November 15, 2010

Hello :)
Thats what I hear every day in the street at least 10 tens, 'Hello!' 'How are you?' Or if they are young people they usually try to swear at us incorrectly, ha. But thats cool that you got snow, I miss the snow. I think the year is boring without the change, it makes life more interesting to have snow.

Yea, we had a really great week here in Llo Lleo. The asistance at church continues to rise, we are really making a focused effort on working with/strengthening the members. We are a team in the work with them and if we don't work together we won't have much success, and even if we have a lot of baptisms, they won't remain in the church without member support. So we have been enjoying that.

You, the members of the church, are just important (if not more) than us full time missionaries. Our main function is teaching, you guys are supposed to do the finding ;) keep up that flame to share the gospel and look for any little opportunities you can to help/serve your fellow brothers and sisters here on the earth.

Yesterday for lunch we went after church with a family (Familia Hernandez) to eat with them and know them a little better. They live really far away from Llo Lleo, part of the area here which is still part of our huge sector, called San Juan. So they took us in their car and we went way out in the rural area. It was awesome, I felt like I was back in MN, going up north or something. And then we got to their house and they had a nice chunk of land and a really nice house. It was the most americanized house I've seen here, and it had that nice new house smell. It was fun.

But so we really liked this family, just wish they didn't live so far so we could visit/work with them more. It's funny cuz they really don't live super far, about like St Francis to the chapel, but here it's far cuz everyone always lives really close. They both work with the youth.

Yea, the sisters got taken out and now we have elders. It's called a white wash. But President took them out because it was just a tough sector, nobody helped them or ever opened the doors for the poor sisters.

I miss being with people that know how to sing, haha. It's hard to believe that Christmas is almost here already..in just a month or so I'll only have 5 more left. Never thought time actually flew as fast as everyone said, but they weren't lying.

That talk from President Scott was one of my favorites. That and President Monson's.

I liked this from Richard G Scott from conference:

“Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). Thus, every time you try your faith—that is, act in worthiness on an impression—you will receive the confirming evidence of the Spirit. As you walk to the boundary of your understanding into the twilight of uncertainty, exercising faith, you will be led to find solutions you would not obtain otherwise. With even your strongest faith, God will not always reward you immediately according to your desires. Rather, God will respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you, when it will yield the greatest advantage. Be thankful that sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes. That causes your faith to increase and you chararcter to grow. God uses your faith to mold your character. Character is the manifestation of what you are becoming.Strong character results from consistent correct choicesThe bedrock of character is integrity.The more your character is fortified, the more enabled you are to exercise the power of faith".

But the coast is awesome!

I would never want to live here permanently, but to be here for a few months is great. I hope I have a bit longer here on my mission, my guess is I have one more sector after this and thats where I'll end. But we'll see what the Lord has planned for me. I hope you have an amazing week!Love you and pray for you.

Elder DeLong