11 Junio 2001

Happy B-Day Dad!

Dear Family,

How's everything going? Good here. The latest news is that there are one changes the 14th and it's looking like I'll be leaving, even though they haven't told me yet. I really do not want to go at all. Maracay has been quite an area for me. From junior comp to senior comp to training to the longest time in an area.

Elder Christopher's doing great, we finished up the week with a bang, doing more contacts, teaching more charlas, asking for more charlas, and receiving more references than our entire district (including the district leader and the zone leader), thanks to the Assistant to the President, Elder Pope (from Chico, California). He came out Wednesday in the morning and just spent the day with Elder Christopher and I - just seeing how we're doing, meeting people, teaching us, etc. But by far the most important thing he did for us wasn't in the form of words. Just his example. It was that day when both Elder Christopher and I learned how to "do it." We've always had the desire to do it, but really we didn't know how to go about doing it. It's kind of like telling a person who likes to draw to draw something they've never seen before. Sure, you can tell them what goes where, try to describe it to them, but they'll really get the idea once you show them. Since then, we've really felt much better about the way we're working, and we're feeling the Spirit more because we're testifying more because we're talking more.

Going out with Elder Pope was also cool because he slipped up and told me who the next AP will be when Elder Hess dies. It will be none other than the Elder whom I call Nefi, Elder Lindgren! I was so excited when he let it out. I started laughing because (1) I knew he wasn't supposed to tell me (now it's just President, Elder Hess, Elder Pope and me that know who it is!) and (2) I was Elder Lindgren's comp the first time that he was senior comp. He promptly put me into a headlock and made me swear that I'd take it to my grave. Man, was his face red. :)

Our program is going good. We've got a million people with first charlas but practically [none] with second. Last week we shared a second charla with a kid and his mom and we invited them to be baptised, but they declined. We plan to pass by to see if they've had time to think it over. It was kind of weird. They understood everything and felt really good about everything until the invitation. Basically it's that they don't want to change their catholic lifestyle. After all, the kid, Jackson, is in seminary studying to be a catholic priest. Great people, just not their time. This week we added a bunch of great families. We'll see how that goes.

One day a few weeks ago we were going out to the bishop's house to eat lunch with them and I started talking to an older man next to me. From right off I could tell that he was an evangelist. They are wonderful animated people who know scripture like no other and they usually take the bible for really literal interpretations. For example, halfway through out conversation, this man started babbling off in some unintelligble dialect that no one else on the bus understood either (I could tell because they all turned around and looked at us both with very confused faces.) This is what they refer to as the gift of tongues, and "speaking in new tongues." Other than that, we saw a dog who, when he gets mad, bites the gate, and I totally demolished the chair of an investigator Saturday when I sat in it.

I've gotten a few packages. The face wash one with the cool Disney animation sketch pad. And two other packages filled with top ramen to feed a small army (or 4 missionaries) and candy. I just got a call today from the office saying that a package weighing over 2 kilos got in and they need my permission and passport to go retrieve it. Que sera? I also got the beeswax and polymer clay and goop and the pix of Chelsea and Skyler and the invitation to Dylan's wedding and that . . . calendar . . . I like it and all but if I was any other elder I would get big time trunky. I mean, come on . . . you counted down the weeks and the days. No missionary (well some) treasures the day when they have to go home and leave their country, calling, life, friends, converts, sights, smells, food, culture . . . but don't get me wrong . . . I love the calendar. This week is "Punkin" week. Is that girl Greg's girlfriend? Who is she? Where is she from? What's her name? Does she get approval? Where did he meet her? How long have they been together? What's his social security number? What's she . . . in the picture it looks like they are both wearing the same shirts. Did they meet at school? Ah well. I guess the world really does keep moving if I'm not there. Imagine that. . .

I got Elder Hughes into didgeridoo, and now he's looking into buying one (here, the pipe costs less than $1.) The beeswax works beautifully.

Did I tell you that we have a tortoise in the apartment? It's never had a name until now. I named it Michaelangelo, after my favorite TMNT.

Well, I don't have much else to say. Just that I love being a missionary, trying to help people to have "faith unto repentance." I've really been realizing these last few weeks and months just how basic everything is, just how perfect the plan of salvation is. I'm really beginning to love the 4th Article of Faith. It just tells us how crucial the role of Christ is in our lives. I'm thankful for the Book of Mormon for explaining to me just who this "Jesus" character is that everyone talks about. It is so clear about it all! I love you all so much. I hope you're doing your FHE, family prayers and family scriptures studies. Please do it.

Love, Nick.