From: Elder Joshua Freeman
Subject: Time flies when you're having fun
Date: 26 January 2004 9:58:20 AM EST

ÁHola!

How is everything going up there in the USA? Guess what?!? We're in Centro right now, and I've finally gotten presents. Presents for you guys. Plus I have some other stuff to send home before next change (next week) so that if I leave, I won't have to pack it with me. So yeah, I'll try to get that all put together by tomorrow. But yeah, about my week...

On Monday night, after all the P-Day activities were over, we went and had a Family Home Evening with Eugenia's family. We played a trivia game where you roll a die and if you answer the question right, you get to advance, and if not, you stay where you are. We got their Dad to play too, so that was good. It was a lot of fun, and we had cookies and stuff for the winners and gave them a scripture about charity so that they shared with the losing team tambiŽn. It was a lot of fun.

On Tuesday morning, we had our Zone Meetings like normal. After we came home and studied, we went and taught charla 6 to Claudelino. It went well. After that, it started to rain pretty hard, but we went out anyway and met a family whose daughter is a friend of the Duarte's daughter. They seemed pretty neat. After that, we went out and talked to the Palmeros (the guy whose divorce came through) and found out that he has to wait 40 days before he can get married so that they make sure that everyone everywhere in the country knows he's divorced now. So that will fall in March some time, when we'll marry and baptize them.

On Wednesday, we had a charla 2 with Eugenia's oldest son JosŽ, he's 18, and he accepted baptism. If he comes to church every week, we can do it before the end of the change. But we'll see. In the afternoon, we went and talked to some members and met a reference family from them. Then we went out and met another reference from a different member. The people seem pretty cool, and hopefully we can make some progress with them. After all that, we had Noche de Rama, which was normal.

On Thursday morning, we visited a few inactive families, which was good. We ate lunch with the Palmeros, and it was quite good. After studying, we went on divisions. Elder Merritt came from YpanŽ, Elder Davis went over there with Elder Payne, and then in the afternoon, I went with Elder Black to the other side of Ytoror—, and Elder Merritt went with Elder Urling to do Claudelino's baptism interview. Was that confusing? In any case, we tried to visit a lot of people that weren't home, and talked to one of their investigators and met some new people. Then we went to a member's house to have a Family Home Evening with their neighbors, which didn't turn out how we planned because the mom is really sick and her son's wife left him with 5 kids and they have all sorts of problems and told them all to us, and then it was time to go. So I think Elders Davis and Black went to visit them later in the week.

On Friday, we visited inactives again, and we had our normal weekly lunch with the Flia. Ben’tez. In the afternoon, we went and talked with Hno. Duarte and his 14 year old daughter that isn't a member. Then we went and planned Claudelino's baptism with him. Then we went and taught our first 1» charla with a "Red de Contactos" reference. It was a single lady with a few kids, and it went pretty well. So that's good. After that, we went and talked to some old investigators and then came home.

On Saturday morning, we had to clean out the font (did I ever tell you, our baptismal font is separate, it's kinda like a big wading pool, but it's an actual baptismal font. All of the branches that just rent houses to be the chapel have them.) and then went to Eugenia's and they made us stay for lunch, so we did. In the afternoon, we made cakes for the baptism, then went out and got fallar-ed. Then we taught the plan of salvation and the Eternal Family to Valdelice and her family. It went really well, and we could tell that her husband really was thinking harder about the whole marriage thing. So that was really good. After that, we went to the church and did Claudelino's baptism. It went really well, and there were quite a few investigators there, and members, and it was just a really good service. After that, us four Elders got hamburgers for dinner. They were good.

On Sunday, we went to the church and found out that Presidente Mar’n was sick, and neither counselor was there. Luckily, the 2¼ counselor from the Stake Presidency was here visiting, so he got to direct Sacrament Meeting. Other than that, and Claudelino's confirmation, the meetings were pretty normal. We didn't have a lunch cita, because Presidente was sick, so we came home and ate. Then we went out and met a drunk guy who made us go with him to his house so we could see where he lives. Then we went and taught a couple of charla 1s that both went quite well. Then we were going to teach a charla 2 to another family, but the husband wasn't home. So, we came home and studied and had dinner with the other Elders like normal.

So that was the week. We were going to baptize Valdelice's daughter this week, but we're gonna have to do it next week because we still have 2 charlas to teach. But that's alright. It's a mix between really nice and frustrating to have so many people to teach all over the place and not be able to fit them all in all the time. But yeah, that's a good problem to have.

So yeah, it sounds like you are all having fun. Tomorrow we have Zone Conference, and a week from then, we find out changes. That means that the time goes by really fast here. But it's great.

So, yeah. Thanks for everything. I'll try to get that package out this week, but if not, next week for sure.

I Love You All!!!

Love,
Josh