From: Elder Joshua Freeman
Subject: A FUN-tastic week
Date: 20 September 2004 11:56:42 AM EDT

ÁHola!

How are you all doing? Doesn't Fall start there soon? Spring supposedly hasn't started yet here, but it's actually been here since about the end of July. As’ es. But yeah, this week, we had Zone Meeting and a lot of bike problems. It was a hoot.

Last Monday, the weather wasn't pretty, so we mostly stayed inside all day and worked on juggling. I've been able to do it with scarves for a while, but I'm finally getting alright with balls. Also we figured out how to juggle to each other. It was fun. When we left, we went to Pilar y Sixto's, and they said that they had been praying but not reading, and we talked to them about if they're even really interested, and they said yes. After that, we went and taught Eider and Rosana, the reference family from the Arces, and taught them the charla 1. It went really well. After that, we got something to eat and then came home.

On Tuesday morning, we went to San Ignacio and had our Zone Meeting. It went pretty well. After that, we ate, and then Elder Webb and I stayed there because I had to do a baptismal interview. In the afternoon, we looked for a lot of people and didn't find most of them. But the interview went perfectly, and the lady got baptized on Saturday, which was the first baptism in San Ignacio for like 9 months. So that was good. We left there around 9:00, and got here around 11:00. So I was pretty tired for the next couple of days.

On Wednesday, we had to take Elder Webb's bike to the shop because last Sunday on the way home from church, his back tire blew. We took it to a guy closer to our house than the guy we normally take our bikes to, and then we went out to Eider and Rosana's. We taught them the 2» charla, and it went really well, and they committed to be baptized, but they have to get married first. So we'll be doing that next week probably. After that, we went to the Flia. Portillo's and mostly answered various questions that they had about the church. Then we went and had lunch with the Acosta's. In the afternoon, we went to get Elder Webb's bike, but for some reason, it wasn't ready yet, so we borrowed one again (we had in the morning too) and went to the church and had a correlation meeting with Pte. Barreto. Then we went and got the bike, and went out and got fallar-ed, and then went and read from the Libro de Morm—n with an inactive lady and her mom. After that, we tried talking to a lot of other people, and didn't find most of them, but we did meet one guy that's a baptist minister, and he was really nice, and said he was leaving on a preaching tour of sorts but would read the Libro de Morm—n. After that, we went to Estela's and had a little charla with them, and then got fallar-ed again. On the way home, Elder Webb's chain fell off his bike, like, completely. That was interesting.

So Thursday morning, we took it back to the guy and he fixed it, and we were back in the saddle again. We went and visited the Hna. Alejandra to ask her to go with us that afternoon, and then went to the Municipalidad (City Hall) to talk about community service opportunities. Then we went and talked to the son of an investigator, the dad wasn't there, and then visited Emili (the inactive girl). Then we were going to visit someone else, but Elder Webb's chain fell off again, so we took it to the guy we normally go to, and he fixed it while we ate lunch. In the afternoon, we went and got the Hna. Alejandra and went and visited Celso. Emma was supposed to be back on Wednesday, but she didn't get back until Friday. We mostly just talked about tithing with him. After that, we went and visited the Hna. Guicela and then Cesario. After that, we went to the Flia. Portillo's, and talked with them about their baptism, and told them to pray about the 25¼ of this month. Then we went and got assorted kids and took them to Noche de Rama. We played kickball again, and it was pretty fun. Then we took them all home, and Elder Webb's chain fell off AGAIN. So we got to walk home. 

So first thing Friday morning, we went and he just got a completely new chain. And his bike worked fine after that. We went out to Eider's, but only his mom was there, and she told us that his dad doesn't like us, even though he's never talked with missionaries before. That's one of the things that's most interesting to me on the mission, people that have the innate ability not to like us even without knowing us or anything about the church. But it's fairly common. Anyway, after that, we went and visited Emilce and Miguel, and then CŽsar. He had gone to Asunci—n, but didn't find any work there, so he came back. After that, we went by the Flia. Portillo's, and they said they'd get baptized the 25¼, but they still seemed a little unsure about it. So we talked a little bit with them about that before going to lunch with the Flia. Garc’a. In the afternoon, we went to the Flia. Albarenga's, and only Tasiana and the Hna. were there, and we finished giving them the ch. 1 for New Members. After that, we went and visited the Flia. Vera, and then Sixto y Pilar. They said they feel really good whenever we talk to them, and we told them that that's part of their answer, but I'm not sure if it really penetrated. After that, we dropped by the Arce's and they said that Eider had gone by there and told them that his dad doesn't like us, and asked if we could do the charlas at their house. So that's good. After that, we went and visited the ArgŸello's and they gave us empanadas of crocodile. They were pretty good. And we shared a little with them. Then as we were on our way to our next cita, something inside my back wheel broke, so we just walked our bikes to our next couple of citas, and got fallar-ed, so took it to the bike guy's house, then went and borrowed our due–o's bike and went to the Flia. Flores' and talked with them about the atonement. That went pretty well, and then we went by the Hna. Nelly's, but she wasn't home. SO we came home.

On Saturday morning, we went and taught a couple of charla 1s and tried talking to some other people. Then we went and got my bike and came home for lunch. In the afternoon, we went to Celso's and taught him and Emma the Plan of Salvation. It went pretty well. After that, we got fallar-ed a couple of times and invited some inactives to church. Then we went to the Arce's and waited for Eider and Rosana, but they never came. So we visited a couple other people we know out there and then went to the Flia. Portillo's and went over D&C 20:37, and talked about repentance, because they seemed kind of concerned about it. And by the time we left, we felt a lot better about their baptism next Saturday. 

On Sunday morning, the other Elders did divisions with us so that we could bring various people to church, but out of the 4 different households we went to, only 1 came. But we still had more than 60 people in church, which was the first time in a few months, so that was good. I got to teach Sunday School, because the Hno. Acosta (who usually teaches it) was in an interview. That was an experience. Anyway, after church, we came home and studied a little, and then went and had lunch with the Arce's. After that, we went got fallar-ed a couple of times and visited some inactives and CŽsar. Then we talked to a guy we taught a ch. 1 to a while ago. He had read in the Libro de Morm—n, and he said it's possible that JosŽ Smith was a prophet, but when we talked about there only being 1 true church, he said that the Bible says that fanatics (in this case, people who think that only their church is true) can't be saved. We pointed out that Peter and Paul were just 2 examples of people who were pretty fanatical about their church, but he wasn't having any. So after that, we went and visited the Hna. Balbina, and then a couple of other people before going and teaching the ch. 4 to the Flia. Portillo. They really liked the eternal families part, so that went really well.

So, that was the week. We got the Sept. 11 Church News this week, and it talked about the fire in Asunci—n, and in the picture are Elder Vester and another Elder from our mission. And the Elders it mentions by name in the article are our Financiero and Cartero. And it talked about Pte. and Sis. Anderson on the back part. That was cool. But yeah. Hey mom, when you sen the Books of Mormon, could you send me a copy of the family picture too? I don't really have one. Plus, I need more notebook paper. For my journal. But yeah. Thanks a lot for everything.

I Love You All!!!

Love,
Josh