Woooohooooooo!!!!:D

GUESS WHO'S IN MY DISTRICT!?!?!?!?!?!!??!?!?!?! JACE!!!....... I mean ELDER JENSEN!!!!!!!!!!!! For those who dont know, I worked with Elder Jensen before the mission at Physical Therapy, and he's pretty much the coolest guy ever. His trainer is one of my buddies from the ccm who flew down to Argentina with me. Can I just say that I love my district..... and my Zone..... and my area...... Im feeling pretty good right now. Probably too good. Im gaining a lot of weight here. haha what I lost before Im definately making up for now. Im not going to lie, Ive started saying to myself "thats okay, Ill just work it all off after the mission." Not sure if thats bad, but its pretty much how it is here.

So Pinar is pretty much the best area ever, but Im still trying to figure out how to work it just right. The members here are the best. They are willing to leave with us and do visits, give us people to visit, feed us, and all. Right now we're trying to find a good balance on working with them. I feel like once we figure out how to work effectively with them, This area will be even better. 

 

On another note: Update on Matias!: Slowly he's progressing, he has a really good heart and knows that the gospel would be good for him, but has to give up smoking to really begin progressing. Its kind of unfortunate, but here in uruguay, its normal for kids to start smoking at the age of 13 or 14. It doesnt help that he lives with his grandma who smokes like a chimney, but if he can do this, he can do anything. I BELIEVE IN HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So My letter today is going to be short because I want to send pics and this computer is really slow. I love you all!!!!:D

 

Elder Eliason

 

My Comp  :D

Taking out the Trash!!!

 

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!!!!! (opposite of what batman says in the lego movie)

No really! Pinar is like the holy grail of the mission for me. I have only been here for like 4 days, but I am in love. Every member is super boss and wants to help in the work. For example, we got a text from our DOM (Ward mission leader) this morning that said "I have 8 familias incompletos (part member families) for yall to visit with 14 nonmembers, when can yall pass by?" I KNOW RIGHT!!!!! On top of that, we have 3 family home evenings set up this week with different member families , in two of which they are going to invite a few friends over to watch meet the mormons with us (Sorry mom, I had a feeling that that was in the birthday package so I took it out. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I LOVE YOU! I promise that was the only thing I took out). but yah!!!!!!!!!

oh on a less important note We have lunch everyday here!!!!! IM SO STOKED FOR THAT TOO! I lost a lot of weight in varela given that we had to cook for ourselves everyday and some weeks (when giro was low, or random expenses jumped in) we ended up just eating nothing but rice for 3-4 days in a row. I love this place. 

 

I will say that its been super cold. We ran out of gas for the furnace the other day and when we woke up there was ice everywhere outside and we were a bit cold inside. I will say I am extremely grateful for warm cloths. It is so nice:) Spandex and thermals for life!!!!!!

 

Best part of week! the day after I got here We headed over to teach an investigator named matias. He's totally progressing!!!!! And in the lesson were his cousin and his aunt. The next lesson we had with him there was an ex missionary, his aunt, uncle, cousin, and a member friend. Im super stoked for him. He still needs to gain a testimony but he has 2 assistances to church for all 3 hours:D

 

Oh and I have a super cool comp named Elder Salas. If you look up on the internet pics of Carlos Salas you might be able to find pics of him. Before the mission he was a professional international boxer. He's super great!!!:D

 

Anyways Love you all!!!!! Sorry that there arent any pics this week, this computer has problems and I dont know whats up with it.

 

Hope yall have a great week:D

Elder Eliason

the godfather

Ive never actually seen that movie. Actually now to think about it, Im not even sure what that movie's about, but It seemed like a suiting title:D

CHANGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here's how the title relates. So here in the mission we have the joke that the mission is like a life. When you arrive you are "born," your trainer (first comp) is your "father," when you end your mission, you "die" (haha thats kind of awkward when people dont know about mission lingo and you and someone else just say causally "oh yah, Elder Johnson dies this change." haha that may have happened a few times...). one more. The moment a missionary arrives in uruguay, he leaves with a random other missionary to work for 2-3 hours. this missionary is his godfather. well guess what, Elder Mendenhall (my trainer/ father) "dies" this change and my new comp is Elder Salas (he just so happens to be my Godfather). I thought that was pretty funny.

 

Anyways HOLY COW SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im not going to lie, Im kind of sad that Im leaving Varela because Hermacindo Is progressing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im so stoked for him!!!!! We've had some really spiritual charlas with him this week and he came to all 3 hours of church this week!!!!:D and he now has a good friend in the church! and he has a baptismal date! Im really excited to see those pictures.

 

Well pretty excited to see my new area too. Its called Pinar and is in LA Costa in Montevideo! I have really seen all the different cultures of Uruguay now. haha Kind of cool. I have heard that this is a sketchy area,m soooooooo....... this should be fun:D sketchy environments lead to fun stories right (just kidding mom Ill stay safe a make sure to keep away from dark alleys)?

 

Yah. My thoughts are kind of scattered today. sorry about that, but...... best moment this week. Probably teaching Hermacindo the "word of wisdom." we were a bit worried that it would be a problem because there are always ash trays in his house, but as it turns out those are all from his roommate! He's never smoked in his life and the only confliction that he has with this heavenly law is a small glass of wine now and then. He totally accepted everything we taught and loved the promised blessings! I LOVE THAT GUY!!!:D

 

Okay, I think thats all Im going to write today. Have a great week:D

Elder Eliason

I dont know what to make the title but Im feeling really stoked right now:D

bwahahahaha, so Im just going to start this right off with stories this week:D

Last Monday we had another dentist appointment to fix my comps teeth. Leading up to it we had been joking what would happen if I just pulled out the restoration pamphlet and began teaching. he was like noooooooooo.... I want her concentrating on my mouth. well...... guess what happened. we were standing there talking, she had her tools in his mouth, grinding away, and I was watching intently. As we were talking our church came up. She mentioned that she didnt know anything about what we believe..... Sorry elder Choque. In that moment I taught her all about prophets and the need for modern day revelation. It. Was. Awesome!  She totally got it and was really interested. we left pretty stoked. We had another visit last friday, where we left her with a restoration pamphlet. 

 

Just thinking about it right now it amazes me how much sense the gospel makes. I mean I get that to accept it you have to receive a testimony (most likely based upon feeling the spirit), but honestly; If you have any question about anything, Its answer can be found in the gospel.... sometimes it just takes a bit of searching of the scriptures. Really thats where testimonies start. The scriptures. Reading. Praying. going to church. If you dont have a testimony of the gospel, try living it. Doing everything you can to follow every little commandment. Christ teaches us to test his commandments. to try him (as milicie (last book in the old testament I have no clue how to spell that in english) tells us about tithing). put your fate in gods hands and he will manifest himself to you. Thats the only way.

 

Talking about the scriptures we had an AMAZING LESSON with Maria, all the viajitos (small old men), and a friend that was in varela for las fiestas (theres a huge 3 day public party in varela right now). We had gone in there with the plan of teaching the plan of salvation, but everything changed in there. She pulled out the book of mormon and we all read the last two paragraphs of the introduction. After doing that, and explaining a bit about that marvelous book, I realized that I had just so happened to bring the dvd player and the flash drive with the book of mormon story video (the one with the Jamaican dude in London bearing his testimony). We never bring that thing with us, but Had done so to show a video to a meno activo that we ended up not being able to visit. Tender mercies. The video was perfect, the spirit was super strong, and we both felt super good afterwards. haha and Maria promised us that she would read the book of mormon to Ramon (one of the Viajitos) to teach him to stop drinking. We hadnt even taught the word of wisdom yet! that made us pretty stoked.

 

Okay Im out of time. I hope yall have a great week.

Elder Eliason

 

BRUSH YOUR TEETH (oh and the check mark with the fingers means awesome or cool or just good stuff:D)

 

17!!!!!!!! IM STOKED!

SORRY GUYS!!!! haha I have sinned against you all and spent most of my time writing and reading letters, so I dont have much time.

But THIS WEEK WAS SUPER SWEET!!!!!!! WE TOTES HAD 17 PEOPLE IN THE CHAPEL:D I cant tell you how stoked that made us. We're hoping to keep this up and really make Varela a powerhouse of testimonies:D Do you know how great that would be. During sacrament meeting this week, I was thinking about what it would be like if everyone here was a member . I divided it up into stakes and wards. That would be so sweet!!!!! haha I probably should have been focusing more on my companion who was giving a talk...... Its all good:)

 

GUESS WHAT!!!!!! I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON IN SPANISH THIS WEEK!!!!!!!! I really should have done that a while ago, but since then I really have seen my spanish skyrocket. Its been great:D thank you President gordon b hinckley for that promise:D

 

So really quickly, This week Elder Choque and I really have been able to learn how to teach in unity, and, thanks to this, we have had some great lessons. For example, we are teaching this family (maria, felipe, and maxie). The other day we were over there teaching the 5 parts to the gospel of Jesus Christ, when we found ourselves just teaching and backing up what the other person was saying with questions (I have found a love for good questions) and examples that really make them think. Thats a normal thing that we should always do, but honestly, just having the spirit there and being able to do really make my day. Its great. 

 

Okay Ive got to go. Yall are amazing (im teaching all the latinos that word "yall", haha and Ive taught them all the word sketchy)

 

Hope you guys have an amazing week:D

Elder Eliason