Week 73 - Another baptism, Thank you Parents, Street Lights, Just Keep Working

F*d*l got baptized this week! He says he just feels soo clean and free, and that´s really just how it is, he really understands the gospel and how he needs to use it. And to think that we found him only because we forgot the map of our area and had to turn around. It seems like it´s rained every weekend for a while now, so that makes things hard as a missionary, because nobody does anything when it rains. It´s kinda cold today, this week the winter has been longer than normal, this time last year I was dying of heat, so I guess I can appreciate it.

I just wanted to thank both of you for raising me good, as a trainer, especially training an American, I just realize how much of an influence both of you have had on my life and how hard work and patience it must have been. My comp is learning how to ´talk¨  and cook.  I know that it doesn´t even come close to being a real parent, and even farther from being good ones like you two were. I also have realized that the main thing that both of you did was be awesome examples for me, and that I know I really won´t ever know how big of a sacrifice it was until I do the same thing. Thanks a bunch.

Someone did offer their daughter to be my wife (not new either) there´s just no quality control here, even if I did want a wife here.

My favorite devotional speaker while I was at BYU -President Monson.

Right now we´re working with c*rl*s and his daughter. C*rl*s missed his baptism because his tire popped and he was in the middle of nowhere and we had to catch the bus back to Villarrica, so just pray that he can get to Paso yobai when we are.

My branch president is also the district president, he´s 40. his couselor is also the elders quorum president, and he´s 35. He has another counselor that I think is 27ish.

Villarrica is my first area where almost the whole area has street lights. In my other areas we did walk in the dark, but we try not to wander too much. as a missionary.  There´s almost always someone else within earshot, if it´s next door, inside the house, or accross the street. This is in answer to a question Dave asked after reading this article:  http://www.lds.org/liahona/2013/09/youth/through-thin-walls?lang=eng

If we had missed the late bus we would have been stuck. We just don´t miss it, or else we´d be in a difficult situation.

Give my companion another couple of months, then he´ll be fluent.

 

Here in Villarrica on a good day I think there´s about 6 kids in primary. We had a primary program in my first area, we´ll see if the memo that they are done got all the way out here to Villarrica.

 

Here in Villarrica the people are more Catholic than other places, there was one guy that I said hi to and then he said ¨I don´t do that¨ and then wouldn´t let us talk to him.

 

When we are down, we just keep working, because that´s what us as missionaries do, there´s no time to feel sad or discouraged, or stressed out.

 

The fish soup was super good, it was nice and salty and they put lemons in it, I will try goat milk again, you should get some so that I can try it there! or maybe deer milk! They also have super good empanadas here in Villarrica with cheese, ham, and corn in it, it´s super good.

 

-Elder Bowles