New President

Picture of typical streets in Florida Uruguay!

Family!!!

Dang I really wish I could have seen this awesome birthday party, and I really want a bowling shirt! Oh hey I don't think I told you but you asked me what I want for my b day and I want more pictures of you guys. You should send memory cards with pictures and videos of you guys. Anyways sounds like a ¨groovy¨ week;) Especially with the Eagles concert. I'm pretty jealous, super jealous that I didnt get to sit by a big fat drunk lady. But are you sure that she ¨spilled¨ beer on you, or were you getting a little taken away with the flash to the past? I didn't hear much about the St. George trip with the Wallaces but I imagine you're having a blast. And Maggie... Ugh... yeah I don't have anything to say... other than who is this kid? And where does he live? haha but seriously:)

Anyways there is actually some big news here in the mission. So on Saturday we all got a call from the assistants saying that we have to go to Montevideo on Monday, but no one knew why. So we went there on Sunday with the whole mission and it turns out that President Newsome and his family have to go home. Apparently there are legal issues with his company that he has to go back and figure out. It was really sad, I had really been starting to get to know President and now he is leaving. And for now we don't know who is going to be the next president, I have heard that they haven't even extended the calling yet. I have a feeling that the new President is going to be really awesome like President Newsome! 

Well along with all that, the mission is really focusing on our goals for the year and especially for this month. It turned out that we baptized less people in the year 2013 than we did in 2012. So for this year we have the goal to double the number of baptisms from last year. And to start the year we put the goal for 130 baptisms this month. I really think that we can get it, we have 65 already which is more than they had in the whole month of January last year. Elder Cruz and I put our goal one baptism for this month. And when we had our weekly planning session last Thursday our goal was looking very achievable. But by Saturday night our anticipated excitement died. Mirtha on Friday told us that she did not want to get baptised. After explaining and asking a lot of questions she then told us that she wanted to make her descision and didn't want to feel pressured. So we shared our testimonies and expressed our great desire to help her get baptized but explained that if she is looking for an answer she still has to look for it meaning that she has to read and keep coming to church and pray. And she said that she understood that. Also we had some other investigators named Evangelina and Fabian who were looking very bright and we had a lesson with them on Saturday but weren't there when we went. So by Saturday night we were a little down, but I was just praying for a miracle. Because in order for someone to be baptised they have to come to church at least twice so if we want to meet our goal we needed someone to be in the church Sunday to baptize them this month. Well we went to church and turns out that there are two young women in our ward that always come, well their mom came yesterday and the mom brought a friend. Well turns out the friend lives in our area, and really liked the meetings on Sunday. We have a lesson with her tomorrow, and she looks really nice. I am still hoping that this could be our miracle to help us meet the goal we have been working for.

I have been learning so much, and I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have had to train. I know that I still have a week left with Elder Cruz here in Florida, and I am determined to work until the transfers. Thanks for the inspired suggestions dad, you always help. I am really excited for transfers but sad to leave the area that I have been in for 6 months. 

Anyways have an awesome week. I love you all more than you will ever know!

Elder England

Doing some yoga on the roof with

Elder Cruz, Elder Gallacher

and Elder Canete