Lessons from Elder Uceda

Good Morning,

I forgot that peach days was this week, I´ll have to buy a peach (but
then ones in cans because the peaches here are the size of a small
plum or something). And yes when there is a sort of festivity here,
the missionaries stay away especially in the night because that is
when they all get drunk. The last time there was a festival there
where drunks running around throwing bottles and yelling at each other
in the wee hours of the morning. That is one thing you don´t see much
of in Utah. Here I have learned how to identify drunks, the smell of
alcohol, and all that. Bolivia has a serious drinking problema, they
can buy the cheap stuff but it destroys their body. I think all of the
investigators we have ever had have drank before.

This week we had the conference with Elder Uceda. We arrived in Santa
Cruz at 6 in the morning and then went to the church and studied until
Elder Uceda arrived at 2 in the afternoon. First sister Willard spoke,
then President Willard, then we did the practices (in every missionary
meeting we do practices with other missionaries to improve our skills
in things like teaching, obtaining referrals, etc), and then the wife
of Elder Uceda spoke and all that lasted abour an hour and a half.
Then Elder Uceda gets up takes off his suit coat and says ¨Let´s get to
work.¨  That statement was followed by a 3 and a half hour lecture.

Some of the things that he spoke about was (1) learning english or
spanish: we cannot always see the future and how learning a language
can bless our lives in the future. Face your fears. He has not opened
his Spanish scriptures for 30 years (2) Obedience: Sometimes we
justify breaking the small rules thinking that ¨nothing will happen¨.
Satan will do everything to make sure that ¨nothing does happen¨
until we believe our own lie and then something serious happens. (3)
Persuasive Teachers: Our investigators do not progress because we
don´t know how to help them progress. We often learn by doing and need
to talk with the heart, because talking is not always teaching.  (4)
Scriptures. It is like the square that is divided into 16 squares and
at first we superficially only see 16 squares but as we look there are
more. Same thing with the scriptures, we sometimes ready superficially
and read the same scriptures over and over and get the same meaning,
not searching for hidden treasures from the spirit.

And by the way, we were in the back of a taxi and I look at the
driver´s shirt and it says Ogden Clinic, Golden Spike Reality, Jamba
Juice, etc. His shirt was a race shirt that they give out to the
participants. Apparently the clothes we donate to DI or Charities make
it here to Bolivia.

Today we are going to go to the Chorro, a waterfall thing.
Anyway, have a nice week and enjoy!

Elder Gilbert

Photo with Elder Uceda

Rubber Tire Shoes

Buen Día

Well to answer some questions. I think I would prefer the car that
will last longer mechanically (but knowing that it is almost
impossible to predict) you might as well flip a coin or do as you guys
see convenient or advantageous at this particular moment in time. It's
okay, you don´t have to send season packaging. As far as the shoes, I
took them to a shoe shop person and he put a tire rubber on the bottom
but crazy how much the mission wears out shoes. My companion´s hush
puppies lasted about 3 months.

Something that shocked me is that Sadie is going to Utah State, so
weird. What is everyone in the family doing these days?

This week was pretty regular. Nothing new to report this week.
Tomorrow we will be heading up to Santa Cruz again for another
conference with Elder Uceda. Should make for something interesting.

Anyway, have a good week

Elder Gilbert

Worn out Shoes

Looks like a nice new car Natalie. We will have to go for a drive in
it someday--I hope you bought the one with the garbage protector--you
know how your brothers like to leave garbage in your car.

As I looked at the county fair picture, I thought to myself--How weird
everyone is white and has blonde hair. Here I am the only one in this
city with blue eyes and blonde hair (besides some other Germans and
Italians). So very weird the culture of Utah.

Well, last week the power went out followed by the water and so we
couldn´t really write nor clean the house.

On Tuesday we went to Santa Cruz for a conference. We left Camiri at 1
in the morning and got to Santa Cruz at 6 in the morning. We usually
go on the bus with big reclining chairs that are soft and cozy. In the
conference President Willard spoke about light and the
importance to gain and share light. Next week Elder Uceda will come to
the mission and we will have to travel back to the conference for
him.

Here are some photos. One in Santa Cruz from the House of the
secretaries, one of the board with the people in the mission (every
line is a transfer and move up one every transfer), and the other
one I don´t remember what it is but I am sure it is pretty.

I am going to send this quick because if it is like the past two weeks
something weird will blow up my computer.

Love, Elder Gilbert

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

Curt's Charity

Looks like you enjoyed the outdoors this week in Zions. I have noticed a
disturbing trend that Stephanie is wearing my clothes (I thought that my
¨asset manager¨ was suppose to protect the assests). No just kidding. Wear
whatever you like (just make sure Natalie to be keeping track of rental
fees--50cents per day-- along with those stain cleaning fees ) No, I am
just joking. I might as well just give away all my stuff and call it Curt´s
Charity (CC for short, kinda like the DI).

Anyway, I wrote a big message but the internet died and now it's not
there. I have to go now.

Goodbye,
Elder Gilbert

Hauling Dirt

Good Week,

This week we were walking to one of our appointments and an old man
comes up and says ¨Elders of Isreal!, Where is your next appointment?¨
 And we said ¨Ah, it´s over there a ways.¨ And he´s like, ¨Great I
want to accompany you. Where´s the Book of Mormon? You guys have never
been in the army have you? You have to always be ready to shoot--hand
me your Book of Mormon.¨ Come to find out this a member of the Church
from Santa Cruz and is 87 years old and came to Camiri to look for his
long lost relatives and share the gospel with them. He was pretty
funny. He passed someone eating in the street and said. ¨That´s right,
eat.¨ Then he walks into church and sees an old widow about his same
age and says ¨Good morning, I think we know each other don't we? ¨ And
the lady is like, ¨from where?¨ And he responds, ¨A long time ago in
the pre-earth life.¨

We also did a hard service project this week. We shoveled dirt using
wheel barrows. And then we had to move the dirt to the second floor.
So we used 5 gallon buckets and rope. We put the sand in the buckets
and hooked the rope on and then pulled with our hands (no pulleys, no
nothing) the buckets straight up to the second floor. Lets just say
that my back and my arms were sore for a while.

Any be the way, I found out there were was a lot more music on my flash drive.
Apparently my music player only plays mp3 format and so there were
only 70 songs but I converted them all to mp3 and now there are 1000
songs. So everything is good there.

Anyway you will have to tell me all about the Ziona vacation next week.

See ya later,

Elder Gilbert

Baptismal Font

I can´t believe that school is just around the corner for Justin, seems like summer just got started doesn´t it? At least here it does because it was cold and then the next day it was a blazing fire. Weird, I think Winter is over here.

Anyway, as you can see in the photo we had a baptism this weekend (the Mollo Family). We about died trying to fill up the Font because the water  took 8 hours to fill up (compared to the usually 1-2 hours). Didn't know if it was going to make it. But it did and everything went smoothly.

I remember back in the day when mom made us something and sometimes we didn't like it. Well, we found a dad who has the same problem. We shared with him a card that leads to a video of Christ on the internet. And he is like, ¨Yes, I am going to go home and show it to my kids. You know what? I work all day, every day and sometimes when I get home those ¨changos (kids) don´t like what I bought to feed them. So I thought I would download one of those videos of the kids in Africa who are starving, eating cow cud right out of the mouth of the cow. But I think this will work too.¨   

By the way it is weird to see the back yard like that, I had forgotten that you had taken out the flower hill. But be sure not to forget the area for my waterfall

Everyone is showing off pictures of the back yard so I thought I might as well show off some pictures of some views from my house. The one with the Street is the front. The one with the Green house is the side, and the mountain with the houses is the window where I take my shower.