Monday, September 3, 2012

Hello those that dwell in the mountains,
It was so awesome to get all of your letters!!! I am grateful for all the experiences that you are having, the hard ones and the happy ones.  We can learn from everything. Thank you all so much for taking the time to write and your words of encouragement and support. I think that all of the many blessing that I have received on my mission are just Heavenly Father answering the prayers of my extraordinary parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends...Thank you.
Please also send my love and regards to the Boren family. I hope that the service goes well. Books need to be written about President Boren and his great family. I hope that the spirit is strong there testifying of the blessings of a temple marriage and the plan of salvation. (Our Branch President's wife in Stanley passed away last week...the funeral was today in Boise. She has had alheimers for almost 6-7 years and has been in a center for the last several years. It is a love story between the two of them that I will forever remember. She has not known him for years...but he continued weekly to drive to Boise from Stanley each week and stay for days to visit and to show his love)
I received a letter from the man Ryan Connolly this week. Thanks so much Ryan, (still want to say Elder Connolly). Glad to hear that you made it safe and that the adjustment is going well. I hope your stomach bug goes away soon. Those gomitas had to catch up with you some time my friend. haha.  I miss you and thanks for your great example. The mission is doing great. Keep progressing and good luck in school. Love you Brother.
Bishop Prince- Your letters are the best- thank you so much. I hope that you and the family are doing awesome. Have a great fall. I love you Bishop. Thanks for your prayers and your kindness. Your’e the best. Hope that those chickens are still laying eggs, your windows are still getting graffiti on them and you are being blessed for your service.  I love you Bishop.
First  off, I got to say…. Alex, I wasn’t going to let that tic tac toe going to end in a cat, so I am glad you let me win. That is too bad you thought you put "o"s.  haha. No just kidding, yeah you were  O, but I thought I would try to pull a fast one you, but good work, you caught it.
This week has been a week of serious miracles. Little things, but looking back I am really grateful. On Tuesday, we had a leadership conference and that was amazing, I learned so many great things about leadership and the presentation that we gave went well. Oh man, I wish you all could know President and Hermana Parreno. The are un-human. Hermana is just amazing. I wanted to share a story. So during the conference with Elder Vinas, Elder Costanzi and I snuck away to the office because we were waiting for the lunches to show up. As we were in the office the phone rang and a woman wanted to know what church was closest to her. We gladly told her and then set a appointment with the hermanas that are in her area. They set a baptism date and she and her family went to church. We just thought it was a miracle that  1) she had the office number and 2) we just happened to be in the office.
Then last Monday Hermana was telling us how she had been giving out cards with the office number on them. Elder Costanzi raised his hand and told the story of what happened, and Hermana jumped and raised her hand and said “THAT WAS ME”.  It was really special. They are examples of good missionaries, not only mission presidents. I love them so much for that.
Last Monday, I also received some letters from converts in Miramar. I am super stoked because they have been practicing in Mar Del Plata to participate in the temple celebration this end of the week. Oh man, it is so great. They are doing so well. The Gonsalez family. Also we were teaching a husband of a super awesome hermana there in Miramar, and he was baptized and they went to the open house, They sent a letter thanking us for teaching them. Oh, it doesn’t get any better that that.
Funny story for you Mikesell-
Last week we were contacting on a Saturday night and we were not having much luck, but we found a man who was really upset because his curtains broke and his family was coming the next day and he wanted to have them fixed but didn’t have the money. We were desperate to find so we told him we could sew his curtains. After some persistence he let us in and, you wouldn’t believe it but we sewed his curtains. I have almost never sewed anything in my life, but I managed to sew his curtain we fixed it, shared a lesson about the Book of Mormon and we will keep passing by. Classic “fake it till you make it”.
Yesterday we found a awesome family. I am really hopeful for them and I see a lot of potential in them. They are a family of 9 the grandparents, who are married, and their daughter who is divorced and her 5 kids. They are great and we have a FHE with them tonight with a member. Pray for the family Torres. Everyone is really excited for the temple this weekend and Elder Eyring will be in BA. It should be great.
I loved the scriptures that I read this week in DC 88:63 and DC 67: 13 this week. I am going to be doing a deeper study of ch 6 of Preach my Gospel the next nine weeks and this week. I will be studying faith. You are all welcome to join me.
Dad-Thanks so much for that picture of the fire. I am glad that you enjoyed your time in Utah and I am sure that it was really hard to say good bye to Mikesell this time. It will all turn out great.  I keep praying for " Brother romney" and we will see what happens- I hope that the fires settle so that you can get a little more weekend business this fall. I sure love you Dad. Thanks for your example and I am glad  you  got the letter.
Mom- I liked the picture of those scarves by the way. Lots of color! Impressive you knitter you! I kind of have spring allergies, and I can’t believe you asked me that. I will find your camera man down to take that pic for you. I hope that you can use the questions when people ask about me being in Argentina into missionary experiences. I short  5 second testimony shared allows the spirit to touch people if they are prepared. I love you Mom!! Have  great week and I hope the adjustments and the ache of leaving Redfish passes quickly. I love you more than air!!  Thank you for your thoughtfulness and prayers. You are truly the best.
Mikesell- I am grateful for the tests that you are having and I know that you will win. I pray for you a ton. Hey, so you know Rueben Christanson, was the AP when I got here, I told him you were going to be at UVU.  Well... I’ll say this….if I got to have any say in the boys you date, he makes the cut, but you are a freshman.  And it sounds like you already getting drilled. Holy smokes, why are you so good?  I love you Mikesell!!!  Keep your head up and your chin high. Christmas will arrive and you will look back on all of this and just be grateful for the time to grow. I love you and good luck.
Brennen- I hope that the dish pit is going great and that you are stoked for the xc season. You will do great!! You look strong in all of your pictures. I don’t think you will have any problems with your heal. Keep strong stripling warrior. You are the man and go dominate your life brother. Thanks for your example.
Alex- haha, sorry I cheated on you man. I saw the opportunity and I had to take it. I hope you forgive me. Pretty cool you had taken that picture of our tic tac toe game before….caught red handed wasn’t I?  Are you going to dominate in XC this year or what. I love you and am proud of the growth that you are having. Tell the Oveson family hello for me.
Harrison- hey buddy, I hope that school is going great brother. I sure love you. Keep being a stud and work hard. You are so tall. Give Copper a hug for me. I love you.
McCall- I love you sweetie. Have fun at school this first week and I hope that you just love it. Learn lots and be a good example. Have fun. Give everyone a big kiss for me (the family) I love you!!
Well I love you all so much!! Have a great week.  Have a great day!!
I love you all
Elder Austin

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for always posting Austin's letters, Audra. I love reading them!

    ReplyDelete