June 30, 2014

Dear family,

This week was a little eventful. We had some little disobedience issues within our zone this week, so I got to go with one of the assistants to correct it a bit. So it was a cool experience, you really feel the love that the lord has for his children. However, we're fighting a hard battle in La Costa. It's tough, but we've won a victory just by the fact that uruguay is out of the cup. The whole country was shut down on game days, it was pretty annoying. We actually walked by suarez's house on game day, he lives in our area, about 200 people were outside his front door with a massive screen that said, If Luis can't go to the game, we'll bring the game to him! And they watched it right there in front of his door. It was crazy. There were people selling suarez masks. I almost bought one. I think america can take belgium. I believe in dempsey. One of my friends made those and sent it to me, haha, I'm a dempsey lookalike.

Yeah that's about it. Elder Phillips is going home in two weeks. It's blowing my mind. I'm sad, like where did my mission go? Blink of an eye and i'll be home...It's okay, I'm committed to work harder than i ever have. I'm losing a lot of weight right now, I've been eating a ton of protein and working out really hard. It helps me to not feel so tired. Also, I've been eating three meals again lately, I think that's working. The uruguayan eating schedule is pretty off, I've gone american style again, and i FEEL a lot better.

Have a good week guys, I love you! 

Andy

June 23, 2014

Yo.

The week was pretty good, there's a lot of work to do here, yeah. The main problem we're trying to solve is that this zone we have is kind of touristic and it's the middle of winter. So a lot of people are not here, and the people that are here are working like dogs. It's a little different. So the missionaries have gotten used to kind of just wandering around all day talking with people that reject them. We're trying to change the culture of the zone, going to the rescue of less actives and recent converts, and that way we'll be blessed with people who don't know the gospel. My companion is awesome, he's super funny. He always does weird stuff that makes me laugh. It's nice. We have a lot of fun in spite of struggling with the same kind of problems as the rest of the zone. We find a lot of great people in the street, and then they're always working and we never find them again. But plans have been made and we're going to put them in practice this week to see if we can have some more success finding people.

Yeah, the world cup is pretty insane here. Turns out that missionary work is way worse when uruguay wins, haha. During the game, we couldn't work, but after everybody was just drunk or going to parties. It was nuts. 

Luckily I'm starting to feel better now, I have kind of forgotten what it is like to be healthy and rested though. I've been sick for a long time, haha but whatever, it can't last too much longer.

June 16, 2014

Dear Family,

The week was good, it was a bit weird. We worked really hard and saw almost no results for it at the end of the week. However we did receive a miracle and we had a lot of faith that we were gonna get one. Some young women brought her boyfriend to church, we're gonna go teach him on friday. So that was cool.

Me and Elder Ochoa are getting along great, we have become fast friends, and it's easy to do missionary work together. The hard thing was the world cup. Wow. It's actually not that bad unless uruguay is playing. But it's always but for me, because anytime that we go into a house someone is watching whatever game is on. It's temptation. You guys know that I like soccer, haha. I actually witnessed that game winning goal for usa last night during a meeting with our bishop in his house.

I had a classic missionary moment. Elder Ochoa and i were on the way to a menos activo family's house right before the uruguay game, and we found that they were doing construction all over this one intersection. It was just a dirt road, so we hopped the tape and tried to run right through it, taking two different routes. But then my leg sunk into mud up to my ankle, haha. I tried to keep running, but my shoe stayed in the mud. I had to go back and get it, and then it was filled with mud haha. We showed up at the family's house, and they were like...your shoe is a little dirty. I said sorry.

But yeah, we also had that other conference with a president of the seventy, Lynn Robbins. That was excellent. I got some good councils from the spirit there. He talked a lot about getting along with your companion and how it predicts divorce later in life, haha. I congratulated myself heartily for getting along with most of my companions.

Anyway, there you have it, I appreciate all your prayers. Those help a lot. And thanks for that package! Love you guys, have a good week!

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June 8, 2014

Dear Family,

I knew you would get the reference, haha. Nacho Libre is like riding a bike, you never forget. So they call this place La Costa de Oro. Turns out, it actually is gold. We did some manly work last week, and God is being merciful and helping us to find a lot of new people. The area was lacking investigators when I got here, but we're starting to build up the teaching pool a bit. So I've been here since wednesday, and I love it. My companion is elder Ochoa, I can't remember if I said his name last week, but I love him, we get along probably a little too well. He's from arizona, actually was friends with elder Kempton from before the mission, so that's cool. And yeah he's a really hard worker, really focused.

The sports world is blowing my mind right now, haha. Not basketball so much, even though that is exciting. The world cup is gonna be crazy down here. They infected me with world cup fever. It's so different in south america. Uruguay's first game is this saturday, so I'll let you guys know how crazy it is next week, haha. 

In other news, it's pretty cold. Probably around like 40 or 50 degrees, which isn't too bad unless there's wind and rain. (There was)

We actually have another conference this week with Lynn G. Robbins, the newly called president of the seventy. That's gonna be exciting, and also it's right during the opening match of the world cup, so it'll get us off the street at least. I really love watching the Lord's servants come and give us direction, it's wonderful.

I saw the video of bekah flipping, I was pretty impressed. I remember that when I did seven backflips, I could barely stand up for like a minute because I was too dizzy, but she popped right out of there and stopped the video. 

Anyway, thanks for the love, support, and beef jerky. You are a wonderful family, I'll be seeing you in a bit.

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June 1, 2014

Dear Family,

I am doing well, that's for sure. The sad news is, the changes came, and they're sending me away to be the zone leader in La costa. My companion is pretty new, so it looks like I've got some work cut out for me. The whole zone that I'm going to is right on the beach, so that's gonna be weird. Even worse, elder phillips is coming to the area next door right as I'm leaving, so we almost lived together again. Oh well, it's all inspired I guess. 

So. Another interesting tidbit, this last week, Walter F. Gonzalez of the seventy came to visit our mission, he's the area president here. He was in our leadership council and then he did a conference with half the mission in our chapel, that we had to host. I think I said that last week. The conference plans were concrete, and then came the call. At the last minute, they asked us to get lunch for the conference. So we walked into a bakery that we enjoy and asked them if they could get us "lunch" (if you say it in english they know you want catering, haha) for 100 people. They obliged. And then President Gonzalez loved it and told president cook that it was the best lunch he had ever had (presumably with a heavy mexican accent) Check this out. Scroll down until you see some english in that newsletter.

So yeah, excited for a new area, I have four baptisms left for my personal goal, so we're gonna see if we can make it happen. The three people that got baptized here are doing fabulous, Diego is going to missionary prep classes and wants to start doing his papers as soon as he can. He was recently ordained a priest and hangs out with the young single adults basically every night. He is definitely one of the Lord's elect.

Couldn't be happier, I love life. See you all soon!

Love

Andy

May 26,2014

Dear family,

Wow, everybody was there at the reunion. That's gotta be a lot of people these days. Too bad I missed out, but I'll be there next year, haha.

So basically the news this week is that we're trying to find people to teach. The search is going well, we're throwing everything we have at it. I honestly feel guiltless for our efforts of the past two weeks, which is pretty impressive. I gave everything I had until my heart and mind failed me, haha. Pday has become a necessary thing instead of a luxury. 

Today we're going to go see the fingers, I'll send some pictures next week.

Other things, Walter F. Gonzalez is coming this week to visit the mission. We're hosting the conference here in our zone, so we've got a lot of work to do getting everything ready for that. But yeah, I'll let you know how everything goes there.

Thanks for the love and support, you're a great family. Have a fun summer!