Buenos Dias,
I can't believe that it's June already. I say good bye to my companion tonight so that should be interesting. My new companion is Elder Salgado, from Chile. Latino compañero number 1. Here we go....
My companion has been doing great. We worked hard all week and the last couple of days have been him saying good bye which is normal. Yesterday, though, I had to go to ciudad vieja (old town) to sign some visa extension papers and get finger printed which took a couple of hours. It's something that every missionary has to do and we sign a form that says we aren't falsifying our documentation and that we're going to obey the laws. I like to read what I sign. Then we verified information that they had copies of and then got finger printed and went home. Pretty routine stuff. I'm glad they didn't notice that I had my finger prints removed when I joined that secret government agency. That could have caused some problems. I would have had to have done a lot of brain wiping... what a messy situation it would have been.
I'm more than warm. I'm just cruising around with the sweater mom sent me and most of the time I have the sleeves rolled up. Everyone freaks out and asks why I'm not wearing more clothes. They all have 2 or 3 sweaters on by now, in their houses. On the streets people are bundled up. I guess I'm just the cold blooded heartless monster I am. It's all good. Para que sepa (Just so you know), I do have hot water for about my shower. Most people cruise around in european cars and on really crappy small engined motos or they go by bus. My bed is pretty normal too. This country is more like europe than the latin america that we picture in the States. I'm more in the suburbs of the city, because ciudad vieja (old town) is more like the centro (center) and downtown portion of town and that's about 30 to 40 minutes away by bus.
They're starting to feed us really high calorie food so that we can "get fatter to stay warm during the winter". Not cool. I've stopped accepting food after the first plate because I'm drinking more water and eating more fruit and fiber crackers. I'm also getting full faster so it looks like my metabolism is slowing down. If i eat more than one plate I feel stuffed and then i just feel gross because we have to go out and work on a bloated stomach.
Our area is picking up. We've got a couple of solid investigators and more than a couple good contacts that could very well become investigators. The ward is okay....Currently with the amount of active members that we have qualifies us for a branch which means we would go down but that doesn't usually happen. We'll see...I don't know exactly what the problem is but some of the members seem to be having a lot of problems. We'll see what this next change shakes up. Our numbers are like 42 active members and something like 10 melkezidek priesthood holders. I don't even know on full tithe payers but I know that it's really low. That's a huge problem here in Montevideo because the cost of living is so high and a lot of the members don't see how they can make it as it is much less giving the Lord %10.
I feel like a lot of funny things happened this week but I really can't remember a lot of them. Today we were getting off of a bus and Elder Tyree my mtc comp, who is with my district leader, got stuck behind an old lady who wasn't getting off. So three of us got off the bus and then the doors closed and the bus kept going. We started laughing really hard and just walked after the bus. He got off on the next stop of course, but we all called him a trucho missionary for trying to escape. We all had a good laugh about it.
My first zone was also the one with Elder Salgado in it.... and he's an interesting guy. He...doesn't understand a lot of how things are and what is and isn't appropriate or normal. It's not malicious or intentional...but he doesn't walk within the restrictions of regular society. I've talked extensively with one of his past companions and seen him more than a few times. I was very stressed out when I received the call last night because it means that I have to keep an eye on him and on the area. I was rather distraught after the call so I went off by myself, (we were staying with 4 other elders so that we could go to the temple in the morning) and began to meditate. As soon as I relaxed my mind and began some breathing exercises, the Spirit came to me and told me that this change will be what I make of it. I was filled with peace and began to pour out my feelings to the Lord. He told me that it will all be for my good, and with that I went to bed.
Today, we went to the temple and when I sat down in the celestial room, I started sharing the same concerns and investigating it more. I cannot describe what I felt. I know that this change will be trying. There will be many things that I can learn and I will be challenged to the utmost of my ability. But I know, without a shadow of the doubt that this is Gods will and I'll be damned if I give up. Like quite literally damned. I can do this, and the preoccupation has fled. I felt such comfort and peace that I was brought to the verge of tears. How dearly I love the House of the Lord. How truly thankful I am to my Savior for all that He suffered for me.
I will merely close with a quote from Robert Louis Stevenson.
And with a sudden plunge
on the sullen swell
three fathoms deep
on the road to Hell.
I am a tool in the Hands of the Lord God Almighty. I will be His Voice, I will be His Hands, and I will not fear. There they go, into the darkness, with a spark of light in their hearts. They, the Soldiers of Light.
Elder Ender
For I am a Soldier of Light.
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