6/23/2014 6 weeks left

Please read the paragraph that I found in an English book here. If I had to describe the culture here, I wouldn't be able to phrase it any better than this...well maybe my grammar would be a bit better, but everything else is to the T! I promise you. Read it now so you'll know what your facing.

So I'm training once again. Interesting right? Because I wont be able to finish the training for this companion..he will still have six more weeks left after I leave. He also is from Peru, and is 18 years old and acts like a sheltered 16 year old. I honestly cant believe how young they are now, its hard for me to believe the Lord trusts in such young men. I never had an annoying little brother to ask me a bunch of pointless questions that I've already answered five times, but now I do.  He has a lot of maturing to do, he comes from a family of all members and looks like his mom took care of him more than you did for me mom hahaha. Hard to believe right? But hes great. Really obedient and has desires to serve (D&C 4:3). I hope I can teach him all I know in only five more weeks.

I'm not really sure what to say. The work is going normal here. I guess that's the problem if there were a problem. We had some great lesson this week and some came to church. Each one has a difficulty stopping them from being baptized. One is super ready. But he says he wants to get baptized with his family in Cochabamba. He works here, but will be here for a good time and doesn't have a date in mind to return. We weren't sure what to do, I didn't want to tell him "No, you cant be baptized with your wife and kids, you need to do it now". I understand salvation is personal, and exaltation is as a family. My companion told me in companionship study, "how about we tell him he should do it now, so that he personally can baptize his family in Cochabamba?" I thought it was a great idea, and that's what we will try to do with him this evening.

That's about all. Oh, and I ate a delicious Brazilian plate of fried alligator tail. It HONESTLY was really good. 

 

my eyes were failing me and they hurt so I went to the doctor and this is what happened........ just kidding!

6/16/2014 Little Claw!

SO this week I will not be writing, ALL of my best friends from the mission are finishing up their missions this week so they are writing me like locos. The first picture is an activity that we did with the elders quorum. They seriously are the best, one of them brought an investigator and it was a bunch of fun. The other is of me and one of the 4 parrots that my house has. If you don't say "little claw" before trying to pick it up, it will bite you, very hard. The next is of the sisters that are in our ward, they are great friends of us, and one of them goes home this week....

That's about all. Thanks for the letters and pictures, love you all.

And just so you all know I have decided my major. I will be Majoring in the Engineering of Business Operations.

I realize this does not exist. But Its the only thing I can think of to make you guys happy with the engineering side of thinks, but with my business side of things...so I'll be "building" businesses!

6/9/2014 5 Rainbows and a lot of Walking

So I already wrote dad a good bit of whats going on here, but we have a lady who wants to be baptized, and they divorcement of her future husband with his ex wife just got done so now we gotta marry them and baptize them and they've already put the goal of getting sealed..so we are good to go. I'm pretty excited for that.

Here are some pictures of a BBQ Bolivian style (mom dad looks like we will be eating this a couple times with you, its the delicacy you could say of Bolivian cooking) its one of the more costly things so its rarely eaten here, only for special occasions. There where 5 rainbows this week, 2 of those five where in a "double rainbow" one day. It was really cool. The other picture is taking a break from walking on the train tracks. WE WALK SOOOO MUCH HERE. Ill never get used to it. My shoes wont either. It looks like they will last JUST long enough to see the states...

have not gotten a letter from him this week. Mom, three favors for when you come.

This week TWO of my converts got their mission call!!!!!!! One the argentina the other to mexico.

But I would like to give them a gift, a tie for each one. And a oil container (forgot the name) for Ozman, don't know if you remember me writing about him but we will be having a steak lunch with him and his family when you get here.

Do you think you could get a couple gifts together? Its goes a LONG way in the latin culture. 

6/2/2014

Well, we have a few investigators that have accepted baptism if they recieve an answer from god, but couldnt go to church for a number of stupid reasons. Freakin satin threw some curve balls at them....

 

But heres a tree that real common here, dont know why I never showed you guys a picture of this, I guess everything here dosent suprise me anymore- mom, dad, get ready because you are in for a BIG shock. I guess I am too huh? Coming back to a 1st world country wont be that easy hahaha.

 

I got sick this week and was looking through my medicine kit and realized that EVERTYHING in it expired late 90s hahaha...so THATS why my head didnt feel better after taking 3 extra strength excedrin hahah.... 

       Elder Ure

Mision Santa Cruz de los Milagros

5/26/2014 Rainy and Cold

When I say cold, I'm not afraid to admit it. The cold here is SOOO humid, that two thick blankets at night doesn't keep out the coldness...And its raining a ton.

I only have one pair of shoes left that let in a bit of water so I need to take care of them the best I can. This is the solution I found to wet shoes at the end of the day so that they are ready for tomorrow....

(I know, sometimes I do think like a mechanical engineer, but I LOVE the business world :)  )

       Elder Ure

Mision Santa Cruz de los Milagros

p.s. That's a metal chair and electric stoves that the mission puts in every house, and my shoes and the insoles taken out...

5/19/2014 Fruits of the Mission

So I received an email today from a young man I baptized in my first area. 20 months ago its been since I've talked to him. I ran into a member that had his number and sent him a text this week with my email address.

He wrote me and wonderful email about how the gospel has blessed him in his life and how he remains being the ONLY Mormon in a catholic family.

Even better he wrote " I wanted to let you know that what you brought into my home as changed my life. I have sent in my mission papers and am waiting for my call. I will be sure to let you know where I am going."

There is nothing sweeter than that. Even sweeter than hearing that someone was sealed in the temple. Why? Because now this convert will be the reason that many more will be sealed in the temple, and its almost guaranteed that he himself will get sealed in the temple too after the mission.

What more can I ask for in this work?

ps here's a pic of the four brothers of a family that we rescued.

5/12/2014 Rainy Soccer Pool

It was lightly drizzling last Monday...took some pics, thought you guys would  like to see what Im up to.

We played soccer with a couple ward members there in that "soccer court" (more like a pool) and I slipped and hit my head on the ground. Luckily my head didn't split open.

That's all the news I got for now.

Emailing with difficult Austin:

Celeste:  Whoa whoa whoa.  That can't be all.  Tell me more!  What is the area like?  Have you been in poor areas?  Where do you do your laundry?  What do you eat on a regular basis?  MORE PLEASE!

Austin:  Ughhhh....My area is mixed..paved and dirt roads. There are no nice houses in this area. Its a very "middle class" for santa cruz. Brother Pedre comes by every Monday to pick up dirty clothes and delivers it every Wednesday cleaned and ironed for 150 bolivianos every month... I eat rice and chicken.

Celeste: Oook... At least tell me how much 150 bolivianos is in dollars..

Austin:  like 25 dollars.

jeesh.