Where to start today?

Well we´re teaching Gabriel, a security guard at a store called Bodega Aurrera who said he admired us and what we do , and he´s progressing rapidly. He´s reading the Book of Mormon, went to church, is searching for a job that lets him keep the sabbath day holy, and has accepted a baptismal date for the 13th of August. Fantastic! He´s a great guy. He´s living here alone because he was deported after living for 15 years or so in the states.

We also got to eat in a place called Karne Garibaldi, which is delicious "carne en su jugo" and has the guiness world record for fastest restaurant in the world. It´s actually just a couple blocks from the house, and we ate there with some members because our lunch appointment fell through. It was quite the experience. Tasty food, and fast. I mean REALLY fast.

We had interviews with the President and we also worked with him this week. He came with us to our area and participated as if he was any other missionary or junior companion. I actually rather enjoyed it, even though that was a particularly rough day where the appointments fell through and the people in the streets and whose doors we knocked wanted nothing to do with us. But we were still positive, and the next day is when we had out fantastic appointment with Gabriel.

The President´s son Mahonri, who recently returned home from his mission, also introduced us to a friend of his (supposedly not his girlfriend) and we taught her a few things and gave her a Book of Mormon. She lives kinda far away though so anything that comes out of it will be passed to the Elders who work where she lives.

We´re in the middle of planning a huge Plan of Salvation activity like the one they did back home in the stake. We´ll see how we can adapt it to the leadership and the membership here in Providencia. Just one week left until transfers, so I know I probably won´t see the fruits of these efforts, but that´s not what´s important. We´re also trying to get some materials put together to try a different way of street marketing. THere are a LOT of people in the streets in our area all the time, so it´s a great way to get the message out . More flyers and posters and things like that can help make things interesting. I´ve done similar things before.

And now we come to the big thing. I love you all very much and have come to appreciate you even more over the course of the mission. I´m excited to continue progressing in life and find new ways to serve the Lord with my time once I get home. I´ll love seeing how much David has grown, how much of an adult Holley is becoming, and what sort of schennanigans Ashley has been up to. However, I´ve been thinking very seriously about extending the mission a transfer. I know there is a lot of good I could do here in an extra six weeks.

As Holley explained it so clearly when I was set apart, this isn´t just MY mission. It´s the FAMILY´s mission, and the family should help make the decision. Thank you for your prayers, fasting, words of support, and missionary efforts up until this point. You´ve been a big part of my success and my mission.

I love you all very much and await your reply. Take care.

Love,
Elder Lund