Good Week!

Alright, so I´m making a goal to get one good letter in every week, so you can at least know a little bit about what´s going on down here.  Most of my time is still being dedicated to finding new penches all around the mission.  In total, we are going to open up 40 areas.  It can be really stressful, but i´m trying to plan SUPER well.  We have to constantly be planning everything far in advance, it´s a good life skill that i´m learning.  The mission is the best place to learn, it´s cool how it works though and I believe that it is like this outside of the mission as well, but if we are totally not focused on ourselves and we are just giving it our all, the Lord will mold us into the instrument HE wants us to be.  He will allow us to be His hands and bless the lives of others.  That is my greatest desire, and I know that because it is a righteous desire, the Lord will grant me it if I do my part.  I know that as we try to put our will in accordance with His, we change and start to become truly converted.  I think we should constantly ask ourselves what our greatest desire is and honestly answer it to ourselves.  Then based on our answer, take the necessary steps to reach it.  

This gospel brings so much happiness and real peace.  Like Elder Cook talked about, there is peace that the world can give, and there is personal peace, an abiding deep happiness that binds up broken hearts, blots out hate, and only comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I´ve been able to see the reality of these things in the mission field in my life and in the life of others.  

I loved General Conference, I learned a lot.  It´s strange how I think that I know and understand the docterine, but I keep learning new things that just give me a wider perspective on the docterine.  One of my favorite talks was Elder Craig A Cardon called "The Savior Wants to Forgive Us".  The savior forgives our sins while we are here on earth, he does not excuse us in our sins or condone the return to past sins, but he wants us to repent and desires to forgive us.  He loves us, "I will that ye should overcome the world; wherefore I will have compassion upon you". He knows that we will not be perfect and in our failure to do so, he has compassion on us. Elder Cardon said  "In His mercy, He allows for improvement over time rather than demanding immediate perfection. Even with the multitude of sins occasioned by the weakness of mortality, as often as we repent and seek His forgiveness, He forgives again and again"  I´ve been able to see the healing power of the atonement over these last few weeks.  

alright to answer some questions...

I have a new companion from chile named Elder Jorquera.  He is awesome and a really hard worker.  We are already really good friends.  I have to train him to do my job so that I can leave the offices :)  Yes i´m getting some rest, not as much as i´d like to but we´re managing.  Like dad said, who knew that all that staying up late stuff would help me out in the field!?!?  I´m trying to stay healthy, i´m good on oils except for breath.  I´d like some more breath and maybe something that you think smells good but nothing else because i have a huge stock.  oh yeah and some empty pill capsule things :)  

As for laundry, we wash when we can and use a laundry mat thing i can´t remember what theyre called?  Washers and dryers are pretty much don´t exist exept for rich people, but even they don´t have dryers.  Haha, weird huh.  I used to whine about laundry... 

The flooding in La Plata is outside of our mission, so we are pretty much unaffected.  The members did donate what they could to help out, so we got a truck load of clothes and basic provisions (mate included...)  and sent it off.  

Haha people are pretty excited about the pope, but i don´t know if it makes them any more likely to talk about religion... I´ve asked loads of people and they are really  excited about the pope, but then i ask them if they have started going to church... apparently not that excited...

The weather is pretty good, its starting to get cold during the night and mornings.  It´s a pretty nice break from all the heat, but it stinks that it gets dark early, because people lock themselves in their houses and think you have to be CRAZY to be out in the street clapping peoples doors.

 Over Transfer week, we basically weren´t able to get out to the area at all, so now that we are back in the groove of things, we are working a lot with the members, especially the bishop.  We have found some good new people but none have progressed a ton yet.  This week is going to be great though and we´ll have tons of success!  

Love you all, i´m out of time.  But hope that you are all doing well.  write me back some more questions so i can give some short answers.  In the mean time, they have changed the rule on emailing friends, and i would REALLY like to be able to communicate with you all!   LOVE YOU!!!