Monday, June 13, 2016

That's all she wrote...

Wow... The final email... where did the time go? 

Honestly, its crazy how fast the time went. I feel like I just entered the MTC just the other day! haha Man, These have literally been the best two years. Not the most fun two years, or the happiest, but definitely the best!!! I have learned and grown so much. Hey This might take a little while to read but I wanted to share with you guys the final paper I had to write for my mission... I hope you guys like it!

Carta de Mayordormía
Elder Lawrence

What I have accomplished in my mission:
            I feel like it might be a little hard to fit everything onto only two pages, but I will try! I feel like I have learned more in my mission than I have in my entire life. I have been able to obtain much more Christ-like attributes that I did not have before my mission. All of my mission I have been trying to bring others unto Christ and I feel that at the same time I brought myself closer than ever to Christ. I remember one time a less active member of a few years saw me and my companion walking down the street in the middle of nowhere, and he stopped and asked us where we were going, and we told him that we were looking for a reference. Well he gives us a ride and for the next 30 minutes to an hour we went looking for the reference that we had, but we had no luck. Afterwards we were talking with this less active member and we were apologizing that we weren’t able to find the reference and then he told us, “Elders… You did find the reference. I think the reference was for you to find me and help me get back to church.” He has been to church every week for about the past 3 months. I think as I lost myself in the work, I was actually finding myself. I found who I really wanted to be and what success really was. I have also been able to see success in my mission from being obedient. I have seen many people brought back to church and many brought into the church through baptism. I feel like I have been able to complete with my mission purpose as to invite others to come unto Christ. I know that was the least I could do was invite. I also feel that I have learned how to be patient and love all my companions. I know there were times that were hard with my companions, but I was able to make the best out of the situations and become good friends with all of my companions. I feel like I was really blessed with all amazing companions. I have grown more spiritually in the past two years than I probably did in the 18 years before it. The mission has shaped my life and made me the person that I want to become.

My Testimony:
            I want to share my testimony that I KNOW that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. I know that missionary work is his work, the work of Jesus Christ. I remember that a lot of times throughout my mission I would always ask other missionaries “If you could describe your mission in 1 word, what would that word be…” A lot of times I received answers like: Best, Spiritual, but sometimes I would receive answers like “Hard” or “Tiring”… and I have thought a lot of what my answer would be and I think my answer would have to be “Blessed!” We truly are blessed in the church! I have seen so many blessing in my life and in my mission, and also tons of blessings that my family is receiving as well. God blesses us when we do what he says, I know that. I know that God really does want to bless us, we just have to follow his son. I know that Jesus died on the cross so that we may live again. Something I have come to understand more in my mission is that God literally loves us so much, that he sent his son, to die for us. I cannot imagine how hard that would have been. But because Jesus came here, we can be clean of all of our sins. I know that the atonement is for all of us. We can all start over, through Jesus Christ and the atonement. I know that when we are obedient we will see miracles. Elder Betzold shared a quote with me that went like this “Good things come to those who believe, better things come to those who are patient, but the best things come to those who never give up. There were times in my mission when I really wanted to give up but I didn’t. I feel like that is the best decision I have ever made was never giving up. I know that we have to keep going forward in faith, and then God will bless us. Like the scripture in D&C 58: 4 says “For after much tribulation come the blessings.” I know that through the hardest of times is when we can become the strongest we can be. I know that families are forever and the Book of Mormon is true and the Joseph Smith was a prophet. I know all these things to be true and I say them in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

My Future:
            There is a lot that I hope to accomplish over the next 20 years. After my mission I plan on starting school in August at Dixie State University where I will study medicine so that someday I will become a Nurse Practitioner or a Physician’s assistant. One of my goals is the same as always. I will be married in the temple for time and all eternity. Further down the way I hope to have kids that I will be able to support and help them gain a testimony of this gospel just like I have. I hope to be debt free and be able to donate as much time as possible to the church. In 20 years I hope to have a calling in the church that I can magnify and help others to have strong testimonies. I hope to be an example just like my father was for me. I want my children to serve missions and be leaders in the church. I hope to be able to help the missionaries in the mission work in whatever part of the world I am in. I want to help the church in whatever ways possible, be it through church callings or just by serving others. I hope to have strong relationships with my wife and children, so that they will trust me as their father and will turn to me when they need help. Something that the mission has taught me is how to be a good husband and father. I am grateful for all of the things that I have learned in my mission and I plan to live the things I have learned here in the mission field and live them in my life. My mission has helped me to learn patience and to trust in the Lord and I know that that will help me so much in my life after my mission. The mission has truly been a huge blessing in my life that I will never forget. I will never go in-active because of all the blessing I have seen here in Argentina. We truly are blessed and I know that God will continue to bless me in my future as I strive to be obedient to the commandments and covenants I have made with him in the sacred temples. I would like to share these things with you and end in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

...

Well yeah now you guys know how I feel and where I stand! I really am so grateful for my mission.  I honestly could not see myself serving anywhere else! Mom, I need to say THANK YOU SOO MUCH for always writing me every week and never missing once! I have seen tons of missionaries where their parents forget to write them, but you never did. I also need to say thank you to everyone else who has wrote me over the past two years. The support and prayers helped me so much. I want to say thanks for all the amazing companions I had. I feel like I am repeating from what I wrote above haha.

Well Cute lil fam, I will see you guys in 9 days! I love you guys soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much and I don't think I could've done the mission without you guys! You guys are the best. Better get ready, a storms a comin. ;) Be safe, do work, have fun, you know the drill!

Love, Elder Lawrence

Zone Valle de Uco!!!

 Elder Richey

  I will miss the garbage filled sunsets!

 Swing sets for life

 Arepas colombianas from Elder Camargo

I really will miss this place.

  

 Lunch yesterday with the Branch President and his family!

Monday, June 6, 2016

June 6, 2016

Hey Hey Family!!! 

Things are going great here and yes it's finally June!!! whooo :) It's pretty crazy how the time is flying and that's way cool how many of us are coming home on the same day!!! That's way exciting!!! It will be way fun to see everyone.

Wow it's sooo weird that Tyson is home.... Like we left together!!! haha and he is home! That's way cool though he looks way good! skinnier though haha!  Yeah it's all good if he goes up north! We will still have the summer to chill! He actually emailed me today! 

So I talked with Austin and he told me he is actually going to go to Dixie for the first semester we are home! I am excited about that. And I heard Andy Perkins is going to go there too so that's good!

Sounds like you guys all had a pretty great week so that makes me happy! That's crazy about Kamrie's pink hair!  That is way sad about Ez! He is in my prayers for sure! 

I am doing good! This week was pretty great! I had my last Zone Conference of my mission and I gave my testimony in front of like 75 missionaries! I was pretty nervous for some reason haha but it turned out good! Well after the Conference all the old missionaries had to talk with the nurse about getting some parasite test and stuff and so the next morning we went and got some parasite test done (blood drawn and pooped in a cup hahaha) but yeah I get the results tomorrow and I have been way nervous about it but yeah just pray that everything goes good! 

Sorry I feel like you wrote a lot but I am not writing a lot! I will write a good big email next week! Last time writing! I love you guys tonssssssss!!!! Have a great week! You guys deserve it! Sounds good about going shopping the next day after getting home because I will literally have no clothes!!!  I will keep working hard I promise!!! Love you guys!!!

Love, Elder Lawrence

La familia Cuello!!!