leadership meeting about having to teach their district leaders from scratch next week, so it’s rather possible that we’re outtie like a belly button. Only time will tell. And yes, that does mean that next week I will be writing you on Tuesday. I cannot believe that yet another change has flown past….my time is growing short. NOT COOL. That also one long sleepless night and lots of packing and moving. The crazy thing is, I actually enjoy it. Changes are a blast and I like moving around the mission. It's not for sure though, but I am ready to get outta here. It's been a really tough week, but I still am going to miss a lot of really special people that I've come to know and love here. It's hard that way, but I know that if they keep up with the things that we and others have taught them, I'll see them once more. Be it in this life, or the next, I know I'll see them.
I know that I’ve not been talking about people a lot lately, so here are a couple that we are working with. The first I’ve already mentioned a couple of times. Natalia Aldacour, she’s an inactive member that has attended sacrament meeting for 2 weeks in a row now. I was really rather pleased to see her on Sunday and we’ve been visiting her about twice a week. She has pretty much has zero support in relation to the church considering the fact that the 2 of her sisters that are members are inactive and her mom is as well. Her dad is anti and so is her boyfriend, with whom she lives. It makes things complicated but she really has a strong desire to come back to the fold and make changes in her life. I know that the Lord will provide a way for her, I just hope that she can stick to her guns when it all hit the fans. It’s so hard for people to stick up for the gospel when the going gets tough and there’s no one at their back. That’s why we’re trying to get the branch involved, so that she can have a support system for when she’s on the ropes.
Carlos.....is another story entirely. He’s a man that we met on the street who was just railing on the mormons for not greeting with besos. Yea...not cool. Anyways, one day we passed his house and he called us over and we had a nice chat and set up a lesson for the next afternoon in the church with the branch president and us. It was a tough lesson because he talks A LOT!!! But it was still rather fun. Then, on Saturday we were in the neighborhood and once more he called us over and took us into his shed and showed us what his grandson does with his spare time. Turns out he builds cages for and breeds reptiles. Iguana monsters and about 4 snakes, all in seperate cages. It was really actually quite cool, til he told us that his daughter thinks that we’re from the CIA. We’ve heard stuff like that before and I’ve heard it my whole mission and so we just laughed with him and told him that we’d see him at church tomorrow. He laughed and told us like 5 times that he’d be there. At 9, he sent us a message telling us that his family is convinced that we’re cia agents and that he might not be able to come on Sunday. Sunday morning, he sent a message saying that his wife practically threw him out of the house when she found out that we’d been on their property and that she’s convinced that we’re sent from the cia to dominate latino america using a false god and a false christ. We told him we’d stop by on the way to church. We get there and clap and his wife comes out and tells us that he left. She then tells us that he’s nuts and actually in bed asleep....Problem is....he doesn’t behave like he’s nuts. And he understands everything we talked about in relation to the gospel....so yea. We’re really not too sure who’s nuts in this whole thing.
Finally, I’ll tell you about Jean. He’s the 9 year old son of 2 memebers. The step dad is recently reactivating himself and his mom got baptized a year ago this month. He plays soccer a ton and goes to the anglo institute on top of regular school because he and his mother are studying english. Freakin brits… They only learn british english here. Bit funny really, yet frustrating at the same time because some people get snooty about speaking british english. That said, I’ve not met too many that can actually speak so I dunno….Anyways, he’s a great kid. He drinks up everything we say and has a great memory. It’s a bit of a challenge for me to teach someone of his age, seeing as he’s the 3rd investigator of that age that I’ve had in my mission and teaching kids is a bit of a challenge for me. I have to find examples that they can understand and tend to speak a great deal about cakes and desserts as examples. I do like food.... Anyways, he should be getting baptized on the 24, but his parents have been putting off the date since the beginning of the month, so that has been our principle challenge. I love him to death, I just hope that his family can get excited and that he can make a covenant with God!
Thats about all for this week,
Elder Andy
I thought I'd start off with a funny fact about bugs. We’ve got ‘roaches...and skeeters.... freakin skeeters. I put up my mosquito net for the first time in my mission this week. Turns out we’d left a kitchen ventilator uncovered one night and it was ridiculous! We had a ton of mosquitoes inside for 3 days. Not cool. That said, it was really hot for the first half of the week. Up til about Saturday. And I mean hot when I say hot. It’s finally starting to get warm for me. I just keep telling myself that I’ve seen worse, and it helps a bit. Granted, with all that heat, we had a ton of sun. As such, we bought sombreros! They’re pretty fun and keep the sun off of my tender white face. Then, Friday it was hot til about noon and then it got cloudy and the temperature started to drop and it absolutely poured at 4! It was INSANE! Luckily, we had just stepped inside and it blew past in about 15 minutes. Then for the rest of the day, Saturday and Sunday it was overcast and cool. Now it’s sunny and heading towards hot. I’`m just happy all the friggin humidity is gone.
You probably already know, but changes are on Tuesday the 20th. This change is just about over and I'm almost positive that I'll be moving to another area on the 20th. The zone leaders made a couple of cracks on Sunday during our weekly leadership meeting about having to teach their district leaders from scratch next week, so it’s rather possible that we’re outtie like a belly button. Only time will tell. And yes, that does mean that next week I will be writing you on Tuesday. I cannot believe that yet another change has flown past….my time is growing short. NOT COOL. That also one long sleepless night and lots of packing and moving. The crazy thing is, I actually enjoy it. Changes are a blast and I like moving around the mission. It's not for sure though, but I am ready to get outta here. It's been a really tough week, but I still am going to miss a lot of really special people that I've come to know and love here. It's hard that way, but I know that if they keep up with the things that we and others have taught them, I'll see them once more. Be it in this life, or the next, I know I'll see them.
I know that I’ve not been talking about people a lot lately, so here are a couple that we are working with. The first I’ve already mentioned a couple of times. Natalia Aldacour, she’s an inactive member that has attended sacrament meeting for 2 weeks in a row now. I was really rather pleased to see her on Sunday and we’ve been visiting her about twice a week. She has pretty much has zero support in relation to the church considering the fact that the 2 of her sisters that are members are inactive and her mom is as well. Her dad is anti and so is her boyfriend, with whom she lives. It makes things complicated but she really has a strong desire to come back to the fold and make changes in her life. I know that the Lord will provide a way for her, I just hope that she can stick to her guns when it all hit the fans. It’s so hard for people to stick up for the gospel when the going gets tough and there’s no one at their back. That’s why we’re trying to get the branch involved, so that she can have a support system for when she’s on the ropes.
Carlos.....is another story entirely. He’s a man that we met on the street who was just railing on the mormons for not greeting with besos. Yea...not cool. Anyways, one day we passed his house and he called us over and we had a nice chat and set up a lesson for the next afternoon in the church with the branch president and us. It was a tough lesson because he talks A LOT!!! But it was still rather fun. Then, on Saturday we were in the neighborhood and once more he called us over and took us into his shed and showed us what his grandson does with his spare time. Turns out he builds cages for and breeds reptiles. Iguana monsters and about 4 snakes, all in seperate cages. It was really actually quite cool, til he told us that his daughter thinks that we’re from the CIA. We’ve heard stuff like that before and I’ve heard it my whole mission and so we just laughed with him and told him that we’d see him at church tomorrow. He laughed and told us like 5 times that he’d be there. At 9, he sent us a message telling us that his family is convinced that we’re cia agents and that he might not be able to come on Sunday. Sunday morning, he sent a message saying that his wife practically threw him out of the house when she found out that we’d been on their property and that she’s convinced that we’re sent from the cia to dominate latino america using a false god and a false christ. We told him we’d stop by on the way to church. We get there and clap and his wife comes out and tells us that he left. She then tells us that he’s nuts and actually in bed asleep....Problem is....he doesn’t behave like he’s nuts. And he understands everything we talked about in relation to the gospel....so yea. We’re really not too sure who’s nuts in this whole thing.
Finally, I’ll tell you about Jean. He’s the 9 year old son of 2 memebers. The step dad is recently reactivating himself and his mom got baptized a year ago this month. He plays soccer a ton and goes to the anglo institute on top of regular school because he and his mother are studying english. Freakin brits… They only learn british english here. Bit funny really, yet frustrating at the same time because some people get snooty about speaking british english. That said, I’ve not met too many that can actually speak so I dunno….Anyways, he’s a great kid. He drinks up everything we say and has a great memory. It’s a bit of a challenge for me to teach someone of his age, seeing as he’s the 3rd investigator of that age that I’ve had in my mission and teaching kids is a bit of a challenge for me. I have to find examples that they can understand and tend to speak a great deal about cakes and desserts as examples. I do like food.... Anyways, he should be getting baptized on the 24, but his parents have been putting off the date since the beginning of the month, so that has been our principle challenge. I love him to death, I just hope that his family can get excited and that he can make a covenant with God!
Thats about all for this week,
Elder Andy
Monday, November 5, 2012
Cardona Uruguay - Nov 5th 2012
Hi Everyone,
Remember last week when I told you we had to get up at 3 am to catch the bus to go the the conference with Elder Oaks. There is a totally awesome tree in this public park. We took this photo at 3 in the morning, the only time I would feel comfortable in a tree in public as a missionary. We were walking to the bus stop for the conference when we took it.
First off as for the area, things are still a little rough, but we more or less had a miracle on Sunday by way of attendance. We recently started visiting Natalia Aldacour again, because we felt that we should on Wednesday. Turns out that she and Yanina have been passing through some really rough times and Natialia realized that she wants to come back to church. As such, we’ve decided that we’re going to help her for a bit longer this time and just help her see how wonderfully helpful the gospel is in our lives. On top of that, we had stopped visiting the Seiler family about 2 months ago. They’d been recieveing visits from the elders for probably a year straight and they didn’t come to church after repeated invitations. Elder Ruiz Diaz stopped by on Wednesday. Then, after a lesson with some investigators, Elder Ruiz Diaz and Elder Rosette and I made a visit to an endowed sister who has been inactive for about a year now and Elder Ruiz Diaz set up an interview with her. So then on Sunday the parents from the Seiler family, Natalia and her mom-who is visiting from colonia for the weekend- and the less active sister, Valeria, all came! I was so happy and dumb-struck to see them all in the church.
Saturday was a really hard day and we literally did not get in a door until 7 that night. All of our lessons fell through for the day and no one wanted to talk to us. We were pretty bummed by that, plus the fact that it’s getting really hot and really humid (really really hot) and we were fasting at the time made Saturday a really rotten day, but Sunday made all the sacrifice worth it. The Lord always does that to me! I sit here and gripe because the work is a little bit hard and then He drops a miracle in my lap and I get humbled just a little bit more by the awesome power of God.
As for enjoying the journey, I’ve actually been thinking on that lately. I really like this area. It’s hard, but I like learning all the things that I learn and getting to know the people and laughing and loving and sobbing tears of absolute sorrow and desperation. That’s happened more than once to both my companion and I. Dire circumstances tend to break the will of spiritual warriors, but that is what we need. It’s what we require. How else will the Lord refine and polish the weapons in His quick and deadly hand? We must pass through great heat if we are to be tempered to withstand the blows of an all too real warfare. Here’s to another brutal week.
Well, I want to shared a scripture with you from Alma 38:2
And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end.
That’s what I hang on to out here. The fact that my trials really aren’t all that bad and that I know I will pass through them. As grami once wrote to me in a letter, you can do anything 5 minutes at a time. I know that the Lord is watching over me. I know that He hears my cries and is instructing my by His Hand. I do my best to be steady and faithful unto God. Sometimes, I fail. Hardcore. But I just keep going. The Lord knew that we couldn’t do it all, that’s why He sent His Son to die for us. All that he asks is that we keep His commandments and endure to the end with a smile on our faces and a prayer in our hearts. In spite of the difficulties that we have had lately, I don’t find myself discouraged. We are winning little victories and it is to those that I clean. We can be frustrated, but only for a moment. The Atonement swallows that up whole.
May the heavens watch over you and the Lord be with you.
Elder Simpson
Remember last week when I told you we had to get up at 3 am to catch the bus to go the the conference with Elder Oaks. There is a totally awesome tree in this public park. We took this photo at 3 in the morning, the only time I would feel comfortable in a tree in public as a missionary. We were walking to the bus stop for the conference when we took it.
First off as for the area, things are still a little rough, but we more or less had a miracle on Sunday by way of attendance. We recently started visiting Natalia Aldacour again, because we felt that we should on Wednesday. Turns out that she and Yanina have been passing through some really rough times and Natialia realized that she wants to come back to church. As such, we’ve decided that we’re going to help her for a bit longer this time and just help her see how wonderfully helpful the gospel is in our lives. On top of that, we had stopped visiting the Seiler family about 2 months ago. They’d been recieveing visits from the elders for probably a year straight and they didn’t come to church after repeated invitations. Elder Ruiz Diaz stopped by on Wednesday. Then, after a lesson with some investigators, Elder Ruiz Diaz and Elder Rosette and I made a visit to an endowed sister who has been inactive for about a year now and Elder Ruiz Diaz set up an interview with her. So then on Sunday the parents from the Seiler family, Natalia and her mom-who is visiting from colonia for the weekend- and the less active sister, Valeria, all came! I was so happy and dumb-struck to see them all in the church.
Saturday was a really hard day and we literally did not get in a door until 7 that night. All of our lessons fell through for the day and no one wanted to talk to us. We were pretty bummed by that, plus the fact that it’s getting really hot and really humid (really really hot) and we were fasting at the time made Saturday a really rotten day, but Sunday made all the sacrifice worth it. The Lord always does that to me! I sit here and gripe because the work is a little bit hard and then He drops a miracle in my lap and I get humbled just a little bit more by the awesome power of God.
As for enjoying the journey, I’ve actually been thinking on that lately. I really like this area. It’s hard, but I like learning all the things that I learn and getting to know the people and laughing and loving and sobbing tears of absolute sorrow and desperation. That’s happened more than once to both my companion and I. Dire circumstances tend to break the will of spiritual warriors, but that is what we need. It’s what we require. How else will the Lord refine and polish the weapons in His quick and deadly hand? We must pass through great heat if we are to be tempered to withstand the blows of an all too real warfare. Here’s to another brutal week.
Well, I want to shared a scripture with you from Alma 38:2
And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end.
That’s what I hang on to out here. The fact that my trials really aren’t all that bad and that I know I will pass through them. As grami once wrote to me in a letter, you can do anything 5 minutes at a time. I know that the Lord is watching over me. I know that He hears my cries and is instructing my by His Hand. I do my best to be steady and faithful unto God. Sometimes, I fail. Hardcore. But I just keep going. The Lord knew that we couldn’t do it all, that’s why He sent His Son to die for us. All that he asks is that we keep His commandments and endure to the end with a smile on our faces and a prayer in our hearts. In spite of the difficulties that we have had lately, I don’t find myself discouraged. We are winning little victories and it is to those that I clean. We can be frustrated, but only for a moment. The Atonement swallows that up whole.
May the heavens watch over you and the Lord be with you.
Elder Simpson
Monday, October 29, 2012
Cardona Uruguay - Oct 29th 2012
Hi All,
I'm doin' pretty well this week. It's been busy as usual, but fun as always. For the weather, we had a little bit of rain on divisions in Juan Lacaze on tuesday and then we had sun up until today, justo the day that we need to wash clothes. Great.... It's been pouring off and on all day long, but I'm actually okay with it because it's starting to get hot again and it was HUMID last night! I slept on top of my sheets and blanket for the first time in a while because it was just nasty! I hate waking up sweaty in the mornings.... oh well. Anyways, thankfully the rain kills the humidity so it's not nearly as brutal now.
Our week of service was...an epic fail. We accomplished 0 service, but I was able to help my elders that are in Juan Lacaze and I was able to iron elder Rosete's shirts without him knowing! Shhhh don't tell anyone. I wanna keep that one under wraps til I get transferred
The conference with Elder Oaks was TOTALLY WORTH THE SACRIFICE!! We started a mission wide fast on Friday after lunch and worked the rest of the night. Then we got home, planned, I talked with the assistants and a couple of different zone leaders to figure our bus out and then crashed. We got up at 1:30 AM and were out the door, showered and ready to go at 2:30 AM. We got to our stop at 2:45, right on time and the bus didn' t end up showing up til 3:15. I totally could have slept another half hour. Anyways, we got on the bus and cruisied to Montevideo, but so many elders were reuniting that not too many of us slept because some elders are just LOUD. Rude... Anyways, we got to Montevideo at 6 am and the conference started at 9, so it was a huge party of elders getting back together after a while for 3 hours. I hugged elder V a ton. It was like seeing one of you guys again and I was just so happy. I saw so many of my friends and companions and I was just grinning the whole day!
Then, the conference started and I shook Elder Oaks hand. Yes. Be jealous. Elder Halstrom and Elder Viñas from the 70 were also there and spoke a bit. The main topic of Elder Oaks' talk was true repentance. He didn't talk about how we do it, but rather the necessity for it. Church attendance in correlation to the number of baptisms per year is extremely low and that means that people aren't being converted. He told us that in almost every instance in the scriptures when it speaks of baptism, it also speaks of repentance. The need for repentance is great in all the world and we must help the people understand that conversion is not EASY! We must also help them understand the importance of the sacrament. The sacrament is such an important covenant that the Lord would have us renew it EVERY SINGLE WEEK FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES!
The Prophet places such importance on the sacrament that with all of their busy meetings and lives, the quorum of the 12 and the 1st presidency meet once a month to partake of the sacrament in the temple. The sacrament is the opportunity that we have to clean our inner vessel upon a weekly basis, qualifying us to be clean enough to receive the spirit on a daily basis. (That was actually my thought...) after all, the spirit cannot dwell in unclean places. Anyways, a lot was said and a lot was felt. It was an amazing experience and I'm thankful for what I learned.
We then got on the bus and went home and worked the rest of the day and crashed. Yesterday, we had to travel to Colonia for my leadership meeting, so we lost the entire day to travel. That's always tough when it happens but I get in a lot of extra study so it's okay. I keep forgetting that Wednesday is Halloween, because no one really cares down here. There are a few stores down here that have decorations and masks, but more than that there's really no indication of the holiday.
I think we'll be getting the conference ensigns sometime this month (meaning November) and I'm rather quite excited. I didn't get to hear the priesthood session and I'd really like to see all of what was said, but in English. It was a great conference as I said before, but it's just not the same in Spanish. I know that I'll come away with completely different thoughts after seeing it in English, which is something that I truly enjoy. I love being able to have insights and inspiration in 2 languages. It really opens my eyes and I find that I think differently in Spanish. No complaints here. I'm always open for a new train of thought.
This morning, we got up at 5:20 am to go to the church and try and fix some of the finances because the call times to Salt Lake got screwed up and our branch president thought it was local time. No. It was Salt Lake time that we had to call at, not 5 am in the morning here.... So we got home at 6:15 and I slept for 15 minutes before getting up again. So yea. I'm really tired.
I like Christmas more every week really just because I like listening to Christmas music more each week and I like counting down til it comes. Bit shallow really, but still fun.
One scripture that I've found has really been calling my attention lately is Helaman 14:14-19,
14 And behold, again, another sign I give unto you, yea, a sign of his death.
15 For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord.
16 Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as edead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.
17 But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.
18 Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.
19 Therefore repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and ye are brought down unto this second death.
This is talking, of course, about the necessity and justification of the death of Jesus Christ. I shared it with a less active member on Saturday night, and Elder Rosete and I picked it up and ran. We taught very powerfully that night and I know that the Spirit was there. I could see it in the members face. I've also been reading Jesus the Christ as of late. I have come to know Christ in this last year more than I have in all of my life. He lives. He loves me and you and each of His children. He is real and powerful, omnipotent and He loves each of us with a perfect love.
I've laughed a LOT this week and I've been so very happy.
Chau til next week.
Elder Andy
I'm doin' pretty well this week. It's been busy as usual, but fun as always. For the weather, we had a little bit of rain on divisions in Juan Lacaze on tuesday and then we had sun up until today, justo the day that we need to wash clothes. Great.... It's been pouring off and on all day long, but I'm actually okay with it because it's starting to get hot again and it was HUMID last night! I slept on top of my sheets and blanket for the first time in a while because it was just nasty! I hate waking up sweaty in the mornings.... oh well. Anyways, thankfully the rain kills the humidity so it's not nearly as brutal now.
Our week of service was...an epic fail. We accomplished 0 service, but I was able to help my elders that are in Juan Lacaze and I was able to iron elder Rosete's shirts without him knowing! Shhhh don't tell anyone. I wanna keep that one under wraps til I get transferred
The conference with Elder Oaks was TOTALLY WORTH THE SACRIFICE!! We started a mission wide fast on Friday after lunch and worked the rest of the night. Then we got home, planned, I talked with the assistants and a couple of different zone leaders to figure our bus out and then crashed. We got up at 1:30 AM and were out the door, showered and ready to go at 2:30 AM. We got to our stop at 2:45, right on time and the bus didn' t end up showing up til 3:15. I totally could have slept another half hour. Anyways, we got on the bus and cruisied to Montevideo, but so many elders were reuniting that not too many of us slept because some elders are just LOUD. Rude... Anyways, we got to Montevideo at 6 am and the conference started at 9, so it was a huge party of elders getting back together after a while for 3 hours. I hugged elder V a ton. It was like seeing one of you guys again and I was just so happy. I saw so many of my friends and companions and I was just grinning the whole day!
Then, the conference started and I shook Elder Oaks hand. Yes. Be jealous. Elder Halstrom and Elder Viñas from the 70 were also there and spoke a bit. The main topic of Elder Oaks' talk was true repentance. He didn't talk about how we do it, but rather the necessity for it. Church attendance in correlation to the number of baptisms per year is extremely low and that means that people aren't being converted. He told us that in almost every instance in the scriptures when it speaks of baptism, it also speaks of repentance. The need for repentance is great in all the world and we must help the people understand that conversion is not EASY! We must also help them understand the importance of the sacrament. The sacrament is such an important covenant that the Lord would have us renew it EVERY SINGLE WEEK FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES!
The Prophet places such importance on the sacrament that with all of their busy meetings and lives, the quorum of the 12 and the 1st presidency meet once a month to partake of the sacrament in the temple. The sacrament is the opportunity that we have to clean our inner vessel upon a weekly basis, qualifying us to be clean enough to receive the spirit on a daily basis. (That was actually my thought...) after all, the spirit cannot dwell in unclean places. Anyways, a lot was said and a lot was felt. It was an amazing experience and I'm thankful for what I learned.
We then got on the bus and went home and worked the rest of the day and crashed. Yesterday, we had to travel to Colonia for my leadership meeting, so we lost the entire day to travel. That's always tough when it happens but I get in a lot of extra study so it's okay. I keep forgetting that Wednesday is Halloween, because no one really cares down here. There are a few stores down here that have decorations and masks, but more than that there's really no indication of the holiday.
I think we'll be getting the conference ensigns sometime this month (meaning November) and I'm rather quite excited. I didn't get to hear the priesthood session and I'd really like to see all of what was said, but in English. It was a great conference as I said before, but it's just not the same in Spanish. I know that I'll come away with completely different thoughts after seeing it in English, which is something that I truly enjoy. I love being able to have insights and inspiration in 2 languages. It really opens my eyes and I find that I think differently in Spanish. No complaints here. I'm always open for a new train of thought.
This morning, we got up at 5:20 am to go to the church and try and fix some of the finances because the call times to Salt Lake got screwed up and our branch president thought it was local time. No. It was Salt Lake time that we had to call at, not 5 am in the morning here.... So we got home at 6:15 and I slept for 15 minutes before getting up again. So yea. I'm really tired.
I like Christmas more every week really just because I like listening to Christmas music more each week and I like counting down til it comes. Bit shallow really, but still fun.
One scripture that I've found has really been calling my attention lately is Helaman 14:14-19,
14 And behold, again, another sign I give unto you, yea, a sign of his death.
15 For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord.
16 Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as edead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.
17 But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.
18 Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.
19 Therefore repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and ye are brought down unto this second death.
This is talking, of course, about the necessity and justification of the death of Jesus Christ. I shared it with a less active member on Saturday night, and Elder Rosete and I picked it up and ran. We taught very powerfully that night and I know that the Spirit was there. I could see it in the members face. I've also been reading Jesus the Christ as of late. I have come to know Christ in this last year more than I have in all of my life. He lives. He loves me and you and each of His children. He is real and powerful, omnipotent and He loves each of us with a perfect love.
I've laughed a LOT this week and I've been so very happy.
Chau til next week.
Elder Andy
Monday, October 22, 2012
Cardona Uruguay - Oct 22th 2012
Hi All,
Today, I'm tired but good. This week has been interesting, full of ups and downs. But that's how all weeks are. The Lord always gives us strength. Recently I was offering a prayer of supplication to the Lord, feeling pretty overwhelmed and under qualified. This thought came to my mind. "My dear boy, I never said this would be easy. I only said it was do-able." Every feat, every challenge, every trial that comes into our lives will try us to the very brink of our abilities. But it will always be possible. It will always be within our abilities.
I really can't complain about how things are going, except for the weather. Our weather has been completely insane this last week. Think hot, humid, cloudy, rainy, cold repeat. It's gone through that cycle 4 or 5 times this last week. It started raining at 10 last night and stopped raining today at about 12 and now it sunny and hot. The weather can't seem to make up it's mind and it's rather obnoxious. I'm putting on sun block some days and the next I'm cruisin around with my trench coat and umbrella.
We're actually really trying to focus on loving the people and serving them this week. We feel like it could really help the work here, because things are moving kinda slow...It's okay though! Never give up! Never surrender! We did service for a less active brother that is trying to quit smoking after 43 years and reactivate himself, so we've been working with him and the branch president has been helping him out a lot. We've not been having many chances to serve lately, physically, but we're looking out for chances that we'll have, planned and unplanned.
Halloween is somewhat acknowledged here, but nothing is really done with it. It's a growing holiday, but for now it's really just a select few. I've seen a few Halloweeny things, but it kinda confuses me because I forget that we're so far advanced in October. (I'm already counting down the days til Christmas. I swear that each week that passes makes me love Christmas a little bit more.)
We have a killer youth here who is willing to come out with us whenever we ask. She's studying preach my gospel and has been a memeber for 7 months. She's putting her mission papers in in march, when she hits a year as a member. She's learning a ton so fast, and it will be such a good prep for her.
There are 8 missionaries in my district, including my comp and I and the district is big. Like half of colonia. So, I travel lots. More study time though. The first district meeting went well. I teach again tomorrow and it's always rather fly by the seat of my pants because I'm just doing so many things all the time that the little time I do have is dedicated to prepping for my district meetings and thinking about how to help them or help my area. It makes time pass SO FAST and this Saturday we have a conference in montevideo with Elder Oaks. It's gonna be SCHWEET!
The branch is going...we're currently in the process of giving it a swift kick in the pants, so we'll see if we can get things jump started out here. I'm getting tired of not seeing progress and finding and losing investigators in the same week. But I know that this is the Lord's work and that He will guide us in accordance to His will. Fists up and fears out. There's no room in the pit for a coward! So just live the gospel and share what you live.
Elder Ender
Today, I'm tired but good. This week has been interesting, full of ups and downs. But that's how all weeks are. The Lord always gives us strength. Recently I was offering a prayer of supplication to the Lord, feeling pretty overwhelmed and under qualified. This thought came to my mind. "My dear boy, I never said this would be easy. I only said it was do-able." Every feat, every challenge, every trial that comes into our lives will try us to the very brink of our abilities. But it will always be possible. It will always be within our abilities.
I really can't complain about how things are going, except for the weather. Our weather has been completely insane this last week. Think hot, humid, cloudy, rainy, cold repeat. It's gone through that cycle 4 or 5 times this last week. It started raining at 10 last night and stopped raining today at about 12 and now it sunny and hot. The weather can't seem to make up it's mind and it's rather obnoxious. I'm putting on sun block some days and the next I'm cruisin around with my trench coat and umbrella.
We're actually really trying to focus on loving the people and serving them this week. We feel like it could really help the work here, because things are moving kinda slow...It's okay though! Never give up! Never surrender! We did service for a less active brother that is trying to quit smoking after 43 years and reactivate himself, so we've been working with him and the branch president has been helping him out a lot. We've not been having many chances to serve lately, physically, but we're looking out for chances that we'll have, planned and unplanned.
Halloween is somewhat acknowledged here, but nothing is really done with it. It's a growing holiday, but for now it's really just a select few. I've seen a few Halloweeny things, but it kinda confuses me because I forget that we're so far advanced in October. (I'm already counting down the days til Christmas. I swear that each week that passes makes me love Christmas a little bit more.)
We have a killer youth here who is willing to come out with us whenever we ask. She's studying preach my gospel and has been a memeber for 7 months. She's putting her mission papers in in march, when she hits a year as a member. She's learning a ton so fast, and it will be such a good prep for her.
There are 8 missionaries in my district, including my comp and I and the district is big. Like half of colonia. So, I travel lots. More study time though. The first district meeting went well. I teach again tomorrow and it's always rather fly by the seat of my pants because I'm just doing so many things all the time that the little time I do have is dedicated to prepping for my district meetings and thinking about how to help them or help my area. It makes time pass SO FAST and this Saturday we have a conference in montevideo with Elder Oaks. It's gonna be SCHWEET!
The branch is going...we're currently in the process of giving it a swift kick in the pants, so we'll see if we can get things jump started out here. I'm getting tired of not seeing progress and finding and losing investigators in the same week. But I know that this is the Lord's work and that He will guide us in accordance to His will. Fists up and fears out. There's no room in the pit for a coward! So just live the gospel and share what you live.
Elder Ender
Monday, October 15, 2012
Cardona Uruguay - Oct 15th 2012
Hi All,
I’m doing good. It’s a little bit warm today and we’ve been having a touch of sun for the past couple of days which has been nice, but it hints at a much more brutal and hot time to come. Do I hear refiners fire? Everyone is saying that we’re going to have a very hot very wet summer. They also said that this was going to be a winter to beat all winters. I really don’t ever remember being that cold, so we’ll see what happens I do remember last summer was the hottest time that I have ever passed through in my life. So, we’ll see how I do in this summer. I think I’ll be able to make it. I hope I’ll be able to make it. I think I can I think I can I think I can…
If you really want to know how I’m doing. I’m tired. I’ve never been so tired in all of my life. I literally do not remember portions of last night I’m so tired. That said, I’m happy. I cannot believe how happy I am when I consider how tired I am. I know that I don’t have to strength to do what is currently being required of me. The Lord is surely bearing me up with His Almighty Hand. Like a limp fork.
We read the Book Of Mormon every time we’re on the bus now, and at the stations which is a LOT now that I’m district leader. As for my district, I have Elder Rodríguez and Elder Wald in Juan Lacaze. Elder Ponce and Elder Leininger, the Zone Leaders, in Nueva Helvecia and Elder Huaracha and Elder Marinosky in Rosario. Rosario is the closest to us, as the bus drives. Takes about 40 to 50 minutes by bus. From there we can take another 40 minute bus to NH or a different one to JL. So…..we’re pretty spaced out. I actually couldn’t tell you how big of an area my district is, because I don’t see too many detailed maps down here, but I’d say roughly half or perhaps a third of Colonia, the Department in Uruguay. We have district meetings every Tuesday at 1030, which means I’m teaching for the first time tomorrow and we’re going on divisions immedeatly afterwards until Wednesday morning. We also have a Leaders Council on Sundays, (the zone leaders and elder larson my old comp, the other district leader) which eats up our entire Sunday because of the bus times. It’s okay though.
On Friday I had my first baptismal interview. Little girl named Macarena (seriously). It was....wonderful. We bused around all day (because the bus times are all super spaced out so we do a lot of waiting) but it was worth the last 2 minutes of the interview. I asked her why she wanted to get baptized...and she said that Jesus is her friend and that she loves Him very much. Man, I just wanted to start crying right then and there. The Lord touched my heart through that little girl and I am so grateful for it.
Tomorrow, I teach district meeting for the first time. Saturday, we went to the house of a brother and did some painting for him and cleaned a little bit of his yard. I felt like a servant of the Lord right then and there. I dunno. I just love serving. I know that the Lord gave of His time to the people, and that’s the only reason that I’m here on the mission so I’m really trying to learn to love the people and develope charity for each person that I see. We are all children of our father, we all want mercy, we all want respect. Might as well give it if I want some in return right?
Love always,
Stupendous Man
I’m doing good. It’s a little bit warm today and we’ve been having a touch of sun for the past couple of days which has been nice, but it hints at a much more brutal and hot time to come. Do I hear refiners fire? Everyone is saying that we’re going to have a very hot very wet summer. They also said that this was going to be a winter to beat all winters. I really don’t ever remember being that cold, so we’ll see what happens I do remember last summer was the hottest time that I have ever passed through in my life. So, we’ll see how I do in this summer. I think I’ll be able to make it. I hope I’ll be able to make it. I think I can I think I can I think I can…
If you really want to know how I’m doing. I’m tired. I’ve never been so tired in all of my life. I literally do not remember portions of last night I’m so tired. That said, I’m happy. I cannot believe how happy I am when I consider how tired I am. I know that I don’t have to strength to do what is currently being required of me. The Lord is surely bearing me up with His Almighty Hand. Like a limp fork.
 |
| A good lesson for all of us. |
We read the Book Of Mormon every time we’re on the bus now, and at the stations which is a LOT now that I’m district leader. As for my district, I have Elder Rodríguez and Elder Wald in Juan Lacaze. Elder Ponce and Elder Leininger, the Zone Leaders, in Nueva Helvecia and Elder Huaracha and Elder Marinosky in Rosario. Rosario is the closest to us, as the bus drives. Takes about 40 to 50 minutes by bus. From there we can take another 40 minute bus to NH or a different one to JL. So…..we’re pretty spaced out. I actually couldn’t tell you how big of an area my district is, because I don’t see too many detailed maps down here, but I’d say roughly half or perhaps a third of Colonia, the Department in Uruguay. We have district meetings every Tuesday at 1030, which means I’m teaching for the first time tomorrow and we’re going on divisions immedeatly afterwards until Wednesday morning. We also have a Leaders Council on Sundays, (the zone leaders and elder larson my old comp, the other district leader) which eats up our entire Sunday because of the bus times. It’s okay though.
On Friday I had my first baptismal interview. Little girl named Macarena (seriously). It was....wonderful. We bused around all day (because the bus times are all super spaced out so we do a lot of waiting) but it was worth the last 2 minutes of the interview. I asked her why she wanted to get baptized...and she said that Jesus is her friend and that she loves Him very much. Man, I just wanted to start crying right then and there. The Lord touched my heart through that little girl and I am so grateful for it.
Tomorrow, I teach district meeting for the first time. Saturday, we went to the house of a brother and did some painting for him and cleaned a little bit of his yard. I felt like a servant of the Lord right then and there. I dunno. I just love serving. I know that the Lord gave of His time to the people, and that’s the only reason that I’m here on the mission so I’m really trying to learn to love the people and develope charity for each person that I see. We are all children of our father, we all want mercy, we all want respect. Might as well give it if I want some in return right?
Love always,
Stupendous Man
Monday, October 8, 2012
Cardona Uruguay - Oct 8th 2012
Hi All,
This week was indeed transfer week. Elder Rosete and I are gonna stick here together for the next 6 weeks, and I’m okay with that. We're working so hard out here and I'm just tired of having everyone say no. It makes me sad that they are rejecting their salvation. On the plus side, we're getting really good at contacting. I'm not discouraged, by any means. I know that this is the Lord's labor and that really none of this rests on my shoulders. Now that I've said it, I just have to believe it and apply it right? I'm sure I'll be praying even more now, which is cool because I really like talking to God. He knows everything which is really comforting.
I’ve been learning a lot from my companion too, and I really feel like I’m progressing as a missionary. I love that he and I are always looking for ways to improve ourselves as missionaries and servants of Christ. It means we are always working on something. Usually it’s our teaching and understanding of the doctrine, but as of late we’ve been a little bit short on investigators, so we’ve really been focusing on ourselves. It’s been interesting to see all the things that we know need to be different and that we can change. Sometimes it’s little things, sometimes it’s really really big things. Either way, we know that through concerted effort it can be rectified, improved and even entirely changed for the better. I’m so glad we have the Atonement. Without it, there’s not even a reason for us to have FAITH! The Atonement justifies the necessity of faith in this existence. How cool is that?
Also. I was notified this morning that I’m the new District Leader. That’s a rather crippling thing to contemplate. Fortunately, I know that I don’t have to handle anything that’s on my plate alone. Heck, I don’t even think it’s my plate to handle. I’m the fork, so who am I to quell at the thought of grabbing something bigger? Since when does the fork talk back to the Hand of God?? Anyways, I’m excited and more than a little bit nervous. We’ll see how this change goes, one day at a time.
Weather here has been rainy, overcast and HUMID for the past week. So humid your bed is damp when you get in it and the walls of the bathroom stay soaked all day long. I’m really tired of the rain. Somebody must have been talking to the Rain Wizard. Whoever it was, will you let him know that I’m Tired of this Rain?
I spent a couple of different days this week seeing if we could hook the church computer up to the tv, and I couldn’t get it to work out, so we just moved the computer out in front of the office and watched conference live. Usually branches go out to another larger branch or ward to watch conference, but because we have so few members, which means a small budget, we couldn’t afford the trip. The streaming was a little bit stuttery at times and sometimes it flat out choked, but we made it through and heard all of the regular sessions of conference. I was not so blessed as to have heard the priesthood session, so perhaps next week I'll print out one or two of the talks. Perhaps I'll merely wait for the Liahona, so I can study everything better. As such, we watched the whole thing in our building, in Spanish. Which wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I know that I could probably have learned a lot more from it in English, but I still really enjoyed it, especially the hymns.
When I heard Pres. Monson's announcement, I actually thought of my dad and the changes to the age and time requirements that were made during his mission. I'm sure one day I'll make a comment to my children and have to explain that the mission ages haven't always been so low, and that when I was in the mission field they made the change. :) That'll be fun.
I really found it interesting how much they talked about the necessity of service in our lives as members. To me, it also seemed like a lot of talks spoke about the importantce of geneology. I’m starting to understand more and more of why that work is so important, so we’ll see if I get a little more involved in that after the mission.
I know that the Lord is effecting the changes in me that are necessary now to prepare me for future changes. Here's to the consecration of the life of another disciple of Jesus Christ. Onward my friends, into the gaping jaws of death and hell. We ride as conquerors. Despite our knowledge of the ultimate outcome, the fight will still require our greatest efforts.
Elder Andy
This week was indeed transfer week. Elder Rosete and I are gonna stick here together for the next 6 weeks, and I’m okay with that. We're working so hard out here and I'm just tired of having everyone say no. It makes me sad that they are rejecting their salvation. On the plus side, we're getting really good at contacting. I'm not discouraged, by any means. I know that this is the Lord's labor and that really none of this rests on my shoulders. Now that I've said it, I just have to believe it and apply it right? I'm sure I'll be praying even more now, which is cool because I really like talking to God. He knows everything which is really comforting.
I’ve been learning a lot from my companion too, and I really feel like I’m progressing as a missionary. I love that he and I are always looking for ways to improve ourselves as missionaries and servants of Christ. It means we are always working on something. Usually it’s our teaching and understanding of the doctrine, but as of late we’ve been a little bit short on investigators, so we’ve really been focusing on ourselves. It’s been interesting to see all the things that we know need to be different and that we can change. Sometimes it’s little things, sometimes it’s really really big things. Either way, we know that through concerted effort it can be rectified, improved and even entirely changed for the better. I’m so glad we have the Atonement. Without it, there’s not even a reason for us to have FAITH! The Atonement justifies the necessity of faith in this existence. How cool is that?
Also. I was notified this morning that I’m the new District Leader. That’s a rather crippling thing to contemplate. Fortunately, I know that I don’t have to handle anything that’s on my plate alone. Heck, I don’t even think it’s my plate to handle. I’m the fork, so who am I to quell at the thought of grabbing something bigger? Since when does the fork talk back to the Hand of God?? Anyways, I’m excited and more than a little bit nervous. We’ll see how this change goes, one day at a time.
Weather here has been rainy, overcast and HUMID for the past week. So humid your bed is damp when you get in it and the walls of the bathroom stay soaked all day long. I’m really tired of the rain. Somebody must have been talking to the Rain Wizard. Whoever it was, will you let him know that I’m Tired of this Rain?
I spent a couple of different days this week seeing if we could hook the church computer up to the tv, and I couldn’t get it to work out, so we just moved the computer out in front of the office and watched conference live. Usually branches go out to another larger branch or ward to watch conference, but because we have so few members, which means a small budget, we couldn’t afford the trip. The streaming was a little bit stuttery at times and sometimes it flat out choked, but we made it through and heard all of the regular sessions of conference. I was not so blessed as to have heard the priesthood session, so perhaps next week I'll print out one or two of the talks. Perhaps I'll merely wait for the Liahona, so I can study everything better. As such, we watched the whole thing in our building, in Spanish. Which wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I know that I could probably have learned a lot more from it in English, but I still really enjoyed it, especially the hymns.
When I heard Pres. Monson's announcement, I actually thought of my dad and the changes to the age and time requirements that were made during his mission. I'm sure one day I'll make a comment to my children and have to explain that the mission ages haven't always been so low, and that when I was in the mission field they made the change. :) That'll be fun.
I really found it interesting how much they talked about the necessity of service in our lives as members. To me, it also seemed like a lot of talks spoke about the importantce of geneology. I’m starting to understand more and more of why that work is so important, so we’ll see if I get a little more involved in that after the mission.
I know that the Lord is effecting the changes in me that are necessary now to prepare me for future changes. Here's to the consecration of the life of another disciple of Jesus Christ. Onward my friends, into the gaping jaws of death and hell. We ride as conquerors. Despite our knowledge of the ultimate outcome, the fight will still require our greatest efforts.
Elder Andy
Monday, October 1, 2012
Cardona Uruguay - Oct 1st 2012
Hi All,
This week has been.....very long. And really hard. But It's okay. I still keep walking and waking up so at least I'm not dead yet.As of today I'm still dry. I think it's going to try to rain tomorrow or perhaps tonight. You can tell because there is a lot of humidity in the air. Your cloths feel damp and your bed is cold and wet when you get into it. But if it rains then all of that goes away and it becomes okay again. It looked like it was going to rain this morning but then it didn't. It tried. And failed. Which was disappointing. Fortunately, it's really not that hot yet so the humidity doesn't make you feel like you're being smothered by a wet rag. Yet. Summer is coming though. It's already starting to get hot and I can't hang around the house in sweats anymore.
The area is really struggling and I can't figure out why! We're doing so much and it's getting to a point where I'm running out of ideas. We almost have 0 investigators and the people just aren't listening to us. That said, I'm not disheartened. Just frustrated and sad that so many people are closing their hearts to the word of the Lord and Salvation. We started a fast on Saturday and ended it yesterday. We managed to find a last investigator at the 11th hour yesterday so we're really going to be focusing on her needs and how we can help her. Her name is Virgina and she lost her son about 9 months ago, but is still really wrapped up in the entire ordeal. So, we're going to see if s she's willing to let Christ heal her wounds.
Cristhina was an old investigator of other missionaries and we managed to find her last week. Well turns out that it was a week of vacations and she wasn't working her 2 jobs. This week, she started work again and we haven't been able to meet with her at all. We've called a couple of times and sent a couple of texts but now I feel like she's just getting bugged by us. She works as a live in nurse from 2 until late at night and works in a school from 730 in the morning until 130 and then goes to her other job which makes it utterly impossible for us to visit with her during the week. Then, this week end, we called to set up a lesson and she sounded really exasperated with us and said that she'd send us a text when she could meet with us. She still hasn't sent us a text.... She's the first of many people that have done similar things to us this week. A lot of people have set lessons with us and then they aren't there and stop answering our calls or texts or try and hide when we pass by. It's really frustrating but life goes on.
Speaking of food. I'm currently in Rosario with elder Merrill we made homemade taco burgers and french fries for lunch with homemade fry sauce. WIN. It was super delicious and I actually was the one who made the burgers. Fun, and really tasty. It's been a good p'day, the last one of this change. It's really possible that he's getting out of here so we decided to party a little bit before he took off. He's come to be one of my really good friends and we've had a lot of fun together here in the same zone.
As a mission, we continue with the program of reading the Book of Mormon in 90 days and I'm loving every day of it. Every time that we travel, I read a ton. I know I've said this numerous times already, but I keep finding so many new and wonderful things. I read from Alma 16-22 on the 30 minute bus ride here this morning and I'll read more this afternoon. I love reading about the sons of Mosiah. What manner of missionaries they were! What faith and dedication to the Lord in His work! Freakin stud muffins.
I was really excited about General Conference until Sunday. Then I found out that we were just going to be watching it in our branch building...which I have to set up.... and we'll only be watching it in spanish. Bummer. Conference talks in spanish just aren't the same. I'm totally capable of understanding the talks but I just get so drowzy as it is and it's even worse just listening in spanish. I know that I'll still learn a lot. Conference is such a high light of the year so we'll see what this time brings for me. There's always the ensign right?
Speaking of not having time. I was asked to give a 15 minute talk on sunday and given 5 minutes to prep it. I would like to thank you and the Spirit for the words and talent that I had at that point and time to step up to the plate and deliver. I spoke about the importance of daily study from the Book of Mormon and honoring the sacrifices of the prophets. I quoted my favorite prophet Jacob and his older brother Nephi. I used the scriptures 2 Nephi 33:3-5, 1 nephi 19:23 Jacob 6:12, 7:24-25 and 7:26-27. I feel like it went really well. I'm happy because I'm finally getting to a point where I feel like the spirit can tell me what I need to say in Spanish and it just happens. I'm not struggling as much to be able to follow the Lord's will in a foreign tongue and I hope it hit home with some of the people that were listening. I thought of my dad and mom and the fact that they were always reading from the scriptures as we were growing up. I'm glad they made daily study a habit.
I've been teaching English to the elders quorum president every morning as well as my comp. Looks like the branch president wants to come too. I don't know if I'll ever get over the fact that I'm teaching English to people as I communicate the structure and how to speak in Spanish. I find it all more than a little bit funny. It's amazing how the Lord works through us to better the lives of those around us.
I know this is short, but sometimes that's just the way it is. Look at the book of Jacob. He's convinced he hardly wrote anything. Then we have the book of Alma. Both are just as important and both teach wonderful doctrine. God rocks!
One of the coolest parts of my week was one night when we were walking down the street at about 8 at night. I looked up and stopped dead in my tracks. The moon was all white with a nice orange cap and a HUGE halo around it. It was amazing. I've never seen anything like it in my life. Elder Rosete and I just stood there for probably 5 minutes talking about the heavens and how cool God is and how much we can't wait for our turn to do amazing things with the skies. It was great. I hope that I never forget that image, because I don't know if I'll ever see it again.
I know that Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet. He's been called of God and he directs the Lord's church. Let us take advantage of the great blessings that the Lord has in the words of His prophets. Til next week,
Elder Andy
This week has been.....very long. And really hard. But It's okay. I still keep walking and waking up so at least I'm not dead yet.As of today I'm still dry. I think it's going to try to rain tomorrow or perhaps tonight. You can tell because there is a lot of humidity in the air. Your cloths feel damp and your bed is cold and wet when you get into it. But if it rains then all of that goes away and it becomes okay again. It looked like it was going to rain this morning but then it didn't. It tried. And failed. Which was disappointing. Fortunately, it's really not that hot yet so the humidity doesn't make you feel like you're being smothered by a wet rag. Yet. Summer is coming though. It's already starting to get hot and I can't hang around the house in sweats anymore.
The area is really struggling and I can't figure out why! We're doing so much and it's getting to a point where I'm running out of ideas. We almost have 0 investigators and the people just aren't listening to us. That said, I'm not disheartened. Just frustrated and sad that so many people are closing their hearts to the word of the Lord and Salvation. We started a fast on Saturday and ended it yesterday. We managed to find a last investigator at the 11th hour yesterday so we're really going to be focusing on her needs and how we can help her. Her name is Virgina and she lost her son about 9 months ago, but is still really wrapped up in the entire ordeal. So, we're going to see if s she's willing to let Christ heal her wounds.
Cristhina was an old investigator of other missionaries and we managed to find her last week. Well turns out that it was a week of vacations and she wasn't working her 2 jobs. This week, she started work again and we haven't been able to meet with her at all. We've called a couple of times and sent a couple of texts but now I feel like she's just getting bugged by us. She works as a live in nurse from 2 until late at night and works in a school from 730 in the morning until 130 and then goes to her other job which makes it utterly impossible for us to visit with her during the week. Then, this week end, we called to set up a lesson and she sounded really exasperated with us and said that she'd send us a text when she could meet with us. She still hasn't sent us a text.... She's the first of many people that have done similar things to us this week. A lot of people have set lessons with us and then they aren't there and stop answering our calls or texts or try and hide when we pass by. It's really frustrating but life goes on.
Speaking of food. I'm currently in Rosario with elder Merrill we made homemade taco burgers and french fries for lunch with homemade fry sauce. WIN. It was super delicious and I actually was the one who made the burgers. Fun, and really tasty. It's been a good p'day, the last one of this change. It's really possible that he's getting out of here so we decided to party a little bit before he took off. He's come to be one of my really good friends and we've had a lot of fun together here in the same zone.
As a mission, we continue with the program of reading the Book of Mormon in 90 days and I'm loving every day of it. Every time that we travel, I read a ton. I know I've said this numerous times already, but I keep finding so many new and wonderful things. I read from Alma 16-22 on the 30 minute bus ride here this morning and I'll read more this afternoon. I love reading about the sons of Mosiah. What manner of missionaries they were! What faith and dedication to the Lord in His work! Freakin stud muffins.
I was really excited about General Conference until Sunday. Then I found out that we were just going to be watching it in our branch building...which I have to set up.... and we'll only be watching it in spanish. Bummer. Conference talks in spanish just aren't the same. I'm totally capable of understanding the talks but I just get so drowzy as it is and it's even worse just listening in spanish. I know that I'll still learn a lot. Conference is such a high light of the year so we'll see what this time brings for me. There's always the ensign right?
Speaking of not having time. I was asked to give a 15 minute talk on sunday and given 5 minutes to prep it. I would like to thank you and the Spirit for the words and talent that I had at that point and time to step up to the plate and deliver. I spoke about the importance of daily study from the Book of Mormon and honoring the sacrifices of the prophets. I quoted my favorite prophet Jacob and his older brother Nephi. I used the scriptures 2 Nephi 33:3-5, 1 nephi 19:23 Jacob 6:12, 7:24-25 and 7:26-27. I feel like it went really well. I'm happy because I'm finally getting to a point where I feel like the spirit can tell me what I need to say in Spanish and it just happens. I'm not struggling as much to be able to follow the Lord's will in a foreign tongue and I hope it hit home with some of the people that were listening. I thought of my dad and mom and the fact that they were always reading from the scriptures as we were growing up. I'm glad they made daily study a habit.
I've been teaching English to the elders quorum president every morning as well as my comp. Looks like the branch president wants to come too. I don't know if I'll ever get over the fact that I'm teaching English to people as I communicate the structure and how to speak in Spanish. I find it all more than a little bit funny. It's amazing how the Lord works through us to better the lives of those around us.
I know this is short, but sometimes that's just the way it is. Look at the book of Jacob. He's convinced he hardly wrote anything. Then we have the book of Alma. Both are just as important and both teach wonderful doctrine. God rocks!
One of the coolest parts of my week was one night when we were walking down the street at about 8 at night. I looked up and stopped dead in my tracks. The moon was all white with a nice orange cap and a HUGE halo around it. It was amazing. I've never seen anything like it in my life. Elder Rosete and I just stood there for probably 5 minutes talking about the heavens and how cool God is and how much we can't wait for our turn to do amazing things with the skies. It was great. I hope that I never forget that image, because I don't know if I'll ever see it again.
I know that Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet. He's been called of God and he directs the Lord's church. Let us take advantage of the great blessings that the Lord has in the words of His prophets. Til next week,
Elder Andy
Monday, September 24, 2012
Cardona Uruguay - Sept 24th 2012
Hi All,
Monday, pday. Always good. Tuesday, got SOAKED! But had a killer lesson with Cristhina. We had brutal winds and a torrential downpour Tuesday evening but it was okay because the Spirit kept us warm, because our trench coats couldn't, being thoroghly soaked. Wellll....it was okay, but then we had to get up at 3:30 am to catch a bus to Montevideo. And our trench coats were kinda dry. Until we walked out the door and got soaked at 4:30 in the morning. Not fun. So we sat wet on a bus for 3 hours with the lady next to us coughing up a lung the entire way. There went my beauty sleep....And it rained. And rained. And rained.... and then rained some more.
Then we got a call from the zone leaders 5 minutes before we got in to MonteVideo saying that they didn't wait because...well....yea....that's literally what they told me. Then, they gave me crappy directions. But I didn't know that til 10 blocks and 20 minutes later, dripping like a sewer rat in the most furious storm of my life minutes before a conference with a member of the 70. So I chuckled as I thought of torturing them and got us back to the right place. So, soaked, we sat through a really cool 3 hour conference with elder Viñas about conversion and retention and the fact that like 11% of the people that we're baptizing are staying active after the first year. Gotta fix that one.... It was great!
Then, we got wet on the way to XXX to catch our bus to Cardona. And when we got home....no more rain. I WAS SO HAPPY FOR NO MORE RAIN! And I put on dry clothes and it was great and I was warm and toasty and happy. And then. I got sick on Saturday. There's a shocker. It's really just been more like really really bad allergies so i can't complain if that's the worst I'm getting after being soaked for 24 hours straight.
I know that I'm going to chuckle about this storm in a few weeks and it'll only get funnier with time. We had a good time with it on Tuesday night but Wednesday was just miserable....Also. Someone threw an egg at us the other day, probably trying to stick it with the insult so commonly hurled at us. Juevos. How original....Anyway. I totally felt like Samuel the Lamanite because it zipped past my head and landed in front of us. I'm sure kids could have sworn it was gonna hit us. God protected us. I know He did.
I do need to get a new umbrella. Mine very nearly lost it's life in the storm on Wednesday and Tuesday. You can see in the picture what happened to Elder Rosete's Umbrella.
Faith is a prerequisite to learning. That was something that I had never considered and really enjoyed. Our next door neighbor is Juan. He's the executive secretary of the branch and a RM of 6 years. He's been really frustrated with his life in that he's not been able to progress in his work and he had great plans for after the mission when he left but due to family problems, he's been working like a fool trying to make up the loses. Today...He asked me to help him learn English. He received a job offer in the United States. His dreams are all right before his eyes and he still can't believe it. I dunno why I'm sharing this I just want to say that the Lord always makes good on His word and always has our best interest in mind. It took 6 years for Juan to even possibly have the chance of progressing in this life because almost all of his earnings have been going to support his mother who got divorced from his father during his mission service. And it went from I'm never getting out of this po-dunk town to I have to learn English now because I'm getting out of here. Only the Lord moves so swiftly, precisely and certainly. It is our job to stay on our feet and ready for when He gives us blessings and even more urgent, for when He comes.
Well...that's about it for this week mom. I know that Christ lives and that He kept me safe and healthy through that storm. We are protected by the spirit. I know we are.
Elder Andy
Monday, pday. Always good. Tuesday, got SOAKED! But had a killer lesson with Cristhina. We had brutal winds and a torrential downpour Tuesday evening but it was okay because the Spirit kept us warm, because our trench coats couldn't, being thoroghly soaked. Wellll....it was okay, but then we had to get up at 3:30 am to catch a bus to Montevideo. And our trench coats were kinda dry. Until we walked out the door and got soaked at 4:30 in the morning. Not fun. So we sat wet on a bus for 3 hours with the lady next to us coughing up a lung the entire way. There went my beauty sleep....And it rained. And rained. And rained.... and then rained some more.
Then we got a call from the zone leaders 5 minutes before we got in to MonteVideo saying that they didn't wait because...well....yea....that's literally what they told me. Then, they gave me crappy directions. But I didn't know that til 10 blocks and 20 minutes later, dripping like a sewer rat in the most furious storm of my life minutes before a conference with a member of the 70. So I chuckled as I thought of torturing them and got us back to the right place. So, soaked, we sat through a really cool 3 hour conference with elder Viñas about conversion and retention and the fact that like 11% of the people that we're baptizing are staying active after the first year. Gotta fix that one.... It was great!
Then, we got wet on the way to XXX to catch our bus to Cardona. And when we got home....no more rain. I WAS SO HAPPY FOR NO MORE RAIN! And I put on dry clothes and it was great and I was warm and toasty and happy. And then. I got sick on Saturday. There's a shocker. It's really just been more like really really bad allergies so i can't complain if that's the worst I'm getting after being soaked for 24 hours straight.
I know that I'm going to chuckle about this storm in a few weeks and it'll only get funnier with time. We had a good time with it on Tuesday night but Wednesday was just miserable....Also. Someone threw an egg at us the other day, probably trying to stick it with the insult so commonly hurled at us. Juevos. How original....Anyway. I totally felt like Samuel the Lamanite because it zipped past my head and landed in front of us. I'm sure kids could have sworn it was gonna hit us. God protected us. I know He did.
I do need to get a new umbrella. Mine very nearly lost it's life in the storm on Wednesday and Tuesday. You can see in the picture what happened to Elder Rosete's Umbrella.
Faith is a prerequisite to learning. That was something that I had never considered and really enjoyed. Our next door neighbor is Juan. He's the executive secretary of the branch and a RM of 6 years. He's been really frustrated with his life in that he's not been able to progress in his work and he had great plans for after the mission when he left but due to family problems, he's been working like a fool trying to make up the loses. Today...He asked me to help him learn English. He received a job offer in the United States. His dreams are all right before his eyes and he still can't believe it. I dunno why I'm sharing this I just want to say that the Lord always makes good on His word and always has our best interest in mind. It took 6 years for Juan to even possibly have the chance of progressing in this life because almost all of his earnings have been going to support his mother who got divorced from his father during his mission service. And it went from I'm never getting out of this po-dunk town to I have to learn English now because I'm getting out of here. Only the Lord moves so swiftly, precisely and certainly. It is our job to stay on our feet and ready for when He gives us blessings and even more urgent, for when He comes.
Well...that's about it for this week mom. I know that Christ lives and that He kept me safe and healthy through that storm. We are protected by the spirit. I know we are.
Elder Andy
Monday, September 17, 2012
Cardona Uruguay - Sept 17th 2012
Hello All,
I'm doing great. It has been a tough week, but hey, it was rewarding and that's what counts. Our numbers were a crap shoot in a shanghai alley, but that's not what matters because you can't call in to report the miracles that the Lord blessed ya with during the week. The bread recipe I make is really really really easy. And I mix it with my bare hands. Like a man. I do indeed get fruits and veggies. I eat at least 1 banana a day and then what ever else I find. I cook with tomatoes peppers carrots corn peas and onions a lot. Oh yea. The big bag? Potatoes. 100 pesos for a bag that size. They're itty bitty little guys but they're spuds none the less and I love me some taters. And yes. We ate it all in three days. So I made it again today. But better. And more. For just me. Soooo there's lunch for the next week.
The new branch president is indeed here full time. That's all they do. Live a normal retired life and share the gospel casually but actively with the people that they come across. This last week....was the lowest that I have seen since I've been here. It was 8 members. Eesh....We gotta fix that!
And as for the area....we were really frustrated and distraught for the first half of the week. We really weren't seeing progress in anyone and dropped Tamara and Yulisa.... Which pretty much meant we knocked doors for a lot of 3 days. During our studies, separately, we both felt that we should fast this week end. So, we started our fast after lunch on Saturday. And found 2 new investigators and had some BOSS lessons. Sunday, we had a district conference (stake conference but none of the areas in the stake are wards so we're a district) and SURPRISE it was a satellite transmission from Salt Lake to 22 stakes and 12 districts in Uruguay and Paraguay! Elder Gonzalez spoke and someone from the relief society who's name I can't recall and then we heard from Elder Anderson who spoke portuñol with a french accent. That was interesting. Then, we heard from the Prophet! It was pretty boss. I enjoyed it. Then, when we got home, we found ANOTHER great investigator! I'm so thankful for the miracles that the Lord threw our way. We were so in tune with the spirit for each charla it was NUTS! I love being a missionary.
Now more than ever I feel like I'm finding and learning so many new things about the Book of Mormon! I've just begun reading it in Spanish (I actually started in Mosiah 3 where I was at in English) I'm going to try and get to Mosiah 2 by the end of the year. I think I can do it. Then I'm going to sprint through it in English. There's just so much to be found and learned and felt! It's the best! Today for example....I've been reading about Abinadi and I read Mosiah 14. He bears such powerful testimony of the Lord and Savior. I don't know how many times I've blown past that part in English, but this time it really rang home. It's interesting seeing the differences between the English and Spanish versions. Some things speak to me in one and other things in the other. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He suffered for me. I'm thankful for Isaiah and his prophecies of the Savior. I'm thankful that Abinadi was faithful enough to study the scriptures and bold enough to answer the call of God and face down an entire nation to bear a fiery witness of Jesus Christ. I want to shake his hand when I see him in the next life.
I've come to terms with the fact that I'm a missionary. I get up and I don't see some punk parading around in a shirt and tie with a cute little name tag. I see a missionary in the mirror. I can't believe that I was ever anything else. I won't even hint that I'm a perfect missionary or even a great one. I'm just here trying my very best to follow what the Lord has in store for me. I know I'm not some beasty baptizing machine, but I know that the Lord has effect a great change in my little heart. It's a change that I'm working to make lasting and it can only come through the Gospel and Atonement of Jesus Christ.
So for service this Saturday, we were mixing and hauling cement for a member who was adding on to his house! He was doing a cememt roof and so I got to stand on a scaffolding and hoist buckets of cememt for 2 hours. I was SORE on sunday but really not as bad as I thought it would be. Fine enough that on Sunday when my comp was a little frustrated about something I picked him up and tossed him on his bed after the closing prayer of planning. Threw him over my shoulder like a bag of dirt. Really he just needed a pick me up because he's not getting along too well with the branch president and was impatient with himself for not having more charity. Nothing a little brute force and a good laugh can't fix!
Yesterday, someone asked me if I think I make a difference in the life of others. I asked her how she felt. Good she says. And before the lesson? The same. Fail. But. I know that I felt the Spirit during the lesson and I know that my companion did too. That massive feeling of a great swelling motion in your chest? Yea I felt that. I feel that. Frequently. And as Preach My Gospèl says, If I can feel the Spirit testifying to others, it means that I'm doing my job, even when they choose simply not to accept what I'm sharing. I love being a missionary. The time passes to fast.
Til next week,
Elder Andy
I'm doing great. It has been a tough week, but hey, it was rewarding and that's what counts. Our numbers were a crap shoot in a shanghai alley, but that's not what matters because you can't call in to report the miracles that the Lord blessed ya with during the week. The bread recipe I make is really really really easy. And I mix it with my bare hands. Like a man. I do indeed get fruits and veggies. I eat at least 1 banana a day and then what ever else I find. I cook with tomatoes peppers carrots corn peas and onions a lot. Oh yea. The big bag? Potatoes. 100 pesos for a bag that size. They're itty bitty little guys but they're spuds none the less and I love me some taters. And yes. We ate it all in three days. So I made it again today. But better. And more. For just me. Soooo there's lunch for the next week.
The new branch president is indeed here full time. That's all they do. Live a normal retired life and share the gospel casually but actively with the people that they come across. This last week....was the lowest that I have seen since I've been here. It was 8 members. Eesh....We gotta fix that!
And as for the area....we were really frustrated and distraught for the first half of the week. We really weren't seeing progress in anyone and dropped Tamara and Yulisa.... Which pretty much meant we knocked doors for a lot of 3 days. During our studies, separately, we both felt that we should fast this week end. So, we started our fast after lunch on Saturday. And found 2 new investigators and had some BOSS lessons. Sunday, we had a district conference (stake conference but none of the areas in the stake are wards so we're a district) and SURPRISE it was a satellite transmission from Salt Lake to 22 stakes and 12 districts in Uruguay and Paraguay! Elder Gonzalez spoke and someone from the relief society who's name I can't recall and then we heard from Elder Anderson who spoke portuñol with a french accent. That was interesting. Then, we heard from the Prophet! It was pretty boss. I enjoyed it. Then, when we got home, we found ANOTHER great investigator! I'm so thankful for the miracles that the Lord threw our way. We were so in tune with the spirit for each charla it was NUTS! I love being a missionary.
Now more than ever I feel like I'm finding and learning so many new things about the Book of Mormon! I've just begun reading it in Spanish (I actually started in Mosiah 3 where I was at in English) I'm going to try and get to Mosiah 2 by the end of the year. I think I can do it. Then I'm going to sprint through it in English. There's just so much to be found and learned and felt! It's the best! Today for example....I've been reading about Abinadi and I read Mosiah 14. He bears such powerful testimony of the Lord and Savior. I don't know how many times I've blown past that part in English, but this time it really rang home. It's interesting seeing the differences between the English and Spanish versions. Some things speak to me in one and other things in the other. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He suffered for me. I'm thankful for Isaiah and his prophecies of the Savior. I'm thankful that Abinadi was faithful enough to study the scriptures and bold enough to answer the call of God and face down an entire nation to bear a fiery witness of Jesus Christ. I want to shake his hand when I see him in the next life.
I've come to terms with the fact that I'm a missionary. I get up and I don't see some punk parading around in a shirt and tie with a cute little name tag. I see a missionary in the mirror. I can't believe that I was ever anything else. I won't even hint that I'm a perfect missionary or even a great one. I'm just here trying my very best to follow what the Lord has in store for me. I know I'm not some beasty baptizing machine, but I know that the Lord has effect a great change in my little heart. It's a change that I'm working to make lasting and it can only come through the Gospel and Atonement of Jesus Christ.
So for service this Saturday, we were mixing and hauling cement for a member who was adding on to his house! He was doing a cememt roof and so I got to stand on a scaffolding and hoist buckets of cememt for 2 hours. I was SORE on sunday but really not as bad as I thought it would be. Fine enough that on Sunday when my comp was a little frustrated about something I picked him up and tossed him on his bed after the closing prayer of planning. Threw him over my shoulder like a bag of dirt. Really he just needed a pick me up because he's not getting along too well with the branch president and was impatient with himself for not having more charity. Nothing a little brute force and a good laugh can't fix!
 |
| Elder Rose and Elder Simpson |
Yesterday, someone asked me if I think I make a difference in the life of others. I asked her how she felt. Good she says. And before the lesson? The same. Fail. But. I know that I felt the Spirit during the lesson and I know that my companion did too. That massive feeling of a great swelling motion in your chest? Yea I felt that. I feel that. Frequently. And as Preach My Gospèl says, If I can feel the Spirit testifying to others, it means that I'm doing my job, even when they choose simply not to accept what I'm sharing. I love being a missionary. The time passes to fast.
Til next week,
Elder Andy
Monday, September 10, 2012
Cardona Uruguay - Sept 10th 2012
Hi All,
I've been doing more cooking lately (it's a LOT cheaper) then buying it prepared. 4 days of food for 2. 2.5 kilos of food. 500 g of lentils. About a kilo of rice. A green pepper, an onion, a tomato, 300 g of lean ground beef and 4 boiled eggs. Eat hearty. Yea, I'm gonna make cinnamon rolls for Elder Rosete and I. I taught him how to make bread the other day. I'm also gonna teach him how to make pancakes and french toast as well. He literally knows nothing about cooking so I'm helping him learn about that and feeding us at the same time.
On the 8th I realized that one year before, I was in an airport in Buenos Aires and BEWILDERED. Now I live in Uruguay and I'm slightly less bewildered. Cool huh?
We did a lot of traveling this week, with the trip to Rosario on Monday and then district meeting on Tuesday and then we had interviews with President on Saturday. It's been really hard on our numbers for the week. And this last Monday night.....what an ulcer. So I went to go pick up my comp at the bus station. They didn't show up....for an hour and a half....because the buses got screwed up as usual. Just like they did on Saturday. A 30 minute ride that turned into about an hour and a half. You'd think they'd have this stuff figured out by now. Surprisingly on Monday though I did relatively well. Offered a couple of fervent prayers and then just popped the Book of Mormon and started reading. I knew it would all work out, it was merely just waiting until it did so. No sense in fretting over something if it's not the end yet.
So I don't know what it is with old people this week, but I've had far too many run in with irate victims of alzheimers! Seriously! This old ladies bike fell when she was going in to a store and we were walking right past so I stopped to help and she started shouting at me because I asked if I could help her out... That was pleasant.
Then, we went to look up an old contact and this OLD dude answered the door. We're talking early 70's at the very youngest. Well, our contact is about 15. And it's pretty common due to the moral standards of this nation for the grandparents to raise grandchildren.
So...naturally...I asked if the girl was his granddaughter. Nope.
He starts off "SHE'S MY DAUGHTER WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?? YOU THINK OLD PEOPLE DON'T PROCREATE??" (literal translation)
"I didn't say that sir."
"YEA, BUT DO YOU THINK IT???"
"No. I do not."
"I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT'S 50 AND ONE THAT'S 15 YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT??"
"No man I'm just here to talk about God."
"OH. WELL SHE'S NOT HERE."
"Alright cool. "
That's pretty much how it went. Fun huh?
The branch president is here. They're doing good, but I still have a lot to do because they know next to nothing about the branch and where stuff is so I have to help them out with that. I am indeed still counselor and my assignment has not been changed at all.
My week was pretty hectic and full and busy and rainy and cold and sunny and hot. Welcome to the shire. Basically....all of our investigators suck. None of them want to come to church, and we're really pounding that down their throats. And pounding doors. And the pavement. We're really looking for people to teach, which is something that we're struggling a lot with. We get frustrated but our animo (enthusiasm) alwasy stays high. We've both been a little discouraged off and on, but we know that the Lord will provide for us. This is the Lord's work I have NO doubt of that.
Til next week
Elder Andy
I've been doing more cooking lately (it's a LOT cheaper) then buying it prepared. 4 days of food for 2. 2.5 kilos of food. 500 g of lentils. About a kilo of rice. A green pepper, an onion, a tomato, 300 g of lean ground beef and 4 boiled eggs. Eat hearty. Yea, I'm gonna make cinnamon rolls for Elder Rosete and I. I taught him how to make bread the other day. I'm also gonna teach him how to make pancakes and french toast as well. He literally knows nothing about cooking so I'm helping him learn about that and feeding us at the same time.
On the 8th I realized that one year before, I was in an airport in Buenos Aires and BEWILDERED. Now I live in Uruguay and I'm slightly less bewildered. Cool huh?
We did a lot of traveling this week, with the trip to Rosario on Monday and then district meeting on Tuesday and then we had interviews with President on Saturday. It's been really hard on our numbers for the week. And this last Monday night.....what an ulcer. So I went to go pick up my comp at the bus station. They didn't show up....for an hour and a half....because the buses got screwed up as usual. Just like they did on Saturday. A 30 minute ride that turned into about an hour and a half. You'd think they'd have this stuff figured out by now. Surprisingly on Monday though I did relatively well. Offered a couple of fervent prayers and then just popped the Book of Mormon and started reading. I knew it would all work out, it was merely just waiting until it did so. No sense in fretting over something if it's not the end yet.
So I don't know what it is with old people this week, but I've had far too many run in with irate victims of alzheimers! Seriously! This old ladies bike fell when she was going in to a store and we were walking right past so I stopped to help and she started shouting at me because I asked if I could help her out... That was pleasant.
Then, we went to look up an old contact and this OLD dude answered the door. We're talking early 70's at the very youngest. Well, our contact is about 15. And it's pretty common due to the moral standards of this nation for the grandparents to raise grandchildren.
So...naturally...I asked if the girl was his granddaughter. Nope.
He starts off "SHE'S MY DAUGHTER WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?? YOU THINK OLD PEOPLE DON'T PROCREATE??" (literal translation)
"I didn't say that sir."
"YEA, BUT DO YOU THINK IT???"
"No. I do not."
"I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT'S 50 AND ONE THAT'S 15 YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT??"
"No man I'm just here to talk about God."
"OH. WELL SHE'S NOT HERE."
"Alright cool. "
That's pretty much how it went. Fun huh?
The branch president is here. They're doing good, but I still have a lot to do because they know next to nothing about the branch and where stuff is so I have to help them out with that. I am indeed still counselor and my assignment has not been changed at all.
My week was pretty hectic and full and busy and rainy and cold and sunny and hot. Welcome to the shire. Basically....all of our investigators suck. None of them want to come to church, and we're really pounding that down their throats. And pounding doors. And the pavement. We're really looking for people to teach, which is something that we're struggling a lot with. We get frustrated but our animo (enthusiasm) alwasy stays high. We've both been a little discouraged off and on, but we know that the Lord will provide for us. This is the Lord's work I have NO doubt of that.
Til next week
Elder Andy
Monday, September 3, 2012
Cardona Uruguay - Sept 3rd 2012
Hi All,
The weather here has been a bit crazy. About 4 days ago it was HOT for 2 days and then yesterday and today have been WINDY. A lot of the locals are saying that the weather forecast for today and tomorrow is rain. I loved the rain before the missionary. As missionary, it sucks. Everything a vacuum can do but not nearly as fun but just as loud on my room when dropped. (no. I have not been dropping vacuums on my roof but I imagine the noise would be fairly similar.)
I'm doing particularly well this week. It was hectic and I'm exhausted but that's okay. I'll tell you about changes. We left Cardona at 6 pm Tuesday evening and got to Rosario at 7. From there we took another bus with elder Rivas and his comp to Colonia. and got there at 8:40 pom. Well, no one advised the elders of that area so they couldn't show up til about 9:15 and we all bought dinner and walked to their house while 2 Elders took a taxi with all of the luggage. We got there and still hadn't heard word about 2 more elders. I called the zone leaders and talked with them and they said we had to wait for them until 11 pm, so we all just waited up for them. They rolled in at 11:30 and we weren't able to get everything settled down until about 1230 am or 1 am. Then, a few of them had to get up at 4 am to head out to the station and managed to wake us all up, (9 elders in a 2 elder house on 5 mattresses and a couch) and then we had to get up again at 5 am and walk to the station and then Elder Manning and I came back to the house, studied, did some contacts, made lunch and picked up our comps at 2 pm and bused home. I was TIRED the next day. And that night. Everyone said I look dead and my spanish was super sloppy.
My comp is from Tultepec Estado de Mexico. His name is Elder Rosete and he is really go get'em and we're seeing a lot of really important changes here together. we've already built a really positive trusting relationship and we're always looking for ways to build each other up and improve. He's a lot like his mission dad (Elder V) and we're going to see miracles this change. I'm super stoked to be working with him.
I did not know Elder Rosete before changes, but Elder V and I talk frequently and send notes to each other every Tuesday. He called me the night before we went to Colonia for changes and we talked a little about Elder Rosete. He's been out for about 5 months I think on the fifth. Yea....pretty new. but he works HARD! He's very converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He got baptized a year and a half ago and had his mission papers ready to go even before he'd had a year in the church. He sent them in as soon as he was eligible. He reminds me so much of elder V and we get along really really well.
We're already good friends and we have great unity in our teaching. He really likes to testify and commit which works well because he knows the language and is good at tailoring the commitment to the needs of the investigator.
We moved the couple Ruiz Diaz out here on Friday (which is why the Crawfords were out there on the same day.) and it's working out fine. I don't have to translate and his wife is now teaching seminary. It takes a load off, but I think I'm going to miss teaching it. Elder Rosete was going to help me teach it and the lesson was about Moses and so I read the lesson out of the manual and passed it to him on Friday and said have a wack at it. During comp study, he turned to me and said Elder I have no idea what's going on here. I know nothing about Moses. So we started a 2 day study of Moses and some of the bible. He's really open about what he needs to learn and isn't afraid to ask my help. It's a little weird to me being the one with all of the experience and the one who decides what gets done.
Like today, he had to go to MonteVideo to sign papers. (he went with elder Merrill so I'm with his comp here in Rosario) and he asked me what he should take. I answered without thinking about it and then realized what had just happened. Funny how the Lord prepares us little by little and we realize later.
I've been reading Articles of Faith by James E Talmage during all of our bus rides (we travel a lot here. Just like Tranqueras. Ton of extra reading time.) and I finally understand eternal punishment. He compares it to a prison. The punishment is there. It will always be there, just like the prison. But it's the prisoner that leaves after his sentence is served. We will not suffer forever for our sins, but we sure will pay for them. We have to serve our sentence if we do not accept Christ as our Savior. That's why the labor of this life is so important! I know that christ lives! One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is testifying of him!
Elder Andy
The weather here has been a bit crazy. About 4 days ago it was HOT for 2 days and then yesterday and today have been WINDY. A lot of the locals are saying that the weather forecast for today and tomorrow is rain. I loved the rain before the missionary. As missionary, it sucks. Everything a vacuum can do but not nearly as fun but just as loud on my room when dropped. (no. I have not been dropping vacuums on my roof but I imagine the noise would be fairly similar.)
I'm doing particularly well this week. It was hectic and I'm exhausted but that's okay. I'll tell you about changes. We left Cardona at 6 pm Tuesday evening and got to Rosario at 7. From there we took another bus with elder Rivas and his comp to Colonia. and got there at 8:40 pom. Well, no one advised the elders of that area so they couldn't show up til about 9:15 and we all bought dinner and walked to their house while 2 Elders took a taxi with all of the luggage. We got there and still hadn't heard word about 2 more elders. I called the zone leaders and talked with them and they said we had to wait for them until 11 pm, so we all just waited up for them. They rolled in at 11:30 and we weren't able to get everything settled down until about 1230 am or 1 am. Then, a few of them had to get up at 4 am to head out to the station and managed to wake us all up, (9 elders in a 2 elder house on 5 mattresses and a couch) and then we had to get up again at 5 am and walk to the station and then Elder Manning and I came back to the house, studied, did some contacts, made lunch and picked up our comps at 2 pm and bused home. I was TIRED the next day. And that night. Everyone said I look dead and my spanish was super sloppy.
My comp is from Tultepec Estado de Mexico. His name is Elder Rosete and he is really go get'em and we're seeing a lot of really important changes here together. we've already built a really positive trusting relationship and we're always looking for ways to build each other up and improve. He's a lot like his mission dad (Elder V) and we're going to see miracles this change. I'm super stoked to be working with him.
I did not know Elder Rosete before changes, but Elder V and I talk frequently and send notes to each other every Tuesday. He called me the night before we went to Colonia for changes and we talked a little about Elder Rosete. He's been out for about 5 months I think on the fifth. Yea....pretty new. but he works HARD! He's very converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He got baptized a year and a half ago and had his mission papers ready to go even before he'd had a year in the church. He sent them in as soon as he was eligible. He reminds me so much of elder V and we get along really really well.
We're already good friends and we have great unity in our teaching. He really likes to testify and commit which works well because he knows the language and is good at tailoring the commitment to the needs of the investigator.
We moved the couple Ruiz Diaz out here on Friday (which is why the Crawfords were out there on the same day.) and it's working out fine. I don't have to translate and his wife is now teaching seminary. It takes a load off, but I think I'm going to miss teaching it. Elder Rosete was going to help me teach it and the lesson was about Moses and so I read the lesson out of the manual and passed it to him on Friday and said have a wack at it. During comp study, he turned to me and said Elder I have no idea what's going on here. I know nothing about Moses. So we started a 2 day study of Moses and some of the bible. He's really open about what he needs to learn and isn't afraid to ask my help. It's a little weird to me being the one with all of the experience and the one who decides what gets done.
 |
| Sister and Elder Crawford, Elder Simpson and Elder Xavier |
Like today, he had to go to MonteVideo to sign papers. (he went with elder Merrill so I'm with his comp here in Rosario) and he asked me what he should take. I answered without thinking about it and then realized what had just happened. Funny how the Lord prepares us little by little and we realize later.
I've been reading Articles of Faith by James E Talmage during all of our bus rides (we travel a lot here. Just like Tranqueras. Ton of extra reading time.) and I finally understand eternal punishment. He compares it to a prison. The punishment is there. It will always be there, just like the prison. But it's the prisoner that leaves after his sentence is served. We will not suffer forever for our sins, but we sure will pay for them. We have to serve our sentence if we do not accept Christ as our Savior. That's why the labor of this life is so important! I know that christ lives! One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is testifying of him!
Elder Andy
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