Week Twenty-five.

Mis queridos,

  How's things and stuff?  This week was what we call in Spanish "ahí" or "más o menos"; we really enjoyed it but didn't see as much success as we would have liked.  It's tough to spend weeks like this one where we only teach around twenty lessons even though we're trying every day.  It reminds me of the slower pace of little Varela, my first area.  Hopefully the warm weather will draw people out of their homes to be trapped--I mean, taught :)--in the streets.

  The good things, though?  Lorena, Florencia's mom, came to church for the third time in a row!  She said she had spoken with missionaries almost thirteen years ago and taken the lessons then, and that at that time she didn't feel ready or comfortable committing to be baptized.  But now, she says, lots has changed and she wants to try preparing herself again!  And better yet, her husband has also been taking the lessons with us and asking really good questions, even though he hasn't come to church since the day of Florencia's baptism.  He said he had a dream the other night in which we as the missionaries had told him he needed to stop smoking and he's trying to leave off now: without us having as much as mentioned the Word of Wisdom to him (we taught him the importance of that commandment later, of course)!  It's really evident that the Spirit is inviting him to do that which is good and uplifts and edifies.

  We have a couple other really promising investigators.  As always, the classic Uruguayan problem is that we are literally the last priority on people's lists--if we have a time set up to pass by and teach a lesson, and anything else arises (like their dog needs to go for a walk or they run out of milk and go to the store), they drop everything and stand up the missionaries.  It's kind of frustrating.  Elder Griffin, my trainer, used to say, "One of the hardest things to do in Uruguay is to find a really promising new investigator and have a strong, spiritual lesson with him or her.  But the Very Hardest thing to do here is find that same person again and teach them a second time."  haha... I wish that were less true...

  But I know that it's nothing personal against the missionaries, much less against the Lord--the people of Uruguay are really wonderful and accepting.  I come to love them more every day; I know I'll have a hard time leaving this branch when I finally do.  Our other really powerful experience this week was meeting our new mission president (a Fortune 500 businessman from Florida) and his wife.  They are incredible and stressed the importance of developing that sincere love for people.  I realized how much I need to improve.  "At the end of the day," said Sister Newsome, "We will not be judged by which areas or callings or jobs we served in, rather by how well we have loved our spiritual brothers and sisters who surround us."

  Thank you for always having showed that love toward me,

  Elder Hansen