Hey Family - July 23rd

The talent show went really well. I think I am losing my skills a bit though. Of course it didn’t help to put the music out of order. The little girl that wanted to play too didn’t help me keep my focus either. It was funny. But, I just played to do my part. We had an awesome turnout though. There were somewhere around 90 people there and we had lots of friends of members and investigators there. The people here love to show off their talents and it was a lot of fun. I don’t know why we don’t do that in our ward still. Too much talent maybe. They were always fun though.

That is awesome mom and Jonathan that you could go to the Shakespear’s homecoming talks. They have really been awesome examples for me and I think you can probably see a little bit why now. Great people. Very humble and loving as you guys also said. I didn’t realize that you would also be running into so many people that I know from the mission. Just didn’t think about it I guess. Elder Peterson just got home a few weeks ago. So weird.

Little joffns is all grown up now…! I must admit that seeing the pictures from vacations he looks a lot older than when I had left. Just so you know joffns, I don’t hug strangers so if I don’t recognize you when I get back… What do you still have as far as vacations go anyways?

Maybe it is a surprise, but I actually haven’t met the new mission president and his family yet. We have interviews later this afternoon and that will be the first time. Almost the whole entire mission has met them except us. We are just so far out I guess. Their two girls are 17 and 19 I believe. We have a lesson to give to the zone during interviews this afternoon. I bit stressful, but not too bad. We do it so often that I am just getting use to it. Teaching everywhere we go. One thing I do not like doing is doing practices in front of everyone. It just feels weird. Still, I do it. It is a help to learn key skills to use in teaching investigators.

Hopefully I will get the package that you sent this afternoon. That will brighten up my day after a nice stressful training capacitation meeting. We had a stressful day yesterday too moving apartments. That is right we are now out of the nasty, moldy, party apartment. We still are in a small pench, but it is clean and doable. It is also neighboring with Elder Melander and Elder Humphreys which should be fun. They are part of the branch we serve in as well. Too bad I had to suffer for six months. Oh well, guess I will just have to be content with making things better for those who come.

To answer your questions about Elder Barindelli, he lives in a place a lot like Utah from what I have seen in his pictures. The plants and desert looking landscape is the same. They get snow but not like us since it is not so much in the mountains I think. The seasons are the same with a warm summer and beach to go to. How lucky! The people are different there from what he has told me. He always is asking people about the culture here in misiones. And I would have to say that the people where I am at are nicer than a lot of places. Throwing rocks at each other is quite common still, but no one has ever thrown them at us yet. Really nice people in misiones, in all my areas. You always have to be careful in where you go at night though for precautions.

Jonathan and girls! Okay, I am glad that you could have such a great experience at EFY. It sounds like it was a real testimony builder. Keep up the good work Jonathan. And maybe you should have mom type up all your emails, they seem to turn out longer.  I hope you do feel better soon though. The power of the priesthood works great along with faith.

Well about the investigators we have a bit. We were able to set several more baptismal dates in the last few days and talk about sacrifice with a few families to help them make a sacrifice and go to church. It worked well. The family Candido finally accepted a date for the 16 of august and the family Dominguez also accepted one for the same day (this time Jorge and his wife, Mirian). Franco continues to show strong desires to change, but it is tough. He came up with a lot of things he needs to change to leave bad habits, but now it is a matter of doing it all. We asked him to speak with his dad to show him that he was trying and he agreed. He didn’t want to in the first place, but I think he will. I know it is tough to admit to oneself when you are doing something wrong, but it can be even harder admitting to someone else. Still, he needs more support from the family. We also told him to take his plans to his Heavenly Father and he readily agreed. I know he will receive the strength that he needs if he just follows these commitments.

Well, I best be going now, but I want you all to know that I love you a lot. Hope everything goes well enough.

Elder Aaron McDonald