Hello!!!
Holy smokes, those Haiti statistics are nuts. But, things like that bring people into the spirit of service and open up missionary opportunities more than anything else. War, famine, plague, disaster, etc... are the biggest progressors of missionary work, strangely enough. We could use one down here. ha
As for those family names I was given, they are not active at least and I didn't see them among names of people baptized into the ward (theres several hundred inactives of course), and the patriarch doesn't recognize them, could you ask her for the name of someone else that might remember them? A street or something?
This week was way good. On Tuesday after district meeting we had a choque de fuerza where all the missionaries in the district go to one area and search all day for new investigators for the missionaries in that area to teach to later and we found a young 20-something Brazilian lady who said this is what shes been searching for! So...hopefully that will be a baptism for those elders because they live in one of the hardest areas in the mission. One of the comps there is on his 4th change in the area and just had his first baptism there. eesh
The rest of the week was wonderful, we got 3 new people at church, and have 2 set baptisms for Saturday and a few more in February. I REALLY hope I'm here for a 3rd change at least I LOVE this area!!!
This one dude we've been teaching has been an investigator for 11 years. You should ask Sis. Horton (which sister, Sis. Marshall?) if she remembers Hmo. Torres. He subscribes to the liahona, has read pretty much every church book I've ever heard of, and every time we visit he shares with us a section of the book of mormon hes most recently been analyzing. This guys is one of the most active members of the church I've ever heard of and he won't be baptized because of the examples he's seen in the ward of people not living what they preach. His biggest fear is falling into hypocrisy. So....yesterday we decided to take things back to square one and talk about the restoration of the church. I felt moved to go into lots of detail in Christs ministry and the Atonement, and stuff that I'd been thinking and studying about it, and started talking about how I felt the Father must have felt seeing his son like that, and just went on for like 15 minutes of hardcore testifying, and we got him to cry!!!!!!!!!!! WOOT, getting people to cry is the best thing in the world. Then his daughter, who was baptized 8 months ago testified hardcore too and he said he will be baptized!!!!!! He will be an INCREDIBLE leader in the church I know. He said it may take some time still, but he said he won't be baptized unless we are there to do it, so I may be paying a visit back to Oeste soon, or back to Uruguay if it takes longer than 20 months!! YAY!
Carmen gets back from her house in Colonia this week, and Nelida too! I can't wait to see them, I miss our daily juice during siesta when there's noone on the streets to contact and noone will let us in haha
Also, this week Pablo and Christopher (Elena's grandsons) got their buddy Yonatàn (pronounced Jonathan without the h with a spanish accent haha) to play fùtbol with us cause every Friday night we have a fùtbol night at the church to find new investigatos, and he came to church on Sunday and asked to be baptized next month. Another really good young kid. All we can baptize is old women and young men! haha His mom came to pick him up from the church building and she was looking around saying how lovely everything was and so I think his family will be as well soon. So many good people.
Ah well, before he leaves (meaning like today haha) tell Andrew that I love him and he has a TON to look forward to in the next 2 months at the MTC, if he works his butt off there, the first few months in the mission will be SO much easier!!! Please send me his address when he gets a box number there.
Your packages and letters should be here tomorrow I hope.
I love you all so much and I'm having a BLAST working through the heat haha. Today we went to the beach. Sort of haha as close as possible, we went to a pier that overlooks the river next to the port where a buddy of mine here works, Julio Olivera. I got some more cool pictures in this part of town where everything is crazy old.
Work hard in all that you are doing and pray ALWAYS. Be happy with whatever happens and read How Firm a Foundation vs. 4 and 5 every day. Thats how I start my day every morning. The Isaiah verses referenced are about those verses and are crazy good.
Nope, I still haven't gained or lost weight, but I've started collecting all the different alfajor wrappers and so I have something deliciously bad for me to always look forward to. If I get fat, it will be a very happy and worth-it sort of fat.
què pasa bien!
Elder Magnusson
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
January 18, 2009
First of all, Andrew's heading into a devastated area, a buddy of mine in Puerto Rico shot me an email saying that all the missionaries in pretty much all the caribbean are being sent in 3-4 day shifts to help out. He said he hasn't heard of any missionaries injured but that's not his mission so he doesn't know for sure.
Is it crazy freezing in AZ? I saw on a telivsion here that there was 10 deaths in Florida from freezing cold temps all throughout the US. That was a jaw dropper, I pray it doesn't mean it will be like that this winter here. UGH
To answer dad's questions, we get served pan dulce a LOT. I like it, but pretty much noone else does. It's like dry fruitcake haha As for the coke, we drink more coke than water most days. It's all people serve, I probably drink around a liter of coke a day minimum (the days we have a decent number of lessons and such). That photo was Christmas Eve at Michael Jackson's house. Coke and alcohol-free beer haha. It was funny.
I got the family newsletter from Grandma! Still no package from Aunt Donnell and no letters or packages from you guys, maybe tomorrow :) Stacy just got back from India yesterday or today, right? I can't wait to see and hear all about that!!!
As for Nichole, missionaries in HER area would be the best to teach her, when I get back I can sure help them, but I wouldn't hold the keys and such. That's so cool about the scriptures though, I'm so excited to hear she's getting interested! There's so many wonderful answers in the scriptures. Especially the New Testament and Book of Mormon. In fact, every answer!
So the last 2 days Elder Grau was super sick vomiting and diarrea and all that, so I read Jesus the Christ and it was fun :) He was okay for church, but super dizzy, so when Hma. Rosa wasn't there to teach Principles of the Gospel class, guess who had to? Me. hahaha my first class in Spanish. It was pretty funny I think. Turned out alright though I think.
I'm excited for the Olympics, an opportunity to brag about my country. hahaha Sorry to hear Obama's ratings are low in a time we need optimism. It's all right though, the Lord won't allow anyone who shouldn't be the most powerful man in the world be him. He's there for a reason, if only to set the stage for the next President haha Have patience.
As for the photos, I can't really take a better pic of where I live because it's a little door in the cement wall behind the Pet Store in that picture. The owners are really nice!
Tell me how the temple tour is! Especially the chandelliere, I saw the $32 million one in Draper and I don't think that could feasably be passed up.
Congrats Aunt Michelle! Keep up the hard work!
As for people we're working with, Josè and Nauel are going to be baptized the 30th. Josè is so smart and he's progressing always. Nauel is still a crazy 8 yr old that runs screaming to us whenever he sees us and gives us a HUGE hug haha. He's such a funny, good kid. He's very ADHD, but with Elena's support he's still okay to be baptized. Next month, Nelida is for sure baptism, and we're also preparing a woman named Alicia(59) and her daughter Andrea(15), Marta (early 70's), and the Rey family: mom (52 i think...) and kids aged 29, 25, 23, 15, 12, 9, 8, 5. Josè the oldest child and Jenny the 9yr old, and Nauel the 8yr old (2 of em) are all excited to be baptized, the rest also, but the mom has a ton of questions to work out and is trying to quit smoking (and she works a lot to support a MASSIVE family haha) and the rest of the siblings work Sunday mornings and pretty much always are at the university when not working, but hopefully all will be baptized shortly. It would be awfully funny and awesome to have that many baptisms in one month in this area, so we're working hard with them. There's tons of other great investigators too, but everyone has so many problems to work out first haha. As missionaries, our purpose is to invite, so we offer commitments always (Will you read so and so....? Will you pray to find out....? etc...) and I've found one of the most common ones I have to give is "Will you divorce your ex husband/wife?" because everyone gets married young and divorce is super long and expensive here so people just leave their old spouse and move in with a new one and never are actually married. A couple we've been teaching have been together for 30 years (both are about 50) but the woman was married when she was like 18 and he left her a year later and never got divorced, so for all intents and purposes, these two are married, raised their kids, etc... just don't have the legal documents and can't be baptized. It stinks! So, hopefully our investigators will get divorced ASAP so they can get married and be baptized! So many good people that are stopped by something so small but tough.
So I have a blog? haha make sure it's clear that I'm not the one doing it, because if someone saw that and thought I was breaking a rule it would be very bad. Same with facebook please! and please always open my email account on hotmail every week or so so it doesn't close! That would be bad. Have a WONDERFUL busy week! and HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLI AND GRANDMA! and Aunt Maureen and Aunt Pennie are in the same week too, aren't they? I can't remember ha.
Love, Elder Magnusson
Is it crazy freezing in AZ? I saw on a telivsion here that there was 10 deaths in Florida from freezing cold temps all throughout the US. That was a jaw dropper, I pray it doesn't mean it will be like that this winter here. UGH
To answer dad's questions, we get served pan dulce a LOT. I like it, but pretty much noone else does. It's like dry fruitcake haha As for the coke, we drink more coke than water most days. It's all people serve, I probably drink around a liter of coke a day minimum (the days we have a decent number of lessons and such). That photo was Christmas Eve at Michael Jackson's house. Coke and alcohol-free beer haha. It was funny.
I got the family newsletter from Grandma! Still no package from Aunt Donnell and no letters or packages from you guys, maybe tomorrow :) Stacy just got back from India yesterday or today, right? I can't wait to see and hear all about that!!!
As for Nichole, missionaries in HER area would be the best to teach her, when I get back I can sure help them, but I wouldn't hold the keys and such. That's so cool about the scriptures though, I'm so excited to hear she's getting interested! There's so many wonderful answers in the scriptures. Especially the New Testament and Book of Mormon. In fact, every answer!
So the last 2 days Elder Grau was super sick vomiting and diarrea and all that, so I read Jesus the Christ and it was fun :) He was okay for church, but super dizzy, so when Hma. Rosa wasn't there to teach Principles of the Gospel class, guess who had to? Me. hahaha my first class in Spanish. It was pretty funny I think. Turned out alright though I think.
I'm excited for the Olympics, an opportunity to brag about my country. hahaha Sorry to hear Obama's ratings are low in a time we need optimism. It's all right though, the Lord won't allow anyone who shouldn't be the most powerful man in the world be him. He's there for a reason, if only to set the stage for the next President haha Have patience.
As for the photos, I can't really take a better pic of where I live because it's a little door in the cement wall behind the Pet Store in that picture. The owners are really nice!
Tell me how the temple tour is! Especially the chandelliere, I saw the $32 million one in Draper and I don't think that could feasably be passed up.
Congrats Aunt Michelle! Keep up the hard work!
As for people we're working with, Josè and Nauel are going to be baptized the 30th. Josè is so smart and he's progressing always. Nauel is still a crazy 8 yr old that runs screaming to us whenever he sees us and gives us a HUGE hug haha. He's such a funny, good kid. He's very ADHD, but with Elena's support he's still okay to be baptized. Next month, Nelida is for sure baptism, and we're also preparing a woman named Alicia(59) and her daughter Andrea(15), Marta (early 70's), and the Rey family: mom (52 i think...) and kids aged 29, 25, 23, 15, 12, 9, 8, 5. Josè the oldest child and Jenny the 9yr old, and Nauel the 8yr old (2 of em) are all excited to be baptized, the rest also, but the mom has a ton of questions to work out and is trying to quit smoking (and she works a lot to support a MASSIVE family haha) and the rest of the siblings work Sunday mornings and pretty much always are at the university when not working, but hopefully all will be baptized shortly. It would be awfully funny and awesome to have that many baptisms in one month in this area, so we're working hard with them. There's tons of other great investigators too, but everyone has so many problems to work out first haha. As missionaries, our purpose is to invite, so we offer commitments always (Will you read so and so....? Will you pray to find out....? etc...) and I've found one of the most common ones I have to give is "Will you divorce your ex husband/wife?" because everyone gets married young and divorce is super long and expensive here so people just leave their old spouse and move in with a new one and never are actually married. A couple we've been teaching have been together for 30 years (both are about 50) but the woman was married when she was like 18 and he left her a year later and never got divorced, so for all intents and purposes, these two are married, raised their kids, etc... just don't have the legal documents and can't be baptized. It stinks! So, hopefully our investigators will get divorced ASAP so they can get married and be baptized! So many good people that are stopped by something so small but tough.
So I have a blog? haha make sure it's clear that I'm not the one doing it, because if someone saw that and thought I was breaking a rule it would be very bad. Same with facebook please! and please always open my email account on hotmail every week or so so it doesn't close! That would be bad. Have a WONDERFUL busy week! and HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLI AND GRANDMA! and Aunt Maureen and Aunt Pennie are in the same week too, aren't they? I can't remember ha.
Love, Elder Magnusson
Sunday, January 17, 2010
January 11, 2010 Photos
I think this is the missionary training center where he was from Sept. 24th - November 24th.
These group photos are the missionaries he was with through the Missionary Training Center.
Now on to Uruguay...
Elder Magnusson and Elder Grau, with the Rosa Familia... they are now friends with us on Facebook... small world! They love Tylan and tell us he is a polite, wonderful young man! So nice to hear!
Elder Magnusson baptised this sweet sister, Elena. Tylan's first baptism. He loves her and her grandsons who live with her.
It looks like dinner.... they eat MEAT, can you tell?
January 11, 2010
Hey, I spent all my time trying to upload photos using costco, but the cpu it terrible so I dunno if you'll even get them. I created a costco account with my name and email and the same password as email and all that. I tried sending it through this, but it took 10 minutes for one pic. So...I don't plan on sending pics very often if ever haha.
Nothin much happened this week in particular out of the ordinary. We have several baptisms set up for the next few weeks, should be great.
Happy birthday, Rachel! It'd be happier if you knew it though ha
I bought myself a present, a nice jersey off the street for about half the usual price, probably stolen or something hahaha
Carmen is out of town for the next 2 weeks, so that means no juice and sweet bread every day almost haha
Everyone is doing well, we fasted yesterday for a good bishop to be called. My bet is on Daniel, the young counselor thats been sort of taking on the role in the absence. He's a good guy. Also we fasted for a good President when the changes come in 3 changes. We'll see! Whenever you pray for the missionaries, please pray that we start finding more people, because our new investigators each week are decreasing. I guess that's probably why the President keeps people moving around so much.
As for packages, I asked around, and what the other moms told you is basically what i heard too.
As for food, it's pretty much the same as argentina I think. Lots of beef and chicken, surprising amounts of ostrich, TONS of pasta, bread with everything, and everything fried as well. Okay, costco is about done euploading and my time is past spent, sorry. Love you all!
-Elder Magnusson
Nothin much happened this week in particular out of the ordinary. We have several baptisms set up for the next few weeks, should be great.
Happy birthday, Rachel! It'd be happier if you knew it though ha
I bought myself a present, a nice jersey off the street for about half the usual price, probably stolen or something hahaha
Carmen is out of town for the next 2 weeks, so that means no juice and sweet bread every day almost haha
Everyone is doing well, we fasted yesterday for a good bishop to be called. My bet is on Daniel, the young counselor thats been sort of taking on the role in the absence. He's a good guy. Also we fasted for a good President when the changes come in 3 changes. We'll see! Whenever you pray for the missionaries, please pray that we start finding more people, because our new investigators each week are decreasing. I guess that's probably why the President keeps people moving around so much.
As for packages, I asked around, and what the other moms told you is basically what i heard too.
As for food, it's pretty much the same as argentina I think. Lots of beef and chicken, surprising amounts of ostrich, TONS of pasta, bread with everything, and everything fried as well. Okay, costco is about done euploading and my time is past spent, sorry. Love you all!
-Elder Magnusson
January 5, 2010
Hello family!!!!
Happy New Year!
Happy Anniversary! (Anniversaries, Grandma too!)
Happy Pregnancy! ha :)
I'm so stoked about your baby Melissa and Jason!!!!!!
Yep, Carmen's baptism was great, and her daughter loved the service, went to church a couple times now, is taking the discussions, and will be baptized as soon as she marries the guy she's living with, who happens to be an inactive member with a super strong testimony who only isn't active cause he feels guilty. Soooo, they will be a very powerful asset to the church one day. Super smart and powerful family. Carmen's sister Nelida decided to wait til she comes back so she can be baptized by us so theres another this change (both of us are staying!!!! which probably means next change I'll stay again and he'll leave). A bunch more are preparing to be baptized, so hopefully as a zone we can have a lot more baptisms than last change (3 in total eesh, but one zone in the mission had 20 this last WEEK haha just depends on where you are!)
This week a lady in our ward who was baptized about a year ago (mom of Josè, one of our investigators) asked us to help her stop smoking cause she never actually stopped when she was baptized (yikes) and decided it was time, so we directed her through the churches program and after 40+ yrs of smoking a pack a day-ish shes been smoke-free for almost a week and has no urges. Victory!!!!!!!!! The greater part of our work in this ward is bringing people back into the fold who were lost from being offended and such and we've had a TON of success with inactives and such. Hopefully that will lead to more references for future missionaries here!
New Years Eve we stayed at our place and couldn't really see fireworks so just kinda layed there listening to bombs for an hour haha that evening we ate with the family Rosa who added me on facebook, so you can accept and they posted pics already I think.
Thats pretty cool about the attic! Sorry about my stuff.
Congrats on your wonderful weather, I am more than willing to trade. It's been super hot, except for yesterday morning was freezing and we had interviews so we went across town under a blue sky in the morning and an hour later when we left it was downpouring. We didn't have any umbrellas, so my suit and everything got soaked through and I got a funny picture :) I was grateful I didn't get transferred having to take a bunch of wet clothes cross-country in my suitcase.
Next time your at the grocery store you should see if they have ostrich meat. It's soooo goooodd and healthy and cheap here! Sounds weird but you should try it haha.
I'm sorry to hear New Moon was great. That means it made money and they'll make more :( ugh
You should go see Avatar! I see trailers and posters of it everywhere and it looks pretty cool!
Could you look up Sambayòn for me? We get it served to us creamed and frozed like icecream all the time by members and investigators and I think it tastes super alcoholic, and I've asked other missionaries and stuff but noone knows what it is.
Well, time is up, I'm glad to hear all of your good news!!!! I miss you all!!
Montevideo is a blast and I'm grateful to be able to stay here! Mom, you forgot to send me Hma. Hortons reference to look up here in Sayago!
Peace! 1Peter1:7
Elder Magnusson
Happy New Year!
Happy Anniversary! (Anniversaries, Grandma too!)
Happy Pregnancy! ha :)
I'm so stoked about your baby Melissa and Jason!!!!!!
Yep, Carmen's baptism was great, and her daughter loved the service, went to church a couple times now, is taking the discussions, and will be baptized as soon as she marries the guy she's living with, who happens to be an inactive member with a super strong testimony who only isn't active cause he feels guilty. Soooo, they will be a very powerful asset to the church one day. Super smart and powerful family. Carmen's sister Nelida decided to wait til she comes back so she can be baptized by us so theres another this change (both of us are staying!!!! which probably means next change I'll stay again and he'll leave). A bunch more are preparing to be baptized, so hopefully as a zone we can have a lot more baptisms than last change (3 in total eesh, but one zone in the mission had 20 this last WEEK haha just depends on where you are!)
This week a lady in our ward who was baptized about a year ago (mom of Josè, one of our investigators) asked us to help her stop smoking cause she never actually stopped when she was baptized (yikes) and decided it was time, so we directed her through the churches program and after 40+ yrs of smoking a pack a day-ish shes been smoke-free for almost a week and has no urges. Victory!!!!!!!!! The greater part of our work in this ward is bringing people back into the fold who were lost from being offended and such and we've had a TON of success with inactives and such. Hopefully that will lead to more references for future missionaries here!
New Years Eve we stayed at our place and couldn't really see fireworks so just kinda layed there listening to bombs for an hour haha that evening we ate with the family Rosa who added me on facebook, so you can accept and they posted pics already I think.
Thats pretty cool about the attic! Sorry about my stuff.
Congrats on your wonderful weather, I am more than willing to trade. It's been super hot, except for yesterday morning was freezing and we had interviews so we went across town under a blue sky in the morning and an hour later when we left it was downpouring. We didn't have any umbrellas, so my suit and everything got soaked through and I got a funny picture :) I was grateful I didn't get transferred having to take a bunch of wet clothes cross-country in my suitcase.
Next time your at the grocery store you should see if they have ostrich meat. It's soooo goooodd and healthy and cheap here! Sounds weird but you should try it haha.
I'm sorry to hear New Moon was great. That means it made money and they'll make more :( ugh
You should go see Avatar! I see trailers and posters of it everywhere and it looks pretty cool!
Could you look up Sambayòn for me? We get it served to us creamed and frozed like icecream all the time by members and investigators and I think it tastes super alcoholic, and I've asked other missionaries and stuff but noone knows what it is.
Well, time is up, I'm glad to hear all of your good news!!!! I miss you all!!
Montevideo is a blast and I'm grateful to be able to stay here! Mom, you forgot to send me Hma. Hortons reference to look up here in Sayago!
Peace! 1Peter1:7
Elder Magnusson
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