This week went great! On Wednesday I picked up my
hijo and he is great! His name is Elder Johnny Russell and comes from
Sandy, Utah. He's 19 and graduated in 2012, so normal missionary age.
He is a great missionary! He is a lot like me so we get along very
well. He loves eating healthy and working out so we get along great
there. We wake up early and alternate every day between lifting weights
and running. He is the oldest of 5 siblings as well and has 2 brothers
and 2 sisters. He went to Alta high school and he plays a lot of
sports. He's a big tennis player as well as football, basketball, and
baseball, but unfortunately not soccer. He is a great missionary and is
teaching me a lot every day. He definitely has the fire and the desire
to be a great missionary and his Spanish gets better every day and I'm
doing my best to teach him.
The best news I have for this week I just read a few minutes ago.
Arturo and his family got baptized in Ensenada, Mexico yesterday! I
just read his email that he sent the day before. I think he is
definitely my favorite investigator that I've taught on my mission so far.
I have grown so close to him and I rejoice every time I read his email
and hear how he and his family are doing and progressing. Although I
didn't see the baptism it will be my favorite baptism of my mission. I
can't wait to get the pictures via email or regular mail sometime
soon!
This week we didn't get to do nearly as much missionary work but we
did a lot of service. We helped a Brazilian family that also speaks
Spanish move from one ward to the other in the Cameron Park area of the
stake. We are excited because the area they moved into has more Spanish
people so we're hoping to teach some of their neighbors by having this
family help us. We also did a lot of yard work in a single lady's yard.
I am getting really good at starting fires because everyone here burns
all the dry things they have that come from the yard instead of
throwing it away. I'm also become pretty good at trimming bushes. The
Spanish culture is rubbing off on me in more ways than one (:
We are making a lot of changes in how we do missionary work and
they are starting to pay off. The first one that's paying off is having
a dinner calendar. Last transfer we either had ramen noodles or fast food for
lunch and dinner every day because we had no one to feed us. Now we
have some dinners and are actually getting real food! We are also
getting about 50 Spanish speakers or returned missionaries called to
come out and teach with us and take us to meet their friends so we will have people to teach and members to help us teach them.
Alma and Victor are progressing nicely. We taught them the Plan of
Salvation on Saturday and they are loving it. We were sad that Victor said
he had to work on Sunday so he couldn't come to church but Alma got a ride with her
sister-in-law Heriberta. We were really happy that she came! They got there at the end of Sacrament meeting and missed a
lot of great testimonies but they went to the Sunday School class
and enjoyed it. We can't wait to teach them more and get them to church
next week!
I am really excited for the 2 coming transfers with Elder Russell.
We are making a lot of changes in the area and it is really turning
around. I have a great companion and even though he's been out half as
many weeks as I have months he is teaching me and helping me become a
better missionary on a daily basis. I am really excited for the future
and what all it holds!
Les Quiero Mucho!
Elder Gaskill
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