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