As I'm typing this at the computer cafe, it is funny because I´m sitting right next to Elder Wilkey (he´s from England) and he goes
home the 22nd of this month. He´s super excited to go home and is giggling like
a little girl with every thing his family is telling him. It's getting really
annoying. :-)
Anyway, this last week has been a great experience. We´ve
been helping Cristina with her addiction and we have been seeing
a lot of progress. She still has a little way to go to quit smoking, but it's
all good because we´re helping her and we can see her progress!
The branch has been getting a lot more excited and happier lately. It's been really cool to see the members want to work
with us and honestly just seeing them with a smile as they come into church. I've talked with the other missionaries here and they all tell me the same
thing. It's cool to see that we´re having some good progress here in Minas. I
had a good talk with the Branch President the other day. He told me there had
been problems in the branch with the missionaries in the past. None of the
missionaries wanted to work with the members or with the branch president. But
he has noticed a difference with us and wants to work with us. He´s super
excited to help us with the work and wants to work more with us. He and his
first counselor really want to start doing splits with me and my companion.
We´re pumped to start working with him more.
This last week we had a zone conference and I took a couple
photos that I´m going to send to you! In these photos you see a blonde-haired sister missionary. She went to Springville High School! What a small world! Her name is Hermana Asbell. I used to play sports with her brother, Zach. She is a new missionary and just got here. She also told
me that when she was in the MTC that Erin Elmont was there [another girl from Springville/Mapleton], so I´ll have
to be looking out for all these people that are from our city! Crazy stuff!
This next week we´re going to have a mission conference and
hear from President Gonzalez. He was in the Presidency of the Seventy but got
released this last conference, I believe. He was the one that talked in
General Conference a little while ago and is from Uruguay and Dad said I'm going to have an English accent like him when I get back from the mission! The missionaries are super excited to hear from him and the advice that he gives us.
Our mission president, President Armstrong, has been calling me a couple times
trying to figure out where we can put sister missionaries here in Minas. We´ve
been looking for houses so that more Hermanas
can be here with us. He´s been stressed with the amount of new missionaries
that we have been getting. This next change we are going to get 15 Hermanas and
20 Elders (35 new missionaries!) We usually get about 10 missionaries every change
and usually 1 or 2 Hermanas. The mission is excited
because right now we are starting to see the impact of the new rule change with
the age. It's an exciting time and I´m super excited to be here during this
time!
This last week I was reading Chapter 7 of Moroni. It really had
an impact on me, especially the portions on charity. I would encourage you to
think of how you can apply the teachings from this chapter to yourselves!
Well, the church is true! I can´t wait to talk to you
guys on Mothers Day! I want to hear some of your Nacho Libre quotes and the
Spanish that you know! We´re going to have a good time. I love you guys
tons and can´t wait to hear from you!
