March 22, 2010

Hey everyone, sounds like a crazy week there, but I'm glad dad's okay!
Thats pretty dumb to get written up at 60, but I guess we always have a lesson to learn in everything.
For what it's worth, though, HAPPY BIRTHDAY yesterday. I'd send you something, but the rates to send stuff to the US is about $45 per half kilo (about 1lb) and that is a ton of money I don't have. So...birthday wishes will have to do. Cool that Steve is going to Tempe, thats where Dan is.
This week was incredible here in Salto. We had a long-time investigator finally decide to get baptized this Saturday, and another finally come to church the first time and commit to baptism next month. All in all, this Saturday is going to be a great baptismal service to end E' Enciso's mission, and I really hope I stay here another change (changes are a week from tomorrow) because there is SO MUCH work happening here!!!
The other day we spent most of it doing service because an investigator needed help cementing the interior of his house, so I learned how to do that and it was fun and I got way messy it's always a nice change to get covered in wet cement, mud, grass, whatever. haha Also, we worked on a big brick wall of a member thats adding on to their house. One of my favorite families here recently had a 4th kid and have been saving to built a second room on their house :)
We also had interviews this week which is always way fun to talk to the Prez. He and his family are really incredible people. We received an emergency kit for the apartment with food for 3 days, after what's been happening around the world. So, if you hear about any disasters in Uruguay, you will know that I'm eating well. Oats, flour, sugar, and sardines. mmmm
By the way, I DO NOT LIKE SARDINES. They are nasty little beasts.
E' Enciso gave his farewell talk in the ward on Sunday. This next Sunday he heads off to Montevideo at midnight, and I'll probably be in a trio with the other 2 that kill their comps the day before changes. This week will be mostly spent with members, recent converts, and people about to be baptized, so we probably won't be tracting at all, which will be fun. A little more chill.
Oooo, I gotta tell you about this one family. The grandma was a convert about 40 years ago and was sealed with her husband and all before he died 5 years ago, and the mom was a member most of her life, got her endowments in the late 70's and everything. Her husband was branch president about 20 kilos away but he killed himself and she went inactive. Her daughter (that happened 5 years ago) kept going active even though she went alone and was only 5 yrs old. Now shes 10 and finally got to be baptized this last week. The mom remarried 3 yrs ago, and her new husband Marselo is the funniest investigator ever. He looks like John Travolta and has a super tough guy attitude its hilarious. He's always super serious and aloof, so we try to make him laugh, and after every lesson when we invite him to church and later be baptized, he says ´'I respect all the church, dont be offended, now I really dont want to offend you, blah blah blah, but I really am not interested blah blah blah´' when finally he always has a super deep question that leads us to our next lesson perfect. He'll get baptized one day when his softens his heart. Meanwhile, his daughter will be baptized next month :)
Now myldsmail uses a gmail server, so this is my new email address that has come with this email. Now I believe I can send pics easier, so I'll probably start sending some more (dont have my cable with me now, though, just changed servers today) so all the missionaries in the world have new email addresses.
Well, I can't think of much else to say, I love you all a ton and think of you fairly often. I can feel your prayers and hope you are all enjoying the heat! Here every other day is really hot and then cool. Fall needs to make up its mind. I cant wait for winter.
I weighted myself the other day also, and still haven't changed at all still about 190, but since I don't work out more than the little 30 mins we have, and only have an elastic band to do it, I am probably getting fatter. haha
I hope you are all working hard and enjoying life :) Remember to be obedient and you'll never have another regret!

Elder Magnusson

http://www.salto.gub.uy/

Oh, and also, I talked to Elder Grau the other day, and every one of our converts is still going to church every week, all that can have callings already, and Jonathan is preparing the sacrament every week and everything! WOOT!

March 15, 2010

Hello :)

This week was wonderful! Elder Enciso has been feeling better, we're more out of the house than in now and working really hard with the members especially! We spent yesterday on divisions with members (actually, I was with a 14 yrd old member of 1 year and his brother 18 that is an investigator) and we got a ton of lessons in! The 18yrold, Juan Rodriguez, is a hero of mine! He has the most profound testimony, and only can't be baptized because he had a baby (Maria Josè) with his 15yrold girlfriend and she wants to wait til theyre older to be married. We're finally teaching her the lessons now, and they should be married soon so we can baptize them! Juan is GUARANTEED a future general authority, I'm calling it now. His 14 yr old bro Dogomar also. Dang, such an amazing family.
We did service almost every morning this week too, and my machete is getting dull, I need to find a sharpener haha, when I get home Ill have to show you how to cut the grass by machete, we get it done in only about twice as long as with machine, which is pretty fast by hand! SO exhausting, though.
We caught a snake during service when it came at me, but we found out it was venomous and the lady asked us to kill it, so instead we bagged it and froze it to see if its true that reptiles come back alive when they defrost. Turns out they don't. haha
O man, the churros filled with dulce de leche are my new favorite food in the whole world. I have no idea what Im gonna do when I get home and don't have them any more.
This week, we nailed down baptismal dates for 8 more this month, and the mission leader is crazy happy. It will be a field of white on the 27th. We also have a TON of people lined up for April, I'm so stoked this area is so golden!!!
Yesterday the gift of tongues was more in effect than any other time in my mission. 16 yr old girl came to church with her friend that was a member and asked us to stop by, so when I was on divisions we went, and the spirit helped me speak really good spanish! The member girl asked me if I was Argentine or Uruguayo! I felt SOOO GOOOD!!
Today, I went to Argentina for a little while. We went to the second largest dam in Uruguay and the bridge above it connects with Argentina. Then we found out that there aren't any buses that go back to Salto from where we were, so we hitch-hiked back. That was a lot of fun haha Took some cool dam photos of all the dam water and everything. ha
Ooo times up, I love you all so much, and I know that this church is true with all of my heart and have found so much joy in service than in anything. Serve others whenenver you have the opportunity! I am so excited that I still have 3/4 of my mission left, I feel so sad to the the missionaries getting ready to leave and returning back to a life without scheduled study, service, etc... I can't imagine how sad that's gonna be.
Our new President is named Ronald and Sandra Heaton from St. George, UT by the way. He served here, and they come the 1st of July. I'm not too excited for tons of change, I don't like change too much, so we'll see what happens!!! I'm gonna miss this Pres. and Hma. a lot.
I LOVE the mission, and hope you are all praying for the Uruguayos. Even though they are crazy.
Elder Magnusson

March 8, 2010

Hey, Im writing from Montevideo right now! Yesterday, my zone leaders called and said I had to sign something today, so all of my group from the CCM from all parts of Uruguay met together today to sign something and now we're just enjoying the day together until our buses leave.
Since it was just me and a Sister missionary from Salto that had to come, I had a female companion for a few hours. It was so funny. We were both kinda shocked that they put it that way, but I guess its a good story. Hma. Ramos from El Salvador was my comp from 12:30 am this morning to 7 hahahaha o goodness that sounds terrible.
Not to much to tell, my comp is great, often sick though I think something more serious is wrong. He goes home the 30th. When he's sick I can usually find someone from the ward to go out with me for the day while he chills at home with someone else or in their house or something. The area here is incredible, the members are so helpful! We have 4 more baptisms this Saturday and a ton more lined up these next few weeks, the work is rolling along miracle after miracle. I feel so blessed to be here in Uruguay, I have learned so much during these almost 6 months (in 2 weeks!!!)
The family we baptized last week invites us to dinner several times a week, and they have hardly nothing, they try to sacrifice so much and give us gift after gift of personal items, like family pictures, shirts, just whatever they can! I wish the whole world was so giving like these people a lot of problems would be solved!!!! I've made a bunch of funny trades with stuff I have.
I'm compiling a list of all the funny things people call us, I can't wait to show you when we get home. Most aren't bad, just really funny. "Huevos" "Chicos sexy" stuff like that haha
As for what I need in a box...hmmmm the best things I could ask for are stuff like cheap watches, cars, stuff like that to give away. Oh, and those dark choco chip pepperidge farm cookies. The cookies here just dont live up to my standards Im afraid. haha.
OH NO, THE LADY IN THE CYBER HERE JUST PUT IN ONE OF MY FAVORITE COLDPLAY ALBUMS!!! ha, ;-)
Yes, we travel between all cities by bus, but as the entire country is about the size of Arizona, maybe a little smaller, the longest bus ride in the mission is like 9 hours, so not horrible. Between Salto and Montevideo (that I had to make this morning and again in 3 hours) is about 6.5 hrs.
Thats so cool about the Hockey, and I'm okay with Canada winning, I bet that game was incredible!
In Salto, there are about 28 missionaries, including 2 sets of sister missionaries. The only senior couple in the mission goes home next week. This last zone conference they bore their goodbye testimonies and all, along with all the elders and sisters that this is their last change. I can't believe that one day thatll be me! The President based his conference on unity among races, using the mission language at all times (most gringos use english together, most Paraguayos use Guaranì, etc...), and stuff like that. It was great as always, I love talking to the Prez. he's a very inspired man with great insights.
As for the river, it had been overflowing in parts, destroying houses and such, ya. The streets only consistantly flood when theres rain, though.
I love you all, but times up, take care, and wish me a safe bus ride this afternoon! I pray I dont go crazy being in a bus that long again. I just want to sleep!!!! haha
I have a friend from the mission that's still unaccounted for in Concepciòn, Chile so please pray for the Vergara family.
Elder Magnusson
PS Be prepared for disasters, who knows what happens tomorrow.

March 1, 2010

Hello my family,
Ya, I heard about the earthquake in Chili, theres about a dozen or so elders from Chile that I know here, and they were all authorized to call home. Most of them haven't heard anything from their families, especially the ones that live in and around concepcion, because electricity, water, phone, etc... is all out in most of the country. That's pretty crazy, it's pretty unheard of to have 2 earthquakes of such high magnitude so near eachother in time. At least Chile is way more prepared and used to that sort of thing than Haiti. Theres quite a few people from the wards here that are on their way to Chile to help out so that's good.
Hma. Horton's family all good down there?
I don't think there are any natural disasters common here, although theres several miles of hot springs here in the city Im in, so there has to be SOME kind of volcanic/earthquake possibilities where I'm at. No idea. All we have is a TON of flooding in this city. I don't like floods so much, with the river so high, whenever it rains, everything is under water here haha, fortunately we live on the 2nd floor.
This week was great, we had a bunch of baptisms, but Elder Enciso was sick pretty much all week, so most of it was spent inside, except for Saturday cause I found a priest, Nico, to spend the day with me in divisions. He was fantastic, him (17) and his younger brother(15) are the only members in his family, but he's really smart, studying electrical engineering, and was a HUGE help. He's excited to serve a mission, and is hoping for the US so he can learn English.
The ward is doing really well, the mission leader here is phenomenal, and so are the 2 ward missionaries that are always helpful (2 laurels). The members are, in general, so willing to help out here its a breath of fresh air coming from the city haha. I miss Sayago a lot still, but I love this area, too. I'm quickly discovering how hard it's gonna be to leave the mission and its coming so soon, I can't believe I'm already 1/4...whew.
We have a ton of investigators working towards baptism, many just have to get married!!! The court system is so frustrating here!!!
Language is coming along quick enough, I hope I have another Latino comp next.
Elder Enciso might leave at any time during this change, depending on when his school starts back home, so I might even have a new comp later this week, after just a few weeks with him. I hope not, cause that would probably mean a missionary trio. 2 is good, but 3 looks like a mafia. Hopefully if that happens, we can find a member to move in and work with me for a few weeks so we dont lose the work in this area.
Grats on your successful bunco night, I'm not jealous though because 12 crazy women is not my forte. I would die.
Tell Levi to take his priesthood seriously. The sacrament is the most important ordinance in the church after baptism. Without it, we die in our sins unredeemed. Tell him if he's screwing around, people are losing the spirit of repentence and their sins are upon him. Good luck ;-)
As for Colton, you should pull him out of school. Let him go somewhere else or maybe invest in a tutor to homeschool him (when dad gets back and if you have the money).
I'm so excited that grandma's gettin healthy again!!! Tell her she should take up running, I always felt great when I went running! haha
The work is progressing like crazy here, and I'm having a blast! I love the people so much, and I'm never gonna forget their stories. It's incredible the sacrifice that everyone has made. If people had half the charity in the US that these people have, there wouldn't be anyone in the remotest level of poverty there.
As for the food, dad, I haven't had nutria yet, but all the elders say its the best, for real. I still haven't had armadillo yet either, thankfully. They roast them alive and they look so disgusting haha. I hear the meat really isn't that bad, just the fact that you have to eat it from the hairy husky outer part its pretty gross. Cinchulin is probably my leat favorite of the things Ive eaten. The flavor is actually pretty good, but the texture is AWFUL, like gum coated in flour.
I hope your early release thing goes through, dad!
Have fun everyone in all your many activities and stuff, and endure your trials, theyre just a small moment. Any time you feel like you have it hard, go buy a pioneer journal and humble yourself with a little reading haha
Love you all a TON!!!!!
Elder Magnusson