1-15-12

Monday: Today was a relief. We woke up on time, and just relaxed until
the Branch Pres. arrived with the tennis net for us. elder Maldonado
was the only other one that wanted to play with me. but we still had
lots of fun. While we were there, the Assisstants called me. Elder
Tanner and Elder Pliler are the new Assisstants! They were my favorite
Zone Leaders when they were comps before. Anyway, they asked if I, or
anyone here, had a talent to share in front of the Mission at our
conference, on Wednesday. I couldn`t think of a talent that was
"showable." But Elder Tanner asked if someone SOMEHOW got their hands
on a footbag, I would be willing to share that. OH YEAH! Throughout
the day, I split up my Internet time, so I cold email and get a
response. It took a few tries, but mama wrote me back. She said
Daddy`s feeling muh better, with less pain, but there`s still a bit of
room to recover.I love mama so much. This must have been such a scare
for her. Later, I got a hold of Cassie (sister). It was cool to be
able to hear form her. NOw I know why she hasn`t written me: She got a
new email address without telling me. She said she`s still trying to
figure out her iPhone. I was able to teach her something she hadn`t
known before. WOOT! We worked in the evening. I`m feeling better as I
make the resolution to do my best, no matter who I`m with. Pres.
Swenson said times like this would come, and when they did, I`d have
to just keep going and to drag my comp. with me.

Tuesday: today was great. We go tup and ready to go to our distrizona.
I called the zone Leaders to ask if they`d bring some new planners. It
turns out they were in Concepción and had cancelled Distrizona because
Elder hall was really sick and had a Doctor`s apt. up there. I hope he
has a quick recovery. He`s a really good Elder. I finally got a color
code going for my new study journal system. I had fun having some
personal study. i trie to make a good suggestion to Elder Brady to
help with his Spanish, but he acted insulted and said practicing was
overrated, like being on time was, as well. In the afternoon, he said
he didn`t want to work, and that if I did, I`d have to go with Elder
maldonado. Wow. It`s official. I don`t know how to help him. I
admitted it to myself today: I`m depressed. I spoke with Elder
Maldonado. That helped.We went to visit their recent convert, Alvaro.
I wanted to teach him how to study well. We had a really great lesson,
and had the opportunity to give a blessing to his mom, who had a
horrible headache. They gave us ties, saying, "We got these for the
first two missionaries who came to give a blessing." They had so much
faith that we`d come, that they`d bought TIES. And the Lord did send
us. Elder Smith asked me to run some errands for him. I was so fed up
with him and Elde rBrady and I reacted in anger. But then I felt bad
and did it anyway. Elder Smith pointed out, the other day, that I`m
submissive. That`s his word for humble. I don`t want him to take
advantage of me, but I don`t know how else to be. I called Eldder
Lisonbee, to wish him "happy 23" in the Mission.

Wednesday: I learned so much today! We had a special conference with
our Area Pres./Seventy, Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge. Whenever he
comes, my mind pretty much explodes. Sister Corbridge gave a talk that
told us, "Decide to decide." She told us we needed to place lines in
our lives that we`ll never cross, and just create a pllan for our
lives. It was what I`d been praying for: a way to better resist
temptation. Elder Corbrige spoke about the relationship of two
opposites: He said the more we forget ourselves, the more we benefit
from it. Self-interest and selflessness. He asked, "What good having
the whole world would do you if you lost your soul?" He said life is
about learning good from evil and learning to make the best decisions.
Our greatest accomplishment, in this life, will be ourselves. "If
there is anything virtuous, lovely, of of good report, or
praiseworthy", we seek after THOSE things. Why? Because we become
them. We spent the afternoon learning how to teach better. It was a
really cool process, but I don`t have room here. Elder Tanner gifted
me a footbag, today! It`s so I can hav something to show in the next
talent show. I had an interview with Pres. Martinez while Elder Brady
spoke with Eder corbridge. I told him what bothered me and he gave me
encouragement. He thanked me for thi sservice and told me to have
patience. He said he wants 10 more missionaris like me. He told me my
hijo looks p to me and has me up on a pedestal. He actually called me
today, to cheer me up. He knows I`m struggling. Oh! Elder Burch and I
had a mini comp. study and practice because both our comps. hate
studying. it was so great to have comp. study again. It`ll be cool to
do it with my wife!

Thursday: today was awesome! We got up to go to our Distrizona
Meeting, but our bus never came. So, we had to go with the other
companionship. We arrived right before the openin prayer. After that,
Elder Hall gave me my "Trunky Letter" in front of everyone. I also go
tletters from Bro. And Sis. Duke, Sister Nibley, and my friend,
Miriam. She`s already halfway through with her Mission. She`ll get
home in September, I think. It turns out that the Senior Missionary
couple in our mission, are Sister Nibley`s Sister and Brother-in-law.
I had prepared a class on the Book of Mormon, but, the whole trip to
the Meeting, I couldn`t stop thinking about what we learned yesterday,
aout the process of a silogism: 2 beliefs followed by a conclusion. As
I taught, my mind was filled with ideas and I knew that`s what we
needed. We picked up our clothes before going to lunch. There, Madelyn
Neira asked for help scraping off paint when we finished. We spent the
afternoon helping her an dher sister scrape paint off the house of an
old non-member lady with only one leg. We had fun. I spoke with elder
Smith, which was...entertaining. We found that he and Madelyn clash
becuase their personalities clash. She did note, however, that out of
the four of us, I am the sweetest. That`s a plus. The YSA had a game
night, and invited us to come. We`d been working all day, so we did.
Thre was tennis, ping-pong, and basketball. B-ball was my favorite. We
played 21, and apparently my lak of skill and goofy behavior made
everyone laugh. It was a real spirit-lifter.

Friday (the 13th): today was REALLY hot. I got up and did my studying.
I finished Helaman 4. It was so sad to see all the bad things that
happened to the Nephites, as well as the things they lost. It was not
only due to their iniquity, but their lack of belief was also the
cause. How many blessings do we lose, in times of need, just becuase
we give up on believing? But Mosiah 8:16-18 tells us what we have, in
our time, to warn us of all the consequences of sin: a Prophet. The
conference edition of the Liahona just came out, and it`s sweet. We
left at 10:00 to go help Madelyn and Eileen scrape paint again. It`s a
HUGE project. Madelyn tol me of her dream of studying in BYU. Thinking
of BYU made me realize how close I am, to going home. I`m terrified!
What am I going to do? Going on dates again? AH! We worked until lunch
with the Branch Pres`s wife. We were going to work with Madelyn`s
brother, Ronald, who came home early from the Mission. I don`t know
why. Anyway, he cancelled an hour before we were scheduled to go do
contacts. It`s not that hot here (okay, maybe it is), but what really
affects me is how strong the sun is. It stings and makes me anxious.
Today was worse becuase, because of the heat, I got a really bad
migreaine. I tried to keep working, but it got to the point where I
couldn`t function and we had to come back home.

Saturday: today was a really good day. I really am grateful for my
Mission, specifically because of the chance I have to surround myself
with spiritual things, and, in turn, be changed by them. I want to
continu having personal study every day after my Mission. It`ll be
cool to do it as a family when I get home. In the morning, I went with
Eldder Maldonado to go get his hair cut. I almost did, as well, but
even though my hair`s long for me, it`s really not that long. so I`ll
wait a bit. Our lunch was...different. We started with a big soup
filled with some oysters. Yuck! I thought that would be it, but the
sister came back with peeled potatoes (not baked) and batter-covered
fish. It would have been normal, but it still had silver scales poking
thorugh the crust. Mmmm. In the afternoon, I was feeling depressed
again, but you know who came to my rescue? Elder Smith! He said for me
to come and do contacts with him. That did so muh for me. I didn`t
have to do all the contacts myself. I spoke Spanish with him. It was
awesome. we were able to speak with a gentleman, named Luis. He said
he had to go to a conference today, but he`d love to have us over,
another day. Tood bad we were knocking in the other sector`s...sector.
We did a quick stop by Internet so Elder Smith could see if his family
had sent him money. I`ve been covering for him for a week. But he
says he`ll pay me back. He`s good. I can`t wait to hear from my family
on Monday:

Sunday: Today was wonderful. I woke up to a phone call from Madelyn,
telling me her dad (the Ward Mission Leader) wanted to meet with us at
8:30. Today, we made it on time! During church, I received some very
special instruction form Heavenly Father. It just happened n the
middle of Priesthood. It was this: "We need to give up everything. God
did. He gave up the thing he loved most--his son. What is a good
sacrifice I can make? What can I give up, to e a better servant?
(Personal desires, impatience, entertainment, time, etc.) If I give up
my desires, God`s will replace them and I will be worthy of blessings.
Without temporary distractions I can be a better Missionary, and with
more work, I can be a better person." Everything in the world belongs
to Heavenly Father, except our desires /will. And that`s the one thing
he asks of us. We have to give up things that we may think are good,
trusting that we will, in the end, receive something great. It`s like
that story where the girl gives her pretty fake-pearl necklace to her
Dad, and he gives her a beautiful, genuine, pearl necklace. Sometimes
sacrifice is hard when you can`t see the results immediately. But that
promise will always be there (D&C 130:20-21). We worked in the
afternoon. Elder Burch called, and said he`s getting transsferred from
his difficult comp. this week, and he`s training! He`s been upset
because he`s still Junior comp.--but not anymore. He was so excited to
tell me, `cause he knew I`d be happy for him. I miss being around ice,
sincere people. Everyone in my house is cool, bu not that loving.
Elder Smith and I visited Hna. Soledad, to return a jacket she`d lent
me. She`s really cool.