Me and God - Week 93

It has been a miraculous week, with people, lessons learned, and just overall wonderful to be out here in the mission.  First off I want to testify that when we clean our homes the spirit can be there, Kelly and I took a long time cleaning EVERYTHING!!  It looks real nice now, and we are going to keep it that way.  We spent hours throwing out all the old missionary stuff up in the attic that we have and now it just feels good there. As to the title of this weeks email,  I love that song called Me and God, he really does stretch us and try us to help us be better in the end.  It doesn't matter how long, the important thing is the condition of our hearts.

Esters Baptism, she is the one is the middle with the greenish top
that looks a little like Grandma.  She is awesome!  I love the elderly,
you know that because my Grandma is my best friend!!

With Tommy and Marcos getting ready to play some BBALL

The spider that we found outside cleaning the entire pension this week.

Putting Ignacio in the Water - Week 92

This week was wonderful.  We are working our best and seeing many miracles right now.  There were some trials with the people that are to be baptized, but they will be alright.  Ignacio made it!!  I felt so honored to be the one to baptize him and really it made me think there is never a sad or homesick missionary who is in the baptismal font.  I can definitely say that is true!!  I have never felt happier than when I can see someone with whom we have worked so hard step into a freshly cleaned font, usually with very cold water;) to change their lives forever.  Being a missionary is so beautiful,  I loved the way that Elder Holland said it in one of his talks.  He said Every missionary that ever stood in a baptismal font and said, having been commissioned of Jesus Christ... That commission was to have changed your convert forever, but it was certainly supposed to have changed YOU, the missionary, forever as well.

Ignacio was baptized!

 He is 16 and was going through some tough stuff,
but decided to follow the Savior anyway!! 

Us with Elder Keller and Hansen!!  Great day!

Transfers - Week 91

For Transfers Elder Mangum and I stay together and are going to keep working our little hearts out. Looking forward to these next 6 weeks, which will also be the last 6 weeks for Elder Mangum.  We have so much work to do, we old guys!  There is always too much to do and too many to teach, but that doesn't worry me.  I just try everyday to talk with as many people as possible and do the best we can!

Happy Mothers Day!
21 months down... 3 more to go :) Moms always count.

Skype - So much better than a phone call!!!

We bought a special shampoo that makes you blonder,
strengthens your hair, and stops you from losing it...
isn't that great!! Mangums idea Hahahah

Saying goodbye to Elder Knutzen the blonde short, and Elder Burmeister
before they head off on Tuesday.  They came for a breakfast right before they left.

Sure will miss that Elder.  He like Harward and Agren was a great
friend of mine and had a big impact on me.  He is from Florida,
and is the representation of a true missionary that gives
it all to the Lord.  Love you man, I will miss ya!

This is Marcos and Cookie, the two that I always talk about that 
are always helping us and prepping for the mission calls!

The Keys are Inside - Week 90

We went to an area called Rio Ceballos to spend the night with Elder Unck, and Elder Card and work with them in the morning.  We arrived and they weren’t there, and it was very cold outside.  Luckily my comp started the mission in Rio Ceballos and knew a member that lived close by.  We went and they were leaving, but said Elders, here are the keys to the house, it is all to you for now, there is cake in the fridge, biscuits, soda, juice, help yourselves.  Yep that was awesome!!

Temple Trip with Elder Mangum

We went to Rio Ceballos an área in Las Sierras, our zone. 

A family left us the keys to the house to stay warm because they were leaving.  

Along with cake, juice and a whole bunch of goodies!!

Keys to the Car - Week 89

We had interviews this week with President Alliaud and we were in charge of lunch for us the APs and President.  We didn't know how far away the place was so President asked us if we wanted the keys....the keys to the car!!!  Hahah I felt like a 15 year old in drivers ed. With the keys in hand we bust out of the church to get into the car,  only problem...it was a stick....Yeah I hadn't driven a stick for 3 years and I may have stalled a few times...7 to be exact!  That was before even leaving the church!!  Hahaha after that I got it and when we had to go back to pick up the order, I was fine!!  Mangum also got a turn on the wheel and we laughed and thought...US missionaries don't know how fun this is for us after not using a car for almost 2 years.  It was scary too, but we were fine!

It has been a fun week here in Villa Allende for Elder Mangum and I

Gabriel that was baptized last week is working
like crazy and wants to baptize the entire world,
and especially his family. It is so incredible to see
how the spirit and the gospel can change people

Yep we got the keys to the car!!!  Took it out for a spin:)

Oh boy it was a stick ... which took us awhile to get :)

Picking up lunch - best time ever

The Package Came!

Scotty thought there might be some kids in Argentina
that would love these little cars as much as the kids in Madagascar!

My Scotty impersonation with sound effects and everything!

My favorite snacks - Thanks Mom and to the Spitales
for bringing them all the way from Salt Lake City!

Take the Blame - Week 88

Well it sure has been a fun week that started with our undefeated basketball team on PDay.  No one could stop us, and it was so fun to just unwind and play an upper body sport for once instead of worrying the entire time about my feet!! (Soccer)
This week I learned a valuable lesson. Sometimes we just need to be humble and in order to forgive others we need to ask them forgiveness first.   I testify that when we humbly say we are sorry and ask forgiveness the spirit can change hearts. I love you all and pray that we can all be humble and love those around us. Then we can continue working and do our best  Love Elder George

Me and Marcos Córdoba, a youth from our ward prepping
for the mission.  Super great kid and he always helps us!! 

Pday in Rio Ceballos, we played basketball and our team went
undefeated the entire time.  In front Elder George, Elder Card, and
Elder Willis, in back Elder Burmeister, Hna McArthur and Hna Vazquez

Pics of Pday in Rio Ceballos and playing soccer.

In front of the action, I later entered in to play when
Elder Hansen got hit in the nose and it started to bleed.

The baptism of Selene

Fire and Rain - Week 87

The Evans boys back home "adventuresome lads," entered into my thoughts several times this week. I better think twice next time.
        Elder Aldas from Ecuador completed a year in the mission so as tradition he decided to burn a shirt. We needed to use alcohol, and I told them that they could light their hands on fire if they wanted.  They wanted to see an example first so I covered my hand with alcohol, rubbing alcohol , and did just as Matt Evans taught me, but maybe not in the lighting of the alcohol.  I shook my hand to take out the fire, however, it didn't come off, I shook more anxiously and it still didn't come off, I frantically went down to the grass and put out the fire, only suffering a few blisters on my poor hand.  Well, I know it was foolish, but what do you expect from a bunch of 20 year old boys....ahaha
         Also we were in Los Polinesias and had taken the bikes on Monday to do a split to cover more ground.  We reached a grass hill to go down and my wiser companion got off his bike and walked down to the muddy ground below.  I, in turn, had a spirit like Brett Evans and said lets go.  Little did I know that there was a gutter like hole at the bottom that when I hit it and hit the front brake my bike, like a bucking horse or bull, threw me from the saddle and I came down on my hands and shoulder.  I cut up my hands a bit and only dirtied my shirt...then laughed as I looked at Mangum and said it cant get any worse. Well on the way back it did get worse as the rains came down.  I followed Mangum down the steep muddy hills traveling slower because I only had the front brake.  We made it to the main road and I looked down and then looked up and Elder Mangum was down!!  MANGUM I yelled.  He had hit a big hole full of water and fallen inside of the hole...hahahah we both returned home wet and hurt that day but kept working with all our hearts for the rest of the week!!

We are starting a plan here in Las Sierras called always wet,
because of the rain and because of the people that have
desires to follow God and be baptized. 

Gabriel was baptized this week and as I entered
into the cold water, cold below and warm above, I felt so happy
to be apart of the Lords work.

So had I remembered back at the neighborhood camp
that things didn't turn out so well for Brett,
I  might have saved myself from the same outcome...

Live and Learn