Week 22 - March 15, 2014

Baptism back in Florencia Sanchez

Wed Mar 5.  Today started off with the normal studies. We had no car and I had nothing to do in the offices until the financers got back after lunch. We ate a fiant torta for lunch. I drove to Carrasco after that. WE dropped off the Mercedes bolsa, and then helped with groceries in the mission home. Hermana Smith gave us some awesome ice cream too. Then I drove to 3 Cruces and got the bolsas. WE got our jerseys too!!! Tghen we headed back to the offices finished preparing the lesson for Ursula, and headed to her house. WE taught prayer and Reading the scriptures as a commandment. It went pretty well. Ursula really wants to get baptized! We visited hermana Pricionni and her sister, who E Woods knew in Artigas.

Thur Mar 6 Today was pretty normal. We had our studies, and then worked in the offices for a while. Then we drove to get plaques, bolsas, and tickets. I did the end of the registros for the deadline tomorrow. Then we came home to do our weekly planning. We made a cake during planning and it was super good!

Friday Mar 7. Today we headed to 3 Cruces to get tickets right after studies. We came back, had lunch with the bishop that went really well. We ate milanesas. Then I prepared a bunch of things that E Lamb and I took to Carrasco. Colonia was having their zone conference, and so I got to say hi to a couple buddies from Colonia. After our trip to Carrasco, I had to do a couple things that Hermana Smith wanted. Then we had the party for Quique who is leaving on his mission next week.

Sat Mar 8. Today we got up at 6 to play soccer. We played with Elders Lamb, Averett, Bossa, Getschwander, Chalí, Huarsaya, Ballif, and Goncalves. It was super fun but we played on like dirt and rocks so my legs were torn apart and we were covered in dirt. After soccer, we cleaned up and had the studies. I finished the Doctrine and Covenants and read about Joseph Smith. WE got stuck about home without a car for the 2nd P-day in a row because Gesch is dying and he thinks he should have our car. We went to Marys house to have a lunch for Elder Lambs birthday, which is Monday. WE had pastel de Carne. Its basically sheperds pie. It was super good. We did email and hung out in the offices until we had to go work. WEhad a lesson with ursula about the 10 commandments and a focus on the sabbath day. We got lost in Prado which is the rich part of our area. Then we came home, had to go pick up the APs, then we picked up a corto plazo and Elder Mandujano from 3 cruces and took the corto plazo home. Elder Mandujano came down from Rivera and will be staying with us a while until he has a doctors appointment next Wednesday. He is from Peru. Super cool guy. We got home around 12.

Sun Mar 9. Today was a GREAT day at church. We had the last Sunday of Quique. He gave his farewell talk and it was awesome. He had a great testimony. We had lunch with an hermana who I had never met before. WE spent most of the day in the offices because we are momentarily in a trio with Elder Mandujano. They think he has kidney stones, but he has to wait for his appointment to be sure. He cant walk fast or a lot. We went and gave a blessing to this Little kid and then we contacted this jewish man, who was sweeping his front sidewalk. He was super smart and he invited us to talk. He basically talked to us the whole time about DEEP doctrine about like definitions about the Old Testament. Then we had dinner with the Binghams.

Mon Mar 10. Today was the usual crazy Monday. We had normal studies, then we went to the offices so I could do the numbers. I did it well and quick but I had to wait AGAIN for the Oeste ZLs until 1:45 for the numbers. We made lunch and sent the numbers. Then we went to Carrasco to get some signatures and turn some things into the mail. President Smith talked alone with E Woods for about 20 min while Elder Mandujano toured the mission home. Apparently E Woods might end his mission early because of the leg problem he has. WE are probably going to move areas next change too. WE worked on the 24 months list of all the converts after that. Then we had FHE which was awesome. The message was about being a good example and then we had pizza. Then we had the bolsa run, and birthday part with the APs and Binghams for Elder Lamb. We ended up in bed around 11:30.

Tues Mar 11. Today was great. wE didnt get to work at all but it ended amazing. We had our studies, then I worked on the 24 months list until lunch. I ordered 2 hamburguesas completas. WE had our district meeting and Elder Woods and I were chosen to do a practice of thithing and fast offerings. It went alright but I was just greatful to hear feedback from the missionaries. I decided to fix all the blank number sheets, or make more formulas that would make my life easier. Later, we had mutual and we played futbol. Then we had Quiques setting apart as a missionary. It was awesome. There were a ton of people there. He hugged all the girls that came for the last time and then he had the last hug with his girlfriend. It was a precious moment actually. The whole night was super trunky. A lot of people crying. I cried too. It was really cool to think back about my setting apart.

Wed Mar 12. Today was pretty great! We had our studies. I ready Joseph Smith History. Hermana Sandy Natcher from the temple offices came and taught u show to make people legal in the country. Then we ordered lunch. We worked in the offices until our lesson at 4:30 with Ursula. Her dad finally got here. We had a great talk about prophets and ended up turning that into our lesson with the Word of Wisdom. Then we went to Carrasco to drop the bolsa off for Salto.  Then we stopped by the mission home to drop stuff off. We talked with Starla, Audrey and Hermana Smith. Audrey gave me some chocolate cake and it was AMAZING. Then we came back to our house to pack for tomorrow and then drove to the hotel at the temple grounds for our zone conference tomorrow. We got to bed around 1. THE GREAT PART OF THE DAY.... Ursula has a baptisimal date! This March 22 she will get baptized... As long as you help me out with your faith and prayers!

Thursday Mar 13. Today we woke up after getting to the hotel at 12:30. We got ready and headed to the chapel at 8. Sister Smith and then President taught us some pretty mind blowing things about the plan of salvation. At 11:00 we went to the temple!!! I LOVED IT. It was my first time to do a session in Spanish. I was glad too because I could actually understand and speak well! I also loved that we filled the session with missionaries and we had to bring other seats in. After the temple, we wrote in our journals, and then went to lunch. We did a practice after lunch with President and the Assistants. It lasted 4 hours because we would all get to practice too. Then the APs gave a presentation about planning. We drove home at 9 and then the Binghams invited us over to eat!

Fri Mar 14. Today was crazy. I got ready after excercises and then the APs called askimng if three of us could go do splits with them. Elder Mandujano and Elder Bossa went to get a drivers licence for elder bossa. Elder Gesch, Lamb and I went to the mission home to drop off Elder Gesch, who is headed back after over 2 years and two weeks! We had nothing to do so we washed all the dishes, which took us about an hour and a half. Then I played the AWESOME piano in the mission home until we got permission to go back to the offices. We worked in the offices for a Little bit before we turned around to go to lunch at the mission home. It was crazy because we only had about 45 min to eat. We had enchiladas. I kept thinking the whole time about my manners. I kept thinking about how my dearest mother always told me to have the best manners possible if I ever got toe at with the President. I think we either assumed or said it was the President of the United States, but in this case... I WAS eating right next to the President! That was scary enough... However it was a GREAT lunch with great food. The tense mood softened up when Audrey accidently poured Ranch dressing on my shirt trying to help Elder Lamb put ranch on his salad. The Smiths left with Elder Gesch to the airport. We ran to the other offices of the other mission to take some Passports that we had received. After we got back and the Smiths got back, we talked and hung out for a while. We got back to the offices and practiced for our lesson with Ursula. Our actual lesson was AWESOME. We invited bishop so he was good to have there too. It was probably our smoothest lesson and I felt like I was guided to say what our investigator needed to know! It was super awesome! Then after the lesson, Ursula threw us a curve ball telling us that she had cut herself. We talked to her for a bit but her parents were really upset so we tried to get out of there pretty quickly before we endured the wrath of Brazilian mothers. We got the bolsas after that and organized them. Then we picked up a sister who will serve as a corto plazo in Tacuarembó for 2 weeks. We took her to 3 cruces and waited with her until her bus left at 12. Some how I am still not that tired though!!!!