Wednesday, January 30, 2013

So we waited all day yesterday for an email from Carolyn.  When we didn’t hear from her we figured they had a temple trip or Mission Conference… 

So today we got an email, and sure enough – they had a conference yesterday.  Her companion goes home next week.  Her dad is going down to pick her up and they just live 20 minutes from us, so we will be sending some stuff down with him!

Birthday cake

I will be finishing the training of Hna Astorga who we just got because she doesn´t have her visa yet. She is going to Rochester NY and she has 2 visas already just not the missionary visa! haha she went to the ELC (English as a Second Language) that´s owned by BYU to learn English so she is already very fluent. So we will be staying here in the Gomera together and then I have no idea what else will happen from there.  (Hna Astorga is from Guatemala and her call is to go to Rochester, NY, but she is waiting for her visa.  As soon as it comes, she will leave Guatemala, so I don't know what that means for Carolyn.)

I got the packages and birthday cards yesterday so thank you!   For my birthday I got cookies from the Thomas’s Tell them thank you!  I also got cards from the Andersons, Thomas', grandma and grandpa and Janice.  

SEND PICTURES! Just take a bunch of what ever and I will be happy with any random photos you send.

Well M was going to get baptized this week but she drank coffee so we are going to do it on the 10th because we need to give her just a little more time I think...other than that the week was a little off but it was a crazy week with divisions and Hna. Astorga's first planning session and sicknesses and stuff like that but this week will be better even though it´s a little crazy too haha. We had 9 investigators in church which was really great! We also have fechas (baptism dates) with a lady and her daughter. They really enjoyed church this week! We just need to teach her husband too and we will have a family. Other than that we don't really have lots of people progressing right now but our companionship is awesome and so are our members and our area!  A little hot but awesome haha

J got confirmed this last week so that was good too. We had a missionary activity this last week and we said that the members couldn't come if they didn´t bring a less active, a reference, or a non-member so that went well! They watched the Testaments and they liked it a lot.

Well all I can say is that my companions are amazing. I am learning so much from the both of them. Seriously Hna Astorga came pre-trained! She’s really great. We have an AWESOME companionship and I love it. I don´t want Hna Neighbor to go home. (This is her last week) Just let her extend...until I go home in August..and when Hna. Astorga's visa comes just say we don't need it anymore until August and we can just stay in a trio forever hahaha.  That would make me a very happy missionary :)

After a rain storm

Hna Astorga just got in the mission so we are her first companions, I just sent what I NEED but whatever else you want to send will be great too maybe a can of slim fast for an easy meal...GOOD SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER. We’re good on liahonas but you can send me some up to date ensigns I want some reading material. Maybe a package of the zebra chome pens so they get here faster I don't know.  Listen to the spirit for the next few days it will tell you! Hahahhaha

Well it's about that time! I LOVE YOU!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK LOVE YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH! Tell Jessica to write me if she's still my best friend....LOVE YOU!

Well we had 98 as our attendance this week! So our members are attending which is really good! We have been working really hard with our investigators so we still have faith that we will achieve our goal of having 10 baptisms this month. We only need 7 more so at least we have 3 which is good.

B got baptized on Sunday.  It’s sad when people don’t have the support of their families but she had a desire to get baptized and it’s not like we're going to tell her no! She’s really strong and she loves going to church so that is really great. 

G got confirmed but J didn't because she is in Escuintla in the hospital waiting to have her baby...probably C-section...

Well we went with the M family and it looks like they won’t be progressing... On Saturday was M´s birthday and we went to talk to them and her husband wasn't there. She just started crying and said that he went to a bar and that he was with other women and that last Monday when he told us that he had only drunk 2 beers he really had like 20. We had a really good lesson with M though and she said she would go to church but when we passed by she didn't go with us. Their TV was on but nobody came out.

Well with N...she is just being an 8 year old. One minute she wants to get baptized and the next she doesn't  It doesn't help that her mom (a recent convert) hasn't been attending either. Well she was supposed to have her interview this Saturday but she hid under the bed when we went to go get her and then the Elders went to go talk to her but she wouldn't talk to them so that was a little sad.

Well I guess the email isn't really that long this week haha. Right now I'm in another area on divisions with Hna Vera. She's cool too. 

Other random stuff....

The conference with Elder Christofferson was awesome! He is really great I could really feel the spirit there with him. It's so cool to listen to an apostle in person! I also got to see Elder Earl, Elder Kelsey, Elder Buckley, and Hermana Bates from the CCM. Justin Anderson wasn't there though because not the whole south mission got to go...but it was really good. On the way there GUESS WHAT I HEARD ON THE RADIO!!!! Butterfly Kisses but in Spanish. It made me a little baggy hahaha. Also Hna. Montgomery told me I have something called planters fasciitis (in my feet) so that´s pretty cool...NOT. My feet just hurt lots sometimes.

THE PHOTO: Hna neighbor completed her 18 months so I made cake in the microwave for breakfast hahaha

442 contacts!!! WOOOOOHOOOOO! This week we´re going to have even more!

I love how hard my companion works.  She is the very best ever and I am so happy that you sent me here with her! She is the best! Well this week was great! The lessons weren't as many as last week but they were good and we are still meeting the mission goals. 

Well let´s start with the best part of the week.....SUNDAY! We had 2 baptisms. G  and her sister J. It all went really well. J  wasn't planning on getting baptized. She was just scared and nervous but after the interview of G  we went to drop her off at her house and Elder Pineda asked when her baptism was going to be and she was like I don’t know probably tomorrow so he was like great let’s do the interview right now! So they did and she got baptized! It was really great.

B was having problems with her mom so she didn't want to get baptized but Elder Pineda talked to her too and she wants to get baptized she just doesn't want to have problems with her family but we are planning her baptism for this weekend along with the daughter of a recent convert.

The M family (L & M) are doing well as far as the gospel goes. Last week he got in a car accident so they didn't go to church...this week M’s blood sugar went up and they spent all night in the health center. But we went and visited them and L hadn't drunk at all that week! He said normally he drinks...a ton but this last week he didn't drink at all even when his friends bought him a beer after fishing one day. That was awesome to hear. They’re going to get baptized they just have to attend.

Also we went with the C  family last night. The dad (who is less active) prayed! He NEVER prays but last night in the lesson he prayed!!!! They are progressing and we want to baptize his wife and sons (his daughter is a recent convert). 

Also I cut my hair yesterday because the bottom was all crappy so it’s about to my shoulders now...a little shorter than it was when I left for the mission.

Other cool stuff that´s happening. We’re getting a new missionary in our area who is apparently the daughter of an area 70 from down here and has a call to the states but is waiting for her visa so that will be fun. 

Best thing that’s happening...ELDER CHRISTOFFERSON IS COMING THIS WEEK TO TALK TO THE GUATEMALA NORTH, SOUTH, AND CENTRAL MISSIONS!!! WOOHOO!!!!!! 

I wrote her:   "It was -7 when I went to work out this morning at 6:45.  It was -9 on my way to work!!!  

Says its 86 in La Gomera right now, but the "real feel" is 98!!! 

Recent Baptism

Want to trade places?"

She responded:  there is no way it is only 98....haha yeah I would trade climate in a heartbeat.

Well I don´t know how much time I have left but I just wanted to tell you that I love you so much and I´m so happy you’re my family. I'm working harder than I have ever worked in my mission so I hope you guys are receiving lots of blessings haha and being obedient too!!!  haha I just love you all so much! Dad tell Jamie (John and Vickie’s son) that I eat pupusas EVERY SINGLE WEEK! haha LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH...like MUCHISIMO :)

392 Contacts in ONE week!!

haha nice..cool I have a Chinese brother!  (Mike has a new friend from mainland China who is going to school at SUU.  They were both born on the exact same day, so I call him my other adopted twin son.)

Last week we had 392 contacts!! That was awesome..We’re going to have 400 this week!

Well we had a really good week. There was a day that we had 10 lessons and more than 50 contacts. Needless to say I love the way my companion works. Like I've said before she is the hardest working companion I have ever had! I’m so blessed to have her! 

So anyway we had a few disappointments but sometimes it happens. God really is blessing us though. MC couldn't get baptized...her dad kind of freaked out and then she told him she didn't want to and he just was really rude about the whole subject. 

We’re making lots of progress with B! She is awesome. She said she would get baptized this week and that she believes it’s all true so that is super great! She has attended both Sundays with us and she has loved it. She hasn't been able to stay all 3 hours but she always stays for 2.

We are making some progress with la familia C. It’s been really hard because the dad is a member but super inactive but we've taken members to visit him and he said he would start praying. If we can get him to church we know his whole family will follow him so that will be good. His daughter Jenny is a recent convert and she always attends so it’s just a matter of time before we baptize the family! 

The coolest thing of the week is....THE FAMILY WE FOUND!! They are seriously AWESOME! They are praying and reading and they were going to go to church but satan made the husband crash his motorcycle so they couldn't but this week they’re coming! We watched a Joseph Smith movie with them and they loved it...seriously LOVED it! Wow they are great and we are going to baptize them and when there is a ward here he’s going to be bishop. He just really likes to talk a lot though haha.

JL called his lawyer but he’s out of town until the 11th so hopefully they get that all figured out soon so he can get divorced and marry Adriana so she can get baptized! 

As for me...I’m just tired all the time haha but I’m doing really well

Another investigator... investigating the traxh

Well we’re hoping for a great week this week as well. I know we’re going to meet our goals because we are working super hard! Thanks for everything.

I’m not hot and miserable...just hot, sweaty, and happy :) haha it’s really not that terrible.

Well I just want all of you to know that I love you so very much and you are the best family in the whole wide world. I haven’t taken a picture yet for my 10 months but I’ll send one next week. Have a good week and see you in 7 hahahahaha I’M NOT BAGGY!

 January 1^st, 2013

This week is "semana perfecta" which means we have to meet all the mission standards (27 lessons 35 contacts daily, 8 investigators attending...and more) We are waking up every morning at 5:30 hahaha it’s a blast!

This week has been really good! We had the most lessons that I have had in any other week in my whole mission....37! I personally think that’s pretty awesome haha and we also had 327 contacts which was great.

Well like I said last week we have some pretty great investigators that would be progressing but they have problems with the law of chastity....it seems like everyone here is married to someone who is not their legal husband or wife. We have had some really good lessons with M and V (la familia P) and with J L and A. Hno. P was supposed to be talking to the lawyer already for V’s divorce but hasn’t yet.

We visited JL and A last night and we put the goal that JL will talk to the lawyer tomorrow morning (since today is the first and everyone is on vacation).

We have been teaching a really cool girl named B. She came to church and loved it so that was really good. She wants to get baptized we just need to teach her a little more and she needs to attend and she can get baptized! 

First House in La Gomera

We are also teaching a girl named MC...She REALLY wants to get baptized. The only problem is with her dad. He’s a little bit against it. Her fecha is for this Sunday and she wants to do it but her dad says she needs more time. Her mom is ok with it though so I'm sure everything will work out just fine. We’re working really hard and so I know we will see miracles. For the semana perfecta our goal is to contact 50 people everyday...well that’s the goal for the rest of the change actually. So far we’re doing really good. I love Hna Neighbor. She is the best and she is the hardest working companion I have ever had. 

Second house in La Gomera

Here are pictures of the places I have lived in the last 2 weeks.  The other picture is our first house, this is the outside of the second house and then I'm going to send you pictures of the new house which is WAY better! 

Outdoor bathroom in current house

This is our bathroom :) yeah its outdoors like all the bathrooms here in the coast.

Bedroom in current house

Happy New Year!! I love you! Sorry I’m on late there were like NO internets open since it’s new years.

PILA!!  (Sink)  I'm gonna put one of these in my house when I´m all grown up

I love you have a great day and I´ll talk to you next week...see you in 6 months and 1 week....yeah that sounds really baggy but I just can´t wait to see you and daddy :)