Best Cure is to Go to Work! - November 8, 2010

Elder Bonilla, Eduardo & Elder Snow

Dear Family!

So good to hear from you, as always. This email might be really short because I have been trying to figure out how to send you some pictures. I´m pretty sure I´ll get some through, but there might not be too many. Thanks for all the birthday wishes! Definitely weird to think that this is my last day as a teenager. Oh well, I still got a while to live haha.

 

We had a baptism for Eduardo this week and it was really amazing! We asked him who he wanted to baptism him and he said whichever, so Elder Bonilla volunteered me. That was definitely alright with me though. It was the first time I have baptized anyone and it was a very special experience. The spirit was very strong and I know that Eduardo has the potential to be an amazing missionary in a year. He´s already read the triple and is pretty far into the Bible now. He was really a blessing for us that the Lord had prepared. And to watch one of the Lord´s children take that step closer to Him is a remarkable thing to witness and be a part of.

 

Overall the week went very well! I´ve have really learned that when I´m tired the best cure is to go to work. What President Hinckley said about losing yourself in the work is 100 percent true. By being involved, positive, and helping others the Lord blesses you with strength. I feel like I have learned a lot this week about putting my confidence in the Lord when I am almost at the end of my energy. In those moments, his help is so important.

 

Sounds like Mason had a pretty awesome game! That's cool to hear about the panther shoot out thing. Hope that is fun and goes well. I like grandpa´s reference to Elder Uchtdorf´s talk on pride and how we can have pride in our family. If I brag about Mason´s soccer skills would that be a bad thing? Haha only kidding. But really, congrats to Mason.

 

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Snow for writing! It was good to hear from you. Also thank you for the awesome ties. If you look closely at the picture of the mission president and I, I am sporting that nifty tie that you gifted me. I really like it lots!

 

I´ll answer a couple of your questions:

 

Do you walk a lot or do you take public transportation?

Nah, we walk pretty much all the time. The only time we take public transportation is when we go to the office or if we do exchanges. The other areas are a little ways away so we have to bus over there. The busses here are crazy! I fear for my life every time. just kidding, but it´s kind of funny, every time the Catholics get on the bus they do the little prayer cross things with their hand   (Don´t know what it´s called).

 

Also, do you eat with members a lot or do you eat on your own?

We eat with members almost every day. We have a huuuge lunch with them then I´ll just have something light for dinner, lots of times empanadas. Then cereal for breakfast. This week I tried mondongo, which is cow stomach. Yuk haha. It was super chewy and tasted like sewer. Not my fave. But the member also made this fried chicken breast called milonesa which was super good. Pdays are usually the only days I´ll have to cook.

 

Have you received any mail or a package yet?

Nah, todavia. We get mail today though so we´ll see. And I´m heading to the office on Wednesday (Elder Foster, a GA is coming this week so we are having zone conference with him, I´m super pumped) so I´ll check again then.  

 

How was your b-day?  Did you celebrate your b-day? 

Well there isn´t much I can do to celebrate, but it´s ok. The mission president´s wife calls and wishes happy birthday. And you get cookies!

 

I will send you a b-day card. (From Mason)

Thanks for the card, Mason! I don´t think it totally worked, but all the same, thanks!

 

I know this letter is super crappy, but at least you have some pictures!  

Love you all lots!

Elder Snow

Also a disclaimer, If the picture with the dead mice makes it through the internet waves, don´t worry there´s only one more, and we´ll get him soon.