Happy New Year

Family,

Well it was awesome hearing from everyone on Christmas! I really enjoyed it and I hope you guys did too. I also hope everyone was happy and that I didn't leave anyone out. I wish I could have talked to everyone individually but there isn't enough time for that so I hope nobody was disappointed or sad. That was my only worry after I said bye anyways I thought I would be homesick after the call but I haven't been at all which is a good thing. It was awesome seeing the pictures and it made me feel better!

Also I will stay for another transfer in this area and with the same comp... I guess my work isn't done in this area there must be some more people I need to talk to and to learn more and Patience so it’s really going to test me after getting the phone call. Today we spent an hour looking for an Ian House to send e-mails home because half the things are closed until ``carnival`` (it’s like martygraw for us) |Anyways I learned that missions are full of emotions. You experience Joy, Success, accomplishment, happy, loved, but you also experience frustration, failure. I have felt all of those at one time. But looking back I only remember the good feelings. (They erase the ugly ones) and it’s been good. It’s turning me into a stronger person. Anyways Sunday I had to give a talk. After we finished sacrament in our regular ward, a counselor from one of our other ward ran in and said hey can you guys give a 5 min talk in about 10 min. If I remember right I laughed and said no, thinking it was a joke but before I knew it I was standing at the podium giving a talk. It was really, but we gave a talk with another missionary who returnerned 5 days ago so he had a talk all planned out, while we gave our short ugly talks because we didn’t have anything planned.. Anyways my 3 min talk on faith went great!!! Lol and I also found out that I have 2 packages waiting for me but my zone leaders said the still won’t go and get it until next Thursday so not much I can do there. Mom and jc thanks for the letters and jc keep playing hard in your games the varsity coaches are watching! So no pressure lol

But there hasn’t been a lot happening here things are still slow people are gone to their families in other states and so it’s been hard to find lessons to teach. I hope everyone has a Happy New Year! I have a bunch of pic to send so I better work on that. Everyone play safe, and play smart. I love you all it was so nice to hear your voices. Love -JOSH     

Never give up!

Well this week has been full of emotions. Let me start off by telling about the baptism we lost before I talk about anything else. My comp and I were positive we were going to have a baptism for this 8 year old girl. Her older brother and grandmother are members and so we were teaching her with them. Well Friday can around and we went over to do the interview for her. That’s when the grand mother told us she didn’t want her to be baptized and she needed to wait. The grandma told the little girl that she needed to be older so she knew what she is doing and stuff like that. And that she needed to be taught for a longer time. When we showed up at her house and she told us we were very disappointed. She swiped our baptism right from us. The grandma was converted about 4 years ago and was very evangelic. And she holds to their ways a little, but you would think that a member would want what’s best and really push her for baptism because it’s such a good thing. But this lady thinks different. Anyways were not teaching the girl with the grandma anymore just her 16 year old brother and he wants her to be baptized so that’s good. Anyway really quick, Monday night I had an awesome experience, but let me tell you about the day. This whole week it’s been nothing but rain so Monday after lunch we were quickly walking and it wasn’t long before our shoes were totally wet matter of fact 45 min is all it took (haha) anyways it started to turn into a rough day all of our plans kept falling through; we were wet, tired and cold because the wind picked up we tried to knock some doors with no luck. (by the way I was on a division with my leader) But we did have a family night marked at 7 pm. so at 6:15 we began our 45 min walk there by the time we were there the member let us in. He said they couldn’t get us someone to teach, but then the member called us in for some snacks had some snacks and then the Elder leaned over and asked if the girl that was in the other room was a member. I Told him I have never seen her at church and so I asked the member he said no, so after the snack we attempted to teach her. she accepted and we asked her if she has ever been taught. To our surprise she said no. and she has lived with the family her whole life. So this girl who was not dressed very well and who was probably freezing because the lack of clothes she was missing. So we began teaching. at first she had a smart attitude and after a few questions the Elder with me must have made her felt dumb because we taught the same thing 2 times before she started listening. Then after we got done teaching about the first vision she began crying. We were talking about how Christ loves everyone and how he will help us if we let him. she continued to cry for the rest of the lesson about 15 more min. and when her mom walked by she was balling up a storm. The the spirit was so strong. We gave her a BOM and she repeated a prayer that was said. Now this story might not sound like much and probably doesn’t make since. but that night I and my district leader learned something! That God does love all his children. She probably has a rough history with her family and things that she shouldn’t be doing but she felt the spirit that night I know because I could she it in her and this lesson for the both of us came at the end of the day. When we were cold, wet, and tired and it showed us both to never give up early for the day no matter what. Now I don’t know what that girl will do or even if she will let us teach her again but it taught me something that night.

. But everyone I’m doing awesome! I’m happy and I hope you guys are too if I can make it thought the holidays alive I will be able to make it though the mission hahaha, but everyone I love you! have a good week. -Josh

Kelvin

Family,

Well we had another baptism this week! That makes the week better. Anyways Kelvin was baptized and it was really cool. Kelvin is very quiet and chill, at first we though he wasn’t interested. A month ago but after talking to his friends at church we started over with the lessons and now he’s baptized. Although, right before Elder Youngberg and Kelvin entered into the water a kid was looking in the water and saw something and when we started looking closer some littler kid through 6 thumb tacks in and they were all right in the middle, it wasn’t cool. It didn’t look good to Kelvin’s family who are not members. So that was the bad part. We had a better turn out for support there too. I was happy with the amount of people there but Elder Youngberg wasn’t because there really was only 12 other people there. So that’s something Elder Youngberg wants to fix. Anyways we should have a baptism this week as well for an 8 year old girl. Her brother and grandma are members but she’s not so were teaching her.

I also sent my SD card out I hope you get that before Christmas. This week I also saw a ``capivada`` the world’s largest rodent running around in a field that was cool it had babies too. As for our investigators we are really looking for some new people to teach. All of our 7 main investigators are big times smokers, so were praying for a golden investigator with none of those problems. haha

Also that’s cool Nelson will be speaking at the stake conference! I wish I could be there for that one. Sunday night there will be a choir broadcast for a Christmas program and were going to watch it at the church I’m excited to see it. And dad you’re probably right about the stocking and me fitting inside it. lol I’m pretty big now. lol and I’m packing weight on again even though I have gotten up on time everyday and done my exercises. I just keep gaining!! It’s bad lol. IM also sad that those hunting shows that are on TV are fake from what Taylor says lol but I would love to go back east and cherry pick a big buck for the bedroom wall :) :)

But I’m out of time and this computer doesn’t love me today and it’s making it clear so I better go. Oh before I forget the phone call. I will call you the p-day before Christmas give you the number to the house and then we will do a test call to see if it’s all working for Christmas. I want to do it a few days before incase we run into problems so I will buy a small phone card but you will have to buy a big one so you can call me deal? haha I also wrote a better mission ties about the call. But I love you all. Be safe and wear your seatbelts love -Josh

Strength and Struggle

´`Strength and struggle go together. The supreme reward of struggle is strength.´´

Well here we are another week. This week has been a lot better for me and the work is ok. Now To tell you a little about my Thanksgiving because you asked. Ha ha  It was nothing at all actually the member forgot it was here turn to feed us... even after we called the day before so All we got for food was a pork steak fried in oil and was tougher than steel to cut with a knife and plain old rice without any beans and some juice. One of our worst meals so far just had to fall on thanksgiving. :/ Nobody here even knew it was thanksgiving to tell you the truth. Anyways during our lunch I leaned over to E. Youngberg and told him quietly in English Happy Thanksgiving man kind of as a joke but being serious at the same time, the member didn’t eat lunch with us she was in the kitchen working. But I got to eat lunch looking at a 3 year old in front of me and her older brother next to her. The conversation was very dead you could say. Ha ha anyways I didn’t think about it much because I didn’t want it to get to me.

Now about 3 seconds ago I about had a heart attack, this freaking spider came out right next to me and its the size of a dollar coin, ill send a pic. to you. Also we should have a baptism on Sunday we have a pretty good kid lined up. We also have a ton of investigators that just can’t stop smoking. It’s hard to help them when they don’t try and there baptism dates keep falling every week because of it. So that’s kinda hurting us right now.. I did get a pretty good prank on my comp. the other day so I’ll tell you about that. I think it was on Friday, anyways we just got back to the house for the night we were tired and hungry after doing all of our stuff we started cooking some eggs (eggs I know, but it’s all we had) anyways it was about 10 pm now and we heard some loud bangs out in the street. I looked over at E. Youngberg and said `` kinda sounded like gun shots huh`` just in a kidding way. Then he looked back at me when we heard some more and said `´ya man I think those are.``  At this time I knew what they were and could see the fireworks out the window. Also they really don’t sound too close to a gunshot but anyways I was like `´man those sure do I mean listen that one was a shotgun and those small ones are handguns.`´ then right after I said that I was like ´` dude turn the light off! I can see them shooting in the street.`` he like instantly dropped to the ground and crawled over and turned off the lights. So now it’s dark in the house and were under the table almost when I said ``elder... do you want to go watch the fireworks now....?`` and got up, turned the lights on and walked outside. I guess he didn’t think it was too funny because it took him a second to get off the ground and realize that it was a prank. I was laughing so hard!!! man those city kids are sure gullible!! I told him sorry but I just couldn’t help it. But it’s all good now he’s tried to do the same thing but nobody will get me with my own prank. lol

Also its funny you said something about snakes and harmful things. We almost had a incident with a few catapillers. Here you can’t touch them because their hair has a chemical that will burn you and there was one on E. Youngberg’s pants when we were talking to a member and he goes to flick it off and the members about died because he almost touched it. It was funny. They brushed it off with a stick for him.

Well I need to go, thanks for everything and for all the pic. Everyone I love you, be safe on the roads. I know everyone’s busy with different things so I wish you all the best of luck. Once again I love you -JOSH