Oct. 10, 2011 with Elder A in Durazno

Hey all!

To start off, before I forget, I'd like to answer a few questions that I recieved from the Aurora Vista Ward primary:
Do I like serving a mission? I love it. It's the best decision I ever made so far. So all of you should start thinking and planning for a mission. You'll love it!
How many people have I baptized? I have taught 22 people and helped get them ready for baptism. (Not quite a hundred fifty, but I'm really pleased at the opportunities I've had to witness the changes in these people`s lives.
What city am I in? For now, I'm in Durazno, but I might move next week to another city.
Do I rent an apartment? Yes. I live there with my companion and 2 other missionaries.
What sports do they play here? Soccer. And nothing else.
Do they have technology? Yes. Almost as much as we have up there in Utah. They're a few years behind, but they have cell phones and computers and everything.
How's it going? It's going pretty well.
What is the most slimy, yucky thing that I have eaten? Cazuela de Mondongo. It's a soup made of cow stomach. It's really not bad, but lots of people don't like it. And it's very slimy.
Is Uruguay a good place to go on a mission? It's the best place to go on a mission. I highly recommend it.
How long will I be back? I'll be back in a little over 4 months. I'm excited to come meet all of you that wrote to me.
Is it hard being away from my family? Sometimes it can be hard. I miss them a lot, but it's easy because I know they want me to be here and they know what I'm doing.
How is it in Madagascar? I don't know. I've never been there. I hear Elder LeStarge is there. You could ask him.
Am I learning any languages? Yes. I'm learning Spanish. I like it a lot. I'm also learning a little bit of portuguese. But the most important language to learn is how to pray and understand the spirit when Heavenly Father answers our prayers.
Do I like Halo? Not really. I only played a little bit before the mission and now I don't play any videogames.
Am I having fun? Yes.
Did I see a friend? Yes. Lots of friends.

Thanks for all your letters, kids! I loved reading them! Good Luck on the primary program!

This has been a good week. Maria got baptized on Saturday and due to a last minute change of plans, her husband didn't feel ready to baptize her, so she asked me to do the baptism. It was a really nice experience. Lots of people went to the baptismal service. Something weird about the baptism was that everyone was congratulating me. I've never had that before. It was nice that people were recognizing the work i put in to help Maria, but I really didn't do that much. She was preparing herself on her own for months and finally was ready. We just arranged the service and reviewed the lessons that she already knew by memory.

Magdalena didn't go to church or the baptismal service. We invited her to the baptism and she said she'd go, but didn't. Then she didn't go to church, but there's a chance she doesn't really know the schedule since it's changed every week since she's started with general conference and such.

Yes, this week is change week. It is likely that I leave. I have 3 changes here and I've only had 4 changes once in Treinta y Tres, so it's not very likely that I stay. I'd love to stay, but if I do, that means I only get 2 changes in my final area and I wouldn't like that very much.

That convert of Elder Bush is probably not anyone I know. His first convert was in Montevideo and he and I didn't have any baptisms together.

Sounds like I missed the fall leaf tour. It actually kinda sounds fun now. Really calm, tranquilo relaxation anyways..something I don't get very often.




In other news, all is well with my comp, my area, my ward, my house, my roommates, and such. I'm recovered from my sickness. My allergies still kinda bug me, but it's no big deal.

I'm happy, healthy, and safe. Have a nice week all.

And remember: The building up of Zion is a process as much as it is a destination. Let's get building!
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Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Elder Parry with mine own hand, which is the token in every email: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.