Monday April 11, 2016

Well this has sure been an eventful week!!! 

Well first the weather has gotten cold here! Even though it is only like 60 degrees everyone feels like they are freezing to death!!!! I also get cold in this weather! But there is a way nice sister in the ward, (the mother in law of the Betancourt family) That made us hand made sweaters that are way nice! I will have to send you pictures next week cause I didn't take any of the sweater! 

Then for the Guzman family... Well they were suppose to have there interview with President Willard, but for some problems he couldn't come down, and then their family started telling them they should just wait to get married. That they should wait until they are able to be baptized.  So they decided to put off the wedding another week, and then there family told them they are not prepared and they are rushing everything.  They just decided to listen to Satan and their family.  They want to prepare everything better, and have a big nice wedding... So they decided to wait for two months to do everything, and it has just been a real struggle and shock for us. I don't know why, but thats what has happened with them this week... 

Then in church, I think I hit an all time record of things my comp and I had to do this week... First, I directed the music in sacrament, and then passed the sacrament, and I also bore my testimony. After that, I taught the gospel principles class, and then I did some records in the computer cause there is no secretary, and I taught the Elders Quorum class... It was a crazy Sunday...  I have never had to teach so much in church. But it is fortifying my testimony, and helping me learn also!!! 

Mom, I am getting a lot better at soccer cause we play like every week, and things are just going good here! Even though there are trials I know the lord loves me, and this week while I was studying alma 42 I was able to really understand a lot of things better! Thanks for being the best, I love you all! 

Monday April 4, 2016

Hey Mom!!! 

Well this was just a crazy week here this week!!!! So first off, after writing you on Monday I went to the hair cutters, and the lady completely messed up on my hair, and it looked awful.  So we decided to just go to a different place, and they just cut it really short and made it all even... Now it is really short, and you know how much I hate really short hair... 

Then on Wednesday I had to go to the area of the other Elders. and in the bus my bag disappeared, and I couldn't find it, inside I had all my scriptures and my camera... but then on Sunday some guy was driving by and stopped us and said that he had found my bag, and gave it back to me with everything in it... super lucky that no one stole anything. 

Then for conference!!! Conference was the best!!! My favorite talks were by Gary E Stevenson, cause he talked about losing his car keys while skiing and I couldn't help but smile and think of dad! Then I loved the one by President Uctdorf on Sunday!! That one really helped me understand some things better! And I also loved the last talk by Elder Holland!!! It was just an amazing conference!!! It really inspired me to be better and to improve on a lot of things with the time I have left! 

Oh just so you know that Keyla Romina is the Betancourt family, the lady and daughter that I baptized!!! They are just the best!!! The Guzman family is also doing great, and if everything goes good they should be able to get baptized this Saturday!! They are just a great family, and they loved the conference also!!! 

Mom everything is going great here, I love the people, and I love the lord. I just feel so happy and at peace right now to be here in the mission, and I just am loving every moment I have!!! Thanks for being so great and nice to me! I love you All, you guys are the best!! 

Monday March 28

Sounds like everyone had a really good week this week!!! My comp and I sure did also!!! Well first off I went to Villlamontes to do exchanges with the elders there, and there was like this huge blockage that is still going on, and we had to walk like 2 miles to get into the city. They are really upset so they are not letting people in and out unless you walk a long way.  But for 2 days I was with elder Dansie, he is a cool missionary who is from Pleasant Grove, and we started the mission together, so it was fun to be with him for a couple of days. 

Then my comp and I have been working like crazy to get the branch going here. The branch president has asked us to help with the Home Teaching, so we have been doing a lot of divisions with members, and calling them like twice a week to remind them to go and visit. 

 Also the Guzman family had a couple of trials, the husband went to Santa cruz to sell his car, and he couldn't sell it, and I think they lost money while they were there.. He got back Friday, and expressed to us that he was going through a lot of trials, and didn't know what to do.. We shared some things, and then we invited him to come with his family to the activity that we were going to have on Saturday. Then on Saturday my comp and I did an activity about Lehi´s dream.  We had all the people follow a rope, and turns out that the Guzman family all let go of the rope and they were lost for a really long time... Afterwards we talked about what it represents, and they understood really well. Then at church the class was about a talk given about enduring and enjoying our trials, and it really helped the husband. Then at night when we went to visit them he told us about how much he liked the activity and the talk and said that they are done waiting, tomorrow they are going and doing everything to get married!!! My comp and I were so happy for them!! 

The Branch also loved the activity!! It was really good, and it really helps the people realize what the dream is all about!  The members here are great and the Branch president is great.

Gotta love the miracles that God gives us!! There were a lot of other miracles this week, but I will write about them another time. Thanks for all of your prayers and thanks for your love mom!!! I hope you have a great week! Cause I sure am having a great time here! 

Monday March 21, 2016

Hello Madre!!!!

So another crazy week here!!! Well the city of Villamontes are really mad about taxes and they decided to have a blockade.  They have shut down all transport and so no one can leave Villamontes or Yacuiba, and no one can come in either!  We were suppose to have a conference with president but he couldn't get in.  We also had a district conference, and like no one was there.... 

Also the weather has been crazy! It got super hot, and then a huge cold wind came in and it has been really cold here these last two days... My comp has been freezing because he is not used to cold weather at all! But I like it a lot, because I sleep really well when it is really cold.  But it is not very fun to shower in the mornings.... haha 

The new family that we are visiting is called the Davila family!!!  They are doing really well! They have already started reading the book of mormon, and they are just great! Also we have been able to find a couple of new families that are also really great! So we will see how we go with them! Also the assistants from the mission came to do exchanges with us this week, and that was also a really good day! 

Well everything is going great here, thanks for your love mom!!! I Hope you have a good week!" 

Monday March14, 2016

Hello Mom!!! 

Well lets just say that this was a good and crazy week! So there were no transfers for me or for my companion; which I am way happy about!!! But there were a couple problems with the transfers in Bermejo.  They needed our help to get the Elders and Sisters suit cases to Santa Cruz.  So my comp and I had to wake up at 2 in the morning and go pick up there bags and take them to our house, and then send them at 5 in the morning to Santa Cruz.. It was really weird being out side of the house so late, and it has been a little cold here these last couple of days, and my comp was like bear, he was really hard to wake up at 2 in the morning!! 

But my comp and I were contacting this week, and it felt like no one wanted to receive us.  We were kind of struggling for a little bit, when we just both felt tired, and we wanted to go to a different part of our area.  We decided that we were going to try one more street, and then all of the sudden we knocked on this door, and a guy came out, and told us we could come in.  When we went in his house, we found his wife a little sick with dengue, and she saw us and asked for a blessing, we asked if she was a member and she said no, but she and her whole family had talked with missionaries before, and they were about to get baptized but there was a problem and they had to move to Argentina, and now they had moved back again!  So we  taught them a little and gave a blessing, then we went back to on Sunday to explain lesson one and she was all better, and they said they want to get baptized, and they are just great! It was a tender mercy of the lord! 

Also the Guzman family, the father went to Santa Cruz to do some medical stuff, and turns out he is going to sell his car also while he is there, so when he gets back they can have money and get married!!! That was also a great miracle this week!!!! 

Everything is really going great here, I love it a lot, and I am so happy to be able to be here!!! Thanks for everything mom, I love you a ton!!!!! 

Monday March 7,2016

Hey Mom! Wow Jeff really does look like a chipmunk!!! haha but its good to hear that he is doing better, how is he going with the mission papers? 

Well this was a great week  this week! I had to do a bunch of papers to make sure I can stay here in Bolivia, and they gave me a visa passport that doesn't expire until 2017, so I am basically Bolivian for 2 years more!!! Haha but after that we went back to the offices and at the same time they were having leadership council there.  When President Willard saw us he told my comp and I to enter, and we were able to participate in that, which was cool! 

The Guzman family is doing ok. They are still waiting on marriage, and I am really not sure when they are going to get married. The other families we are teaching are doing good also, we just need to help them a little more! 

With the dengue that everyone is getting it is affecting the branch... This week I had to bless the sacrament, while my comp and one other recent convert passed it, then I taught the gospel doctrine class, and after that the branch president asked if I could teach the elders quorum class, cause he said there was no one else to do it... 

Sometimes I get a little stressed but to be honest I am so grateful for these opportunities that the lord is giving me to learn and to grow! I know I learned a lot on Sunday, and I know I am learning everyday!I think I have given more than 30 blessings in this last week, everyone has been getting sick here... But I will do it. I have a strong testimony in the priesthood blessing of the sick now, cause we saw a lot of miracles this week!  I also have learned to love to always be busy, cause when I am not busy I am bored, and I hate being bored, I need to always be doing something!

Thanks for everything! Love you! 

Monday February 29, 2016

Hey mom!!!! 

  Well this was a good week here! So we have been working really hard on finding new family in our area, and we just contacted a ton this whole week, and we were able to find three great families, and we will see if they can progress! 

 The Guzman family is doing good, they are still going to church, the only problems is that they keep putting off marriage, and it is really taking its toll... We don't know what we can do to help them, because we have shared so much about marriage and about families, but they are just scared to take that leap of faith.. 

  The Bentancourt family told me they have plans to go the states and visit Utah. They said when I am getting married I will have to send them an invitation, and they are going to go! Haha they are great, it is crazy to see the changed that happened to them! Because before they didn't even really want to visit us, or see us, and now everyday they eat lunch with us, and they always call at night and say they are outside our house with hamburgers or pizza!! They are the best! 

  So I have to santa cruz again tonight, I thought i was done traveling, but turns out my comp and I have to do some things there and then we will be back in our area on Wednesday! Everything is going great, transfers are next week, and I really hope I don't leave, cause I just love this branch and this area so much! 

 Thanks for everything mom, I love you so much, and I hope you have a great week!