07/22/2013

I wish I could have gone to that reception that would have been so cool!  (James Esplin) I am excited to hear about your calling that really will be awesome. I think those callings are the most important ones in the church I feel like in my home and in primary classes it where I gained the majority of my testimony. I like the looks of Brea's cake, but I have got to ask.. What is it? haha

 

 This week was interesting we were told to try and change our apartment and the landlord flipped and was threatening us with lawsuits and and saying it violates some contract I have never even seen and he has no signature on it. Then later that sunday evening our microwave lit on fire so I got to live my five year old dream and put it out with a pot of water... after I had already unplugged it don't worry haha. I finally weighed over 170 last week but I got it back to 165 again ha I don't feel any bigger so I don't get how I weigh so much. Last Monday the car battery died and wouldn't jump start and no one from the branch came to help us so we got home at 11 at night which is really late for us and the best part is I got to ride in a tow truck :).Ugh the last two sets of elders on this Island didn't service the car so I get the priviledge of doing it the beginning of nest trasfer on P-day!wooo hoooo....This week was a little unique I guess you could say. Whats cool is after hard days and weeks I have always been blessed with awesome new people to teach and be friends with. We have this awesome 21 year old young man named Omar that is so awesome he has been struggling to believe in God and once he read about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith's situation he lost all doubts and really described how powerfully he feels theSpirit when he Reads it and asks us questions. I really lke how cool he is about it all and honest too it makes it so much fun to visit him and really just be his friend. I have really been thinking about how cool it is going to be to come home and share my experiences with you in a little while. Time goes so fast when I just get lost in the work.

 

 And mom...what do you mean the salmon only had a few bones...? you trying to be euphimistic? haha. I found out today that the beginning of next transfer I will be elder Montgomery's comp again so that is cool even though I really like having new companions all the time. Mom and dad what size of shirts do you wear? And just to let you know I solved the debit card thing so don't worry about that they have it cleared for all these islands. I can't think of a whole lot of new things now. I love you all so much have a great week!

7/15/2013

Mommyyyyyy! How is everything today?! I cleaned up a huge mess today in our apartment I found tons of maggots eating something rotten and it smelled horrible and also  my companion has had tons of problems with his skin and now he has bed bugs :\ very miserable for him but he keeps working hard it is awesome.

 

 Lets see this last week we said goodbye to Jasmine as she left to Holland and I accidentally ate ice cream that had alcohol in it.. which stinks because I never broke the word of wisdom until my mission.. I am such a tig  ha. We are starting to teach a venezuelan family and they havve a dog that looks like emmy it is really weird.

 

This week I noticed something really funny in elders quorum meeting abnd me and my companion coud not stop laughing for the longest time. Well I hope you guys understand what I am saying. There are these two Older high priests that we noticed are part of a pattern in every ward they are the two old smart ones that make jokes that only they get and they sit there and giggle and act like little kids as they joke with each other and then I realized it makes me feel like I am at home bcause there are usually two older men like that in every single ward in the church. At least the ones I have been in and elder Irizarry too because he could not stop laughing after I told him.

 

 Something else that has been concerning us is that  we have three women who are ready for baptism and come every single week , but there husbands will not give consent which is so frusrtating for them. One of them bore a testimony about the church in the investigator class and when she finished there was not a single person the wasn't crying. She shared the desires of her heart in that testimony and it was true and she said she will endure until the end of her life and you could feel that she really meant what she was saying.

 

 One more cool thing we came to a less active woman's house for an appointment with her the other night and no one was there, but a nineteen year old boy was sitting there watching a movie and he was either ignoring us or really really into the movie. Well, we decided he needed to acknowledge us at least so we said hey you on the couch! and he immediately came to the door and seemed excited to meet with us he then asked us some awesome questions about the Plan of Salvation and he said he felt like something about what we were saying was putting a broken puzzle together that he has had in his head all of his life and he also said he wants to be baptized. I am really hoping he will remember those feelings he has had because I have the same kind of thing happen before and people lose their fire if they don't act upon what the Holy ghost has told them. That has happened to me many times in my life as I ponder upon the things I have felt, heard, said... but what have I actually done? and acted upon/ I invite you all to think and pray about that too I am praying about it and recognizing that I am becoming more converted, even though it can be very hard.

 

I love you a ton have a great week!

07/08/2013

Hey!!!! So this week has been pretty good we went on splits yesterday and I went out with the elders quorum President. He can be really stubborn and only really wanted to visit less active members which is good because that is the focus for missionary work in the islands right now, but what was really cool was seeing him get excited when we had opportunities to make contacts when we couldn't find the members. He was quiet at first but got really pumped to teach investigators that we found together and the hearts of those people were very open because of him being there as a witness of how the gospel has changed his life and he would talk about what the young missionaries of our church really do.

 

 Jasmine our last baptism had a little slip up with the word of wisdom which was really scary for her sister and us, and she totally held strong after she slipped up and met with president and is doing a whole lot beter now she goes back to Holland this thursday though so that is kind of sad to have to say goodbye to her.

 

Someone new that we have been teaching is so amazing his name is Rudolph and he is from here about 53 years old and really has a lot of desire to make changes in his life. He works  as a guard at the prison her and always has some really crazy stories for us ha. This sunday he had the night shift before church so he stayed up all night and went from work to church without even taking the time to eat or sleep and when he got here he realized he still had his firearm on he said this to Elder Irizarry and was kind of nervous because  I guess he has rules that he has to have it with him at all times. So he was worried we wouldn't let him in elder Irazarry said as long as it didn't go off it will be ok.. but hopefully he won't bring it next time ha. He is now fighting on leaving behing smoking and had a miracle last week he said he lit five cigarettes in a row and they were all bad and made him cough and he couldn't take it so he even tried switchin brands and all the cigarettes he lit he couldn't smoke either. Really cool to see him act upon his desires to be baptized probably one of the most dedicated people I have met yet and I know if he really wants to change God will help him do what he wants to do.

 

What else...oh yeah for my Birthday I was thinking maybe I will just go get a check up at the Dentist's in Aruba when I get there and use my debit card I just need you make sure I don't flag it so can you help me out with what I need to do with that please? :) I am so grateful that Shane and Kris did that for me I really appreciate that and I know it has really help you and dad relieve some stress! I will pray about the house you are renting out. hmmmmmmmm hwat else.. yeah I wrote down a bit in the letters I am going to scan and send to each one of you so I will leave it at that for now love you a bunch!

The ward in Curacao, Baptism in Curacao, the last baptism in BonAire

7/1/2013

Next time I am going to send messages to people individually, I didn't get time to today because we just had a problem that ate up our time. We ordered pizza and realized we had no money with us and went to three ATMS that weren't working.

 

 This past week has been good we have had some really good contacts that we kind of got just from talking to people so that was cool and they are all pretty excited to visit the church. I got to confirm Jasmine Yesterday that was the first confirmation I have ever done and it was a very cool experience.

 

Today we went to the national park and saw some really cool blow holes and I kind of got in the ocean because a wave snuck up on me in a cave....ha this Branch is really cool they speak tons of papiamentu and I really feel like I am getting pretty good at it. I speak it before spanish now..it isn't a very expressful language though so Spanish is better communication.

 

 Brittan turned into a tank top kid huh ;) haha I am glad to hear the wrestling camp went so well and to hear that bay and brea are enjoying softball. Actually the ocean can get a little old if you look at it every day , but you can't get in or whenever you ride by it on bikes in church cltohes too haha

 

 I love you all so much I finally got all your handwritten letters done so now I just have to send them. I wish I could be there in  St. George beating Brittan and Dad at wrestling matches in the pool...... I love you alll have a wonderful week! :)