Received May 17, 2010
Buenos Dias, (I think that's right)
Good morning family and friends!
First off thanks to all of you for the letters and the packages that you sent to me while I was away. It was great to be able to get back to the island and see all of that love for me in the mission office. I don't know why but I have truly been blessed with an incredible support system and I am so thankful for that.
Thank you all for your great emails and your letters and your love and support. As most of you have already guessed by now, I am back in Puerto Rico. It was kind of a culture shock when I landed on Friday afternoon. I never realized how incredibly different the work and the people are between Puerto Rico and the islands. But I am excited to be back and to get to work.
Things went well on the flight up here. I had no problems and I didn't have to pay anything which was a miracle for me. We got to the airport on Friday morning and there had been a problem with the system of the airline but everything worked out just fine and I was able to get through.
Like I said in the title of this email, I have another Latin companion. His name is Elder Moran and he is from Guatemala. This will be his fourth transfer in the mission so we have the exact same time in Puerto Rico as each other. I was here for three transfers before I went back to Aruba and Curacao. And wouldn't you know it, but his last companion was a missionary that most of you are familiar with Elder Lopez! (hahah)
I really wanted to be with Elder Lopez but it's not going to happen now that he is in the islands and I am back in Puerto Rico. But I guess this is close enough! Anyways, my companion is about 24 years old and I can tell that this is where he wants to be. He is a really hard worker which is a great blessing to me. The only problem is the Spanish (hahah). He doesn't know English. It feels a little like my first transfer with Elder Blandon again. Elder Moran speaks so quietly and quickly that it's hard to understand him. Or maybe I have just forgotten a lot of Spanish but that's OK. It will pick right back up here in a few weeks.
I have been placed in an area called Vega Baja which is about 30 minutes outside of San Juan. Our area is the biggest area in Puerto Rico (by far) and it would be the biggest area in the mission if it wasn't for the other area that i was just in. (hahah).
Anywho, I'm not really sure why it is so big but is going to be an adventure! We cover 4 pueblos or cities. Most areas in Puerto Rico cover one. And if not just one than maybe two. We happen to have four. They also called me to be a district leader so yeah....needless to say there is a lot of work to do.
I really love my new area though. It is so beautiful and the people rock. As I was driving through the town of Vega Baja I thought to myself that this is my kind of town! Our apartment is about a stones through away from the beach. I will try and include a picture but yeah it's going to be a great transfer and I am pumped!
There is a lot of work to do in our area. They just had a baptism this past week and it was the first baptism in months and months and months in this area, so the members are all really excited! They tasted the joy that comes from a baptism and they want more. So I am really excited to get to work with them to see if maybe we can find the same type of success through the members that we found in Curacao. I know the experience in Curacao was a miracle but hey, miracles happen right!
The investigators that we do have are just awesome. We taught probably our fastest progressing investigator last night. His name is Angel. He is a great man who has so much faith and he told us last night that he knows the Book of Mormon is true. We taught him the plan of salvation last night and the spirit was absolutely incredible. He said that he was willing to do whatever he needed to do to be able to live in the Celestial Kingdom. We are really excited for the potential and for the testimony that he is sharing with us. We are going to be setting a date for baptism this week so we are both really excited.
Our other great investigator is named Freddy. This guy rocks. He knows the church is true but we have just run into a huge problem with him. He is living with his girlfriend and he has no job. He wants more than anything to move out so that he can get baptized but he has absolutely no where to go. We are trying to think of something to do, but they have had this problem for a long time. At this point we just need a miracle. He's so awesome! It's hard for me to see him have to be held back because of his situation. But I know that one day all will work out and he will be able to get baptized.
Other than that things are going well. We are going to be working really hard to find some new investigators and I know that we are going to find some. They are out there I know it! We just don't know them yet! But we will soon for sure.
I love you guys so much. I included a picture of the outside of our apartment and me with Angel's puppy. I hope you like it!
Thank you so much for all of your love and support. I am going to need it this transfer! So yeah, thanks and please don't ever stop! You have no idea how much it means to me. Just keep sending letters and stuff to the mission office since I am not sure if stuff sent to my address here will work. The assistants to the president are in my district and they are in the office all the time, so I would be able to get the stuff easy!
I love you guys so much! Thanks for all you do! Say hi to Ky, Dillan, Tyler, and Jason and everyone else that is coming home!
Thanks again!
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