A TRYING WEEK (received 5/7/12)

Hello everyone!

Well, this was a pretty rough week for me to be completely honest with you all.

We started off the week doing even more service! Service is something that we've been doing a lot of lately because the mission president recieved revelation that that's what the mission needs to be doing right now to help boost the numbers of the mission. So, the first project of the week we went to a small town called Nasacara to help out the 2nd counselor of the ward harvest corn. Here, to do that they cut the stalks of corn down and put them into huge groups to take the corn off and then BURN the stalks. Soooo, we got to work cutting down the stalks. I don't know how the traditional american style is to cut down corn, but because this country is behind by several years, we used machetes! I had sooo much fun cutting the stalks down. We had contests to see who could cut down the most stalks in one slash, and I got second place with 4 in one awesome slash. It was a lot of fun and we're talking to the family to try and go help them again, because we cut a ton in a space of a couple of hours.

The second project was for a less active member. We went to another pueblito called Pampa Grande to help him cut alfalfa. Well, that wasn't as fun or easy as corn, but we still had fun. We got to feed these three massive milk cows  and two little bulls. It was cool, and we were able to help a lot, because this member has been less active for years now, and he's thinking of returning back to the Church, so we're really excited. And we also have plans for helping him out again on Wednesday, with the other two elders in our house, and we're going to learn to make artisan Bolivian bread, so this will be a fun day.

Ok, so on Friday, I was SICK SICK SICK all day long out of no where. I was, unfortunately,  in bed all day with diarrea and vomiting. That absolutely killed us this week for our work, because ALL of our lessons were for Friday, so missing that really destroyed us for the week.

But, on Saturday ( I was feeling MUCH better...power of the priesthood.) we spent all day helping the other missionaries prepare for a baptism they had that day of one of their investigators. The thing was that we had to get the water heated from this thing that heats the water up by gas.....that hasn't been used in about 10 months. So, I spent literally all that morning getting the heater to work, while the other pair went to Cochabamba to go pick up the clothing for the baptism. THEN, the jacuzzi that rotated the water and kept it warm BROKE and actually make the font overflow, which meant all of the warm water was gone. Plus the gas tank ran out of gas, so the option of re-heating the water was out. So we as missionaries said a prayer that all would go well with the baptism, and you know what? It did.

This week was dificult for me because we taught very few lessons this week, but all in all it was a good week because there was a successful baptism for the ward. And that's what really matters.

Dad- Guess there's lots of work for both of us, huh? I can't wait to talk to you on Sunday!

Mom- Nope. No Mexican food(or beans) here. Weird, I know, but that's how it is. Sunday!!!!!!!!

Aly- Bear Lake sounds amazing! I hope you have a great time! I can't wait for Sunday!

Emi- Just tell me about your week on Sunday!

Have a great week everyone!

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AEA


Elder Craig(Now 21 years old!)