Family,
and Friends!!
So I can’t
get into my email so I am writing this email on word and I'm gonna copy and
paste it in later today. I hope you all
got the pictures I sent earlier this week.
They aren’t too exciting, but we are only allowed to take pictures once
every two weeks. I am going to try to take my camera out when we go to Buenos
Aires this week so hopefully I can get some cool pictures.
Important! Please do not send any
more mail to this address. I am leaving in the next 12 days so I won’t get any
mail. So please update the address on my blog to the address of my
mission home. The new adress is:
Elder Daniel Scott Staffieri
La Mision Uruguay Montevideo Oeste
Enrique Martinez 1167
Montevideo, Uruguay 11.800
So one
month out and here I am!! It’s so crazy that it has been a month already. I
feel like it has been a week. Maybe it’s because I have been doing the same
thing everyday for the past 4 weeks. We are in class for like 12 hours a day
and have an hour and a half for physical activity. So the days don’t really
separate themselves. So it’s gonna by way fast! Spanish is coming along
awesome. It’s so much fun talking in Spanish especially to the natives because
they talk sooooooooo fast it’s kind of like a guessing game based on what you
were able to discern. But when we teach lessons you can definitely tell the
spirit is there helping you out.
Conference
was so awesome!! I can’t even explain the spirit that is in the CCM during
conference. Everyone was so quiet, focused and taking notes like crazy. Then
we all got together after each session and reviewed talks and related them to
teaching and shared scriptures we could use in them. It was seriously the best.
I have never gotten more out of a general conference. My favorite talks were
Elder Holland, Elder Bednar, and as always, Elder Uchtdorf (he is the man,
especially in Priesthood session). It started way late here. The morning
session started at 1pm and the afternoon session started at 5 pm. Priesthood
would have ended at like midnight so we watched it on Sunday during our
Priesthood meeting. It was cool having
six hours on Sunday. It flew by though. The only bad part of conference is that
we actually had fast Sunday. So we didn’t eat dinner the night before and
everyone was dying haha. But we feasted spiritually all conference so it was
worth it.
Funny
story. Yesterday I was playing basketball with everyone during actividad
fisica. And I ran down the court after elder el-bakri because he stole the ball
and was going for a lay up. So I was in a dead sprint. I got down there where
he was going up, and because I am so graceful, I tripped over his leg and flew
sideways into the metal goal post under the hoop (the court double as a
basketball court and soccer field). My left thigh hit it and I helicoptered off
spinning the other direction. I felt like one of those quarter backs who dive
into the endzone and get hit and just start spinning out of control. Haha. It
was so gnarly. Elder Finnegan said it looks legit though. My bruise looks so
gnarly, its my entire right thigh.
Hopefully it will get better in the next few days. So funny.
Proselitismo
this Saturday!! Ah I can’t wait to get back out there and go teach real
investigators and actually come teach our appointments we set up. It’s going to
be awesome!!!! Its pouring rain here right now so maybe it will be pouring then
too, which would make it more interesting. But my Spanish has gotten a lot
better from 2 weeks ago when we went so I want to get out and put it to use.
The last
group of Americans just left this past Tuesday. I am jealous but so pumped to
think that that is going to be me in just a mere 12 days!! We are getting a new
group of latinos today, the ones that are going to our mission so we have been
talking to as many as we can, getting to know them and their story, trying to
get them to feel more comfortable. They are the quitest group so far so it’s
hard getting them out of their shell. But more are coming all day today so we
are all excited. And not only are we getting more Latinos, but we are getting a
brand new group of Americans too! I remember that flight, probably the worst,
best experience of my life. Being all cramped up in the back of a plane with no
leg room because you couldn’t fit your bag under the seat, being shoved in the
middle of the row. Haha. Everyone is watching a movie around you but you can’t.
All you look at is the map of where the plane is, seeing where you could
possible be in 13 hours if you dont die before then, praying you can fall
asleep but knowing that there is now way you can. But then at the same time, you are so stoked.
You are actually on your mission. You have been prepairing your whole life to
be on this flight, to be an instrument in the Lord’s hands. Knowing that its
actually happening!! I get stoked just thinking about it! 2 more weeks till the
real deal!!
So this
past week our district has shrunk even more. Maybe I wrote about it last week
but I don’t remember if I did or not so here I am doing it again. The district
of nefi has only 5 members. Me, Elder Finnegan, Elder El-Bakri (the 3 nephites)
and two sisters: Hermana Toone and Hermana Fullmer. Its actually a ton of fun
having a small district and our room is a lot less crowded.
So I found
a scripture in personal study this morning reading in the New Testiment. I
haven’t read the Bible that much so I have been trying to read more and more
every day with my Book of Mormon studies. But anyways, the scripture is in
Matthew, the last two verses. It is Matthew 28: 19-20. It says “Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the
end of the world. Amen.” I like this scripture so much because it explains our
purpose as missionaries. We are out here to teach the word of God. We have been
called by a prophet to spread the gospel to the whole earth to administer the
saving ordinances, baptism being the first! We go about teaching with the
Spirit of God as our constant companion. Sharing with them the way they can
have this amazing gift of the gospel, to have the gift of the Holy Ghost, to
live with their families forever, to return to live with our Heavenly Father.
This is God’s work, this is the work we have been called to. There is no better
work! I am so blessed to be out here in Argentina and to be leaving to Uruguay.
I know this is the true gospel. The Atonement is the greatest miracle the world
has ever seen. It is perfect. I know that this is the only way to return to our
Heavenly Father. I know that this is the only way for happiness in this
life. The gospel is awesome.
I am out of
time but I love you all. I am so excited to be out on my mission. This is where
I am supposed to be. I wouldn’t trade it
for anything. Till next week!
Elder
Staffieri
SEE PICTURES BELOW
The North American Elders
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