September 15, 2014

Familia:

Wow! I feel like every time I feel like I have had the best week ever and that there is no way it can get even better, it always gets better! Our area has been so blessed these past few weeks with just amazing people to teach, great leaders that support the work, and the chance to enjoy the company of the Spirit. We have seen and felt so much of the Lords guidance this past week, it has been incredible. 

Joaquin y Paula are doing so awesome!! We have been seeing a lot of progress with them. In the lessons this week, Paula told us that ever since we have been coming to her house and teaching her family, there has been a better feeling in the house and they have been a lot happier. We had a lesson with Joaquin this past week and at the end, he came with us to go play soccer. We didn’t have a moto, obvio, but the bishop did, so he rode over there with the bishop and the bishop gave him a tour of the church and was explaining everything to him as we walked over to his house. Then after soccer, Joaquin walked with us home and was talking about how he was going to ask Paula to marry him and all this stuff. We haven’t even talked about marriage with them yet! He just wants to do it! What a stud! And they drink cevada instead of coffee. NO ONE THAT ISNT MORMON DOES THAT!!! We were so pumped. They have been putting in their part to learn and they have been loving ever but of it. And Paula finally prayed the last visit we had with them. It was always a big deal for her because she always said that she was embarrassed but she just did it the last time we were there! These all seem like really small things, but they are so huge! They are slowly changing and they are seeing the blessings that have been coming into their life as they have been coming closer to Christ! Aaaahh!!!! So awesome! 

We also found another family to teach this past week! Bring the count up to 5 complete families that we are teaching! this has never before happened to me in the mission! It’s like all of a sudden finding has become easy! It seems like every week we have found a new family to teach as the rest of them still continue to progress! 

Also we had a huge step with working with the stake this past week too! President Smith came up to Paysandú this past week and we had this giant meeting with all the missionaries, all the high council, the stake presidency, and all the bishops with a few other people invited as well. In this meeting that we had, we talked and taught the doctrine of Christ to all the leaders and then practiced as missionaries with the leaders that pertain to our ward. It was so awesome! Then after elder sifuentes and I had a meeting with President Smith where we talked about a huge thing that is going to change in Paysandu. It’s going to be so great! 

This week it poured rain for about 3 days and it destroyed our church meetings. We only had 26 people attend our ward which is way less than half. We were kind of bummed but we are excited to go and visit all the people who didn’t come. 

Funny story of the week. We were working on the computer this past week, sending in the logros of the zone and stuff and I guess that the stake president didn’t know that we were still in the church and set the alarm. Well there is a motion sensor in the bishop’s office where we were and I guess that the alarm was blaring outside the church for about 20 minutes, but inside we didn’t hear anything. as we were walking out of the bishops office, we heard it faintly and as we go to turn it off, we see 2 security cars with all this security personnel, the stake president, and the police on their way (i guess its a rule that when the alarm has been tripped in various places, they cant enter without the police). You should have seen their face as we walked down the hall to turn off the alarm with them all standing outside the church gates. hahaha. It was priceless. We all got a good laugh. You got to love the mission! Ha-ha. 

Well that is all the time I have for this week! I love you all so much! I appreciate every single one of you and all that you do for me! You guys are the best! 

Lets all try a little bit harder to be a little bit better!!

UN abrazo grande, 

Elder Staffieri