Not too much to report here. Just a super cool experience. Trivia: Flores is the most sparsely populated state in Uruguay. It has about 25,000 people with only two cities with a population over 1,000. One is Trinidad, with about 21,000, and the other is called Ismael Cortinas, which is an hour away from Trinidad and lies where four state borders meet: Flores, San José, Soriano, and Colonia. It has a population of like 1,064. There is one elementary school and one high school (the elementary school is bigger) and there is a member here who is a teacher at the elementary school. So... Wednesday night we were up late and just talking about how we are getting a little bored with the areas and knocking the same doors, etc. So in a flash of inspiration, we decided to go to this town of Ismael Cortinas. We left the next morning at 6:30 and spent the whole day in Ismael Cortinas. We actually didn't get much work done. We only knocked 12 houses on three blocks... but 6 of those people let us into their homes and we found (talked to and left committments with) 9 new people. That doesn't include family members and stuff. We had four straight lessons going from house to house and it was really incredible. We met a lot of cool people and taught some really strong lessons. If we can work something out to get them to church, we will really see some progress. It was just way cool to talk to people who had never seen missionaries before. We found that people without preconceptions or predujices are quite open to listening to us, even with an open heart. By doing so, they are able to accept the message and progress in the gospel. It was such a neat experience and we are going to go every thursday until we have at least talked to 1,000 people. The Ismael Cortinas branch... it has a ring to it. :D
Friday we had an exchange and I did an interview in Hospital. Elder Sessions worked with Elder Bulloch, and Elder Wally worked with my comp.
I got the package! They are starting to send packages to the zone in an effort to keep us happy - and it works! Thanks a ton for everything! I loved the little gifts and the scriptures! Say thanks to the beehives for me. (Yea! Shout out to the Beehives!) They're the best! Also, I got a package from the Nelson fam. I'll be writing them a letter, but I do send my love and my thanks. Everyone is pretty jealous that I have fudge and gingerbread men!
The ZLs are hinting that Pte was hinting about closing down my area again... which means that I was here to make an area explode, sat around 4 months without doing anything, so they're going to close it back up. Kind of a sucky feeling. I guess we'll see what happens. The ideal situation (what we are hoping for) is that if he does close the area, he sends me with Elder Bulloch, preserving one from each area. Kinda weird, but similar changes have occured, so we're hoping. I'll let you know next week.
Marcelo's son did make it to church, but the mom threw a wrench into the gears (is that an idiom?) and said that it is fine if we teach him, just not in her house. So we would have to do it with Marcelo, but he lives like 4 km outside the city and so we would have to do the lessons in the church, but Marcelo works a lot. It is all pretty complicated. But we keep chugging along with less active members and part-member families. We had one commit to come to church and pay tithing, it was a good lesson.
Well I am praying for Corry. Sounds like a pretty rough situation, but we trust in the Lord. From Henry B. Eyring's talk "Our Perfect Example" -
"The story of the prodigal son gives us all hope. The prodigal remembered home, as will your children. They will feel your love drawing them back to you. Elder Orson F. Whitney, in a general conference of 1929, gave a remarkable promise, which I know is true, to the faithful parents who honor the temple sealing to their children: 'Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold.'
"Then he goes on to say: 'Pray for your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God." You can pray for your children, love them, and reach out to them with confidence that Jesus reaches for them with you. When you keep trying, you are doing what Jesus does."
I love you both, and I am praying for you as well as the kids. I hope for better news next week.
Dad, I'm not sure if you got my email last week, but I took my suit into the tailor and am in need of fundage to get it back. Also bike repairs, but that could wait I guess. Could you send me like $60? Love you bunches.
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