Week 34

first week 1

Monday, August 30, 2010 11:16 AM

Friends, family, acquaintances, dogs, happy people, unknowns, daisies, and other things that are going to read this letter,

Life here in Minas is great. My new comp is awesome, although regrettably, I will not be able to send pictures of us this week. There were some technical difficulties and one of the cables was left alone in the apartment. Poor thing shouldn`t be without his companion. But yeah, pics of us next week. Sorry about that. But yeah my new comp is from Tegucigalpa Honduras. Evidently it`s a pretty dangerous place because his mom was killed by thieves. He is a convert, baptized when he was 10 and has one younger sister (who apparently causes missionaries in his ward to go a bit crazy :P). We are getting along awesome and teach really well together. He has 19 months in the mission and I really like his style. Very direct and to the point, but loving too. The other companionship in our apartment is the district leader Elder Lopez and his companion, a kid from Utah who was in the MTC right after me. This first picture I attached is of me and Elder Lopez on his birthday. But yeah, I`m really stoked for this change. We`re hoping to have at least 4, maybe 5 baptisms during September.

As far as mail goes, I got a letter from Grams, a letter from Jeff, one from a teacher of mine in the MTC, a letter from Leah, and a package from you guys with the usb. sweet! Thanks for the stuff and the turtle is sweet. Just fyi, I`m looking to send a package home here in the next week or two so be on the lookout...I`ll let you know for sure when it gets sent. It should be about a month or so in transit. I`m going to send home some unneeded stuff, a couple souvenirs of mine, and some stuff for you guys. :) Just really looking to unclutter a bit. I have acquired a small butt-ton of stuff in the short time I`ve been here.

My new comp is definitely the most obedient comp I`ve had which is awesome. Obviously neither of us are 100% perfect but we are both trying really hard and we are seeing miracles as a result. We have 6 people right now who have accepted the challenge to be baptized although half of them are having difficulties exercising the faith to go to church. And even in just first-time lessons, I`ve seen countless people in this last week start off by kind of grudgingly let us pass and telling us that they already have their religion and by the end of the lesson, they accept the commitment to read and pray about it. The way this gospel changes lives is truly incredible. I sometimes think where I`d be without it. The hardest thing is that many times the people don`t realize how much they need Jesus Christ and his gospel, but we, as missionaries, do. We try not to shove the message down their throats, but rather let the Spirit touch their hearts. Looking back now, I often wish I`d done a better job sharing the gospel before. Until I got out here, I never realized how important it is...or the absolutely eternal consequences of ignoring it. It`s really sad sometimes when people choose to reject it, especially if they have a testimony. For instance there is one lady who knows that she`s sinning by not being baptized and she knows that God wants her to get baptized and live the gospel, but she doesn`t want to give up her boyfriend.

In other news, Cy has died. I`m absolutely convinced that he has been sucked up by aliens looking for computer geeks for a nearby star system. :) If anybody sees him or hears from him, just let him know that he has disappeared off my radar.

Also, I was thinking the other day about how much I would appreciate having a little bit of sheet music. Everyday I go without playing the piano, I want to play it more. Therefore, if you could in your free time send sheet music of Beethoven`s 5th Symphony (if it can be found) as well as sheet music for Pachelbel`s Canon in D. That would be ridiculously good times 4.6. I think I`m only going to get 2 pictures off today. The second is of me. This computer is loading them really slowly. Besides I have nothing new to share, not until next week. Apologies all around.

Thanks for Ben`s address too. Good stuff. :D

Well family, friends, amigos, enemies, and small plants. Have a won-great-erful week. Don`t eat too much cabbage. You`ll explode. And always remember to pet your hedgehog.

Love to all.

Elder Deej.