oh familia linda mia! mondays are such awesome days! i love reading the emails and hearing about the miracles in the work from russia and from home. (it's like pres. uchtdorf said in the last conference, "preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words."). Alex, i love reading your emails because i just smile and nod my head when i read things like the way your old life just fades away, but the family stuff, the things that are really important come upfront and in bright colors as if amplified by the work we are doing. i LURV IT. time really does fly. what the heckers, I AM COMPLETING ONE WHOLE YEAR IN THE MISSION IN THREE DAYS..... WHAAAAA. wow. that blows my mind. i only have 6 months left! what! that really just makes me want to work work work. i feel just like alex; kind of looking back at things and realizing how time has flown and how things have changed and i look back and see how far i have come. i but i do know there are some things i know i could have done better with in the past. i have been giving this everything i have got, but there have been times in the past on this mission that i could have done better but i didn't know it at the time. it comes in waves for me, i get in one wave or phase, and learn somethings and come out on the other side thinking i have improved enough. but then the next wave has even more things i find that i can improve and more challenges. but i come out of that one thinking, ok, now i really am ready. but you never do stand still. always progressing or always deteriorating. i have come so far, but i feel like i am finally to the point where i can really work and really really do a lot of good. but knowing that it took a whole year to get where i am makes me feel like i really have to push these last 6 months to utilize everything i have learned and really make a difference. i haven't slacked off before and have always been trying to work hard, but back even 3 or 4 months i thought i was doing so great, and i see that there is still so much i can do. it is really awesome though and it just pumps me up to really make this last stretch of the mission something amazing and i am really excited. i feel like i am becoming the fourth missionary. i have been a pretty good 3 for a while, but i want to be a 4. a good solid 4! ha ha. so hobey ho, here we go!
oh, big shout out --HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!! i thought about him all day. i wondered what you were doing all day and how your birthday was going. everytime we see huasos going down the streets in their outfits and big boots on their horses i think about you and getting horses after the mish. it is on my list, and i am totally going for it after i get home. ;)
so.... here in paine with hermana larson... things are going really good. i finally feel like i am unreservedly throwing everything into this work. like i said before, i thought i was doing that in the past, but now that everything i want to do has faded, i have real desires to get out and work and teach and it is awesome. but the harder you work the more time speeds up! its nuts. but soo cool. we have been really getting to know the people here in paine and its been great. we have a lot of investigators now, and we have a lot of people to visit. little happy things just fall in our path that remind us that Heavenly Father really does know His children and that this really is His work.
Alex, BELIEVE in miracles. they are right around the corner, when you least expect it! literally! ha ha ha. i loved hearing about your miracle, because it reminds me that there really are people out there that are willing and waiting for the relief the gospel brings. legiiiit!
man chile is nuts. i love it so much. last saturday night we had to be home early by 6 because the president of chile was going to give his anual address and apperently, sometimes there are some nasty protests. nothing happened here in lil ol paine, so we were just in our little house writing in our journals, listening to some disney music, and hermana larson went to town cooking in the kitchen. she made popcorn, lemon bars, and brownies (and boiled eggs....?). it was awesome. our neighbor came over. her name is Linda and she has become our friend. she is a menos activo and she came over to tell us that she wants to come back to church. WOOOOOT! she is a menos activo, but has wanted to come back. it is a hard step because there is a history there, but we were so excited. and she did come yesterday. hope she keeps coming!
another crazy thing, there was this false prophet guy in santiago leading a cult and somehow spread it around that the world was going to end on saturday night at 6 o clock. oh pleeeeez! so we were walking down the street friday evening and this group of kids called out to us and we started talking to us. they asked us if it was true that the world was going to end saturday night. they looked kinda scared and said they saw it on the news. we told them, of course, that it wasn't going to end and talked to them a bit about Jesus Christ. We gave them pass along cards and everything and it was cool. poor kids! sitting on the street curb in the ghetto of our sector worrying about stupid rumors spread by some maniac about the world ending. oh boy....
anyway, i hope things are going well at home. mom, how are you doing? i am glad you followed the Spirit on the job thing. that is definitely the right and only thing to do in a situation like that. if they are going to be shady, i would say walk away. but i hope you aren't sad because you aren't working anymore. are you going to look for another job? whatcha doing with your time now? i hope dad's work is going well too. its so crazy that school is getting out soon. don't have too much fun without me and luximous!
alrighty, i better go, but i love you all to pieces and think of you everyday! be good, read your scriptures, and NEVER underappreciate your life! if you do just wait till you hear some of the stories that me and alex will have to tell. man, we have it good in centerville. i have been so impacted by my experiences here. i will never take my life for granted again. we got it cushy. enjoy it! and pray! and read your scriptures! and have family home evening! and do visiting/home teaching! and all that jazz!
I LOVE YOUUUUUUU!
samsam