Im struggling to come up with a creative title for this letter

Man this has been such a good week. Other than some ....ummm... digestional difficulties, Weve had a lot of success. Ive decided that I always have to at least one trial coming at me, and if we can have this much success with this as my trial, Ill take it any day.

Soooooooooooo, pretty much this entire week has been focused around the same people as normal, but now we added in a new menos active named Sabrina. She is a single mom that has been inactive for the past 7 years. we began visiting her, helped her remember the great feeling she had at baptism, aided her in coming to church this week. 

 

Church this week was really nice. 4 of the Menos activos that we've been working with for a while came. They're all starting to get back on their feet and make the right decisions. Thats something Ive learned recently. with three of these menos activos, we've started passing by every day for sometimes only 3 minutes. The thing is, the constant reminder that God is there, has helped them to put God forefront in their minds. That is the purpose of the gospel. To teach us to put God forefront in our minds, so that we always follow his teaching and commandments. Many people want to follow God (They think "Its a nice Idea" "It would probably help me out") but either they keep forgetting to do the things we tell them, they allow other things to cover up the importance of it, or they are just a bit lazy. They just need a constant shove to push them along. If they can have that Until theyre up and running, They can learn to run on their own. Dont give up on people. Just keep pushing them a little longer.

 

Alvaro is progressing and is almost at baptism, he just needs to give up smoking once and for all. We've got a plan with him, and he's working on it

WE also are continuing to work with all our other investigators, and all is going well.

 

I love Piriapolis.

 

Love yall and hope yall have a great week,

Elder Eliason

 

his dad now loves us. We run with him every morning for our morning exercise to help him lose weight. haha yes, we tie a rope around him and attach it to my companion so that he doesnt walk

 

GUESS WHAT I FOUND!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS SO STOKED!

My tone is horrible though after a year of not playing

 

ha I'll take what I can get:)

So this was the best sunday I have yet seen here in the beautiful Uruguay. I LOVE THIS WARD AND AREA! However, When really good things pass, God has to let Satan Balance it. #oppositioninallthings :( Well, Ill take this opposition over pretty much any other. Today is the first day ive gotten sick in the mission. I had to get up 4 times during the night to go to the bathroom, but was still able to hike el cerro de pan de azucar today with the zone (haha not sure if that was the best Idea, but It was really fun. Right now, I am extreme3ly glad for warm cybers and Agua Tonica (Its a pretty awful drink, but it settles the stomach like no other.

So SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!! We've been passing by Familia De Leon almost every day these past 2 week and finally they started acting. Persistance and a lot of contact really help people realize what is really important in life. They're on a 5 day streak of reading and praying as a family and came to church yesterday!!!!:D We also had 3 investigators in church yesterday (Alvro, Cynthia, and A new guy named Nohel) Nohel is actually the nephew of the family De Leon and they brought him with them. Yep, they're coming back, and bringing others with them.

 

Miracle that happened this week:D We were searching for this menos activo who I have never met before (my comp had 1 time before I got here and knew where he lived). Upon clapping the house, this lady came out . I recognized her immediately but couldnt figure out from where. After talking a bit, we realized that she is an investigator of the Hermanas in Pan de Azucar (haha I love the names of cities here) who had litterally just moved here. I recognized her because she intraduced (how do you spell that?) herself to us a couple weeks back when we were waiting for a bus in Pan de Azucar. We had spent a while talking to her that day, and now..... she just appeared out of now where right when she moved. IT was really cool. This means we have 5 investigators!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is the most I have ever had here in the Little Europe of South America. IM SO STOKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

We also had a few cool charlas with some new menos activos that we have begun to work with. I love this place. It's turned into my most busy area with some incredible members.

 

Okay, I dont feel super good, so Im going to say bye now.

 

Love you all a whole heap,

Elder Eliason 

the cross of pan de azucar. Its SUPER windy up top

#ourcompanionship

I love Elder Medina, he's a boss

This is my favorite agenda I have yet seen. He goes home at the end of this change. Im gonna (haha thats how all the latinos learn to speak english. Sorry mom) miss that guy

just another day here in paradise

SO this has been a very focused week. that is, focused in the sense of the people with whom we are trying to help. I dont have a ton to write today but I will tell yall about some of the people.

Really quick: Cynthia and Candela -> BOSSES  :D Cynthia came to church this week, but we're still trying to help candela find a job. Really, Its been so much fun teaching them and cool to see them continually changing. It is interesting though. The first week cynthia came to church was the sunday of fast and testimonies, and she felt kind of awkward. not around the people (she's got some flippin cool friends there), but with those bearing their testimonies. Knowing many of them personally from outside the church, having learned the church standers and the commandments, and then watching people who she knew didnt follow those standards stand up and bear testimony that the church is true and everything bothered her. She has a testimony and told us that she will live the standards, but It made her feel odd seeing people act as such. Just remember who you are and what you stand for. ALWAYS! the is ALWAYS someone watching, someone who is affected, and something that is changes from you actions (good or bad).

 

Alvaro-> we're trying to help him stop smoking still and work towards his baptism. Its been really nice to teach him too:)

 

Familia De Leon ->man. They are a family of less actives that just need to act. They know that the church is true, that it will make them happier, that things will go better in their business and home if they just do the small things, BUT THEY DONT DO THEM! we visited them almost every day this week (sometimes for 2-3 min, sometimes a bit longer), we send them a text every day at 2 to help them remember, we set alarms on their phones, we call them, we put signs up on their walls, but they still just dont read or pray as a family. haha on Saturday we passed by again, and ended up tearing out all the pictures of Christ from 3 pamphlets and covering the walls of their main living room / kitchen. It was pretty funny. I have really come to love that family, but they just have got to act. This week I have continually pondered back to how grateful I am that Mom and Dad always put this first in our lives. We never had to worry about forgetting to, or having to set goals to read the scriptures and pray as a family. Really Im just glad that they always taught me to put God first in my life. If we put him first, everything else will fall into place. Just do it. I like that scripture in malacias and 3 nefí that talks about tithing and Christ is just like "Try me that I WONT pour you out a blessing so great that you wont have room enough to receive it."  Its like he's looking at us and saying "ya really think I wont do it? Boy I dare ya. I double dog dare ya. Try me. I aint lying." 

 

Yah, just act. Life is happier.

 

Darwin-> he's a super fun Menos activo that is super smart and wants to come back, but just feels uncomfortable because he smokes and feels unworthy. YOU CAN STILL COME!!!!!:D but no. He is really progressing though. Since we started visiting him he's cut back from 50.-60 cigarettes a day to less than 15. Every time he wants to smoke, he starts a clock and waits 50 min. He knows A TON about history and is really interesting to talk to him.

 

Anyways, Im out of time. 

 

Love yall:D

Elder ELiason

Woooohooooo, who's up for round 2

(name that movie;D)

Yep, today is CHANGES!!!!!:D But, nothings changing directly for us hear in the beautiful town of Piriapolis. I really love this place and am really glad that Im not leaving. Things are really starting to pick up here. 

Honestly, on my way here, the missionary leaving told me that this is one of the most dead areas that he has been in. I dont know what He saw here, but its amazing. Its been my best area with the best investigators, members, and less-actives who just need a little push. And as of this past sunday, the blessings have been flowing in.

 

Investigators:D

 

Cynthia!!!! She has become the best investigator I have had in my entire mission. Can I just say that I love teaching her and just talking. You can see a change thats taking place in her as she has come closer to Christ. SHE AND HER FAMILY CAME TO CHURCH THIS ¨PAST SUNDAY!!!!:D

 

Candela!!! She is the Friend of Cynthia who is taking the lessons with her. Its pretty much the same with her too. WE can see her changing and really becoming a happier person. The only thing is that she needs to stop working on sundays and come to church. (We're working on that. Another shoutout to how wonderful this ward is: they are helping her look for a new job and actually have found a pretty solid one. we'll see what happens)

 

Alvaro!!!:D CAME TO CHURCH TOO! He is a very spiritually insite, but interesting man. I really enjoy teaching him. haha sometimes we have to focus our questions so that he can only give the most simple answer (he likes to put everything in the BIG picture. ex: what is holy ghost? a: well when god put adam and eve in the garden........) Its been fun:D

Well Im out of time, but thanks for everything yall do for me. I love you guys so much!!!

 

Love,

Elder Eliason