Monday, February 25, 2013
Tacuarembó Uruguay - Feb 25th 2013
Our biggest miracle this week was a process of multiple days. After the team visit that we went on with the hermanas (last week), we didn't really have much of anything til Friday rolled around. Our new Zone Leader, Elder Geschwandtner (say that one 10 times fast ;D) came out to do the interview and the hermanas came to our church as well. The night before I called an hermana who is super awesome to come and help us out with the interview to help Araci feel more comfortable with the situation and not be too overwhelmed by missionaries. So we started the interview lesson and the Hermana Da Rosa showed up in the middle of the first hymn, said nothing and sat down to sing with us. We then asked Araci who she wanted to say the first prayer and she looked directly at Hma. Da Rosa and said I want Mabel to say the prayer. Turns out they were old class mates like 30 years ago and had maintained contact and decent friendship up until 2 years ago and Friday was the first time that they had seen each other since that day. Small miracle, right? It gets better.
The interview took a long time but she passed and we were able to have a great endure to the end lesson and filled out the baptismal record. It's always a lot of fun to be able to get together with other missionaries and talk. Plus I love being able to laugh and joke in Spanish as well as in English. Anyways, the interview took up most of the day on Friday and then that night when we got home I was on the phone non-stop until 1030, getting everything set up for the baptism on Saturday. We'd had a lot of people cancel on us last minute and we needed to get back ups into place so that we could do the baptism, in spite of minor hold ups.
Saturday started calm enough, and then we started to fill the font at 2. Everything was great and we hung around for an hour filling out paperwork to make sure that nothing went wrong then we left to go to another charla (lesson). When we got back, the water in the font was brown and it was 5 and the baptism started at 730. Not cool man. We turned the pump on to take the water out and then grabbed buckets and started bailing the water to exterior drains to get the water out faster, cleaning as we went. We got the font drained and cleaned by 530 (sweating like pigs by the end of it) and turned the water back on, full blast.
It filled for about 10 minutes and then the water stopped....so we went out to check the tanks and see if there was a problem. No problem really. Just empty. At that point, we went back to the font and the water would fitfully squirt out in a pathetic dribble as the smallest amounts of water filled the tank, giving enough pressure to reach the font. We had 4 inches of water and a baptism in an hour and a half. So, we got down our knees and pleaded with God that we could pull it off. We ran home, changed, ( I got my suit on and elder lamb prepped his white madness) and we ran back to the church. 6 inches of water and a baptism in 40 minutes. The hermanas showed up right about then, after not having believed me about our situation. They believed me when they saw the font.
Elder Lamb and I grabbed buckets and headed to the nearest members house. We explained the situation and they said sure elders, help yourselves to water. So, we did. We made three trips, with three buckets each time. We now had probably a foot of water. Boss. We gonna do a baptism. And we did. Elder Lamb knelt in the font and araci sat with her legs straight out. Right then, I knew we'd done our part. I knew it. When they were all in the bathroom changing, I had a moment to myself in the hall and I was just....full. So very very full. I knew in my heart and soul that I'm doing my part. I cannot possibly explain what I felt in that moment, nor the celestial communication that reached my being. But I know that God has my back. I know that He will always, always prepare the way for His servants.
18 ¶And the children of Israel arose, and went up to athe house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And theLORD said, Judah shall go up first.
19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, andaencamped against Gibeah.
20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
22 And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORDuntil even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)
24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
-Judges 20:18-24
Some times, the hardest thing to do in this life is go out on the second day. The second day isn't always the day that makes it worth either. Israel didn't prevail until the third day. But it takes a man of courage to fall on his face weeping before the Face of God and plead with the Creator, asking only His will and then follow that will without doubting until the sunrise of the third day.
I've reached the third day and the time in the field stays with me but a short while longer. Time to slake the blades.
Elder Simpson
Monday, February 18, 2013
Tacuarembó Uruguay - Feb 18th 2013
Hi All,
The battle marches on and the soldiers rage upon their foes. Elder Lamb is proving to be a powerful messenger and witness of the restored truth of the gospel and a great ally. We've made huge steps since he got here.
I'm doing very well today. How are you? This week was actually a decent one, so I have no complaints. I did see Elder Rosette on Tuesday!! I was super stoked to see him and he and I laughed and talked and hugged a lot. It's really good to have him here in the zone right now and I know that he's super stoked to finally be out of Cardona. Ironically, Cardona and Tranqueras are my 2 favorite areas of the mission. Go figure.
Cecilia....has disappeared. We had members promise to go talk to her and help out and none of them did which was just frustrating. Then we called once and I'm almost positive she was in an anti-mormon church. That really just made me sad more than anything and I honestly hurt for her. I just want her to be happy and I don't know why so many people want to attack other churches. That doesn't make any sense to me at all.
Anyways, we'll do what we can for her this week but I'm not sure how much we can do at this point. It really all comes down to her, the members and her grandma....
The most outrageous thing that happened was the fact that a water main a block from our house broke Saturday evening. We saw the water coming out of the ground as we went home and found out that we had nearly 0 water pressure. So...we rag bathed ourselves that night, out of the bathroom sink. Then Sunday morning, I filled up like 10 liters of water and we discovered that if you put the shower head (it was attached to a hose) on top of the water fixture, you got a decent amount of pressure, enough to take a crouching shower. That was.....eventful. And then we had water again during Sunday afternoon but it was black! I was super disgusted, but elder lamb said that happened all the time in his city with water line repairs and whatnot....I've just never seen brown water come out of a water fixture and I was appalled. The water is pretty much clean now, so I'm not too worried about it, but still..... That was all pretty outrageous.
I forgot to say that I got both of the packages 2 weeks ago. All of the candy is gone and I've nearly finished a jar of peanut butter! Elder Lamb and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the American goodness that arrived.
We found a guy named Jose this week. He was in a hit and run with a motor cycle a while ago, (has a massive scar from most the way up his stomach down to his groin where they opened him up to operate.) and is really interested in the Book of Mormon. We're trying our best to help him understand that it's not a simplified translation of the bible, but another volume of holy scripture. We'll see how we do.
Sacrament meeting was great. I really just felt the spirit a lot leaving our house and going to church and it was with me very strongly for a lot of the morning and afternoon. I spoke on Sunday about the Resurrection. Man, 1st Corinthians 15 is SUPER helpful. The nice thing is that I'd already studied in there a lot. I thought it was a very poorly done talk even though I'd prepared for it. But. That said. I feel that I have a stronger testimony of the resurrection. That makes it all worth it.
Then, we went on a team visit with the Hermanas (sisters) in the area next to us. That was super cool and we did a four way beat down in a lesson which was just impressive. The spirit was very strong.
Well, I think that's about all the time I have to write. May the Lord guide you and protect on this your mortal sojourn. For this life is merely a shadow, a flitting occurrence that as it quickly as it began can end. "We being a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers" will return once more to the celestial heights to assume our rightful places in the Eternal Kingdom of God.
Elder Andy
(Jacob 7:26)
The battle marches on and the soldiers rage upon their foes. Elder Lamb is proving to be a powerful messenger and witness of the restored truth of the gospel and a great ally. We've made huge steps since he got here.
I'm doing very well today. How are you? This week was actually a decent one, so I have no complaints. I did see Elder Rosette on Tuesday!! I was super stoked to see him and he and I laughed and talked and hugged a lot. It's really good to have him here in the zone right now and I know that he's super stoked to finally be out of Cardona. Ironically, Cardona and Tranqueras are my 2 favorite areas of the mission. Go figure.
Cecilia....has disappeared. We had members promise to go talk to her and help out and none of them did which was just frustrating. Then we called once and I'm almost positive she was in an anti-mormon church. That really just made me sad more than anything and I honestly hurt for her. I just want her to be happy and I don't know why so many people want to attack other churches. That doesn't make any sense to me at all.
Anyways, we'll do what we can for her this week but I'm not sure how much we can do at this point. It really all comes down to her, the members and her grandma....
The most outrageous thing that happened was the fact that a water main a block from our house broke Saturday evening. We saw the water coming out of the ground as we went home and found out that we had nearly 0 water pressure. So...we rag bathed ourselves that night, out of the bathroom sink. Then Sunday morning, I filled up like 10 liters of water and we discovered that if you put the shower head (it was attached to a hose) on top of the water fixture, you got a decent amount of pressure, enough to take a crouching shower. That was.....eventful. And then we had water again during Sunday afternoon but it was black! I was super disgusted, but elder lamb said that happened all the time in his city with water line repairs and whatnot....I've just never seen brown water come out of a water fixture and I was appalled. The water is pretty much clean now, so I'm not too worried about it, but still..... That was all pretty outrageous.
I forgot to say that I got both of the packages 2 weeks ago. All of the candy is gone and I've nearly finished a jar of peanut butter! Elder Lamb and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the American goodness that arrived.
We found a guy named Jose this week. He was in a hit and run with a motor cycle a while ago, (has a massive scar from most the way up his stomach down to his groin where they opened him up to operate.) and is really interested in the Book of Mormon. We're trying our best to help him understand that it's not a simplified translation of the bible, but another volume of holy scripture. We'll see how we do.
Sacrament meeting was great. I really just felt the spirit a lot leaving our house and going to church and it was with me very strongly for a lot of the morning and afternoon. I spoke on Sunday about the Resurrection. Man, 1st Corinthians 15 is SUPER helpful. The nice thing is that I'd already studied in there a lot. I thought it was a very poorly done talk even though I'd prepared for it. But. That said. I feel that I have a stronger testimony of the resurrection. That makes it all worth it.
Then, we went on a team visit with the Hermanas (sisters) in the area next to us. That was super cool and we did a four way beat down in a lesson which was just impressive. The spirit was very strong.
Well, I think that's about all the time I have to write. May the Lord guide you and protect on this your mortal sojourn. For this life is merely a shadow, a flitting occurrence that as it quickly as it began can end. "We being a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers" will return once more to the celestial heights to assume our rightful places in the Eternal Kingdom of God.
Elder Andy
(Jacob 7:26)
Tacuarembó Uruguay - Feb 11th 2013
Hi All,
Changes were super tranquilo (tranquil). Nothing happened in my neck of the woods. But that's nothing less than we expected. In the cool end of news though, elder Rosete is coming to Tacuarembo, and for that I'm rather stoked. He's been in Cardona for 6 months now. That's a long long haul in one of the hardest areas of the mission. Heck, 4.5 months was a long haul. So I'll see him on Thursday so that will be fun.
In the running department, it's been a little rough on Elder Lamb and I. What happens is we can run for a little while, but then the extra 15 or 20 minutes that we take start to catch up to us and we literally struggle to get out of bed before 630. Therefore, our running suffers. It's just that our work is so demanding that anything extra takes a herculean effort. And we've been catchin a lot of sun and super humid heat these last few days and that just takes it outta ya. Granted, it's nothing in comparison to summer last year, so for that I am thankful.
As for the miracles of the week....we found 12 new investigators. That's the most I've ever found on the mission in one week. Ever. Granted more than a couple of them don't want anything to do with us already, but regardless. The Lord truly blessed us with miracles almost on a daily basis this last week. There is one stand out event. Saturday, after 2 of our lessons fell through, we followed up on a street contact from 2 days before. Cecilia let us in and we had an interesting lesson in front of her house. She didn't want to say an opening nor a closing prayer so it was my first prayer-less lesson but she agreed to going to church with us the next day. Lo and behold, we showed up Sunday to find here and she was out front waiting for us.We got to church and she already knew a lot of the members and was rather animated. She really seemed to enjoy the meetings and pull something from them. After sacrament meeting we showed her the baptismal font and committed her to baptism on the 2 of march. Unfortunately....her grandma, whom she lives with, happens to hate Mormons. And so yesterday when we tried to set up our next lesson she said that she was having family problems as a result of Sunday and that she couldn't listen to us anymore. We called her this morning and had a good talk about her feelings in church and all that the Lord can bless her with. Keep her in your prayers please...she needs the gospel in her life.
This week in my studies I've finished the book of Joshua and now I'm reading in Judges. The bible is so clear sometimes and sometimes it is just so muddled. I'm so thankful that we have the Book of Mormon in this life to clarify the teachings of the savior that have been marred and pocked by the feeble hands of men.
I read this great quote from Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 41;Ensign, Nov. 2000, 33: “To testify is to know and to declare. The gospel challenges us to be ‘converted,’ which requires us to do and to become. If any of us relies solely upon our knowledge and testimony of the gospel, we are in the same position as the blessed but still unfinished Apostles whom Jesus challenged to be ‘converted.’ We all know someone who has a strong testimony but does not act upon it so as to be converted.
We must not only have testimonies. We must become converted. It's the refiners fire that the Lord puts us through, when combined with the effort our part, that will take the crude elements of testimony and desire and forge them into the swift and deadly steel blade of conversion.
"Now for wrath! Now for ruin, and the red dawn!" seems fitting. Just one step closer to conversion and one step further from giving up.
Well, that's about all I've got time for. The next changes will be on March 12th, so it's gonna be a sprint this time around. The Lord is truly blessing us and as we turn to Him constantly in prayer, this will not change. I've never spent so much time on my knees, but I also don't believe that I've been happier before in my life. Prayer is a powerful tool that is far too underrated in this world. There's nothing like kneeling in supplication to the most powerful Being in existence and feeling His love envelope your existence.
Elder Andy
Changes were super tranquilo (tranquil). Nothing happened in my neck of the woods. But that's nothing less than we expected. In the cool end of news though, elder Rosete is coming to Tacuarembo, and for that I'm rather stoked. He's been in Cardona for 6 months now. That's a long long haul in one of the hardest areas of the mission. Heck, 4.5 months was a long haul. So I'll see him on Thursday so that will be fun.
In the running department, it's been a little rough on Elder Lamb and I. What happens is we can run for a little while, but then the extra 15 or 20 minutes that we take start to catch up to us and we literally struggle to get out of bed before 630. Therefore, our running suffers. It's just that our work is so demanding that anything extra takes a herculean effort. And we've been catchin a lot of sun and super humid heat these last few days and that just takes it outta ya. Granted, it's nothing in comparison to summer last year, so for that I am thankful.
As for the miracles of the week....we found 12 new investigators. That's the most I've ever found on the mission in one week. Ever. Granted more than a couple of them don't want anything to do with us already, but regardless. The Lord truly blessed us with miracles almost on a daily basis this last week. There is one stand out event. Saturday, after 2 of our lessons fell through, we followed up on a street contact from 2 days before. Cecilia let us in and we had an interesting lesson in front of her house. She didn't want to say an opening nor a closing prayer so it was my first prayer-less lesson but she agreed to going to church with us the next day. Lo and behold, we showed up Sunday to find here and she was out front waiting for us.We got to church and she already knew a lot of the members and was rather animated. She really seemed to enjoy the meetings and pull something from them. After sacrament meeting we showed her the baptismal font and committed her to baptism on the 2 of march. Unfortunately....her grandma, whom she lives with, happens to hate Mormons. And so yesterday when we tried to set up our next lesson she said that she was having family problems as a result of Sunday and that she couldn't listen to us anymore. We called her this morning and had a good talk about her feelings in church and all that the Lord can bless her with. Keep her in your prayers please...she needs the gospel in her life.
This week in my studies I've finished the book of Joshua and now I'm reading in Judges. The bible is so clear sometimes and sometimes it is just so muddled. I'm so thankful that we have the Book of Mormon in this life to clarify the teachings of the savior that have been marred and pocked by the feeble hands of men.
I read this great quote from Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 41;Ensign, Nov. 2000, 33: “To testify is to know and to declare. The gospel challenges us to be ‘converted,’ which requires us to do and to become. If any of us relies solely upon our knowledge and testimony of the gospel, we are in the same position as the blessed but still unfinished Apostles whom Jesus challenged to be ‘converted.’ We all know someone who has a strong testimony but does not act upon it so as to be converted.
We must not only have testimonies. We must become converted. It's the refiners fire that the Lord puts us through, when combined with the effort our part, that will take the crude elements of testimony and desire and forge them into the swift and deadly steel blade of conversion.
"Now for wrath! Now for ruin, and the red dawn!" seems fitting. Just one step closer to conversion and one step further from giving up.
Well, that's about all I've got time for. The next changes will be on March 12th, so it's gonna be a sprint this time around. The Lord is truly blessing us and as we turn to Him constantly in prayer, this will not change. I've never spent so much time on my knees, but I also don't believe that I've been happier before in my life. Prayer is a powerful tool that is far too underrated in this world. There's nothing like kneeling in supplication to the most powerful Being in existence and feeling His love envelope your existence.
Elder Andy
Monday, February 4, 2013
Tacuarembó Uruguay - Feb 4th 2013
Hi All,
The weather was great this week up until about Wednesday. Then it was really hot and humid and then it poured Thursday and was even more hot and humid and then it poured again Friday and and Saturday and Sunday were super nice and today is pretty decent too. This is by far much cooler than last year and I have zero complaints about that. It’s super funny because on Thursday people thought we hit 50 degrees Celsius but I’ve come to realize that not only are the ‘guayans prone to exaggerate, they don’t seem to recognize the difference between heat and humidity. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just hard not to chuckle when they go out and check a thermostat and it’s really not that hot outside. Just sticky.
We found a great investigator named Leonel this week. He’s a great guy. Direct Italian decedent and speaks Italian and Spanish. Super cool guy and he really reminds me a lot of Joel, if you guys remember him from Montevideo. He’s a very intelligent man and he loves to read and comprehends everything that we’ve shared with him. He didn’t even doubt when we told him that Joseph Smith was a prophet and each time we come by he tells us that he’s gotten a little bit more of an answer to his prayers about whether or not these things are true. We’re super stoked about him. We fasted for him because they’re in pretty dire circumstances financially but we know that the Lord will provide. I’ve seen it before and I know that the Lord will provide.
I’ve decided this week that I’m really not that concerned about always finding and baptizing. Yes. We’ve been over that before and I truly love both those parts of missionary work, but my main goal is to minister to all people possible. I really like feeling like I minister. It makes me happy knowing that I lifted someones day by being a conduit of the spirit.
Ignacio is…..Ignacio. He’s a little goof ball. He sometimes likes to pray and read and participate and sometimes he doesn’t. He’s a funny little kid. He knows a great deal of the ward and when his aunt doesn’t come, he just comes by himself. He really does like being there and continues to take steps towards stronger and greater faith. It’s impressive in someone so young.
So we recently just got out of a shoe store here. Elder Lamb didn’t buy the most durable shoes and has already almost destroyed a pair….shoe shopping in South America is rather interesting. They hang the shoes from great long wires about 10 feet in the air and you have to have amazing vertical jumping skills to get them down. You should see some of these people hop. The other alternative is try your broad sword skills against a machete wielding gaucho. Pretty fearsome….Ok in reality it’s pretty much the same as the states. But. I was really worried down here that all of them have 2 right feet because only the right shoe is out on the racks. Then I realized that’s why the latin+american cross breeds make such great dancers because in the states we have 2 left feet and here they have 2 right feet! Alright, I know that was a stretch but bear with me. Anyways, you have to take the right shoe up to the desk to get his mate. It’s to prevent pilfering. Bit sad really. Unless you have a one legged bandit hit your store….just as long as he didn’t lose his right foot in the freak accident.
I read Pres Eyring's Sunday Morning conference talk this morning. He truly is my favorite member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I relate to him on more than one level and his messages have always reached my heart. I cannot recall how many times in my mission I have asked the Lord the same questions in relation to the pavilion and that section from Doctrine & Covenants is one of my favorite selections of scripture. Right up there with Romans 8 and 2 Nephi 4. Really, sometimes, I have no clue why I’m in some of the areas that I’m in. I question if I’ve ever really made a difference and each time a voice speaks to my ear that yes, my efforts both matter and count. The Lord has plans. We just need to make sure that we don’t get caught up in the next 5 yards. He’s callin the shots and has the touchdown in mind. (Bummer that the 49ers lost the bowl….)
Well, I’ve been reading Joshua in the bible lately and he was a stud muffin on steroids. I was reading in chapter 7:10-13 and I totally thought of Matthew 7:3-5. It’s great. You should read some of the proceeding chapters in Joshua if you want the back story but I really like in 7:13 when the Lord tells us to rise and sanctify ourselves. We have to do that if we want to be a brutally conquering child of God.
The work continues and so do I. I love it here, but time already runs short. I can’t believe it. Oh well. I’ll do what I can with the time I have.
Elder Simpson
The weather was great this week up until about Wednesday. Then it was really hot and humid and then it poured Thursday and was even more hot and humid and then it poured again Friday and and Saturday and Sunday were super nice and today is pretty decent too. This is by far much cooler than last year and I have zero complaints about that. It’s super funny because on Thursday people thought we hit 50 degrees Celsius but I’ve come to realize that not only are the ‘guayans prone to exaggerate, they don’t seem to recognize the difference between heat and humidity. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just hard not to chuckle when they go out and check a thermostat and it’s really not that hot outside. Just sticky.
 |
| Playing with a big water balloon |
We found a great investigator named Leonel this week. He’s a great guy. Direct Italian decedent and speaks Italian and Spanish. Super cool guy and he really reminds me a lot of Joel, if you guys remember him from Montevideo. He’s a very intelligent man and he loves to read and comprehends everything that we’ve shared with him. He didn’t even doubt when we told him that Joseph Smith was a prophet and each time we come by he tells us that he’s gotten a little bit more of an answer to his prayers about whether or not these things are true. We’re super stoked about him. We fasted for him because they’re in pretty dire circumstances financially but we know that the Lord will provide. I’ve seen it before and I know that the Lord will provide.
I’ve decided this week that I’m really not that concerned about always finding and baptizing. Yes. We’ve been over that before and I truly love both those parts of missionary work, but my main goal is to minister to all people possible. I really like feeling like I minister. It makes me happy knowing that I lifted someones day by being a conduit of the spirit.
Ignacio is…..Ignacio. He’s a little goof ball. He sometimes likes to pray and read and participate and sometimes he doesn’t. He’s a funny little kid. He knows a great deal of the ward and when his aunt doesn’t come, he just comes by himself. He really does like being there and continues to take steps towards stronger and greater faith. It’s impressive in someone so young.
So we recently just got out of a shoe store here. Elder Lamb didn’t buy the most durable shoes and has already almost destroyed a pair….shoe shopping in South America is rather interesting. They hang the shoes from great long wires about 10 feet in the air and you have to have amazing vertical jumping skills to get them down. You should see some of these people hop. The other alternative is try your broad sword skills against a machete wielding gaucho. Pretty fearsome….Ok in reality it’s pretty much the same as the states. But. I was really worried down here that all of them have 2 right feet because only the right shoe is out on the racks. Then I realized that’s why the latin+american cross breeds make such great dancers because in the states we have 2 left feet and here they have 2 right feet! Alright, I know that was a stretch but bear with me. Anyways, you have to take the right shoe up to the desk to get his mate. It’s to prevent pilfering. Bit sad really. Unless you have a one legged bandit hit your store….just as long as he didn’t lose his right foot in the freak accident.
I read Pres Eyring's Sunday Morning conference talk this morning. He truly is my favorite member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I relate to him on more than one level and his messages have always reached my heart. I cannot recall how many times in my mission I have asked the Lord the same questions in relation to the pavilion and that section from Doctrine & Covenants is one of my favorite selections of scripture. Right up there with Romans 8 and 2 Nephi 4. Really, sometimes, I have no clue why I’m in some of the areas that I’m in. I question if I’ve ever really made a difference and each time a voice speaks to my ear that yes, my efforts both matter and count. The Lord has plans. We just need to make sure that we don’t get caught up in the next 5 yards. He’s callin the shots and has the touchdown in mind. (Bummer that the 49ers lost the bowl….)
Well, I’ve been reading Joshua in the bible lately and he was a stud muffin on steroids. I was reading in chapter 7:10-13 and I totally thought of Matthew 7:3-5. It’s great. You should read some of the proceeding chapters in Joshua if you want the back story but I really like in 7:13 when the Lord tells us to rise and sanctify ourselves. We have to do that if we want to be a brutally conquering child of God.
The work continues and so do I. I love it here, but time already runs short. I can’t believe it. Oh well. I’ll do what I can with the time I have.
Elder Simpson
Monday, January 28, 2013
Tacuarembó Uruguay - Jan 28th 2013
Hi All,
Thursday morning one of the 3 storms we had this week rolled in and the zone leaders came over about 15 minutes before it hit. They needed to go look for some investigators that had been kicked out of their house in their area and that had recently moved to my area. Well, Elder Gonzalez and I found the house and they didn’t answer. So we mounted the bikes to head home. In the 2 minute bike ride it went from a couple drops to high speed wind and a brutal rainstorm. We got soaked. I laughed and laughed and laughed especially when we got home and Elder Lamb saw me. It was pretty funny, Then Elder Gonzalez had to go to the bathroom and we didn’t have toilet paper…..so Elder Larson and I went out into to the storm to go get some for him from an almacen. We got home just as he was getting out of the bathroom. Turns out he didn’t need it…….Go figure. By 1 that afternoon, it was sunny and warm. Welcome to my week.
Best news about the week, Ignacio got baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. It was a great blessing to be able to participate in that ordnance and see him come just a little bit closer to God. It took a lot of work and coordination this week, but it turned out well and I really have no complaints. I remember feel a large sense of calm come over me when he was in the font and Elder Lamb and I had happy little grins on our faces for the next couple of hours.
At the baptism on Saturday, Ignacio’s sister showed up and we had chance to talk with her and her mom. The mom has been an inactive member for a while now but it would seem that she’s starting to make changes in her life and wants to come back. We’re going to go teach the retention lessons to Ignacio tonight and we would rather like to find his sister in the process and start her on the steps to follow the Savior as well.
Well on Sunday was the confirmation of Ignacio, of course. It was a rather great meeting in my opinión. It was great to participate the full ordinance of repentance aka, baptism. It’s been long while and the spirit was so strong when we were confirming him and that spirit stayed with me for the rest of the meeting, especially during the sacrament. I’m very thankful for the atonement in my life. Sometimes I think we truly underappreciate the magnitude of what it truly is….
Aside from that, our only other find was on Sunday. Right before Ward Council we hit up our last plan and found him! We’ve been looking for him for a while and there was a family reunion going on. Well, we talked with Jonathan and found out that his cousin was baptized a couple years ago and so we called her over and talked with both of them. We taught them about the Book of Mormon and invited them over to church the following Sunday (I know. It’s a week away but you can’t start too soon on inviting people to church.) We were pretty stoked about that lesson and now we’re just trying our hardest to find new investigators because we literally have no one to teach for the time being.
Jonathan is only at home on weekends, but we have a few people that are right there close so we’ll see if we can pull off some miracles, under the direction of the Almighty.
I was reading the first half of Alma 17 today. If you want to know what it feels like to leave out on a mission, read that chapter. Especially verses 1 through 18. There’s a LOT of what it feels like in there and it really jumped at me this morning during my personal study. Ironically, it’s also been something that I’ve been seeking and needing lately and I know that the Lord answered my prayers this morning. Rather nice how it worked out like that.
Elder Andy
Thursday morning one of the 3 storms we had this week rolled in and the zone leaders came over about 15 minutes before it hit. They needed to go look for some investigators that had been kicked out of their house in their area and that had recently moved to my area. Well, Elder Gonzalez and I found the house and they didn’t answer. So we mounted the bikes to head home. In the 2 minute bike ride it went from a couple drops to high speed wind and a brutal rainstorm. We got soaked. I laughed and laughed and laughed especially when we got home and Elder Lamb saw me. It was pretty funny, Then Elder Gonzalez had to go to the bathroom and we didn’t have toilet paper…..so Elder Larson and I went out into to the storm to go get some for him from an almacen. We got home just as he was getting out of the bathroom. Turns out he didn’t need it…….Go figure. By 1 that afternoon, it was sunny and warm. Welcome to my week.
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| Here comes a storm |
At the baptism on Saturday, Ignacio’s sister showed up and we had chance to talk with her and her mom. The mom has been an inactive member for a while now but it would seem that she’s starting to make changes in her life and wants to come back. We’re going to go teach the retention lessons to Ignacio tonight and we would rather like to find his sister in the process and start her on the steps to follow the Savior as well.
 |
| At Ignacio's baptism |
Well on Sunday was the confirmation of Ignacio, of course. It was a rather great meeting in my opinión. It was great to participate the full ordinance of repentance aka, baptism. It’s been long while and the spirit was so strong when we were confirming him and that spirit stayed with me for the rest of the meeting, especially during the sacrament. I’m very thankful for the atonement in my life. Sometimes I think we truly underappreciate the magnitude of what it truly is….
Aside from that, our only other find was on Sunday. Right before Ward Council we hit up our last plan and found him! We’ve been looking for him for a while and there was a family reunion going on. Well, we talked with Jonathan and found out that his cousin was baptized a couple years ago and so we called her over and talked with both of them. We taught them about the Book of Mormon and invited them over to church the following Sunday (I know. It’s a week away but you can’t start too soon on inviting people to church.) We were pretty stoked about that lesson and now we’re just trying our hardest to find new investigators because we literally have no one to teach for the time being.
Jonathan is only at home on weekends, but we have a few people that are right there close so we’ll see if we can pull off some miracles, under the direction of the Almighty.
I was reading the first half of Alma 17 today. If you want to know what it feels like to leave out on a mission, read that chapter. Especially verses 1 through 18. There’s a LOT of what it feels like in there and it really jumped at me this morning during my personal study. Ironically, it’s also been something that I’ve been seeking and needing lately and I know that the Lord answered my prayers this morning. Rather nice how it worked out like that.
Elder Andy
Monday, January 21, 2013
Tacuarembó Uruguay - Jan 21th 2013
Hi All,
This week has been pretty tranquilo (tranquil). No complaints from me. It's been a little bit tough trying to get fixed lessons going and new investigators to change into progressing investigators that we can count on lessons with. For the most part a lot of the people that we've been finding let us pass by once or twice but then they either start hiding from us, ignore us or just plain reject us. That said, we've been conversing and inviting plenty. I'm finally to the point where I can talk about a great deal of things and striking up an engaging conversation with a complete stranger is fluid and not as awkward as it has been before. We take every chance that we get to teach and to testify and you meet all kinds of people doing that, from spiritualists to demon worshipers to wizards to almost any christian religion you can imagine. One of my favorite lines is when they say, "I'm not from your church." To which we reply "We know. That's why we're here." But it's okay because we've been teaching Ignacio for a little while and he's going to get baptized on the 26th.
This should be a great Saturday. We're both rather excited and we've been working hard with him for the last week and a half (elder Mar and I were teaching him for the first half of December but then he didn't want to listen anymore and didn't want us to pass by for some reason. Yet, he continued going to church, even by himself at times so we stopped by the week before last and now he's going to get baptized! We're super excited.)
The weather here has been decent. Nothing too too hot but a couple of days when it's just been pleasant to be outside. This morning I wore sweats during our studies and we usually both wake up cold at about 2 or 3 in the morning and turn off our fans. So over all, the summer thus far has been GREAT! So much better than last year!!! It usually rains or at least sprinkles twice a week right now too so it's not been that humid.
We usually go running 3 to 4 times a week for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how fast we get out of bed. Our alarm usually goes off at about 610 or 615 and from there it just depends on how quick we are out of bed. Elder lamb played rugby before this mission, so I'm pretty much sold on playing when I get home. I've always wanted to try and the talks that we've had pretty much convinced me that I want to do so
The wards here are really supportive. We've got about 90 active members right now and lunch every day. They love us to death and are always asking if they can help us. In turn we always ask the same, and we mean it. They take good care of us. There are 6 wards in this stake and 3 of those wards have 2 sets of missionaries. My ward is not one of those wards.
Highlight of the week, Saturday night. We had a really really rough day and almost everything fell through on us and on the beckoning of the spirit, we went to a members house (her husband isn't a member and we're trying to build trust with him so that he can start investigating.) So we clapped from the gate and a young lady came out and told us that they were having a birthday party and if we could come back later it would be great.
Well, one of our goals this week has been to be more bold with our words and deeds and to fearlessly follow the Spirit so the story of an Ex-AP popped into my head and I asked if they would like 2 gringos to sing happy birthday in English to them. Well........It worked. They let us in and we were able to meet Raul their 23 year old son (it was his birthday) and also speak with the dad and sing in English and explain and present the Book of Mormon. We took about 20 minutes and left high off the spirit. It was a great experience and quite and adventure. I'm grateful for the promptings of the Holy Ghost and courage to follow them.
Anyways, I've been reading the conference talks this week because the English conference issue ensign came finally. It's like getting conference for the first time. I really liked Pres. Uchtdorfs Saturday morning talk.
Other than that we've really been looking for people to start investigating in any way possible. Knocking doors, speaking in the streets, finding people in members homes and asking for references. We're giving it our all and we're killing ourselves everyday. We see miracles each day I know we do and as we keep up this pace, the Lord will surely bless us. I'm just trying to put my all into this labor. The Lord called me to do so and I just want to place every fiber of who I am into this work. Elder Lamb and I consistently look for things that we can do to become better disciples and followers of Christ and we laugh and joke and love all day long.
We get along so so well and it's miraculous how much he's already progressed. Have a stupendous week, for I expect you to have nothing less than that kind of week. After all, this life is what you make of it.
Elder Simpson
This week has been pretty tranquilo (tranquil). No complaints from me. It's been a little bit tough trying to get fixed lessons going and new investigators to change into progressing investigators that we can count on lessons with. For the most part a lot of the people that we've been finding let us pass by once or twice but then they either start hiding from us, ignore us or just plain reject us. That said, we've been conversing and inviting plenty. I'm finally to the point where I can talk about a great deal of things and striking up an engaging conversation with a complete stranger is fluid and not as awkward as it has been before. We take every chance that we get to teach and to testify and you meet all kinds of people doing that, from spiritualists to demon worshipers to wizards to almost any christian religion you can imagine. One of my favorite lines is when they say, "I'm not from your church." To which we reply "We know. That's why we're here." But it's okay because we've been teaching Ignacio for a little while and he's going to get baptized on the 26th.
This should be a great Saturday. We're both rather excited and we've been working hard with him for the last week and a half (elder Mar and I were teaching him for the first half of December but then he didn't want to listen anymore and didn't want us to pass by for some reason. Yet, he continued going to church, even by himself at times so we stopped by the week before last and now he's going to get baptized! We're super excited.)
The weather here has been decent. Nothing too too hot but a couple of days when it's just been pleasant to be outside. This morning I wore sweats during our studies and we usually both wake up cold at about 2 or 3 in the morning and turn off our fans. So over all, the summer thus far has been GREAT! So much better than last year!!! It usually rains or at least sprinkles twice a week right now too so it's not been that humid.
 |
| Frog living by our door for a few days. We called him Kermit |
The wards here are really supportive. We've got about 90 active members right now and lunch every day. They love us to death and are always asking if they can help us. In turn we always ask the same, and we mean it. They take good care of us. There are 6 wards in this stake and 3 of those wards have 2 sets of missionaries. My ward is not one of those wards.
Highlight of the week, Saturday night. We had a really really rough day and almost everything fell through on us and on the beckoning of the spirit, we went to a members house (her husband isn't a member and we're trying to build trust with him so that he can start investigating.) So we clapped from the gate and a young lady came out and told us that they were having a birthday party and if we could come back later it would be great.
Well, one of our goals this week has been to be more bold with our words and deeds and to fearlessly follow the Spirit so the story of an Ex-AP popped into my head and I asked if they would like 2 gringos to sing happy birthday in English to them. Well........It worked. They let us in and we were able to meet Raul their 23 year old son (it was his birthday) and also speak with the dad and sing in English and explain and present the Book of Mormon. We took about 20 minutes and left high off the spirit. It was a great experience and quite and adventure. I'm grateful for the promptings of the Holy Ghost and courage to follow them.
Anyways, I've been reading the conference talks this week because the English conference issue ensign came finally. It's like getting conference for the first time. I really liked Pres. Uchtdorfs Saturday morning talk.
Other than that we've really been looking for people to start investigating in any way possible. Knocking doors, speaking in the streets, finding people in members homes and asking for references. We're giving it our all and we're killing ourselves everyday. We see miracles each day I know we do and as we keep up this pace, the Lord will surely bless us. I'm just trying to put my all into this labor. The Lord called me to do so and I just want to place every fiber of who I am into this work. Elder Lamb and I consistently look for things that we can do to become better disciples and followers of Christ and we laugh and joke and love all day long.
We get along so so well and it's miraculous how much he's already progressed. Have a stupendous week, for I expect you to have nothing less than that kind of week. After all, this life is what you make of it.
Elder Simpson
Monday, January 14, 2013
Tacuarembó Uruguay - Jan 14th 2013
Hi all,
I’m doing great and so is Elder Lamb. We bicker a lot like brothers just because it’s funny to poke fun at Canada and at the US so we get along really well. He’s tired a lot and falls asleep in lessons sometimes too which makes for interesting visits sometimes ;D He’s told me various times now that he’s so tired and that he’s always tired and I chuckled and said, me too. He’s not a wimp by any means so we work hard and we are always doing it the best that we can, setting goals, looking for what we did well and what to improve and above all, striving to follow the will of the Lord. He’s a really good elder and wants to be able to speak Spanish yesterday. He’s progressing so rapidly with his Spanish that I know that the Lord is truly helping him. He has great desires to do good and is very humble. He’s also not afraid to ask me for help which is somewhat odd at times because I’m the Sr. Companion that’s supposed to know everything, how to do everything, how to get every where and when and were we need to be all the time. I just….I remember relying so much on Elder Johnson and Elder Velazquez at the beginning of my mission and now I’m the one who is doing the leading and the guiding.
We had a stupendous week here in the guay and things are pluggin along nicely. The highs were the great lessons that we had for the first half of the week and the lows were the lack of lessons for the last half and nearly 0 investigators in church but we keep marching! We saw so many miracle finds at the last of the week before and the beginning of this last week. I was awestruck for like 3 days at all that the Lord was doing through us and then we had a hard last half of the week. I know that bit of a roller coaster up and down kind of rattled elder lamb and he was a little down for a couple of hours on one or two days, but he’ll soon get adapted.
As for the weather, it’s been chilly here at night which is rather interesting. As of right now this summer has been much less intense than last year for this part of January so I really can’t complain about that. Mild heat, but nothing like the blast oven winds I felt last year. I may just be able to make it through this summer just fine and dandy. It’s looking like it’s going to rain with in the next day or so (by now I can tell by cloud formations and how the air feels when it’s gonna rain, pretty neat huh?) as such, it should get a little cooler and we’ve been having a constant breeze for 3 days which has just been pleasant. Even the heat we have been getting cools off nicely at night and even gets a little crisp in the morning. When we go running. THAT’S RIGHT! Once more I am a street demon beatin the pavement with my kid in the early mornings and it is GOOD. I LOVE running first thing in the morning. We’ve seen some nice sun rises as we get out to run and some really deep reds and purples in the heavens. I’ve always enjoyed the stars and space and the sky….maybe it helps me feel closer to God.
I saw the Hand of God in my life in various ways this week, but primarily with the people that we were able to find and especially in the progress of elder Lamb. We weren’t able to find Marcelo again except in passing twice but we’re going to try our hardest this week and see if we can help him become a solid investigator.
It’s the best when I have a great study because I receive so many insights and revelations in such a short amount of time. Unfortunately, I fall asleep like 3 out of 5 times in my studies because I’m so tired all the time. I’ve taken to doing a great deal of my studies standing up just so I can comprehend what I’m Reading. But sometimes, there are days when I am wide awake and today was one of those days. I have come to love the bible quite dearly these past few months and this last week I studied out of 1 John 4 (see scripture below) and then I’m Reading the bible on my own time. Today I read the testimony and beginning of the trial of Paul in acts 22 and 23. He was a pretty boss follower of Christ. I also read out of Alma 10. V 5 is evidence of how often God is willing to spare us and how much His hand guides us. V 6 talks about how He will call us many times and v 7 literally spells out how it will always be for the blessing of our lives and the lives of those we love. I really like that part because I started my study asking God to help me find something to strengthen my testimony of His love. He showed me what I needed for the day. I love the Lord so much and just want to be like Him.
Here is that scripture from 1 John 4.
1 John 4.7-11
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might alive through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Love
Elder Andy
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| Elder Lamb |
 |
| Elder Simpson and Elder Lamb |
We had a stupendous week here in the guay and things are pluggin along nicely. The highs were the great lessons that we had for the first half of the week and the lows were the lack of lessons for the last half and nearly 0 investigators in church but we keep marching! We saw so many miracle finds at the last of the week before and the beginning of this last week. I was awestruck for like 3 days at all that the Lord was doing through us and then we had a hard last half of the week. I know that bit of a roller coaster up and down kind of rattled elder lamb and he was a little down for a couple of hours on one or two days, but he’ll soon get adapted.
As for the weather, it’s been chilly here at night which is rather interesting. As of right now this summer has been much less intense than last year for this part of January so I really can’t complain about that. Mild heat, but nothing like the blast oven winds I felt last year. I may just be able to make it through this summer just fine and dandy. It’s looking like it’s going to rain with in the next day or so (by now I can tell by cloud formations and how the air feels when it’s gonna rain, pretty neat huh?) as such, it should get a little cooler and we’ve been having a constant breeze for 3 days which has just been pleasant. Even the heat we have been getting cools off nicely at night and even gets a little crisp in the morning. When we go running. THAT’S RIGHT! Once more I am a street demon beatin the pavement with my kid in the early mornings and it is GOOD. I LOVE running first thing in the morning. We’ve seen some nice sun rises as we get out to run and some really deep reds and purples in the heavens. I’ve always enjoyed the stars and space and the sky….maybe it helps me feel closer to God.
I saw the Hand of God in my life in various ways this week, but primarily with the people that we were able to find and especially in the progress of elder Lamb. We weren’t able to find Marcelo again except in passing twice but we’re going to try our hardest this week and see if we can help him become a solid investigator.
 |
| In front of the Temple in Uruguay |
It’s the best when I have a great study because I receive so many insights and revelations in such a short amount of time. Unfortunately, I fall asleep like 3 out of 5 times in my studies because I’m so tired all the time. I’ve taken to doing a great deal of my studies standing up just so I can comprehend what I’m Reading. But sometimes, there are days when I am wide awake and today was one of those days. I have come to love the bible quite dearly these past few months and this last week I studied out of 1 John 4 (see scripture below) and then I’m Reading the bible on my own time. Today I read the testimony and beginning of the trial of Paul in acts 22 and 23. He was a pretty boss follower of Christ. I also read out of Alma 10. V 5 is evidence of how often God is willing to spare us and how much His hand guides us. V 6 talks about how He will call us many times and v 7 literally spells out how it will always be for the blessing of our lives and the lives of those we love. I really like that part because I started my study asking God to help me find something to strengthen my testimony of His love. He showed me what I needed for the day. I love the Lord so much and just want to be like Him.
Here is that scripture from 1 John 4.
1 John 4.7-11
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might alive through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Love
Elder Andy
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