Dog Power

Dear Family,

I was pleased to get my birthday package. Thanks for the card, perhaps we could start putting the card's advice in practice and celebrate for a whole year. I thoroughly enjoyed the dog whistle. The first dog I tried it out on about jumped out of it's skin. It gave me a good laugh and gave me new sense of dog power. 

We went to Santa Cruz on Wednesday. It was quite the adventure. We left here at 9 and got there at 6 in the morning. I was just glad that the police didn't get on to check identity cards because one of the elders forgot theirs. It was a nice conference with Elder Montoya. He told us to be bold or notable missionaries. I was also able to visit one of my converts in Santa Cruz and he was pretty excited to see me because he made me a new scripture bag. We also had to buy glasses for my companion. Turns out that his eye went up a full point. Practically I was exhausted when the day was over because we were running around in taxi and buses the whole day and the cell phone died and it was all very exciting. 

Anyway the family Rosado is yet to be baptized. Turned our that they spent their money to help their sick son. But we have lots of more people getting ready to be baptized.  I don´t remember if I told you but the familia Jordan was able to go to church today, so now they are on the path.

Anyway thanks for everything,

Love Elder Gilbert

Fans and the Gospel

Good Morning

It was nice to see you all again yesterday. I still can´t believe that Justin´s voice has changed so much. Always when we talk I have no idea what to say, there is so much that I could tell you but I always forget. oh well... Yesterday they also asked me what airport I want to arrive at, so they should be making my itinerary soon. 

In the priesthood meeting a family from Corumba showed up and told us that they needed to take us to meet a family urgently because they needed to be baptized. We find the family and we gave them a health blessing (one of his lungs was full of liquid--possibly tuberculosis). They are a family of 6 with 4 to baptize. They were all very prepared and accepted baptism. It was definitely a blessing. 

We also found a family where the mom is a member (she was baptized when she was 12) and her husband who is Brazilian. There were going to come to church but they didn´t make it.

President Willard came yesterday and spoke in the sacrament meeting. He pointed out there were exactly 10 fans in the room and that one of them was not working (supposedly for a bad connection). So he started to talk about how 10 Hebrew is complete and that sometimes there are members that are not working because they lack something. But then someone went back to the switches and turned it on and it started working. And then he made the analogy that some of the members (less actives, new members, etc) just need to be switched on with a visit or an invitation. So now whenever we look at the fans we think about that. 

It sounds like we will be traveling to Santa Cruz this week to meet with Elder Montoya. It always cool to have conferences with the seventies. 

Anyway hope you all have a marvelous week.

Love Elder Gilbert

 The Family Choquevillca 

 My shoe

 Some street shots of my area

The dock in my area

Bolivian Economy

Good Morning,

Wow,  to all the changes that are going on. Never expected Katie to be getting engaged.

To tell you little bit about the area: Lately the economy of Puerto Suarez has been going down hill so it feels kind
of like a ghost town.There were also 4 branches in the area Puerto Quijarro, Corumba Puerto
Suarez and fronter. Corumba got put into the Brazil mission and Puerto Quijarro got closed. And so the missionary work here is interesting. Before there were about 8 or 10 missionaries here, but now there are only four.

We have a family to be baptized for the 14 of May. The Family Rosado they have to finish their marriage papers and then they are good to go.This week will be having a conference with president, the assistant and us (the 4 missionaries). It should be interesting.

Also Elder Montoya wil be coming this next week to visit the mission.

I will be calling some time probably around 1 o clock Utah time to confirm the details. I think I will be available anytime after 1:00 Utah time. Or in the morning at 5:00.

Anyway, I will be talking to you soon and mom could you send me the recipes for brownies, pizza, and cinnamon rolls and the family wedding picture (with everyone) again in high resolution. Thanks.

The pictures is a lake (there is piranha) and those are other missionaries and my companion.

Love, 
Elder Gilbert

Transfer

What a neat experience at the wedding! It must have been heart thrilling to be in the temple. I hope they had a nice time on their honey moon.

Well, I got transferred and boy do I get transferred. Gird up your loins Elder Gilbert because they sent me on a 10 hour bus ride to Puerto Suarez. Right smack on the border of Brazil. I am the district leader/zone leader for the other companionship in Puerto Quijarro. Right now I am in Puerto Quijarro because the internet went out in Puerto Suarez. So I have now set my eyes on Brazil. To tell you little bit about the place in summer (December, November) it hits around 50 degrees Celsius and in winter (June July) we ride around 41-46 degrees with 4 days of slightly cooler weather as dead winter. Interesting, no? Let´s just say I begin sweating at 8 in the morning. There are also quite a few Brazilians here. Some times they say stuff and I just smile at them. My new companion is elder Orrego from Lima, Peru. There is a lot of stuff to do here such as caves, eat alligators, a big lake, etc. It is also slightly more Jungle-ish 

I have some photos that I wanted to send, but the USB isn´t working so it will have to wait until next week.

Next week Monday I will be calling to test the connection, so that should be sometime before 4 o clock Monday.  

By the way, maybe mom you can refresh me on how to play the states game and the animal kingdom, spoon and fork, etc.for the next week. 

Anyway I am going to send this email becuase I am not sure how much time I have left.

Have a marvelous week,

Elder Gilbert

Investigators

Good Morning 

Tomorrow is going to be a big day. I know that it is all going to turn out just great. Just make sure I don't get knocked over or blown away in the wind.   

Transfers will actually be tomorrow. I expect to be changed, but it is can always be a surprise the transfers. This will be our last transfer with President Willard, then comes President Rodriguez from Spain.  

We found a couple of interesting people. One works in the circus and apparently can do lots of swinging on the ropes and walking on glass (I don´t know how). We also found another guy He is from Trinidad and tells us about how he got baptized in the river and then grabbed a paloma and threw it in the air. When we asked him if he would go to church he said "with joy". But he didn't make it because when he woke up his eye swelled up and was burning. We also knocked a door and found a guy that told us that he almost got baptized and by now would have been a bishop or stake president. He then he told us it didn't matter because the nivero or something was going to come tomorrow (the tenth planet and that would be the end)

This week we helped a family move into the ward. They must be really rich because they live in a private nieghborhood. Afterwards I felt the strained muscles in my back. I always love myself a moving project.

One of the sons of the Choquevillca family came home to visit from Provo. His friend from Ecuador also came and so we made some good conversation with them 

Have a marvelous and most wonderful day tomorrow (take lots of pictures)

Love, Elder GIlbert

Bolivian Grandma Miller

Good Morning

I am glad to hear that everything went well on the vacation. I don´t know why but mom always seems to end up being the victim on those fourwheeling/motorbike  trips.  

This week for me went quite normal. We did service for a lady that reminds me a lot of Grandma Miller. She has the same voice and we had to trim down some bushes with a machete.

I am excited too for the upcoming wedding. Let me know how the preparations and everything is coming. I was talking a lot to other comapnaion today so I don´t have much time

Love, Elder Gilbert

Missionary Experiences

Good Morning

Sounds like by now everyone should be four wheeling (try not to give mom any scares).

This week we had a week full of conferences. First we had a conference on Tuesday with President Willard and then Thursday a zone conference and then a exchange with the zone leaders and then Saturday and Sunday General Conference. 

On my exchange with the zone leaders I went over to their area and I found out that a certain person had gotten baptized. This really surprised me because the last time I was in the zone leaders area this man didn't want anything to do with us. When we walked in he would get up and walk away. He was against his family getting baptized and threatened to beat them and so on. Finally he gave his family permission  to get baptized but not him. After some time, their family was praying to bless the food and his daughter of about 5 years gave a simple prayer and said ¨Please help dad change his character and go to church¨. The moment changed the dad forever and was promptly baptized. Interesting how hearts are softened.  

Our investigators are doing okay. Ariel tells us he doesn't need to pray because he already believes the Book of Mormon to be true. Of course he will still have to pray but it seems to accept everything. He just needs to go to church. 

General Conference: I really enjoyed the priesthood session, especially the talks of Elder Nelson and of course president Uchtdorf was hilarious. I don´t know if dad went or if you saw it, but that is a good one. Also the last session with Jeffery R. Holland was funny. It was surprising that he showed that picture. But you will all have to watch it.

As far as the package it has not arrived yet. I will definitly send a photo next week. 

Have a good week,

Elder Gilbert