January 31, 2011

Empty inbox, come on, guys! :)
This was another great week! Some of the great things that happened:
I ate armadillo for the first time. They gifted me the back shell thing too, so I'll get to show proof. It was super delicious and an addition to the crazy things we eat. I don't know if it's legal to hunt them in the states, so no promise that I'll make it for you. I've come to learn on the mission that pretty much everything is edible.
I had fallen in love with milk straight from the cow, but Sister Heaton says I need to boil it always. It doesn't taste as good after being boiled, but I guess I can make butter with the nata that comes up. I learned how to make the most incredible hot chocolate in the world, so prepare yourselves.
Marìa Alvira is getting baptised this weekend. Also, we've set a marriage date in May for a man and his wife (Ramon and Nury, in their 40's) to be married and then he and the 5 kids will be baptised (she's wasn't active for the last 20 years or so). We promised him work if he went to church and went for the first time last week, and got excellent work with Saturdays and Sundays off. The Lord listed to our prayers. Its interesting that you can follow the spirit and promise blessings and the Lord justifies you. It is a powerful feeling.
Our ward mission leader is about to be released, he should be getting his mission call any day now.
Today we left the house right when we got up and went fishing at the river. I only caught one little tiny sucker, and threw him back, and my comp caught a really nasty little fish, so we just going to buy lunch today. We went with the priest and teachers quorum. They jumped in the river at the end and had a good ol time throwing mud at us on the bank. It was pretty funny. It was so pretty there we took some great photos! We went on bike and the bikes we borrowed were so junky the chain came off, so on of the priests put his hand on my back and pedaled hard and pulled the 2 haha It turned out to be one of the funnest P-Days ever. I can't wait to shower though I am very dirty.
Every day I'm recognizing more and more how beautiful a city and country this is. Out here where there isn't a whole lot of people, buildings, and all that it's wonderful I am pretty dang blessed to be here.
Leonardo is progressing to baptism, the only thing keeping him still and old drug clients are bugging him pretty bad (he's a pretty big drug dealer here) and so during lessons every 5 minutes there a knock at the door. We'll see if he can make it in February. He finished the Book of Mormon and reads a TON every day, more than I do in studies and all and has a really strong testimony, it's just hard to get out of all that. The first step was stopping using drugs, now he's got to keep the law and not sell. I think to my life before the mission when I thought the world was going down when I saw on the news someone caught for drugs or something, and now here I am having made best friends with drug dealers and murderers. Another main investigator, Rafael, this week we found out that he too committed murder, so here's another long repentence process to kick into gear. Dang, sometimes I wonder why God prepares the toughest people to receive us. They get so close and then something keeps them. Marìa the older one is getting baptised in 2 weeks, possibly with Josè Marìa and Marìa Elvira's mom. We are working with her to get the legal stuff done so that she can leave the house haha
Tomorrow we finally get the 15 names of inactives that we are to visit. Is it the same plan everywhere in the world, or just in this area for 2011: Rescue! We are to reactivate these people and Elder Arnold promised us that if we focused on this we would find lots of nonmembers to work with to baptism. So, we will be obedient to the plan and hope that everything turns out good. Hopefully we'll see plenty of miracles :)
I love you all and hope that as soon as you get this you write me a big long letter and send it to the gmail so that they print it and I get it tomorrow. You have to do it fast though!
God lives. This is His church. It's the only one with the fullness of the Gospel restored. I love it. Work hard, be happy!
Besitos, Elder Magnusson