Maldonado Wk 3 Change 2

Hey fam!

Fun p-day today - we did a 30k bike ride. Started at the house, went to the beach, and took the rambla (the avenue that runs along the beach) and went all the way around Punta del Este up to La Barra and then back home on Aparicio Saravia. Maybe you can find a map somewhere. Pretty big ride. The other day Elder Polera and I did a 20k ride from our house to Portuzuelo to Punta Ballena back home. Pictures attached from the ride today.

thorderson.jpg is yours truly on the Punta del Este harbor.

thugnasty.jpg is Elder Polera and me on the road.

punta.jpg is a picture of us four (Villafuerte, me, Polera, and Wheeler) overlooking Punta del Este.

(Amanda note: And this, my friends is what 4 Elders living in one room looks like. Both mothers are mortified, but not really surprised!)

Let's see... Friday we have Zone Conference. We aren't really sure what's happening, but it looks like Pte Da Silva is going back to the Ashby way and combining the zones for Zone Conference. That means that we'll be going to Montevideo, and I am pretty sure Elder Smeltzer is going to be there. Huzzah.

Well we put a baptismal date with Romina. Her mom also wanted to talk to us, and we think that if we work with her with extra care, she can get baptized too. Romina is going to participate in a Primary activity this Saturday, it should be pretty cool. She wants to get baptized April 10th. Elder Polera and I feel pretty good about it, because that gives us time to help her understand what her mom doesn't - that you cannot be LDS on Sundays and still pray to the Virgin in Catholic School weekdays. I think Romina is starting to get it though. She is doing really good with praying.

When you guys send me the next package, it would be cool to get the GPS. But I just looked on Google Maps and they don't have anything in Punta del Este. OpenStreetMap tampoco. They don't have anything in Florida or Trinidad. I guess you just have to remember that I'm in a third-world country. Also, if you time out a 6 month package for me, I need a new set of English scriptures. I have Dads old quad and I would like to have nice scriptures when I get back, but have time to study them and mark them up and get used to Kings English again. I prefer the Bible and the Triple separate... I don't really know why.

Well quick e-mail today, I had to play with the pictures. Thanks for the vid, I am still trying to figure out how to play mp4 here without downloading QuickTime. Lets see if the FFDshow codec does it.

Love you all, Im praying for all of you.

Oh, happy birthday Dad... did you not say anything in your email just to test me? Haha and happy birthday to whoever has a birthday this week... I don't have my planner so I cant remember who. lol out loud.

Funny story from his companion, Elder Polera, via his mom:

So i got another funny story. All four of us are walking to a lunch, Elder Villafuerte and I are a little ways behind the other two, when Elder Villafuerte ,who doesnt speak English, decides to tell me a joke. He puts his hand on my shoulder and points in the distance and says "Mira, hay un tonto que le esta tocando el hombro." Which means " Look, there is a fool and they are touching his shoulder". So I don't get it at first because I didnt understand very well. But then I got it and he tells me he wants to play that joke on the other two but in English. So I tell him in English it means "Look, there is a fool touching your shoulder." So he runs up to the others and he grabs Elder Wheeler by the shoulder and says this. So they laugh at him and kinda look at him funny. So he asks to make sure that what he said was right and tells them the joke in Spanish. They start laughing and explain what he actually said was different and that he just said he was a fool touching their shoulders. lol. Now all we have to do to tease him is grab his shoulder and say "Mira!" Good times.