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.

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

Cardona Uruguay - Aug 28th 2012

Hi all,

What did i do all week?  I would actually submit that this has been a relatively slow week for me. It's been a good one though so I guess that's okay.  I made shepherd pie one day. I'm getting really good at making pancakes really fast and really big :) More than that really was us running around between the owner and the lawyer of the house that the missionary couple is going to rent. We've been doing a ton for the branch this week too, but the majority of that was for the activity on Thursday. Since then it's just been contract stuff and getting keys and checking the house and cross checking prices for furnishings. Now, today, I'm going to talk to the Crawfords again about the furniture prices, how we want to buy them and so and so forth. Makes me feel old. The new branch president Ruiz Dias and his wife get here this Friday, which would be fine but I'm going to be out of town all this afternoon and almost all of tomorrow so we need to get a lot of it done today.  The new Branch President is going to help the area so very much. With them living here in town, we can resolve problems as they arise and not have to call back and forth to get things moving. It will certainly bring a fluidity and a speed to the process of events here that has been lacking. 

I think that the activity on Thursday was a success. We had like 20 people there which isn't too bad in an area as small as this for the first activity in like 3 months. We gotta start small right? We played a scripture search game where the rooms in the church had different city names with papers with scriptures hidden in them. They had to find the paper, find the reference and then go to the city that the verse had in it. It went pretty well. Then we played ping pong and had cake and hot chocolate. They members had a lot of fun and it's what the are needs to see. A good time but the spirit as well.
 

My birthday was....ok. We ate lunch with a member family (which is not common here by any stretch of the imagination.) which was fun. Other than that, it was just another work day. The Crawfords sent me a milk chocolate bar in the mission mail system which was super fun and then elder Velazquez called me in the morning and President called me that night. Yea, 2 missed calls from the mission home and I about had a heart attack when I saw that on the cell phone. WHAT ON EARTH COULD I HAVE POSSIBLY DONE?!?!?! They just wanted to wish me a  happy birthday. That's a lot better than being told you're in trouble, though I couldn't imagine what they would get mad at me for...

Birthday lunch with a member family

The guy who dresses up like Michael Jackson does it all with make up and clothes and a wig. That's it. It's really impressive. It takes him like 30 minutes to do it all. He does his own make up and everything. Really funny guy. I saw him on a talk show the other day in a store. My comp couldn't believe that I'd met him. Pretty awesome right?

Today on the bike ride to our first appointment I pleaded with the Lord the entire way to help me consecrate my life. We got there and I saw my reflection in the door. Right then, the Lord poured His spirit into my heart. I finally saw a missionary in the mirror. It wasn't just me posing as one and llevando (wearing) a nametag. I finally saw a missionary looking back at me. He looks back at me everyday from the mirror now. I don't know what the change was, but the Lord wrought something in my heart. The next morning I mentioned it to Elder Velazquez in his call and he sent me this scripture which taught me even more.

I know I've not said too much about Elder Xavier. He and I get along fairly well. We've had a couple intense discussions, but the spirit was always present. There are a couple minor things that he does that bug me, but none of it really matters. Basically, we get along fine. We have our differences but that really doesn't impede our desire to work the will of the Lord. We've had fun and we laugh and joke and talk. I guess I haven't written because it's all okay. :) That's good too right? Being senior comp seems normal now. The responsibility is mine, the stress is mine, the accountability is mine, but so is the title, the calling, the mantle, the power, the guidance and the comfort. With each new responsibility and challenge that the Lord gives, He always gives a greater portion of blessings and support.

The Crawfords have been a huge help to me. They are always calling and checking and helped me a lot to assume this interesting position. I'm really grateful that they've been here to watch out for me and help me to do what needs to be done. I absolutely learned a list of things as Junior that I'm rectifying, improving or changing as Senior companion, but that's how it should be. Observe, internalize, analyze, prioritize and execute...ize.....  Also, our most promising investigator who has been refusing a baptismal date, finally accepted one. We'll see what happens. It was going to be this Saturday, but with changes, we're losing a ton of our prep time for him so we might push it back one week. We'll see. 

With the Crawfords and Jaun Escobedo, the secretary of the branch

As for changes, Elder Xavier is going to Montevideo, the zone I just got out of and Elder Rosete from mexico will by my new companion. In mission jargon, he's my lil brother. Elder Velazquez trained him in Salto and now he's coming to hang out with his big brother. Look at me go. :) I'm really stoked for this change. 

A super awesome scripture that I found the other day is in 2 corinthians 12,9 and 10.  

 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

 The Lord has a lot of challenges for me, and my healthiest and most promising area was the very very first one that I've had. Since then it's been rough and tumble for the past 10 months. But I revel in my weakness for the Lord will make me a conquerer. I am here to love the hell out of the people. Literally. Like love them so much the hell leaves.  Our zone leader told us that the other day. I figured you'd get a kick out of it. 

Elder Ender

Bringing you salvation on the tip of a sword

Cardona Uruguay - Aug 20th 2012

Hey All,





In all honesty, I'm tired, and sick of the rain, and humidity. But happy and a little frustrated with the numbers in this area. Seriously rainy days KILL the work out here. It's okay though, I've been laughing lots and thinking a lot and studying hard and I'm not discouraged. The Lord will provide. We're seeing miracles and that's what's important. I still cannot believe the amount that the Lord is teaching me. This week I'm going to have a housing contract revised and signed by the owner so that the missionary couple can move up here, I'm buying more supplies for the branch and calling the PFR about some stuff and also we're in charge of planning and executing the activity on thursday that we came up with. Did I mention that I feel a little overwhelmed at times? That's okay, this is Gods work, not mine.

I taught seminary for the first time in my life on Saturday. The Crawfords couldn't make it up on Saturday so they asked me on Tuesday to cover for them. I did. It was about genesis 24-37 and the covenants between the Lord and the people. I really enjoyed studying the lesson and I learned a LOT, even when I was teaching it. Maybe I'll be a seminary teacher when I get home.....,na..

I went over to Elder Merrill's place today in celebration of my birthday and his belated one.  We made a pizzookie and bought ice cream too.   Like I said in my last email, I'm just trying to find ways in which I can consecrate my life unto the Lord. There is no other way to live. I don't remember if I sent this talk, but consecrate thy performance has been a huge help as has The fourth missionary. (I don't remember who wrote that one but I'm really trying to become a disciple of Christ and STAY that way.)

Ice Cream and Pizzookie

Elder Merrill and Elder Simpson

.
We taught Luis out of his house this week once. It was a good lesson but he still won't commit to a date, so we're trying to find his doubt. He wasn't home for our lesson on Saturday and they didn't show up to church. At the end of the block the dad  came racing in and told us that the police had his son in a town that was about an hour away.  He was just supposed to be at a friends house for the night. They snuck off to a dance two towns over, and were camping on the side of the freeway when the cops found them. So then the dad raced off. The Crawfords called me that night. They found dad on the route hitch hiking. They picked him up, drove him to the town and then found the son, drove them to the bus station and paid for bus fare. Miracles of the Lords hand, just another day in my life. In all honesty, none of this story surprises me or shocks me. Welcome to the 'guay. We're really just beating the books and brush trying to find people. The Aldacour family is failing miserably on their reading which is heart breaking because they're killing their progress! We have to find their doubt and strangle it.

Zone conference was good. (think the Lord's comments in relation to the creation of ALL existence.) We learned about the nature of God. The world knows John 17.3. But do they KNOW God? No. That's why I'm here. How can people have a personal experience with and receive a testimony from a being that they do not know? They can't. I must help the world come to know God.
 
Elder Simpson

Cardona Uruguay - Aug 13th 2012

Hi All,

In relation to sacrament meeting, we bless the sacrament everytime and the executive secretary that comes in every weekend passes it. We combine priesthood and relief society every week and he teaches one week and then the relief socitey president teaches the next. I'm currently reading the Church Administration Manuals 1 and 2 to find out how we do things around here. Attendance is always shifting which is actually good. It means we're getting people moving and that we've had a spread of about 35 different members pass through the church in the last couple of weeks. Now if we could just get them all active.... We've not yet had any family night nor a branch activity but we're working on it. The branch needs it. Really some days I just feel like I'm holding down the fort until we can get that missionary couple up here full time. That's gonna be great.


I learn so much about how the church operates and the things that are done to ensure that God's house is maintained in order. It's pretty impressive I must admit. You know what they say. This must be God's church because if it wasn't the missionaries would have destroyed it a LONG time ago.  We do take the ward tithing money and deposited it in the local bank as one of our duties

 Money in this zone is tight because the prices are high and we travel a lot, but the Lord is providing a way and I've yet to go hungry at all or run out of money so I'd say that I'm doing okay. The winter weather has been....pathetic. We really aren't having any. This last week has been warm, humid and sunny and cloudy. The first half of the week was humid and cloudy and a little bit sunny with a tiny bit of rain here and there. Then, it poured all night Saturday night and was a little chilly Sunday morning and then for the rest of the day yesterday and today we've had nothing but sun and it's been relatively cool but not cold at all. Looks like we're rolling into spring. This is probably the warmest, most pathetic winter I have passed through. I have no complaints.

Alright so the pictures you're going to see are current living conditions in my house. Don't worry. It's really not that bad. I'm going to send you a couple of the same room and it'll show you what I've been doing with my time on p'days. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside to look back on the before photos and the after photos. Also, the red mattress on the right was what i slept on for the first 2 weeks of this change. It didn't do much for me. Rather like I was just sleeping on the bed frame. The new mattress is divine. 

Before

after

Things with the Arruè family are interesting. Luis, the 15 year old is currently the only one with any real interest and we're trying to work with him the best we can. The father tends to impede the teaching with an overbearing desire to control everything. Tonight, we're going to see if we can start having our lessons with other members, outside of his home and away from his father. That should speed things along nicely and give him time to do some thinking of his own, on his own time. I just hope we can convince his dad that this is what's best. Here's to following the Spirit! I thought of Ammon this morning when we were planning it, but i really don't think that smiting his fathers arm so that he can't use it will work in this case.... I'm gonna give it a shot anyways! Okay maybe not.

We haven't been able to find Marcelo nor Tito since our first visit with them which is always frustrating. We're gonna get em, don't you worry. It just takes persistence and a knack at tracking.

our study area

Sister Crawford brought chili yesterday and it was scrumdidlyumptious. (Say that 10 times fast and then spell it right!) Granted, it was nothing like grandmothers chili and it was really rather much like stew because we were eating with the missionary couple from Cerro and they eat everything here absolutely bland. Even then they said it was a bit spicy.... I just can't wait to sit down at a Chinese restaurant and cry myself into nirvana as I eat spicy Asain food. But it reminded me of grandmothers chili and it's actually on a list of things I want to realize when I get home.

Update on Flia. Aldacour (the family of daughters that are inactive.) We met with them last night because they didn't come to church. Turns out they haven't been reading again. SO, we're sending them reminders and assignments every night via text so that they'll buckle down and do it. I don't know why people neglect this part of the gospel! Absolutely everything that we preach and discuss weighs upon the Book of Mormon. If you neglect it, the whole darn thing falls! I love the Book of Mormon. I'm currently in the middle of an in depth study of Jacob  5. I started on the second of this month. The Book of Mormon is true and there is no other book like it on the planet. It cannot be of man for I have read the works of some of the greatest literary minds of humanity and the Book of Mormon surpasses them on all accounts. Disregarding logic and proof, it's what I feel that tells me that it is true. It will always be what we feel that makes the difference.

Elder Ender

Cardona Uruguay - Aug 6th 2012

Hi Everyone,

This week has been trying, but what are a few trials in the life of a servant of God?  Right?

On p-days I love to write letters to my mission buddies and members and menos activos (less actives) and converts of mine that I can send through the mission mail system. I love cleaning, especially in this house, because there are projects I can undertake and I'm finding all kinds of useful things and I feel all accomplished after I finish. It's great. I also wash and mend clothes and I love reading and working on some writing projects that I've undertaken during my time in this nation. Basically productive things that I never would have dreamt of doing before the mission. Today I deposited tithing money, paid the rent, bought a new mattress for me, (pictures next week.) and went out to eat at a nifty little restaurant called "Up the stairs", (almost like being in the states again. It was great. The food was so-so...great for the mission though ) and did WORK in our work-out room. Really it's the spare room we have but I've been cleaning the snot out of it today (not literally that would just be gross....)

Alright, so winter here is a lot more mild than in Montevideo  and in the states. I really feel like I'm in spring. It's been raining for the past couple of days so it's been nippy but really not that cold at all. It was certainly colder in Montevideo because of the ocean effects.

Yes, elder Xavier and I balance each other really well. Everyone says so and we agree so it works nicely. And almost this entire zone has bikes. The areas are pretty big and spread out so we all bike around. In actuality, I think ours is the only area that uses bikes. Granted they're already pretty hammered because the other missionaries have NOT taken care of them which is obnoxious. I had to replace one of the tubes already and the brakes are nearly shot. If I have any more problems, we may just give up on them and store them in the house because I don't have the money to put into them. It would suck though because I love being able to get across town in 5 minutes instead of a half hour. I even ride around in my trench coat (it was rainy for a couple of days) I felt so british.

The work is going. The branch is going. We're actually doing pretty well. The attendance these last 3 weeks are some of the highest in a while and we're sitting around a solid 20 to 25 members each time. It's great to see things getting better. It was actually what I fasted about. The Lord told me during sacrament meeting that things were going well and that I just needed to be patient and keep working. It was rather reassuring. My calling is going great. My comp does not really have a calling. He just runs back up and helps me teach everything. His last comp did all of the teaching before, but I said heck no. You're teaching Sunday school with me. We do have a ward clerk but he works in a town that's about 100 km away and so he only comes in for the weekends which means we get as much done during that time as we can. I have no idea how long the Crawfords have been making the drive but something like 2 or 3 months. That should be ending here pretty soon. And yes, the couple is from cerro in Montevideo and they will be moving up here if they get assigned to our mission. That's president Heaton's plan for them.

We've had two notable finds this last week. The first involves the Arruè family....yea...... the dad is an absolute control freak and cuts us off all the time which makes teaching hard. He's a less active member of about 15 years but still thinks he knows more about everything than us. Granted, he's a very loving father and only wants the very best for his children. I think he's a little disappointed with his lot in life because 3 of his 6 children have learning disabilities but I freakin love them all. We're teaching them and trying to get them to understand the importance of what we do. Luis, who is 15, loves to read and is super intelligent but his dad demands a lot of him and you can see that it irritates him. As such, he becomes embarrassed with him. Just family things I guess. They'll work it out.

Anyways, dad was a little surprised when we gave a baptismal date in the first lesson. We've been instructed to do so by my mission president since the day I've been in the mission. As such, I didn't take any crap and just asked him if he believed that the men we work with and receive instruction from are called of God, including the prophet... we'll see what happens.


After that, we have Marcelo and Tito. Marcelo has been in prison once but has great faith in God and has interest in what we have to share. They were a reference from a less active family. Tito, 8, just wants to get baptized already. He's been to church a number of times with the family that gave the reference but the dad works a lot so we're still trying to figure out how to meet with them consistently. There are a lot of things in the works that have the potential to be miracles and I'm just excited to see what we can do with the Lord's time.

I spent three days studying all of Romans 8 and I really enjoyed it. Elder V recommended it in actuality. I just love studying the scriptures!  You should check out Romans 8:38-39 and 2 Nephi 1:15.

We had a great lesson yesterday. We found a family of girls that is completely inactive about my 4th or 5th day here and they really haven't been showing progress....well they showed up to church yesterday with their mom who is from out of town. I bore my testimony yesterday BTW and it rocked. I realized that I'm gonna hit a year soon and it made me sad. I really do love being a missionary and testifying and teaching and seeing the gospel change the lives of people that I've grown to love. Anyway, we passed by later to talk with them and I shared Romans 8:14-17. And we started talking about eternal life and natalia (30 and living with her boyfriend) made some wise crack about her not going to be able to find her family in heaven. and then I asked if she thought she could live with them forever and began to testify of the importance of the temple and the priesthood and it got very quite in the room and I realized that I love them all like my sisters and that one of my tasks in this area is to assure that they all go to the temple to become sealed. I commited them right then and there to do it and the spirit was so strong it was unbelievable. The words are doing this no justice at all beause I'm short on time, but we're gonna do it. I saw it in their eyes and I felt it in my heart. The Lord wants them in the temple and I want them in eternal families. I love this work. I love this gospel. I get trunky and tired sometimes but I'll be damned before I deny my love for this work and for the savior. (NO mom, that was not swearing. I'm a preacher AND I'm talking about salvation here. :D) I hope the spirit can relay to you what I felt because these words have short changed it. I am weak unto words, like unto those who have  gone before me.

Elder Ender Simpson

Leveler, make level the way for the righteous!

Cardona Uruguay - July 30th 2012

Hi All,

I'm really trying to take more photos now and I even carry my camera around in my back pack now.

Things with Elder Xavier are going well. He really really likes to laugh and joke around and tells me I need to loosen up, but hey. I'm a serious kind of guy. It's okay though, because we're getting along and we teach well together. The bike riding was going great til about 3 hours ago. I got a flat..... 


Luckily, we'll be gone most of tomorrow for district meeting and then I can pull out money on Wednesday and replace the tube. Until then, time to hoof it. My backside is getting there. Sometimes it's still a little tender but I think I've got a pretty calloused toosh by now. I hope so....and i'll let the photos I send tell you if I'm sporting a helmet or not k?

Everyone says that the Lord is putting his faith in my with this assignment. I just get stressed by it. Then I say a little prayer and just keep working. That's how I've made it through the first two weeks and it's worked out pretty well so far. As of right now since this branch technically does not have a branch president, but rather an acting elders quorum president, I have not been set apart or called to the position of 1st counselor. Regardless, I am acting 1st counselor. There is a missionary couple that is going to be called here in a couple of weeks that live in 'deo. If things work out the way that President Heaton wants, they will be called to our mission and he is going to assign them to our branch. They will move into the area and be offically called and set apart as branch president at which point, I will be called as 1st counselor. Because the Crawfords live in 'deo, anything that has to be done in the branch during the week is done by us.

Speaking of Montevideo, here is the picture I promised you of our Elder's quorum president.  He is also a temple worker... thought you'd enjoy it.

Back to the branch work, take Wednesday for example. We had to sacrifice our entire morning because the branch finally got the computer back and I had to reactivate the MLS record system that the church uses, call Salt Lake and get permission and access to certain files and download the interface software for our printer. It was a hassle but I got it done. On top of that, I now handle to the tithing too....and we read the church administration manual 2 in our spare time....and we have a church clerk orientation dvd that I need to watch so I can figure out how some more of the stuff works. Basically because I am the only branch representative that lives in this town, it falls on us. That's okay though, because I'm learning about the infrastructure of the Lord's church.

 As for elder Crawford, I translate everything. Interviews, conversations, all of it. He doesn't speak more than "hola" and "gracias".  And yes, I conduct the sacrament meetings, but we do not have to speak every week. Although, I did have to speak for a half hour yesterday and we also taught the class....that was a trip.

As for the miracle finds, I've now dubbed it the Bordon Drop. They dropped us hardcore on Saturday. We were cleaning the church on Saturday and the mom sent us a text saying that we can't pass by anymore. I was crushed. I asked if we could at least talk with her face to face and she said no way. It was brutal. We went to the branch presidents office to pray because I really had no idea what to do. God said let her be. I thought of the sons of Mosiah. I wasn't sad that we couldn't baptize her daughters, I was wracked with agony at the thought of them missing out on the blessings of salvation...it hurts. A lot. But I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me, right?

Saturday was the second time that I've taught an english class in spanish and it's actually kind of fun. I'm learning more and more about teaching in this area and I'm really thankful for the chance to learn so much in a condensed amount of time. It worries me a little though because it means the Lord is prepping me for something even bigger just as soon as I get confident and comfortable in this situation.

As for this calling be normal, it's not. Every area in this zone is a branch and we just happen to have to one that's the worst off right now. It can really only happen in areas that are super super run down. A lot of things have happened in this are in the past in the leadership and as such, it's left a BAD taste in a lot of mouths which really hurts the church and the work. Other than that, our President just said to rely on the Lord and make sure to balance the work of the mission and the work of the Branch so that's what I'm trying to do for now. It eats up all of my time. But that's what I'm here for.

This last Tuesday, we went down to Colonia for a special orientation with the APs andPpresident. It really fired me up. They talked a lot (to the entire zone) about faith and hope and about how the zone is currently stacked and that it's in our hands to change the game. That's what I want to do. This area has so much potential it's ridiculous, I just gotta get people to move! I'm here to stir things up I guess, but I know we can baptize! The attendance at church in the last two weeks has been the highest in a while so I know we just gotta work the right areas and we're going to see good changes.

I'm working out spiritually and physically each day. I've never testified so much and I'm working at leaving meaningful commitments in each visit and following the spirit in all things. It's really hard, but I'm learning to listen to my heart and follow the guidance of the Lord. Everything goes a lot better when I do so. I feel the spirit a lot more during the lessons and I don't struggle to find the words that I need to help the people that I'm talking to. More than a couple of times we've walked away from talking to someone and Elder X has made some comment or another about my teaching and it's all the spirit, I know it is. I've been studying more from Preach my Gospel lately because I've recognized that I lack SO MUCH as a missionary and a teacher. I want to be the best that the Lord would have me be, but to do so, I have to understand what the best is. There's a profoundness to following the spirit that at times, I cannot fathom how much deeper I have to go, but it's okay. I feel the Lord's love around me all the time and I know that He is protecting and guiding us. Take this morning for example. We had to decide who we thought could be baptized this month. It took three prayers and a lot of thinking, but I know without a doubt that the Spirit answered me. I got that burning in my chest that they speak of in the scriptures. I'm so close to the Spirit and I know that it will only be this way for 13 more months. That scares me and makes me sad, but it also makes me appreciate how truly blessed the missionaries of the Lord's work really are. 

Love

Elder Andy

Cardona Uruguay - July 23rd 2012

Hi All,

My week was a blitz.... a literal blitz. I swear to you I just blinked and it disappeared. It's nuts. Aight, so, I met Elder Xavier once in Rivera but it was nothing more than hello how and who are you. He has been out for 7 months this last sunday and we get along great.   Elder Xavier did not speak spanish before the mission but rather learned some in the Brazilian MTC and then perfected it in Rivera where the members and people could at least understand portugese. I'm replacing Elder Sorenson who is from Elder V's Mtc group.  However, Elder Xavier does speaks a great deal of broken english. Really all that he needs help with is some of his grammer and his pronunciation and vocabulary. It's impressive really. He says his father had to learn english for work and then his sister went to Riverton High in Utah her Jr. year to learn english and then came home for a year and is now at BYU so she and his dad spoke english all the time which is where he picked up a lot of it. Pretty cool. He was already in Cardona and its a lot like Tranqueras. It's defintely a farming/bus into work at a factory town so there's not a whole lot that goes on. Biggest hunk of news, we ride  bikes. I was SO saddle sore the first two days it was absurd. Now I get a little sore by the end of the day but it's nothing too bad. As for the church here....I'll explain that later. I can hardly believe that I've been out for so long. Here in two weeks I hit 11 months and after that....welll 1 year. oof that's insane. It blows my mind.
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Okay so events of the week as I promised! Saying goodbyes was hard. The Da Salvo family was the hardest. He's the stake patriarch and she's just great and we all got along just swell. We talked a lot about the importance of this life and what ever deep and profound topic that we wanted too because there aren't too many people down here who do it that well. They kind of just glance of the surface like a weakly aimed shot where as we acted more like a teflon-coated super sonic armor piercing bullet from a high caliber rifle. We got to the point.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them. When I was leaving they said to tell you that they got to know the Simpsons through me and that the apple really doesn't fall too far from the tree in this life so they say that they love you all and that you did a good job on me.

I caught a 05:30 bus from here to Colonia Suissa and got there at about 9. I met elder Xavier, and Elder Flake who is my Zone Leader and also saw elder Duke whom I know from the MTC. He's the group just below me. Then elder Xavier hopped on a bus at 11:30 and headed out to Rosario which is the first stop, and we then got off and transferred busses to go to Cardona/Florencio Sanchez.

Naturally, on both buses, right in front of us, were couples who couldn't seem to figure out how to stay off of each other, stop slobbering on each other or quit eating face. However you want to describe it, they couldn't handle it. Repulsive.


We don't have to travel super far for district meeting, but tomorrow we're going into Colonia because the Assistants are going to be teaching a class to the Zone. Speaking of them... They called me on Wednesday, to tell me that they and President are going to be watching closely and are expecting great things. Then the branch president called and said pretty much the same thing and that they were so excited to work with me. Great....thanks guys. No pressure.... Phillipians 4:13. Also, President wants me to call too.  Then I found out why. 

 I got to the Colonia Bus Station and Elder Flake said, "Welcome. You ready for all this?" Ready for what....?  Well turns out the Zone Leaders in Oeste didn't know that I was going to be 1st councilor in the Branch Presidency, nor did they know that I was going to be full time translator of the branch president who is also from Ceder City Utah.....Yea...............Not to mention the fact that the average attendance of the branch lately has been about 14, 4 of which are missionaries.

Elder and Sister Crawford are the housing authorities/office couple for the mission and are currently living in Deo. They come out every Sunday to preside and Elder Crawford does not speak a work of Spanish.   Sister Crawford does but she's not really able to be Branch President seeing as she doesn't and cannot hold the Priesthood.  Anyway, this last sunday, 27 people came to church.  Elder Xavier and I worked HARD. We're currently using the ward directory to locate all members, incomplete families and less active members. We've also been getting references and knocking doors to find them. The going is...interesting. Obviously it helped this last week.

Just so you know, I'm no longer nervous about being senior comp. I think the nerves went away the night before I got on the bus. After that I was just stoked, even when they threw an enormous pail of cold water on me when they told me all that when I got into the Zone but no pasa nada right?

 Also, English...is getting hard sometimes so sorry if I throw in some Spanish. Yesterday, during sacrament meeting (first sacrament meeting I've ever directed in my life, by the way) the Lord told me that it will all be okay and not to sweat the little things. So that's what I've been doing and it's worked out pretty well so far. We've had more than a couple of miracle finds so hopefully we'll be seeing some baptisms this change. We taught Sunday school and have to every Sunday. I also have to speak for half of sacrament meeting and the other half goes to a conference talk. We listen to translated conference talks for half of sacrament meeting because there aren't enough members to give talks, nor enough who are confident enough to speak for more than 5 minutes without just reading it all. Oh well. No pasa nada. Side note, I'm currently teaching and English Class on Saturdays... that's a different feeling, explaining English grammar in Spanish

I'm the most tired I've ever been in my life and I'm stressed all the time, but it's not an overwhelming stress. More of just me realizing that things need to be done and thinking about how to do it. I've never prayed so much in my life, and the Lord is working miracles in my heart and the hearts of others. Realistically speaking, I'm here to rock the boat. Things have gotten comfortable and that's not acceptable. So I'm gonna shake things up. Hard. There's nothing wrong with comfortable but when it means that roughly 90% of your members are inactive and comfortable with it, things need to change. As my dear friends of August Burns Red would say, "Leveler, make level the way for the righteous." Today is the day of repentance. I'm in the trenches, and the shells are up to my knees. The grit and the smoke from the powder cakes everything around me. I've got my orders from HQ and they got them from On High. I've got my walkie talkie, keeping it precisely tuned to the station. And off we go again, into the black to oust the foes and find the fallen comrades. My rifle is more and more worn each day. I don't know how many rounds I've fired. I lost count months ago. The stripes on my shoulders are heavy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We will rise victorious because the end is so very near. We're gonna take the hill or we're gonna die trying, and when we get there, we're gonna hoist the Christian Banner high. Oorah

Vamos Arriba
Elder Simpson