Monday, November 30, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving! and 17 months!!!

Hey Hey Fam!

Happy Thanksgiving! I totally forgot that it was Thanksgiving week!  We totally spaced it and didn't do anything for it! It's alright we had a way awesome Asado yesterday with some members and I feel like that kinda made up for it!

First I want to say thanks for the Thanksgiving videos! I laughed way hard!! I loved all the things everyone said! I see that Grady is growing out a sweet beard once again! haha But yeah thanks for all the pictures and videos! I am thankful for the best family ever! I love you all tons!

Glad to hear Bryson and Taylee had tons of fun on the cruise! I miss the cruise! we gotta still keep that in mind for afterwards haha! and that's lame you guys didn't like Mockingjay part 2 all that much.. yeah I have totally missed part 1 and 2 now! I will have some catching up to do when I get home!

We are doing way good here! Our investigators are doing good! We found a way solid new family! Their names are Gaston, Lorena, Brian, Joel and Gonzalo! They are wayyy awesome. The very first time we met them they were just like "Hey do you guys like churizo?(sausage)" and we were like yeah and so they made us a ton of churipan! It was way good! and we got to know them way good that day and what they are all about. The dad was baptized back when he was super young but now that his family isn't around he hasn't been to church in like 20 years. His wife hasn't ever been and same with the kids. We are hoping they will come this week with us! We made one of the cookie packets with them the other day from the package I got! It was funny too because on the package it said "soften the butter, do not melt." and I was just like "oh whatever I will just melt it and then put it in" So Lorena melts it on the stove and then I tell her to pour it into the batter and then boom, all the chocolate chips are instantly melted! haha so they looked like brownie cookies or something! Everyone was like "why don't they look like the cookies on the cover??" haha The cookies still turned out way good though. :)

We also re-found this lady named Sonia and she is super awesome! It was funny because she told me that I looked a lot like one of the first Elders that talked to her. Well she showed us that the Elders had wrote their names in her Book of Mormon over a year ago. She pointed to one of the names and she is like yep that's the Elder you look like! and guess who it was? Elder Willard! haha this is the area that he was born in! (started the mission in) yeah she said he didn't speak Spanish but she remembers him looking like me! haha I thought it was funny, I guess we look a little alike, just a little. :)

So guess what, we will be skyping in less than a month!!! wha hoo!!! I am super excited! It really has been a way long time since we skyped last! I will have to start asking around to some members if we can skype in their house... I have a couple families in mind so it should all work out. :)

Well, everything is all good in the hood here! Its getting pretty dang hot here. I have been using that sunblock stick for the past week and I think it saves my life! I am loving the mission! I have made some way good friends here in this area. I put Elder Landt on phone duty for this transfer and I think he is liking it! I always wanted my trainer to let me carry the phone and do the calls but he never did. So yeah everything is going way good here with Elder Landt! We are happy and working hard! I hope you guys have a great week! Oh and don't worry I have been writing pretty good in my journal recently! I love you guys soooo much! be safe and remember who you are. ;)

Love, Elder Lawrence

This computer I am on today is super slow and I kinda forgot to take photos this week so here is one photo from this week. We did some service again for Mara and Nestor and we planted a garden!

Monday, November 23, 2015

November 23, 2015

Hey Hey family! My now even bigger family! Bryson is officially a married man! That's way crazy to me. I feel like when Bryson was on his mission nothing really changed at home, but the second I go, everyone starts getting married and growing up and stuff! Haha its just crazy. But hey, I am super glad it all turned out great! I was praying a TON for you guys!!! I was praying that maybe the weather would be bad here so that the weather would be good there in Hurricane! and guess what, it was mega windy on Saturday here!!! haha so maybe it worked! :)

It really sounds like everyone had a great experience with the wedding! All the food sounded great as well! I want some bread bowls and soup and pumpkin pie and stuff!  It all sounds great. :) I probably would have been super sad on Saturday because I couldn't be there, but a tender Mercy happened just before that day... I got your guys Christmas Package!!!!!! What happened was we were in the offices on Tuesday because we had the 2nd part of the training meeting that day, and I go to look in the box that holds all the letters for missionaries to see if I got anything and there was a package slip for me! The package had arrived 8 days before which is exactly the amount of days it will stay in holding until it starts costing money, so I sign it and Elder Romero happened to be going that day to get more letters and packages and so he was able to pick mine up for super cheap!!! It just happened to all be perfect timing!!!! So instead of being sad on Saturday, I just ate jerky and pistachios!!! haha :) Thanks a ton for the package! I love it!!!

So yeah the meeting with the 70 went good! His name is Elder Ulisses Soares! He is from Brazil! He talked a lot about planning and setting goals and stuff! At one part he asked us to pull out our agendas and he was going to look at them or something and I was kinda freaking out... like don't get me wrong, my agenda is way good filled out!! but yeah it was just funny. :) It was awesome because I got to introduce Elder Landt to basically all of my old comps except for Elder Connolly! He met Apodaca, Perez, Willard, and Lillie!  It was way good seeing all of them too! They all are ending their missions pretty soon!

Speaking of endings of missions, we got an email today from President Goates saying that all missionaries will be staying a week later in their missions because the MTC changed the English speaking missions from 2 weeks in the MTC to 3 weeks... so yeah instead of coming home the 14th of June it will be the next week after so the 21st of June! Not a super big deal to know right now but yeah just thought I would tell you! :) I think this is for every mission in the world!

Well I don't have a lot more time to write! I will write more about investigators and stuff next week!! I am loving the area and everything! I cant believe I have already been in this area for 3 months! Thanks for all the support and prayers! I loved all the photos from the wedding and I liked the cut out of me!!!! haha :) I am not sure if I really am that tall but we can all just imagine that I am. ;) I hope you guys have a great week! I love you guys tons! save some wedding cake for me! haha

Love, Elder Lawrence
Just when I first got the package!

 Thanks again so much for the package! It's the best!

 Chilling on the bus after the conference! We decided to go with a funeral theme to the meeting. Black suits, black ties!

 Someone snagged some photos of me at Bryson and Taylee's reception. Just chatting with people and me posing with some peeps for a photo! Hahahah I hope this is as funny to you as it was to me!




Monday, November 16, 2015

November 16, 2015

Hey Hey mi familia!

Everything is going great here!! I can't believe how fast the time went because now Bryson and Taylee are getting married this Saturday!!! I feel like it was just yesterday that Bryson proposed and everything!!! I really wish I could be there, but I know I am exactly where I need to be. :) You will just have to make sure and have someone film it all for me!!! I have been keeping the wedding and everything in my prayers so I hope it all goes smoothly!!!

So yeah we got our transfer calls!!! and fear not, me and Elder Landt are staying together! I am way excited that we are staying together for another transfer! We make a good team and I am working harder than ever! We have some way solid investigators and are always looking for new ones! I am feeling a baptism this transfer. :)

This week it was pretty hard to get a ton of work done in our area! We had to go to the offices Wednesday night so that we could do my tramites Thursday morning early, but then we had to stay till Friday so that me and Elder Landt could both finish up our tramites! Now we are just waiting on our DNI's to come. I had to go and take a new photo for my new DNI and my face looks more full (not fat) than the photo I had to take a year ago! hahah ;) While we were in Mendoza on Thursday night we got to go work in my old area! We tried to go visit Ariel but he wasn't there :( but we were able to talk to his kids and they remembered me! It's already been 3 months since I left the offices!

So tomorrow morning everyone is going to Mendoza because someone from the Quorum of the 70 is coming to talk to our mission! We have to wake up at 4:30 am and be out of our pench by 5:00 am!!! haha I will be tired for sure, but it will be way cool because we are going to be able to see all the other missionaries in the mission! 

So something cool I found out with Transfers is that Elder Apodaca is going to be training!!! He is way excited. Him and Elder Perez are both in their last 2 transfers! Pretty crazy stuff! Also there is a new Secretary and Financiero now!!! Yeah mine and Elder Mortensen's replacements in the offices are already training someone to replace them!!! super crazy! The new Secretary is named Elder Ruesch, I don't really know him too much but he should be good! and the new Financiero is Elder Oveson! He is a boss! I remember doing his tramites and he is just a way good Elder and I can totally see him in the offices!

Well just know, you are all in my prayers a ton this week!!! I will keep praying for good weather and that everyone will travel safely so don't worry! I know everything will go great! I know it will be such a special day that you will all always remember! I sent Bryson a quick little email so you should tell him to look at it. :) I love you guys soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo MUCH! Good luck this week! The next time I email you all Bryson will be a married man!!! That is super crazy to me. I hope you all have a great week and I can't wait to see tons of photos from the wedding and the reception! You guys are the best family ever. :)

Love, Elder Lawrence
 Cool old catholic church from my area in Godoy Cruz Centro!

 The dynamic duo... Elder Landt/ Elder Lawrence

 I am becoming a way big fan of the action photos

Just a good little Hurricane High School reunion in the offices! haha :)

Monday, November 9, 2015

November 9, 2015

Hey Hey family Stanly,

How are you all doing?? I hope you are doing good! Everything is going great here in Benavidez!!! The work is really starting to pick up! I will get to that later!

That's really cool you guys had the chance to go to that fireside! Her story really is a miracle.
Glad to hear Dad had a good birthday! Sounded a little boring but I am still jealous he got all the good junk food! haha :) and Dang that's too bad that Hurricane is out of the play offs!  Maybe they will do better next year when I am around to see it. :)

That's pretty cool Bryson and Taylee are getting all ready and packed up to move down south once again! Their wedding is coming up way soon! Don't worry I have been keeping the wedding in my prayers so the weather will be good and everything will go smoothly! I am glad to hear Kamrie and Ethan are doing good too!

Yep, so like I said things are really picking up here! Our investigators Mara and Nestor and all 4 of their children went to church this past week!!!! Man I was sooooooooooooo happy to see their car pull into church!!! Everything went way good at church too! I was nervous when they first arrived that no one was going to help them around and get to classes, so I went and found some members to go help them and everything! Then some members got up in church and gave some clutch talks and shared way good testimonies so I really think they enjoyed church! It all just went really well. :)

Oh and remember how I told you about our investigator named Nelson last week? yeah well he wasn't able to assist church this past week, but we have been passing by him a lot and we have been working with him with some of the youth in our ward and he now has a date to be baptized on the 28th of November!!! It's super exciting that he has the desire to be baptized! We might have to push the date back a little because he has a couple things he needs to change, but the 28th is the date.

We also had 10 lessons with member this past week! That is what the goal is for the zone but i'ts set super high! but yeah we were super happy to get that! I was pretty dang tired by the end of the week. Elder Landt is a champ and always has energy! but its good writing you guys and getting a nice little P-day! Oh that reminds me, I pulled out some money a week or two ago because we are making zone t-shirts! We are supposed to get them today! So if we do I will hit you guys up with some photos of them next week. :)

Well, You guys sound like you are all doing great! I wish I could be there when Taylee takes her endowments out! Remember how awesome it was when we went for my first time?? I had like the best experience, I loved the San Diego Temple sooo much! I will never forget that trip. :)

I hope you guys have a great week! Thanks for always keeping us in your prayers! We really do receive blessings from it! This coming Sunday we receive transfer calls! I am pretty positive that me and Elder Landt will be staying together! We will see though, because he is technically done with his training at the end of this transfer because he did half of it in California... but I hope we stay together. :) haha I love you guys sooo much! Chaucito!!!

Love, Elder Lawrence

 Just the photo of the gang from the Asado last P-day

 Just me looking super old school Argentine! haha fake sipping on some mate with my Argentine cowboy hat. :)

 Entercombios with Elder Levander! It rained a ton this day!

Chicken tacos we made for lunch!

Monday, November 2, 2015

16 Months today!!!!!

Hey Hey family! :) Wow I totally didn't realize that today was my 16 month mark until you reminded me! This past month went wayyy fast! Its weird to me, because I tell other missionaries how much time I have and they think I am like old in the mission! I feel like I just got here! Haha how could I be old!!!

Oh hey, Happy Birthday to Dad!!!! You guys will have to take him to DQ or something tomorrow! I will send him a email too. :)

Me and Elder Landt are doing great!!! It was a solid week!! Argentina doesn't really celebrate Halloween... Like I saw 3 kids dressed up and that was it! They are really lame with holidays here but there is just soo many that they celebrate!

It sounds like our street was a big success for trick or treating as usual! I can't believe how many people go to our street just to trick or treat! It is like famous!!!  That's cool that Kenzee and the fam came down! I loved their costumes! I really liked the star trek theme! The front yard and spook alley looked great! I liked all the orange lights!

That's awesome Hurricane killed Park City! Hopefully we can beat Tooele too! It would be cool to see them go to state again!

I'm glad that the temple is opened back up! I am jealous that you guys got to go do a session! I really am way excited to go to the temple when I get home! I will just be a third wheel when you guys go on temple date nights with Taylee and Bryson! haha ;)

I'm glad your lesson went good! Integrity is a good subject! and don't worry I will be praying for good weather for Bryson and Taylees wedding! Don't stress too much about the wedding! I cant wait to get the wedding invite! Even though it will probably be after the wedding happens! hahaha

So this past Thursday and Friday we got to go back to Mendoza! Elder Landt had to do his tramites! It was awesome, because Elder Benedict was busy doing someone else's tramites in a different building, so I got to go take some of the new kids and do a different part of the tramites! It was awesome because the people working there totally remembered me! It was cool catching up with them and everything! I was scared they wouldn't remember me! We had a lot of fun when we were in Mendoza and we got delivery food from this way good food place that does American food!!! I will send photos!

Our investigators are doing good! We have this new investigator named Nelson, he is awesome! He is 16 and he lives pretty close to a couple other young men in our ward! We have been having the young men help pass by with us and everything! It was cool too because one of the young men is not active, but we asked him if he could pass by our investigator before church and bring him... well our investigator had something come up and wasn't able to come, but the not active kid (Kevin) came to church still! I was super stoked to see him at church! It was my first time in 10 weeks seeing him there! It's the little victories ya know. :)

Well nothing too much new here either! We are going to keep working hard! Today we are doing an Asado with the Elders from Los Pinos, Retiro, and Rividavia. Elder Johnston is in Los Pinos and he went to Pine View High School! He totally knows my ex-girlfriend that went to Pine View! haha He is way tight though and way good at soccer! Well, I love you guys tons! It always makes me happy to see how good you are all doing! I can't believe its been 16 months! I have learned soooo much and have grown sooo much in the past 16 months, and I wouldn't trade the time or the memories for anything! I hope you guys have a great week! Love you soo much! :)

Love, Elder Lawrence

PS... That's awesome Coral Cliffs Cinema 8 got a VIP room! I will probably go to it a lot when I get back to working there. ;)
 We love action sunset photos.

 Just cheezing it in front of the sunset!

 We found a cool short cut in our area and we had to jump this small (and way dirty) river!

 So guess what, my trainer served in this area just about a year and a half before I did! I found this under my bed. Also Elder Barton was the Secretary who trained Elder Willard.

 Just mine and Elder Mortensen's sons posing for a photo.

We were driving around Mendoza doing tramites and saw a poster that I really liked... Heisinberg! haha :)

 Just a couple photos from the world wide service day! We cleaned up and planted some trees in this little camping area! It was tons of fun. :)