Cow Liver and Stomach

Welcome, Welcome Monday Morning (everyone has to work except the
missionaries)...

Well, last week was quite the hoot with the internet. We went to one
internet café and it was soo slow that it practically was not working.
We went to the second one and we were there for about 15 minutes when
all the internet blows out (The old manager guys yells Caramba! and
everything turns off) And so then we went to a third one and I was
about to send you my email when my computer turned off and by that
time it was time to go to lunch.

But this week was lovely, the lady that makes our lunch spiced things
up by cooking some cow liver and stomach. It is called Rango and is
apparently quite the local recipe favorite. And sounds like the county
fair is next week (Don´t worry I see the county fair here every
week--both dead and alive animals) For example when we walk down the
meat isle in the market we get to see every part of the cow--heart,
intestines, head, spine--and the chickens too. Lots and lots of dead
chickens, I remember that we used to buy them in the store and they
came in packages and pretty. But here if you buy a chicken they give
you a dead chicken-with head, legs, and everything-just that their
organs have been removed. I guess this is something that you can think
about while you look at all the livestock.

To let you know more about the mission. Our president at the first of
the year put the goal to have 2037 people active in the church
(baptisms/people reactivated). So far as a mission we have 1050. I hear
also in the United States or in Europe that there are baptisms and
lessons. To give you an idea of what it is like in Bolivia, these are
the standards of excellence that President Willard put recently for
each week:
 Investigators with baptism date 8
Investigators progressing 10
Investigators in Sacrament Meeting 12
lessons with a member present 21
Other lessons 7
Less actives and recent converts 14
Referrals contacted 21
New investigators 21
So those are the standards. It is interesting to think that our Ward
has never had a convert baptism or focused on reactiviting people. I
suppose it is more of a rest house for old people kind of Ward. (Oh by
the way, did someone move into the house of Cindy Smith--I thought it
was suppose to be a family)

To tell you some more about Camiri. The locals-like the Indians--are
called Guarani and speak this language also. There is a family of from
this culture that got baptized about 10 months ago. It interesting to
talk with them (they too had to learn Spanish when they moved here)
They told me how they hunted and fished and how the men have really
long hair that they wrap up into their hat. Maybe you can look it up.
The Culture of Guarani and tell me more.

Love, Elder Gilbert