Week 5

Hola Familia!I have had a very very busy week!!! But first I want to start with a quote I found in my scriptures earlier this week.Read Romans 1:16, then this quote...''If we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, then we should not be ashamed to live it, and then we should not be ashamed to share it.'' - Delbert L. StapleyWe had a great Saturday! It started off with me thinking that I dont want to go to BYU when I get off my mission. I want to go to the Universidad de Morón. I hear very smart people come out of that school. haha just kidding... It was on a billboard on the autopista as we were driving to our area. Anywho we got to our area and it was a much much humbler area than the past two times. The neaighborhood around the chapel was nice but around it it was so humble, basically shacks and dirt/cobblestone streets. Dogs everywhere as usual. The area is called Ituzaingo.We started off by talking to a man named ariel who was a street cleaner. He said he would be happy to hear more but he lived in a different city so we got his direccion and said we would send other missionaries to his house. Next we talked to a woman named Matia, she was an older woman and she was just sitting in her front yard. We started talking to her about ourselves and she said she used to work in America then she started on a long monologue. We were finally able to get in and talk to her about her family. She said that her mother died when she was very young, and she wasnt able to have kids. Elder Carter and I thought, Plan of Salvation. She was very open to her beliefs in god but she wasnt open to ours. I felt like I understood every word she said, and I kept trying to talk to her but she kept right on talking. Anyway long story short she wasnt super interested in learning more but we made suure that she knew we cared about her which made it a great experience for me. Next person´s name was Lionardo and this guy was a dream investigator for Missionaries except for one thing... he also didnt live in the area so we wouldnt be able to set up an appt with him. So we taught him basically all the lessons we knew we could in spanish, gave him a LDM, and a few follettos and he said he would read them all and pray about them all... We truly felt the spirit so strong with him, and he is the most probable out of all the people we talked to to be baptized. :) We met up with the missionaries of that area later on and made sure that they could contact the area that lionardo lived in.The last two really interested people were Arce a Paraguayan, and Julio. Arce we met as he was walking to work. He said he didnt have too much time but we told him a brief watered down version of the restoration and the LDM. He was very interested and we felt like we should invite him to church that domingo. He said that he would try his best this week, but definitely go next sunday. We found out that he lived right next to the church, and he didnt even know it. Interesting. Then Julio was with his buddys during siesta time. They were drinking smoking and eating lemons and having a good ol time in front of their house. There music was blaring, and it seemed like it would not be the most likely place for someone to actually be interested. we introduced ourselves and his friends were only interested in us bc we were from the United States. We gave them the first lesson but the only person who was really listening was julio. After a bunch of interruptions from his friends it was hard to feel the spirit so, we asked julio if we could talk to him another time and he said he would love to have us. So we set up a cita and left a folletto for him.We had a few firsts on this trip too. We had our first rocks(concrete chunks) thrown at us. We felt like Samuel the Lamanite... Very scary, but luckily we were close to the chapel so we quickly ducked inside the fence. Our bus also broke down on the way back so we are hung up in the middle of a busy highway in a foreign land for 2 hours. It was an eventful day. Well then on Sunday it was another fantastic day. We watched a MTC devotional by Elder Bednar from June 9, 2009. It was on the Spirit, (Dad I reccomend this one if there is anyway to get it, watch it at a fireside or something) It was on recognizing the spirit. How do I know if its the Spirit or just my own thoughts/feelings? it was so powerful. He said throughout it, '' If you are good, every good thought comes from the Holy Ghost.'' The Lord trusts us in the way that he knows we will think the way he thinks and do what He would do. So so good. Definitely look that one up. Well lets see what else... Its getting very very hot and humid here especially in the past 3 or 4 days. I rarely use my covers at night and Im starting to sweat in class and sweat alot after playing basketball or soccer. I was wondering if maybe every month or so someone could let me know of the happenings in the USA and the World. We dont get told anything here in our little compound. I know I left a republican form of government, I hope when I get back its not socialistic. I have been released as District leader which is a big sigh, but Elder Pratt will be great too! He is so awesome.Ummm... o ya! I had something really good for dinner the other night. It was similar to baked potato skins, but it was zuchinni skins instead with cream cheese. So so good, since we have a lot of zuchinni and squash I thought that might be a good thing to make. I was so happy to get the package of letters from the primary last night and then the Dear Elders came this morning. Im so happy to hear about school, and really excited to hear about sterling! Can he say anyone elses name? or just mine? hahaWell I need to send this before its too late. Miss you all, thank you for your love and support and prayers. Love,Elder Stapley