September 19, 2011

Amazing baptimal service this week! Laura almost finished the Book of Mormon before her baptism!! She's incredible and she already had an interview with the Branch Pres. for a calling next week. Her daughter Lucrecia and her friend Dahiana that were baptized as well invited lots of friends, and Young Womens is filling up hahaha
It was also the baptism of an 8 year old ward baptism. It was tough because the mom was on our reactivation list. She was the Relief Society Stake Pres. and her husband the branch pres. when he cheated and left her. She's been inactive since, for 4 years, but when her daughter turned 8, decided she couldn't let the opportunity pass by and asked us to help her return. She fantastic and is going to be a great leader again!
TONS went to the baptism again, and church attendance is maintaining well above 100 people. Its so nice to see the unity. The people love eachother a lot more than in other wards that I've served or even in the wards I've lived in in the States. For now, the unit is too big to combine, so we're not going to combine with the other ward for now. Plans are changing :)
Before I forget to answer your questions,
Yes, I got the itinerary, I'm going to print it off now.
No, I have not set up for Fray Bentos or Salto. I have been busy and have forgotten. In Salto, try and get Los Naranjos, and in Fray Bentos I would go with Hotel Plaza.
No, don't bring down anything for me. I have shoes and clothes and all :) I can't think of anything I'd need for 1 week that I havent had for 2 years haha.
Yes, we can find places to print in each of the cities, except maybe Tacuarembo. T-bo is a little behind times haha but Salto, Fray B, and Deo are easy.
Thats pretty exciting to hear ward boudaries are changing again! The church is growing so much in Tucson, wards are always being made! Are there a lot of convert baptisms, or are people just moving there that are members?
As for the shoes, cross trainers are perfect :)
As for souvenirs, I haven't bought stuff, but I have received tons of gifts. I've also already given most of my stuff away, and am going to give away or sell most everything else to make room. I do still have my alfajor collection its huge and worth so many hundreds of thousands of calories I don't even want to know :)
I've got everything set up with people for our visit already and they are all so excited to meet you. It is going to be a very powerful spiritual reunion, so be prepared! I'm also preparing myself to see people that have progressed so much since I saw them last, it's going to be overwhelming!!! I'm so excited!!!!!!
I'm going to finish the mission fulfilling with my purpose. We've got a huge baptismal service for this last week on Saturday. As a zone we should get our goal, a goal we set super high that has never been reached! It going to be fantastic, and I know that when we have faith in the Lord He can help us do hard things. The Stake is being strengthened and growing every week!
I love this people and know that I was foreordained before this world was to find these families, and I feel grateful for having found them and fulfilled my promises. I pray that they will continue strong in the gospel, and that their lives will be continued to be blessed by my personal obedience the rest of my life. I love the gospel and also beg you all to help me return home as I lose the mantel of missionary. I hear its pretty hard, but remember that I'm not the weird one. I'm progressing how I should be. Returned missionaries shouldn't change at all, it's the rest of the world that should change. I love you all and am grateful for your testimonies!
Love,
Elder Magnusson