28 December 2010

Uruguay Montevideo missionaries

Floridá zone

This week went really well. I really enjoyed Christmas [see picture above]. I’m also in the Montevideo bus terminal because today was transfers. My companion and I are staying together – few changes in our zone.

On the 24th we had a cool miracle. We knocked on a door and a lady let us in. Her husband is blind and she had a serious bandage on her foot. We watched Mormon Messages about Christmas. It was really cool. She said the God sent us there. That was cool.

On Christmas Day Uruguay is dead from a late night and fireworks and alcohol, so we took advantage to do our weekly planning. Then we went to eat lunch with our branch president, and then we planned more. We also cleaned out our cell phone. Zone leaders and sisters have cell phones in our mission. Other elders have met people and put them [their information] in the phone. So, we called a boatload of people and saw if they wanted to be baptized and when they used their agency incorrectly we wished them a Merry Christmas.

I loved the phone call. It made me feel really good. Thanks for being the best family ever.

Love you lots,

Elder Whitaker

6 December 2010

This week was really good. Thanks for all the letters. I got a lot of them and I’ll print them out to have time to write you all.

We had a baptism on Saturday. And like you probably know, there is always a bunch of opposition when someone wants to get baptized. We got to the church 3 hours ahead of time to fill the font. Turns out the font was full, from our last baptism. Gross. We had to empty it and then fill it up. We brought a DVD player and a DVD to watch after the ordinance, but there was only one plug, so we prepared a backup plan with the VHS built into the TV. Edgardo, who was getting baptized, couldn’t find a taxi. So instead of getting to the church 30 minutes early, it was like 4 minutes early. Sonia, Edgardo’s wife, has a cell phone out of commission. And at 15 till, there was one member. It was cool, and not even that stressful, really, because it all got fixed in time and the baptism went really smoothly. I performed the baptism. Edgardo is like 65 years old. This week he got married to Sonia after being together for 5 years. Sonia is a member since her youth.

Yesterday we had a meeting with the district president. That was cool. What called most to my attention was the spirit we felt together. The spirit that accompanies a district president is different. What was even more interesting was the zone leader council we had this week with Elder Arnold of the Seventy. He said the same thing. He felt a different spirit as he met with 22 zone leaders and the assistants. I thought, “What is he feeling and how is he feeling it?” I felt the spirit he brought but nothing due to the fact that I was there. It was interesting, something to ponder.

But I think that’s all I’ve got. I love you lots. I hope you all enjoy this Christmas season. We’re working on having a white Christmas. We’re working on baptizing Alicia on Christmas, the only saving ordinance you can perform on Christmas because the temples are closed on Christmas. You could pray for that.

I know the church is true. I know Christ lives. What a glorious blessing it is to represent Jesus Christ.

Love, Elder Whitaker