A Downside To All The Good Food

I got another package - Thanks!  I love the

Bugles!  They remind me of Grandpa England

HAAAAAPPY B DAY SOH DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds like it was a pretty busy day, but I hope you enjoyed it! Wow Sophie is 13 I honestly can't believe it! I feel like eveyone has grown up so much already, and I've only been gone for like three months. Mags is dating, still don't like to think about that, Soph is in middle school carazzayy, and Bo is killin it in sports. In a letter from Bo that I opened in the mtc he said that he is gonna kick my butt in soccer when I get back, and from what I hear that might be true. But Uruguay is obsessed with soccer, and I think I'm going to be playing some soccer on P- days. So you better watch out Bo!!! Haha mom you called Macy Maggie in your email, you said okay here is Maggie's email from last week. It made me laugh to hear you mix up their names. I wish I could have met your japanese friend!!!!! Sounds like you guys are all really busy!

Wow sounds like the missionary work is moving forward in the ward!!!! This week seriously went by so fast, I really don't remember much from this week. We got a new Elder in our house named Elder Canete, he is from Paraguay!!! And he can actually speak some english, thank goodness! haha but I really like him, I feel like I can relate to him the most cause he is not as crazy and Elder Marroquin or Elder Segura. But I really love Elder Marroquin and Elder Segura. Elder Marroquin made some mexican tacos for lunch today. Dad your right, I'm not always going to have roomates that are going to cook me food, so I've been trying to learn. But I am seriously the worst cook ever!!! I think I'm just going to end up eating cereal and oatmeal for 2 years. Actually the only day that we ever really cook anything is P-days cause every other day we have lunch with members. It's a pretty awesome set up, but I'm sure it's not going to be the same in other areas. A downside to all the good food is that I've been getting the "tickets" lately. It's a good thing that we have a chapel in like the middle of our area cause we had to make some pit stops. It's actually not that bad, and I'm going to start using the "poop pills" :) Everything is going to be okay cause we have a buh day (I know that's not how you spell it, but I don't know how so I just made it as simple as possible) It's true we do have one but the only person that uses it is Elder Segura. It reminds me of Dalt when we were in Europe. 

This week was kind of hard in reality. We were actually going to have a baptism this last Saturday on Soph's birthday for a man named Washington. Also Alejandra; but Alejandra couldn't come to church on these past couple of Sundays and the investigators need to come to church before they can be baptized. But Washington is awesome!!! He has come to church three times, and all the members love him. He is like 54 years old... I think. He understands everything that we have taught him and wants to get baptized. The only problem is that he smokes, and we taught the word of wisdom and he said that he would try to stop, but a couple days before his baptismal date a member saw him smoking. So we had to push his baptism until this Saturday. But we have had lessons with Washington with members that have had problems with the word of wisdom before and I really think that he has quit for good this time! So we are going to have his baptism this Saturday. 

Alejandra hasn't really been progressing that much, we have continued to return and have lessons with her and she understands but it doesn't seem like she is really excited about getting baptized and we feel like she needs to have a firm belief that this church is true before she gets baptized, so we have a baptismal date for the nineteenth of this month for her and we are going to try to keep talking to her and help her to progress. We actually were pretty frank with her a couple days ago telling her that if she isn't progressing we can't waste this time cause we have other people to help. But I think that she really is going to progress and attain a firm testimony.

Another thing that happened was Juan Pablo and Agustine haven't come to church the past two weeks. It seems like something happened to make Juan not want to come. We have talked to him lately but it just doesn't seem like he wants to talk to us. We don't really know what else to do with him. I guess we will just keep trying. 

In reality I can't remember a whole lot about this past week, I'll try to remember this week a little better.

I love you all more than you will ever know!

Elder England

Elder Marroquin made some mexican tacos for lunch! 

I Felt That It Was Riley Speaking

Dont worry, I'm still alive!

This week is changes, so our P day is Tuesday. Sorry I didn't let you know, but I actually didn't find out until Sunday night. Wow these weeks are just flying by. Elder Marroquin and I are not going to change because oros stay in the same area with the same trainer for two changes. But It does mean that one of the Three Musckateers is going to be leaving:( Im sure a new crazy latino will fill the empty spot just fine. 

I am so sad to hear that Bishop Brewster passed away. I always looked up to him so much, and still remember every scout camp and youth fireside that he led. He had such a powerful spirit. But we are sooooooo lucky to have this gospel in our lives. I really have come to cherish this knowledge that I have, because I have seen the lives of people that don't have it... and they are completely different. Let the Brewster family know that I love them. 

As for all of you, you all sound great!!! Haha Mags you crack me up, but I don't like this dating thing one bit! But I'm super glad that you had a fun time at the dance. Dad thanks for the updates, GO UTES! I know that you're going to be amazing in you new calling! You too mom!!!!!!!!! I have realized in this month and a half just how much I dont know how to take care of myself. Like cooking I don't know how to cook anything, but Elder Marroquin does! hehehe Thanks for emails. I love you all! 

This has been another crazy week. The first of the week was pretty hard, I don't know why but I was just a little down in the dumps. But on Saturday we got to go to the temple because some of Elder Marroquins converts were getting sealed. I Love going to the temple! It was so cool to be in a sealing session. Memories of when we went to the Salt Lake temple with Bo started to flood my mind, and I can't even explain how happy I am that I am sealed to you guys forever and ever! I've also had some really interesting experiences. Sunday night we were on our way back to the house, and we passed by Ramiros house. Ramiro is a 17 year old kid that we have talked with a couple different times, but we have tried passing by and calling him countless times so it seemed that he didn't want anything to do with us. Well as we walked past I couldn't help but think about him, but I didn't say anything cause it seemed clear that he didn't want to talk to us. After passing his house I looked back, and right at that moment Ramiro opened his door and then closed it. I then ran up to his door and knocked and he came out. After we greated him, I straight up asked him if he was interested in what we have to say. And he said that he was. I was so happy to hear that, oh and I asked him why he opened his door and he said to look to see if it was raining. haha It's crazy that he opened it right when I looked back. 

This other story happened last night. We were at Agustines house, Agustine is a 14 year old kid that is less active. He came with us to a lot of the lessons with Juan Pablo and was probably the reason that Juan was baptized. Anyways we didn't really know what to teach him, but he had a book about the principles of the gospel or something like that. So Elder Marroquin opened that up, and started talking about I think it was obedience. But then changed his mind and flipped to a different chapter about the Atonement. I was so happy when he turned to this! As we talked about the atonement, I used some of Riley's words to explain to this 14 year old kid just how important and vital the atonement is. I felt a really strong spirit in that lesson. After Elder Marroquin and I were walking back to the house on these railroad tracks in the dark. And I told him that as I was talking about the Atonement and using some of the words Riley used to describe it, I felt that Riley was speaking. I really felt that even though I was talking I felt that it was Riley speaking. Elder Marroquin then said that as I was speaking he looked at my name tag and thought of Riley or Elder England. (Elder Marroquin tried reading Ti Voglio Bene so he knew about the story). But wow I could really feel Riley there in that lesson. Then Elder Marroquin went off talking about how he has a gift about how he can sense when there are spirits close, (I say that he went off talking about this cause he often tells me that he has these certain gifts) Anyways, I wasn't really listening, I was too busy pondering on what had just happened! 

As we were walking in the dark, on the train tracks so we were looking down at our feet, the scariest thing in my life happened to me. We were just walking and I happened to look up and literally like three feet in front of me was a huge white horse. (I think it was sleeping cause it didn't move) Because I had been looking down - I didn't see it at all!  But oh my gosh it scared so bad that I involuntarily screamed, or I should say that I tried to scream but was so startled that I couldn't. haha it was hilarious, I wish I had it on tape, just to see the face I made. Aww classic!  

Well that's all folks, sorry I don't have any photos I left my cam back at the apartment.

I love you all more than you will ever know!

Elder England

Trying To Think And Say What Christ Would

Got a hamburger today from this food cart - It was delicious!

Hello!!!

This week was kinda crazy a little all over the place, okay probably not as crazy as the flooding in Colorado, but a lot of stuff happened. Last Monday night we had tortas fritas you probably don't know what that is cause I didn't know what it was, but they are like these pastry kinda tortilla things. Anyways they're delicious especially with dulce de leche! But, we made those with Juan Pablos family and wow we seemed to be like part of there family, Pablo the dad said that we are always welcome in his house. So we we're way hyped about that, well we went back on Saturday with a member (actually our ward mission leader) and it didn't go as great. We were really trying to show them that going to church is such a blessing, and they just didn't seem that interested. And yeah none of them but Juan came to church. It's weird cause having a member at the lessons brings a whole different spirit, usually for the better. But I don't know - it just felt like bringing someone into Pablos house that he didn't know was a little weird for him. Pablo turned back into the same shy not really interested guy that we met the first day we met with Juan. But I really have faith that we can help them recieve this gospel.

Okay about the rest of the week. On Tuesday morning, I went on my first interchange with Elder Bastidas from Peru. It was a really different experience to see how another Elder goes about doing things, but we had a great day and talked to a lot of people. He is an oro too, he has one more month than I do haha. But at least he knew Spanish or we would have been in big trouble! I actually talked more than I do with Elder Marroquin, which was really good for me. I need to tell Marroquin to force me to talk more!

On Thursday Elder Marroquin and I went to Montevideo just to spend a day in the city, I'm not really sure if it was aloud but it was fun! Haha not! We did go to Montevideo but it was for a meeting with all the oros that are in my group. It was so fun to see these guys that I had been so close to in the MTC. And to see that they are all doing so well. I know that I'm going to be good friends with some of them after the mission. That whole day was fun, and I got to have another interview with President Newsome. It went so great, it was really short but it went really well. I can see a relationship starting to form... CHACHING! He really is a great guy, and you keep asking me to tell you about him and I haven't. Okay I think that he and Hermana Newsome are from Virginia, but they moved around a lot. They were highschool sweethearts haha but I don't think that they even wrote each other while he was on his mission. I'm not sure how many kids they have, but I know that they have a 13 year old son that is living with them now. I still don't know him that well, but there is a little something about him. It's funny that Mace was talking about Ti Voglio Bene, cause I feel the exact same way! I feel like I can relate to Riley in a way now. I tried sharing the story with the "Three Musketeers" I live with - but none of them know English. Then I had a thought - hey this story is all about a mission president, so why not share it with my President. So I did, I haven't heard anything yet but I told him that if he had any spare time that he and Hermana Newsome should read it. 

Those two things sound like the highlights of my week, but looking back they really weren't. We had a couple lessons this week, where I felt such a strong spirit that was stronger than anything I had felt before. One of them was with a women named Alejandra. We have actually taught her the first three lessons, and she has a baptismal date for the 28th (Soph dogs B Day!!!!!!!!). But I think it was Friday, she was not feeling well. We went over in the evening but she is a single mother of three kids, and we didn't have another male so we couldn't go in. But we returned with a member named Tomy, he is such an awesome guy! Anyways we just starting talking about how she was doing, and she starting crying. There was some silence but then all three of us just bore our testimonies to her. It really was such an amazing experience. It was not a very long lesson, it really wasn't even a lesson, but at the end she asked me to pray. I can't even describe what I felt, and really don't even remember what I said. But I was just trying to think and say what Christ would have thought and said in that situation. Wow I really just can't even explain what I felt, but I know what I felt and I don't think I'll ever forget that. 

This week really was great, It's great to hear from all of you. And Wow a Japanese student, that is going to be so awesome! Mace sounds amazing! Dad thanks for sharing that email with me, my Spanish is really bad but I think that I understood most of it. 

I love you all more than you will ever know

Elder England

Elder Segura cut my hair, It actually doesn't look

extremely horrible!

Juan Pablo X2

Making some Tortas Fritas at Pablo's house

Just chillin in my bed

Things here are GREAT!

This is like a universal sign for cool or awesome and everyone does it!

Familia!!!!!!!

Sounds like you had an awesome weekend up in Jackson, I'm sure Dalt enjoyed not having to use crutches this time. That's a total bummer that you didn't get an RV! Anyways I just wrote a pretty long email to President Newsome. I really don't know him that well, but I'm going to try to change that. He seems like a really awesome guy. I want to have a real relationship with him, instead of just being one of the hundreds of missionaries in Uruguay. I think that all the "Oros" or new missionaries are going back to the mission home sometime this week to have a meeting, so I'll get to see him this week.

As for things here in Florida Uruguay they're GREAT! haha When I wrote that I pictured Tony the Tiger from the Frosted Flakes commercial saying that. Some days were better than others obviously, but this past week really was great. In a letter from Dalton he emphasized something that Jason said to me the night before I left. And that was to enjoy every second of my mission. I really tried to do that this week, and it has helped a lot! Also something that dad told me was to try not to compare everything to home, and that has also helped me sooooo much.

Elder Marroquin and I are working great together. There were many times when I would feel like we need to go down a street or go somewhere and then Marroquin would say let's go to this area or down this street, and it is the same place that I was thinking!!!  I can really feel the spirit or understand the promptings that I get in a whole different way.

Juan's confirmation was yesterday, and his father came (also named Juan Pablo) He stayed for like all of sacrament meeting too. At first when we met Juan and his family his dad was super closed of and didn't want anything to do with us. But he is lightening up to us, we even went by last night and had a lesson with him about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he understands it all! haha Oh and a couple days earlier we were walking down the street and there was  big construction going on on the side of the street and we usually say hi to almost every person we walk by, I'm pretty sure everyone here thinks we are "mental people", but one of the construction workers was Juan Pablo the father and he came up to us and said hello. Also later today we are going to go over to their house and make tortas (fritas with dulce de leche:) I really think that through Juans example, we can help his whole family to be baptized or at least listen to us. 

"So theres the update... who are you talking to? whoaaaaaa" 

Sounds like everything is awesome there! Keep giving me updates on stuff everyone, I might not write you back but I love hearing what is going on. 

I love you all more than you will ever know;)

Elder England

I didn't know there were moose in Uruguay!

(Just a reminder he is an 18 year old boy)

I Remember That I Am Here For A Reason

Baptism pic with Juan Pablo and his Dad and brother

Juan wore dark underwear - haha

These are some shady guys!

Hello Family!!!

I had my first baptism yesterday!! Juan Pablo!!! He was so excited to get baptized, and the baptismal service was awesome, his dad and brother came who are not members and aren't really interested or I should say weren't really interested. I'm hoping that this makes them a little more interested in what we have to say. For the rest of our investigators, I can't say much.  None of them are really progressing. But we are talking to a lot of people everyday. It's difficult sometimes when we are talking to people, cause if I can't understand the conversation then it's hard for me to input something. I didn't really have any very spiritually impactful experiences this week, and I was a little bummed about that. But I have been trying really hard to understand more and really listen so that I can say more and be a bigger part in the lessons. And I'm understanding and talking more and more. A good majority of everything is still Elder Marroquin talking. Sometimes I think that I should just stay quiet because Elder Marroquin can teach a lot better than I can and with a lot more clarity. But I remember that I am here for a reason, and I have something that I need to share with everyone! So this makes me open my mouth and talk. I still need to talk a lot more though!!!!! and pay better attention to what people are saying. Sometimes at the end of the days my brain just gets fried from all the Spanish and kind of just shuts down. I really try but sometimes I physically can't focus, and I'm pretty sure that I've fallen asleep with my eyes open in some cases:) But, things are getting a lot better. And things with my companion are great, he is an awesome missionary. Actually really weird I am finding out, but he is an awesome missionary and I am learning a lot from him. Oh and he loves to cook, I don't know if I told you that before but he made this chicken this morning it was delicious. "Why you always got to be biten on my moment, does it taste good?... delicious" Uh it's killin me that I can't quote anything "ugh what do they teach in this place?"

OOOOOOHHHHHHHH I got my packages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It seriously made my whole day actually my whole week. Thank you so much! I think that all the food is already gone, except the pancakes, I'm saving those;) And we had a squirt gun fight earlier today it was crazy! "Hey good news, I saw a dog today" actually I see a dog every two seconds of everyday there are literally thousands of them. I'm going to pack a squirt gun in my back pack so I can squirt the dogs that bark at us. Everything in the packages were genius, the Mickey Mouse suckers and sour balls made me a little homesick, but I enjoyed them very much.

Sorry this email is really short, I really don't have much to say things are going great, I'll write a better email next week and hopefully I have some cool experiences. But I have some pictures this week. Oh yeah and GO UTES! I'm still mad about the loss last year but we got them back! That is so awesome that all of you are getting new callings! You guys are awesome! Thank you all for everything, I'm going to try to send some letters soon.

I love you all more than you will ever know!

Elder England

Just getting a little sun tanning in - 

It's starting to warm up!

Played some futbol last week!

Here is our bedroom and the three crazy latinos I live with!

That's all folks - love ya!  Hasta Luego