So I have officially reached the one month point. Santa Vaca.
1 more and I'll be in Mexico. Time is just flying.
It seems our district cannot seem to stay the same for longer
than a week. This Sunday, Elder Woodward and Elder Plowman got
called to be the new Zone Leaders, so now Elder Ringer is our
district leader. I'm guessing Elder Bonner's visa will get here
next week and he'll head off to Peru to keep us from getting too
comfortable.
Speaking of Sunday, the way sacrament meeting works here is
that every missionary prepares a talk (in Spanish) on whatever the
topic is for that week, and then President Tyler announces who the
speakers will be during Sacrament meeting, right before they go up
to talk. Guess who got chosen this week? Yep, me. The topic was
"recognizing the Holy Ghost." I wrote it the week before, so I
couldn't really remember exactly what I had written, but I think
it went well. So that was fun.
Taylor (BYU roommate) and Jeff (BYU co-worker who also went to
his high school) both left this week, and Scott and Austin (BYU
roommates) leave Monday. Don't worry Mom, I got a picture with
Taylor. People who got here after me are already leaving. I feel
so old.
The lessons are going pretty well. We found out last Friday
night that Wilmer is a coffee drinker, so we've been trying to
help him get over that. It's going really well. We gave him a
pamphlet about the Word of Wisdom and helped him set some goals,
and he's only relapsed once since then, and he felt really bad
about it. He's trying really hard, so I think he'll be fine.
He's been coming to church and he's getting baptized on the
21st--a week from tomorrow! What a man. Nicolas is still iffy.
He's reading the Book of Mormon--in fact, between last Tuesday's
visit and our visit this Tuesday he'd read all the way from the
beginning to 1 Nephi 13--and he knows its right, he just is a
little worried about what his family and friends will think about
him changing his religion. So we're going to try and figure out
how to help him with that.
So poor Elder Ringer (companion) has been very sick this week.
It started last Friday and seemed like the same cold that I had a
few weeks ago, but then it got worse and wouldn't go away. And he
said he had a lot of pain and congestion in his chest. So I
thought it was probably bronchitis. Wednesday we went to the
doctor and sure enough, it was bronchitis, and the doctor said
it's a good thing we came in because it was about to become
pneumonia. We ended up having to walk down to the BYU Health
Center in the outside world to get some medicine for him. That
was kind of weird. It made me realize how important this calling
is as a representative of Christ and how I need to act to do
that. Anyways, Elder Ringer is feeling a little better now.
Hopefully the medicine will keep working.
Thanks for the letters! I hope mom and Emily are having/had
fun at girls camp. Sounds like you all had a good 4th of July at
the BYU soccer game. Micah-Keep it up with the lacrosse. I wish
I could see you play. Also, I really enjoy your
fancily-folded/rolled-up letters. Izak-Awesome talk! Sounds like
you did a good job! And be glad you got that stinky merit badge
done. Booger-nose--I mean Zane--I'm glad you had a fun time at 7
peaks and the BYU soccer game, and that you're still a pompeeface
(a family word his grandpa made up-yeah I know). Gwen--sounds
like you've been having fun with Granny this week. How is it
being the only girl? Thanks for the drawing! Timo-thanks for the
update on the NBA. Sounds like it's been a super-eventful
offseason so far. Keep me posted. Also, what's the roster for
the US Olympic basketball team?
Give Matt Hammer and Alex Hansen my congratulations. Good for
them. I did see pictures of the fire--Elder (Jordan) Turner's
(BYU friend who went to his high school and family lives near fire
in Alpine) parents sent him some pictures and he showed Elder
Brimley and I. Crazy. Sounds like watching Da Vinci (niece's
turtle) has been an adventure. Crazy turtle. Also, what exactly
happened to Andrew (his buddy)? He fell off his motorcycle? Is he doing
okay? Let me know. Tell him good luck on his talk this Sunday (his mission farewell)!
I'll be there in spirit!
Well, everything's going well. I'm already to the point where
I feel like I want to do this forever and never come home. It's
just so great to be doing the work of the Lord! He lives, Jesus
is our Savior, and this church is true! I love you all! Have a
good week.!
-Elder Pew
Quotes for the week:
"A fat kid in my neighborhood broke my pogo stick in 4th
grade." -Elder Plowman
"For the second lesson, we're going to break the law of
Chastity to him." -Elder Rice
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| My district doing Abbey Road |
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| Red tie day at the temple Elder Pew, Elder Bonner and Elder Duncan |
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| Elder Pew on his bed |
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| Elder Brimley, Elder Pew & Elder Bay (BYU Roommates at the MTC) |
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| Elder Bonner sitting on Elder Duncan (Elder Pew's first companions) |
