Happy Birthday!

Thank you all for the Birthday wishes. I had a wonderful day and got away with just handshakes and birthday wishes. Today I think I'll buy myself a cake to eat.

Wow...that is a big truck. When I saw it, I thought ¨That´s a little too nice from the usual fleet of trucks we´ve had.¨ And Stephanie's new bike (that´s some flower power). And Natalie looks like she is enjoying Washington DC (Keep sending me photos).

I have a new companion. His name is Elder Caballero (which means knight or cowboy or gentleman) and he is from La Paz. He is the District Leader and he is really nice.

Today it has been raining soo hard. The thunder even broke one of our light fixtures. Pretty soon we will have to be swimming. 

This week we were able to find new families to teach and the Cruz family is going to be baptized this weekend. So we shall see how that goes.

I haven´t been able to send pictures becuase the computers just keep putting viruses on my memory so you will just have to wait until further notice for photos.

And I have to finish now because the computers are soo slow (might just be because of the millions of viruses)

Love 

Elder Gilbert

Lightning

Happy Week, 

Sounds like Stephanie got a new house, Natalie is going on vacation, Mom is working on the new calling, Dad is buying a new truck, and Grandma is in charge of everyone. Sounds about the same from when I left, uhh? Stephanie moved in with Logan, Natalie dreaming about her vacation to Europe, Dad was debating about the truck, and Mom was stressing about her lesson to give in 3 weeks, and well Grandma Miller is always in charge. Strange, no?

This week was the last week for my companion, he will be  leaving on Wednesday and I will go to pick up a new one. That is just the way it is with companions, you throw one away then you buy a new one. 

This week, they hauled me into the migrations again. Thank goodness we were only there for 3 hours instead of the 8 hours from last time. But tomorrow we have to go to SEGIP to start the process of getting my Bolivian identification. The only bad part is that we have to be there are 6 in the morning and it is on the other side of town. 

For my Birthday, I am going to go the Ramada today and maybe I will buy something for myself--like a cake or something. I expect the package to arrive next week or the following. It is about 5 weeks for something to get here.

I didn´t really think about the email beforehand, so I don´t remeber much what happened. I guess it is what you guys would call a regular week. Besides the lightning. There was a big rainstorm and it started when we were eating lunch. There was a flash of light like someone had just taken a picture with the camera pointed in our faces and then there was a bang so big that it shook the house and sounded like lightning had struck like two houses away. 

Anyway, you guys have a good week and enjoy

Elder Gilbert

Toberorchi Tree

It was great to see you all yesterday. The people that have changed the most are Justin and Grandma Gilbert. I was sad to see that Grandma has really declined in her health. She looked a lot like Grandpa. And well, let´s just say Justin is entering into that awkward time between childhood and adulthood (and I just loved the special effects by the way, Justin).

This week I made a list of the things that I want to tell you about because I usually forget. 

As I said yesterday, these days we have been getting a lot of rain. In fact so much rain that it took out the bridge and canal that I walk across everyday. Here are some good photos. 

I am the first gringo companion for my companion. This is a little bit strange but, yes there are more Latinos in this mission than there are gringos. I would say about 60% are Latinos .

The big animals in the north would be things like crocodiles, anacondas, piranhas, jungle cats, poisonous frogs, and really big insects. They are found mostly in Beni and the Chupari.

Transfers are in two weeks. My companion will go home and I will likely receive a new one in my same area (3-4 transfers in one area is normal). Transfers are every Wednesday every 6 weeks.May 20 is the next and the next after will be July 1.

As for that package, you can wait for the next week (give me some more time to think). But something that I thought of would a wrist watch that doesn´t have nickel.

New Investigators.

Juan Vargas. He found the Church while living in Spain but this lead to a grand conversation about the water quality in Spain. Apparently the water comes from the ocean and has a lot of chlorine or something. Anyway he drank that water for six months and when he came back to Santa Cruz he started to have problems. Namely that what usually comes out of your bottom started coming out the front end. And he went to many doctors but nobody believed him until he showed to them. Then they hooked him up to a lot of machines for 6 months until that finally found out that the crapper had somehow melded with the bladder and for this he had problems. He even had the scars of right down the belly where they opened him up. And he blames it on the water that he drank in Spain. Never heard that before. He could possibly progress but likes to talk a lot.

Carla Leanos. She is a reference of a member and she is likely to be baptized. She is a single mom of 2 children and has had a hard life. She pretty funny, but fears that if she takes her children to church they will throw her out becuase they are trouble-makers.

Others

Juan Carlos Rivero. He finished reading the Book of Mormon. Only took him four months to do it--put the rest a the people to shame who take 4 months to get past 2 Nefi. He likes the message but isn´t convinced that it is true because there is no real solid proof. Refuses to pray specifically if it is true. He Thinks he should only pray for wisdom and understanding. Interesting guy.

The Cruz Family. Aurelio is the recent convert and we are teaching his family to get them ready for baptism. Last week they got sick with chikagunya (pain in bones, joints, rash, fever). We gave blessings to all of them and they got better in 2 days. The wife, Marta, told us that she had a dream that she fell into a hole of mud and frogs and that a gringo angel came and saved and ever since that she has felt better.

As for the service for this week, we hauled dirt around (to put around a house so that the water wouldn´t enter). I also pushed our president of the quorum of elders in his wheelchair. Sometimes he likes to set appointments to go visit people but can´t get there by himself. So I ended up pushing him down a busy road of cars (speed walking of course so I wouldn't get ran over) And then navigating down sandy and rocky and muddy roads of Santa Cruz. What an adventure.

So the missionaries are coming over. Make sure to give them some authentic Bolivia Food and tell them is a balanced meal of grains, meat, fruits and vegetables and that it will slim them down a bit if they continue for about 6 months. Also ask them if what they do in an average day? How are their investigators progressing? How many lessons are they teaching with a member? Then offer to invite people over for a Family Home Evening and they can give the lesson. And then offer to accompany them to some of their appointments. And be sure to give them at least 10 references (to people who would like to hear, less actives etc). Their mouths will drop because they have never had so much to do in Utah.   

After talking with you guys last night, the family offered to cook us some delicacies of the cow-including the heart and all other organs, and udder. They tell me it is sooo good. Guess I´ll have to try it, won´t I?

I am also sending a picture of a toberorchi. The traditional tree of Santa Cruz. There is a very interesting legend about them. And they just have the most beautiful flowers--Happy Mothers day. Tell me what you think when you read the legend.

I hoped you enjoyed this well-planned email and we talk to ya next week.

Love 

Elder Gilbert

Fat, Bald Man

Mi querido familia,

Sounds like Justin has had a rough week. A soccer ball and a wheel. You had just better let him lie down for minute and recover his energies. 

The mission this week had a good week, in all there were 57 people baptized or rescued (returned to activity). In fact we had one in our own area that we weren´t expecting.

This week we were teaching Brother Cruz about tithing and we asked him if he would pay his tithing after he is baptized and he said, ¨Yeah, after Saturday right?¨. And we were surprised because he wanted to be baptized with his wife but decided to go ahead and do it now. So we had a baptism and confirmation this week. The funny thing was is we asked him who do you want to baptize you and he said, ¨that fat, bald man who baptized his son last week, what is his name? I want him." Also, Brother Cruz is 56---not too old to learn something new (right dad?)

I am going to send my email now becuase the internet is sooo slow that it takes a few minutes to send, and hopefully the pictures make it too.

A few matters of business:

I will need my information for skype. I think a left a paper somewhere with that on it. For the next email send my username and password and at what time you want to do it. Keep in mind that I am 2 hours ahead and that I eat lunch at 1. They'll probably let me call to confirm the hour sometime next week or something. 

And also I am going to need some new insoles for my shoes. The ones here are horrible. It is for one my ecco´s and it think it is size 44. But I think I will need two just so that they will be the same.

I hope you also recieved the notice about the package weight limit.

Cheers,

Elder Gilbert

Missionary Work

Mom must be the only one in the family going and doing stuff these days (because she had something to write) while the rest of you sittin' around. What was it that grandma said last week...ah yes...she called ya carcasses (Grandma always testifies of the truth ya know)

As for me this week, my week wasn't too eventful but we had the opportunity to teach an Elder from the Jehovah's witnesses. it was interesting. It didn't really accept anything but was somewhat curious to learn about the church.

We also had a Family Home Evening in Ketchua, the native language here. We invited the members who speak it and had them bear their testimonies in Ketchua to the family Cruz (investigators). 

And yes it is true that we also focus on ¨rescuing¨. Helping people to return to the church. because it doesn't make any sense to baptize and then not be able to retain. These are the main three functions of missionaries: find, retain, and activate. so the next time the missionaries come to your house and ask for referrals give them all the less actives in the ward. 

Anywhere here are some questions for you guys to answer and respond to me

What does it mean to you  to do ¨missionary work¨?

What impedes you from doing it?

How would you like to take part in missionary work?

How would you like the missionaries to help you?

Until the next week, Elder Gilbert

Frog

I am now in the ward "El Fuerte" with my companion Elder Ferrufino (He is from Cochabamba and this is his last transfer in the mission). I am still in Santa Cruz and we live with the zone leaders. The house is soo nice. It has an automatic door with intercom and camera and the shower has hot water (the first house since I got here) If you want to know where it was go to go maps and look for El palmar and then for the urabanization the plamitas. Thats where I live. Before I was in the area of la villa 1 de Mayo.

The people here are great. We visted a member family and the grandparents live with them. The Grandpa gets up and is like "The Japenese, ...they never smile"

One of investigators Hno Cruz. He has such a good heart and loves the Lord (he walks 12 blocks (the blocks here are a lot bigger) to get to church every sunday). He is from the campo and understands ketchua better than spanish and is a little slow to understand.

As far as the package goes, nothing besides a flash with music and maybe some church videos (the restoration, the testaments,) and another Hymnal in english. I think there is also a rule going around now that the packages have to weigh less than 2 kg because they have had trouble with that. Yes i get the Liahona's here.

I forgot to tell you about the run in I had with the frog. We were cleaning the chapel and I got put in charge of cleaning the baptismal font and the elders forgot to drain the water and so there was a frog living in it. So I had to drain the water and got to work on the frog. I put on the rubber plastic gloves and put on my courage and pick it up. I dont know I didn't expect it to jump, but it did. It jump onto the wall and I screamed. Then I knocked it off with a broom and hired another elder to hold one of those dust sweeper keepers while I put it in. While it didn't work because it would just jump out. So I did the only thing I could do, which was to hold it and run outside and put in back in nature. And I did it screaming and I made it. Everyone was soo impressed. Then I think my companion went and stepped on it. That's the end of that sucker.

Well I have to go now, hope you have a good week raising pigeons and running races.

Elder Gilbert

Fun Creature

It´s another month and it´s exactly the same weather from when I got here. It always the same never-ending cycle of summer so all the holidays seem strange here. Easter here is called Pascua and this past week is Semana Santa. The really only tradition is to eat fish and that´s about it, but it is difficult to get fish since there are no ocean here. 

The general conference was one of the strangest. The prophet didn´t speak much nor did Richard G Scott. Also during the Elder Christopherson´s talk the translator started coughing and so they cut him off and put on another but then he too started coughing attack and then put on another translator. And in total we missed a couple paragraphs. Then Sunday session there was a big thunder storm and we lost and signal until it came in when he announced the temples. But it turned out okay.

I can´t believe how crafty Grandma Miller has been lately. I am sure that she is the one fabricating those wooden nickels. 

My computer keeps turning on and so I will have to end now before it turns off again.

Tomorrow we have transfers and I think I am getting moved so we will see where i ll end up next. 

Here are some photos of a fun creature we found in the house

Love Elder Gilbert