We built our character!

Hey, family!

Well, I dunno why, but today was another one of those great “reading all the e-mails” day! It just feels good! I just started to think . . . It’s amazing that I have written to you all so many times and I can only type with two fingers . . . LOL . . . That’s talent!

Anyhow, thanks for answering my questions once again and for giving me all those updates on your lives!

How cool about Elder Smith’s Mom’s Mom! That’ll be sooooo nice for us! Tell her thank you a million times for me! Well, I guess I’ll just tell her thanks ‘cause she reads my e-mails, right? Well, thank you sooo, sooo much, Smith Family! The cool thing is that I almost have all the gifts ready! I just gotta get you something big and nice, Mom! Of course, you’re the most important! Question, though . . . Does she want the package in the Mission Home? She’s gonna eat with President or something? Or does she actually want it in the Mission Office in Euro Plaza? Another question . . . Does anyone wear or use the gifts I sent last year? Hopefully I can do better this time. As for me, I really don’t need anything, Mom. I really don’t . . . Maybe just hold onto the money and help me buy a laptop when I get home. The gifts I enjoyed most from last year were for sure the letters from everyone and the muddy buddies, of course! I’d be sooooooo, soooooo happy if my package only consisted of those two things! And maybe some of the good Old Spice deodorant, the blue gel type, that I always use. That’s really all I can think of though! Thank you!

We are getting there on our Stake Conference . . . Just one by one . . . We are a li’l stressed out right now, though, trying to do everything we can to get the Moreno family baptized. We fasted on Friday and Saturday and, of course, as an answer to our prayers, they came to Church! Now we have to do everything we can to get ‘em baptized this weekend! It’s lookin’ tough, but I know with faith and hard works, we can get it done! Boy . . . Last night I almost couldn’t sleep because this is sooooo heavy on my mind! We will get it! We will! I know it! If I know anything, it’s that God answers prayers (the oooooonnnnlllyyy thing I learned from the Book of Psalms, by the way . . . LOL) . . . It’ll happen . . .

I will be waiting on the drawing from Aaliyah with sooo much enthusiasm! Also, I have not received your envelope yet, but I’m hoping to receive it on Wednesday or Thursday.

I talked to a missionary in my Zone a li’l this week . . . His name is Elder Hale. He went to Arizona State before the mission. Know who he says he met three years ago? A tall, skinny, black guy from California that played on the ASU basketball team. He said his last name was . . . What? Hill?? Hahahaha . . . He met Jamal! Is that not suppppperrrrr weird? LOL! He helped him in a study group . . . LOL . . . Dallas or Dad . . . Have you guys talked to Jamal or heard anything about him in a while? LOL . . . Just a funny, random story . . .

Oh . . . Quick favor . . . There is a member here that wants sunflower seeds (David’s) and beef jerky (seeing as they don’t sell those items “good” here). So, in the Christmas package, could you include some of those items for him? He says he will buy my KFC (oh yea . . . Dad knows what I’m talkin’ about . . . LOL) if you do! LOL . . . Thanks!

This week I got to go on divisions with Elder Morrow, an 8-month elder from many states . . . LOL . . . But he lived in California, in Manteca, for three years before going to BYU and serving his mission. He was a very cool guy and made me some delicious food for lunch and dinner! Ooooo! I got big time spoiled! So, yea . . . Good, good buy and very good elder! He teaches well and speaks very good Spanish, especially for being so new! He is one of the District Leaders in the Zone. Anyway . . . He is also an Office Elder, so he lives with two other Office Elders and with the Assistants. It’s a huuuuugggggge house by the way . . . .LOL . . . And they live in what seems like an American colony. LOL . . . It’s weird there. Anyway, on divisions, we walked around aaaaalllloootttt ‘cause the Office Elders never get to work in their area because they’re so busy in the Office! I got very tired as did Elder Morrow, but I couldn’t show it because I’m his leader and a missionary that is in the field every day! Sooo . . . When he was like “There’s nothing left to do or go visit”, I was like . . . “Where else can we go??” C’mon! Give me another name! LOL . . . So he kept giving names and we kept knocking doors and, well, no one let us in! LOL . . . But it built our character! And it was a great day! The only time of the whole day that we entered a house was to do a baptismal interview for 35-year old Mario at 2pm. From 3pm to 9pm, we were walking around in the street . . . LOL . . .

The interview with Mario was interesting . . . LOL . . . He has been an investigator for over eight years!!!!! When I asked him what changed that made him want to be baptized, he changed the subject. He started to tell me that he had been observing me . . . Weird . . . I had barely spoken to him at all and he started to tell me what kind of person I am. He said, “I would imagine that you like to play and joke around a lot” (which is weird because everyone that I meet here says I’m waaaay too serious and uptight). “I would also imagine that, in your home, you are the one to mess around with everyone and that you love hugging on your Mom and Dad.” Then he said that I had a special something about me, like a good feeling and that I am going to bring lots of people to the Church throughout my life, if it be my desire. Then he said that I will become a big Church Leader . . . LOL . . . And he said I have a type of experience that not many missionaries have. He said I know when to be quiet, when to joke, when to lift my head and when to drop it, when to look people in the eyes and when not to. He said it means I am from somewhere that not many other missionaries are from . . . It was very interesting . . . I didn’t know him at all and he was able to hit things right on the dot. Sure, some things were just apostate revelations . . . LOL . . . But he really hit some things on the head. Some things that others have never been able to do with me. After telling me all that, he said that he just observes people a lot and that, for that reason, eh wanted to be baptized. He had thought it out well and knew it was something he needed to do. It was really cool. Of course, he passed the interview and was baptized. Pretty cool experience.

So, that division was on Wednesday and Thursday. Then, later on Thursday, I went on divisions with my boy, Elder Williams. I loooove that kid! He’s one of my favorite missionaries and one that I will still be friends with after the mission. Anyway, I did a baptismal interview there in his area, too. It was with a 70-year old lady and she was also baptized this weekend. With Elder Williams, we just mesh . . . Our teaching together is fire . . . LOL . . . Just like me teaching with Maradiaga. We had a great day, though, and it was great for him ‘cause it got him all animated again. He was “disanimated” a li’l ‘cause of some things going on in his life right now . . . So, it was cool to work with my boy and to be able to “reanimate” him and do an interview at the same time. Great three days of divisions! I slept bad in other beds, though . . . So getting back to my own bed was money in the bank, homie!

Well, I think that’s all I have to say for now! I sure love you all soooo, soooo much! Lemme know if I can do anything! Oh . . . And, Stacie . . . Thanks for your li’l letter! I appreciated it! I love you all soooo, soooo much!