February 25, 2013

Hello there family that I love so much!

Another week in the books....

It has been a great week here in Argentina. Full of surprises!!! Before I get going and forget I am really grateful for the letters from Sister Amy and Mikesell. They were both excellent. I appreciated your letters so much! Thank you!

So on Tuesday, we always have meeting with President. Last Tuesday President got here and talked with Elder Gravelle alone. Elder Gravelle (other assistant) came out and said Elder Clegg, come here, he went into a room and he told me with the biggest smile on his face. "Elder Clegg, I just had the biggest spiritual experience ever. President just taught me a ton about leadership. I am leaving the office to go be a zone leader in Mar Del Plata" I was super exicted for him. He ends in May and I am glad that he will end in the field. He left last night (see picture) with Elder Gonzalez, the Secretary. This morning Elder Bird, from Kaysville, Utah got here as the new assistant. He is stud and I am super excited to "train" him. He graduated with Hayley Clegg and know there whole family well. Carson Bird.  I am super excited for him. I stick with Elder Cruz my current companion. It has been strange... I am now the Elder with the most time in the office. Also this change almost guarantees  that I will be ending in the field. If that is what God wants, I would enjoy it. I am excited to step it up and work with him. He has the same time that I had when I got to the office. 13 months about. Your prayers will be greatly appreciated this week. I feel them every week.

Nestor, came to Church in a new white shirt (Thanks Mom) and just loved it. He also came to the baptismal service in another ward. He is doing good and I am excited for him. The members really enjoyed him. I had a lot of great spiritual experiences in the area this week. We talked with some really great people. I love being able to feel the spirit on the mission.

Tomorrow we receive 5 Sisters and 4 Elders.  We are going to have 4 missionaries in my ward now... 2 elders and 2 sisters.. haha it will be interesting! I don`t know if I will ever eat lunch with the members again! :) We told our Bishop and he said "No, Elders what did we do wrong?" Our Bishop is a really funny guy. I love him. He was just joking and they have never had sister missionaries in the ward, but I know that as soon as they get here they will love them. It will help the ward a ton. I am excited for that. 

Other than that it has been a good week . I have learned a lot this week and I am sure I will learn even more this week. It is fun to have Elder Bird here with new energy. I am excited for him.

Dad- Thanks so much your letter and your advice. I needed that reminder. Thank so much... I am glad that you are doing well. Sounds like you had a great weekend with Grandpa, Uncle Kerry, and Alan. What a great tim!!  I am so glad that you enjoyed it. I hope that you have a great week Dad. I love you and thank you for your testimony.

Mom- I sure love you, a ton. Thank you for your wonderful letter. I hope that you have a great week Mom. I can`t believe that McCall`s letter didn`t get there! I will start sending from another post office. Gal... Thanks for the talk on "desire". I never get tired of studying that. I love you so much Mom. Thank your for your prayers and your thoughtfulness.

Mikesell- I am so glad that you ran well in Texas!! What a neat experience for you. How was your flight? I love you sis! Look in your email!

Brennen- I am glad that you are enjoying tennis!! I love you Brother with all my heart. Keep being strong! Glad you had such a great time with skiing on Monday!

Alex-Hey All Star! How were the slops?? I love you brother!! Have a great day today...Good luck at your game tonight!

Harrison- Hey buddy!! I sure love you!!! I hope that you are doing super well.... how are the kittys?

McCall- Hey sweetie! I am so exited. You have to promise me that you will send me pictures of your baptism with Brennen! I love you McCall..... BIG KISS!

I have to rush a little right now to finish. I love you all!! I love the Savior. I love the gospel, and I love being happy. Have a great week!

Elder Austin

February 18, 2013

Hello Clegg Clan,

Sounds like it is a beautiful Presidents Day! I am glad that you are going to get out skiing Dad, Brennen, and Alex. I am sure that will be a great experience. We have great memories in the snow on Presidents Day!
Sounds like the basketball court is cooling off a little bit and that everyone is changing mind set to spring life. The month has gone by really fast!!

McCall, sounds like you had a wonderful birthday! Did you get my card?

I am doing great here. It was been a good week. The first part was a little rough. We have decided to move on from the Moran family and Nazerno and Maria. After that we realized that it was time to find again. We found some solid people, but we need to find more. The office is doing well and with the changes of last transfers we have been getting a lot more time in the area. That make me happy. The mission is also doing better. A little bit more constant with baptisms every week and we have seen some real miracles in the mission. I feel so blessed to hear all of their experiences. So things are on the up. This week is was hot and last night it got colder. I used a blanket for the first time in weeks and had to turn off the fan. Nestor is doing really well.... He will be able to come to church this week. Yesterday we taught a lesson with him and two youth in our ward. They just got back feom EFY and they are excited to help us. They are great kids...I quite enjoy them. Jon Franco and Enzo.  Miguel Angel blessed the sacrament for the second week in a row, and Martha got a calling in the Relief Society (Secretary) and Raul will be geting interviewed this week to recieve the priesthood. So that is really neat to see them grow like they are growing. Elder Cruz and I are working hard, and even though we haven't seen very many fruits in the church yet, I am just trying to change what I need to change to be a better instrument in the hands of Heavenly Father. We have a good office right now--- I really enjoy the Elders here.  Next week we get 5 Sisters and 4 Elders. So we have like a mini-transfer. The next set of Elders don´t go home until March 26 and that will be the nest transfer. We are preparing new areas  for sisters. This will be the first group to get here since the announcement was made with younger missionaries. I am excited for this week and hope that I can work at my best.

Dad- I am sure that skiing will be really fun for you with the boys. I am sure that you are going to Pomerelle and that will be a great time. I hope that you enjoy it and also snowmobiling in McCall at the end of the week. That will be a blast. I am glad to hear that you are doing well. I am sure the stress of the year is starting to hit a little bit. Show time! I love you Dad, thanks for your example to me....Have a great day.

Mom- Thanks so much for the card. I really appreciated it. I actually got it on Valentines Day, perfectly!  It is really expensive to send letters here as well. When I got here it was 8 pesos, now it is 15. There is crazy inflation here right now...it is just wild. So housing, so Glennwood seems like the place to go. Really I am more concerned about the people than the place. I know Easton and Romney are great and I would love to have them as roommates and I also would really enjoy being close to Mikesell if she is going to live there.So studying it out in my mind and my heart.... I would say it is as a go.   Thanks for taking such good care of me Mom. You are something else. I am glad that you are enjoying going to the temple each week so much. That is such a great idea. I love you Mom. You are truly an angel.

Mikesell-  I am happy for you because you are having to make so many important decisions in your life. I am sure they will help you grow and acomplish that plan that God has for you... What a blessing. I will be praying fervently for you. I know that you will do what is best. These experiences really help Mikesell... I love you so much and am so grateful for you.... Have a wonderful week ok? Big hug....Read your Pat Blessing.

Brennen the man with the best game plan- How is it going? I am sure you will love skiing today. That will be legit...I hope that you can get your surgery date all set up for your knee and go to work.... Keep strong and remember that the hardest thing is usually the best thing to do... I love you buddy, have a great week.... All my love.

Alex- Going to get a new addiction today Alex.. skiing on the slopes. I am sure that you will pick it up with ease, and knowing you, you will want to do a lot more tomorrow.... What has been your favorite part of the BofM so far? I love you  buddy. Have a great week!! Keep on keeping on...

Harrison- Sounds like you are happy and that you are enjoying life. I am sure that you will love Baseball. I am glad Mom signed you up! Did you enjoy your last game....?

McCall - I hope you had a wonderful birthday!! I thought about you so much on your birthday!! I love you Call-- are you remembering our handshake?

I love you so much...... Have a great week...

This week I thought a lot about integrity. I read a article in the Ensign by Elder Tad R. Callister and that was excellent. I also taught the class in church about honesty and so it was a loaded week. I though about how I can be more honest with God and with myself. I though about something that President Defleteson taught about how everytime that we don't act on knowledge we have to do something good, that is sin. I want to get to the point in my life to act on all of the knowledge that I have, that is becoming, that really is the message of the Book of Mormon, to remember. Remembering is acting on the knowledge that we have already attained. So this week I will be focusing on that. Acting and doing what I know that I should be doing. I am still focusing on my theme word of the year, Sanctification.

Mosiah 4: 29-30

I love my Savior. This week I tried to think about Him more when I was frustrated with our investigators. I know that the Atonement is real. I want nothing more that to apply  it to my life and let it change me for the better.

Thank you for you examples. may each of your decisons this week bring you closer to the Savior.

All my love to friends, family who are near and afar.

I understand that beginners are many, "end"ers are few...

Now it is my turn to learn to be a good " ender"

Your prayers are appreciated and I feel there power every day.

LES AMO

Elder Austin

P.S.  Have you though of anyone who could listen to the missionaries?

February 11, 2013

Failure will never overcome you if your determination to succeed is strong enough.
Og Mandino

Hi All!!!
Thank you for your wonderful emails...I love them so much!
It was a great week here in Bahia Blanca. I learned a great deal this week. It was a wonderful week and I feel very blessed for all of the experiences that have happened.

The conference with Elder Viñas was excellent. It went really smooth and I learned so much from him. He is a very real person and I am so grateful for his example. He simply talks the scriptures and it is amazing. Him and President Parreño are great friends from before the mission and that was neat. Our presentation went really well and it was a great experince. I am super pumped for the mission and we are focusing on real growth a great deal here in the mission.

                                        Elder Clegg, Elder Vinas, President Parreno
The afternoon after the conference we had a great afternoon. We went out to work with all of the energy in the world. We went to a family that we had contacted the day before, they were there for the appointment which was great. They told us that the day that we contacted them they were talking and thinking about how they wanted to find a religon and wanted to get closer to God. Sounds almost unreal, but it happened. We had a great first lesson with them, went by with some great members the next day and we had a set commitment with them to bring them to church with the members. He is a police man and she is a teacher 8th grade and turns out he had to work extra. So they were not able to come to the church.

Moran update- We had the BBQ with the whole family (20) in the mission house. Afterwords we shared a spritual thought with them. They didn´t come to church and the progress is slow, but there is progress. I feel a little frustrated with them...but have been asked to keep going and will do so. They are a great family but they are just having the hardest time getting it in gear. This has never happened to me in  my mission where I have taught someone for so long and seen such little progress.... The gospel always wins and luckily, if I am humble and obedient, I can be on that winning side and see some progress.Yesterday we passed buy with our Bishop to challenge the Dad to baptize his Andrea and Camila, and they were not there. I am learning alot of patience. :)

We found two great others this week. Nestor is 45 and he came to the church to do a tour, but not on Sunday because he had to work, but he will come next week.  Also our Bishops neighbor also came and we have been trying to get him to come since about Christmas. He loved it and read 60  pages of the Book of Mormon in one night. I was really excited for him, but last night when I called to thank Bishop for his help he told me that his neighbor came by and returned the Book of Mormon, because his wife threatened to leave him and got really upset because he went to church.. Today we will go by again and try to put that fire out.

This week to be honest was a week a ton of ups and then everything came crashing down. But I will not and refuse to get discouraged, it only just means that God has some huge plans for our area. I am excited.  (Ether 12:6)

Sounds like everything is going well at home. That is wonderful to hear. Thanks so much for your emails Papa and Grandma Crouch and Grandpa and Grandma Clegg. I am so grateful for you. I love you very much and am so grateful for your lives and legacy. I look forward to reading your emails tonight.

I am sad that my Christmas letter did not get there. I sent it from a different post office and maybe that is why??? Hopefully the birthday letter for McCall will get there alright.

Elder Vinas talked alot about three words that stuck out to me. Observe, Discern, and Feel. He talked about how we have to really understand what the people need to feel to change thier lives, becuase he said that normal people dont feel desire to follow God today. President talked about working with members and being dedicated. We did practices for inviting people to church and also the blessings of the harvest finding approach. It was great and I love learning and teaching with the Elders.

Dad- Thanks so much for that qoute....that will really help me. I am glad that you are enjoying the new program for teaching. I hope that you have a great week. I sure love and respect you.

Mom-  I very much enjoyed your letter... thank you so much. It sounds like you are very busy and loving life. I think that Eastons brother is looking at housing in Glennwood. I am not sure if you have talked with his Mom. I loved what you had to say about your experiences last week with Elder Holland. I am so grateful for you Mom. I love you more than air and feel you prayers.

Mikesell- Hey sis, sounds like you are doing good in P-town!! What a busy time for you!!! I sure hope that all goes well for you and that you have a wonderful week and enjoy all that is going on in your life. I sure miss you and love you. You are the very best.!!

Brennen- Gracias por su carta amigaso. Te quiero mucho. Vas  a jugar Tenis o Track esta año? Que bueno que ganaron sus ultimos partidos. Vamos Tigers. Gracias pro tu ejemplo y amor por Dios y nuestro familia. Mucho Exito este semana. Adelante Hermano.

Alex- Thanks for writing me bro. I am sure proud of you for your dedication to read the Book of Mormon everynight. You and Brennen should share what you are learning. You are the man Alex. I love you and pray for you everyday. Go attack life and JUST WIN!!

Harrison- I sure love you brother! Are you excited? You are always excited? What things are you learning in school and in church? Have you gotten McCall a present yet?
I love you Brother and have a great week!

MCCALL- QUE LO CUMPLA FELIZ. Happy Birthday McCall!!! I sure hope that you have a great day little Valentine!! When will you be baptized? 8 years old!!!!!! I love you McCall and I hope you get my letter before your birthday!!

This week after thinking about how Elder Viñas said about observing and discerning and then helping the people feel I studied in 2 Nephi 4. We can learn so much from the way that Nephi felt. He was humble, repentant, and worried for the salvation of all those around him. I really like verses 34 and 35.
John 14:17

I love you. Christ lives, this is his Gospel. The Book of Mormon is book that will change your life. It is the word of God. The Bible also. I love my life as a missionary. I just feel happy, even when things dont go like I want them to go. I am happy, because this is not my work. And it does not go according to my plans. My biggest desire is to simply be an instrument. I know that God will complete things with his promises.

All my love, best wishes and prayers for you.


Elder Austin

Wonderful Life - Feb. 3, 2013

Hello Family,

Sounds like it was a wonderful, wonderful week. Mom, I was spefically thinking and praying for you and I knew that it would be a very faith building experience for you. Being asked to speak in a meeting like that with Elder Holland there will be a sweet memory for you all of your life. I went to the sacrament room here in the church and said a special prayer for you. I love that place. That was the first time I heard President Def. talk when I got here and I have had so many spiritual experiences there. I love that room...

I am glad to hear that you all had a great active week also....

The week here in the southern sun was also a great week. In the office, good and normal. I have learned so much about adminstration and I have so much  more to learn. It is so crazy how open my eyes have been to the lives of missionaries. I feel more love for them and desire success for them.  I am truly happy when I see other missionaries recieve success. That is the best.

In my area this week it was a excellent week, we had a lot of tests. Like finding the perfect married couple on Monday, and then coming back on Tuesday after a super spiritual lesson. (as we were walking away on Monday Luis said "tomorrow at 7:30 and you better come" which is usually a good sign) but then when we showed up on Tuesday he got called in to go to the port to work and his wife tried giving us back the Book of Mormon. I would not take it and she put it on top of my books. I tried to give it back to her again, and when I saw how hard she was, I testified with a little tone in my voice, and told her we loved her and that God was really sad with what she was doing. She said, "Yeah you are right, but I have already established my life". That was tough. We had a couple experiences like that this week and I know that just means that huge blessings are going to be coming....

I am hopeful for the Moran Family. We are teaching Gustavo (Menos Activo) and his wife Andrea (not a Member) and his two kids Camila and Luataro. Camila came to church alone and is doing well the parents need a little bit of work, but they are a great family. We made them a cake and watched the Resturation with them on Saturday, that went well. Today, we have a lesson with our Elders Qouroum President and his wife, the young womens president. I am excited for that. I hope that it all goes well. Please pray for the Moran family. We have been working with them for so long now, I normally would have dropped a family after working so long with them and seeing so few results, but President and Hermana also have a relationship with them and maybe they just need more time then other families that I have taught. It is a good patience tester, a really, really good one. Martha and Miguel are doing really well. Raul also. I am enjoying Elder Cruz and we are seeing more time in the area, and life is a little easier with only two assistants, a little bit easier to balance the responsibilites. Tomorrow Elder Viñas will arrive here in Bahia Blanca and on Wednesday we have the leadership conference. Elder Yost will be in Bahia. I am super excited, our workshop is all ready and I am exicted to learn from Elder Viñas. This transfer is the one that got extented for three weeks and so it is a nine week transfer.

Dad- Thanks for you email. I really appreicate it and I am glad that you had such a good weekend. Sounds like you are doing well and I am excited for that. What a special experience that this week was. What a blessing. I loved watching Elder Holland at the MTC. I noticed how he rememberd the names of the people who were conducting the music and just little things like that. He really is a great example. Were Papa and Grandma Crouch there? I sure love you Dad. Have a great week and I hope that you can reach all you goals, drink lots of juice, and keep learing what you want to learn. :)  Love you Dad.

Mom-- What an absolutely wonderful week for you. I am just so happy for you. That is so neat...  it just makes me smile. I hope that you will be able to have a excellent week and know how much you are loved by your son in Argentina, and everyone around you, but most importanly Heavenly Father. Have a great week Mom. I love you. Thank you for your journal entry...I love them.

Mikesell- 5: 18 on your mile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?
WOW! That is awesome, I am going to have to start training right now so that I can keep up with you. That is so great and I am super excited for you. That was a great race and I am glad Dad and the boys could go to Boise to watch you. Thank you for your sweet emails and thank you for sharing what you learned with Elder Holland. That is a great experience. I sure love you Mikesell.

Brennen- Hey stud, I am so glad that you had that experience playing against Burley. Those experiences, even though they are painful, help you grow and get better down the road.You are such great kid Brennen. Thanks for sending me a email every week. I sure love you buddy. I hope that school is going well and that you are learing a lot. How is your young mens Quorum doing? How many boys do you have. Keep strong brother and fighting the good fight.

Alex- How you doing bud? Sounds like you are doing well in your games and really enjoying it. That is awesome. Where are you at in the Book of Mormon? Keep being a champion and doing your very best. I love you buddy.

Hey Harrison- I hope that you are happy that you had a good week  When do you finsh rec ball? I love you Harrison. Did you survive no TV week? Have a great week.

McCall- I will be sending you a birthday letter this week and I hope that it gets to you in time. How was the baptism of Allison? I love you Cally! Have a great week!

Well Family, I sure love you all. I am so grateful for you. I hope that it is a wonderful week for you all.

I love this work. I love my Savior and I am so grateful for him....

Love
Elder Austin


D&C 84:33

D&C 84:80

January 28, 2013

Hello there 380 East 500 North,

Sounds like it is a pretty exciting time there in Jerome..... I am sure happy that you are all doing so well and that it has been a great week. Thank you... as always for the letters. I know that there are those serving missions who never receive letters from home. You would have to be very strong to open your inbox every Monday and have it be empty. So thank you so much for your constant support!! :)

It was another week of miracles here in the promise land of Bahia Blanca. Sadly this week four elders had to go home, some for health problems and others for other problems.. There isn't anything more heart breaking then that and I almost did'nt even want to mention it in my letter.  Two of them will be back after their surgeries. Needless to say I was in the airport almost everyday last week. But we also received some really special, prepared Elders. So the work keeps working forward. In March, we get a ton of sisters and we are preparing for that. 

We had a great deal of meetings with President and I  always learn so much from those. Raul received the Holy Ghost yesterday and he is doing well. We were finally able to find a teach Camilia Moran again and she came to church and accepted a date for the 10 of Feb. It really depends on her family, her Dad is less active and her Mom is a great catholic lady, but is a little cold with us. We will see what happens. The pastor didn´t come to church yesterday. The mission is doing pretty well right now and it looks like it is going to get better. Next transfer we lose 11 of the 21 Zone Leaders that are currently serving, so we will have lots of  young leaders. Elder Cruz, my new companion, is doing well and we trying to  work a little harder every day. I really love work. It is so satisfying. Yesterday we knocked and knocked in the empty streets of the siesta with the heat and with out much luck, but then at about 6 clock we found 4 people and they are solid, one of them is called Malone (like Karl) and he is studying to be a Pharmisist. I am excited for him. It was funny last Monday and Sunday early in the morning we were doing a ton of trips to the bus terminal and every time we have to pass through the parking attendant the last time of the morning I said,  "This will be our last time" and smiled and she said, "Kids like you used to pass by my house". After a couple of questions we found out that she lived in our area and we went by and talked to them, they fell threw for our appointment...but we will keep trying... they seem like a solid family... we will see what happens. Hopefully they are married. :)
I am excited and want to reach my goals. This week should be good!!


Dad-  http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#earthly-father-heavenly-father

I sure hope that you are doing well Dad. I sure love you. Hey, where is David going on his mission? How is the reservations going? Did I tell you that a couple of Elders might want to work up there? They end in May 8th and one of them is from Idaho...his name Is Jordan Gravelle. He is the other Assistant and he is great.
We are doing a challenge to read PMG in 30 days and it is great. It is really helping me. I love you Dad! I hope that you are doing well and that you can get spiritually ready for the feast this weekend. You will have to tell me everything about it.
Sure love you Pops. Have a great week.

Mom - I am so excited for you!!  "Just talk slow, Fake it till you make it, do your best and forget the rest, have positive energy, smile, Say your prayers, be confident..." Sound familiar? haha You are so great Mom. I know you will do great and I will be praying for you. We will do it together -- next Wednesday we have a leadership conference and we have the opportunity to give an hour talk. Elder Viñas, from the Seventy will be there. I am excited for that. I am so pumped for you Mom. ha ha What a neat experience. God really has a plan for each of us... You asked "what I have learned the most or gained the strongest testimony of...." That is hard question because there is a theme behind every area and companion and experience. I have learned a lot about how knowledge allows you to have more vision, and that if we establish a vision, cultivate "third degree" desires as Papa would say, and then work, God will grant us our righteous desires.  Also how to better trust in the Lord. But mainly, my testimony of the Atonement has developed into something deeper and more meaningful to me... I will be praying for you! Go get em!

Mikesell- I sure love you! I am glad that you are having such a wonderful time at school. You sound very spirituality strong and that you are doing so wonderful. I hope that you can get up to Nampa this week. That would be fun. Sounds like you are going on lots of dates with this FHE brother????  I sure love you Mikesell! Keep being a champ. Have a great week.

Brennen- Glad to hear that you are getting to play a lot. That is sad about your teammate....send the missionaries to his parents house. Glad to hear that you are doing so great. I love you buddy and sure appreciate your example in my life. Have a great week. Go get em Tiger.

Alex- One of the highlights of the week for me! To hear that you are dominating the scriptures every night!!  I really congratulate you Alex. I promise you that you will achieve your deepest dreams and desires if you can keep that habit everyday of your life. I got to tell you man your letters crack me up... they sound like this " Hey man, Whats up? Sorry I haven´t written you in a long time. Have a good week!! love you.  bye"  I am seriously laughing out loud right now.... Oh buddy I love you and so grateful to have you as my brother. Have a great week and keep being the man on and off the court. BE GREAT --BROTHER!!

Harrison- Hey Stud, thanks so much for you letter. I am glad you liked the pinewood derby. Dont worry buddy we will do lots of handshakes soon enough. I sure love you Harrison. Keep being the man!

McCall- Thanks so much for writing me! Allison will be baptized this week huh!? That is so great! You are getting so close also to your special day! Are you excited? I think you would do a great job in Africa as a missionary! I love you Cally. BEAR HUG!

I love you all with all my heart, and am excited for each of you to have a wonderful week.

I love our Savior, this work and the JOY that comes from putting our lives more in line with that of the Savior. The message of the Restoration is true. Tell Elder Holland I love him!! :)
Hel. 3:35

Elder Austin

January 21, 2013

Hello Family!

Sounds like everything is good and smooth at home. Sounds like it is a cold winter. I am glad to hear that everyone is busy and happy. I enjoy your letters so much! Thank you for writing!

It has been a wonderful week here in Bahia. A lot happened this week... We were greatly blessed. On Monday and Tuesday I was in the office and working in my area. On Wednesday we had a meeting with President. On Thursday Elder Costanzi and I went to Santa Rosa for the last Zone Conference. That was a really great time. We had some really great experiences...some great stories. I really enjoyed talking with President and Hermana and learned a lot. It turns out the Stake President wanted Raul to be baptized in our ward so we had a baptism yesterday. It was such a neat experience. We were blessed somehow (MIRACLE) to be able to teach him and some other office elders helped us when we were in Santa Rosa. Martha and Miguel Angel were there to support him and they were really great. Raul is a humble man who sells flowers. He cried and got really emotional. His daughter was there with her husband who is a pastor of a Evangelical church. I talked to him after and gave him the copy of the DVD that we watched and a Book of Mormon. He said he will come to the conformation of Raul next week. He actually seemed to like it. I asked him for his directions and told me that he was going to ask Jesus if we could come. I told him that I thought that was a great idea! Oh man, pray we can teach him! That would be the best ever.... The ward is doing great. My ward mission leader is leaving for his mission in Brasil tomorrow. He will be on the same plane as all the sisters and Elders that are finishing their missions. Elder Vaterlaus from Boise is finishing tomorrow and I met him at BYU. He is great friends with Taylor Morris. He is a great missionary.  So transfers struck the office. I stay here and we have only two assistants now. Elder Costanzi is in a ward  close by now so I will see him. He finishes in March. He was assistant for 11 months. I was so glad to be his companion. It was a great blessing for me. Now I am with Elder Cruz from Mendoza, Argentina! I am happy to have two comps in a row from Argentina and it is helping with the language a little bit. Today we loose 8 Elders and 2 Sisters. This last week I also had some really spirtual expereinces with Elders that are struggling a little. I thought a lot about the scripture in Jacob 1:19 this week.

Baptism

                                                                   Love these Elders


Dad- I hope that you are doing well and that you enjoy your week this week. I love you Dad.
Enjoy your time away with Mom.

Mom- Sounds like you are nice and busy with some great projects. That is wonderful. I love what you said about smiling. I couldn't agree more.  I love you Mom and I hope that you are doing very well. Thank you so so much for all that you do.

Mikesell-It sounds like you are getting in the swing and working really hard. I am so happy for you and I hope that you just learn all that you can. I love you. Keep running strong! Stay warm!

Brennen- I am super happy to hear that you had some good games. Thanks so much for writing Brennen. I love you. Keep being a great young man.

Alex- I sure hope that you are doing well little buddy. I hope that you are doing good with that goal that you set. I love you Alex. YOU THE MAN!

Harrison- I am glad that you are doing so well and that you are happy. I love you bud. I hope that you enjoy your basketball games.

McCall- I sure love you Cally! I am glad that you love to smile. You make me happy.

Well dear family...my time is really running short. Transfers makes this week busy, busy, busy. I love you all. I really do.

I hope that you have a excellent week. I pray for you everyday and I hope that you keep getting stronger in the Gospel. Yesterday I gave a talk from GenConf about how we become better disciples through obedience and service to others.
I love those two things..

Have a wonderful week!
Mom and Dad enjoy your days in Hailey together! Plan some great things at Redfish!!
All my love!!!

Elder Austin

January 14, 2013

Howdy Family!

Thank you all so much for the wonderful emails! What a great week you have all had. That is crazy that you got a snow day on Friday! That is so fun. It seems like everyone is doing well and the magic of basketball season is in full swing. Thank you for taking the time to write.

This last week was a truly spectacular week.I will try to sum it all up. I know that I will forget some things but I will try to include the most memorable and spiritual experiences. Wow... it just was a great week. It is nice to have some time to write today...sorry I have shorted you a bit the last couple of weeks.

So on Sunday my companion and  I shared our testimonies and then we had to leave early because President and Hermana came to pick us up at 12 o clock to leave to start the zone conference tour. We had a good Sunday drive and we got to Necochea at about 5 oclock in the afternoon. We left to do exchanges in Necochea and that was a great expereince. The Peñalva family wasn´t there but I left them a little something and a note. Estefinia was not there either. But we worked hard and it was a good time. On Tuesday we had the first conference. It was really great. Dad - to answer your question we have a two hour presentation and this time it was all based on how to begin teaching and also teaching so that the people understand. It is all straight out of Preach my Gospel and we did a ton of practices and asked members to come to be the investigators for a roll play. In some places they brought non-member friends and that was great. President talked about the metamorphosis of a leader.


D- Desire to help other people:Alma 13:27, Abraham 3:27-28 Mosies 4:1-2 (difference between desires of Christ and Lucifer)
I.- Imitate (follow Christ and all that is good): John 5:19, Hebrews 6:12
O- Obedience (follow your current leaders): Lucas 22:41-42
S- Service (help other people): John 13:4-5. Lucas 22:27

After that process has occured then you are ready to be called of God to be a leader. It was really good and I loved his message. He also talked about going out and making people happy. President Parreño read Dale Carnige "How to win friends and influence people"  during his mission and he applies it to everything in his life. He talked about how the gospel carries the happiest message in the world and people need to see that instantly. We need to be happy people.

Hermana talked about desire.  She talked how keeping our houses clean shows if we understand the perception of the sacred (see talk by Elder Christofferson) It was excellent.

Monday we left for Mar Del Plata and that was the conference with the most work because we had to move tables and it had the most people. The zone leaders are in charge of lunch and I try to delagate as much to them as I can.

                                            Love my Mission President and Hermana!!!
Tuesday we were in Tandil for another great confrence. Elder Yost is still in Tandil and is doing really well. President told me, ¨That Elder Yost is a good type" he didnt know we knew each other from before the mission so I explained to him that Elder Yost is as good as they come, and why.

Wednesday we were in Olvarria. The drives were amazing, usally everyday it is between two and three hours and there is just open pasture with big sunflower fields and cows. There is a few cities with hills (one) mountains in this part of Argentina are not found. An investigator came to the conference and she left with a baptismal date. Hermana Parreño is amazing.

                                                     Sunflower Fields
Friday we were in Pehaujo, another conference and another investagator that came with her Aunt who is member came to the conference. She also left with a fecha and had a really spritual experience. That day I left and worked with Elder Yarger, funny enough exactly one year to the date I had picked him up in Bahia to train in Miramar. He tried a new tatic to find that I actually picked up from the Budge Hall Newsletter from Helaman Halls missionaries that Mom sent and it worked like a charm. We just ask people if we can come in and leave a blessing on there house.  We entered three houses in a row in the same block. They got really emotional and it is a very spirtual experience. I am applying it in our area right now and Pres. wants us to do demostrations in Febuary for the leadership conference. 

It was really hot and the Elders treated us well in every house that we slept in to stay for the night.

Yesterday was the best! Miguel Angel received Priesthood! He will bless the sacrament next Sunday!! He looked at me with tears in his eyes and told me how he always wanted to serve God like this. He is a stud. He is also reading in the Book of Mormon and yesterday it was really funny, he told us he was in Mosiah and I was just about to ask him about King Benjamin and he said before I had said anything (not a perfect translation)  ¨King Benjamen, that dude, was a stud!"  He is great and I quite enjoy him. Martha left the Relief Society yesterday saw us at the end of the hall did a little spin thing to show off that she was in a skirt (she has that figured out) and then she came to give me a kiss on the check, which is the normal culture here... I stuck my hand out and said "Hermana!" and then she laughed and said "I am so sorry I forget. How are you brother?"  and shook my hand. She is the craziest 65 year old I know.  She is hilarous and the ward just eates her up. Her son is famous singer here in Bahia Blanca. I will bring back some CD´s of him.

It was been a really good, spiritual week. I feel really excited, really grateful, humble, and trust that even though I am not a perfect servant, I can get closer through the Atonement and diligence. I LOVE MY MISSION. I love my Heavenly Father so much. I know that church is the church of Christ!!

Transfers this week, we already had our meeting and so I am aware of what will happen, but I will wait to surprise you next week. Helping with Transfers has been a really growing and learning experience. On Thursday I will be in Santa Rosa for the last Zone Conference. We might have a baptism this Sunday. We are talking to the Stake President to see if the man is in our area our not, we found him through Martha and then we thought he was in another area so we taught him two lessons and then passed him to the other missionaries. He came to our ward again and has a relationship with the members in our ward so we will see what happens. Either way he will get baptized and that is what is important!!

Dad- Sounds like you are doing great - lots of basketball. Glad to see that God still answers Brennen and Alexs and Harrisons and McCalls prayers for snowdays!! Have a great week Dad. I love you!!

Mom- Thank you for such a great email. Yeah, I have heard that about those apartments too. Ask Easton Trejos Mom. Dont know... I just want simple, affordable housing that is somewhat close to campus. I am going back with a lot more focus on my studies more than playing like I did my Freshman year. So we will keep in touch. I love you Mom and thanks so much for your help.You truly are the best. You are so thoughtful. I love your letters and journal entries so much. For sure your ears were ringing for a reason.

Mikesell- I am excited for you in your calling! You will do so great. It is a blessing to serve. Sounds like you really like your Relief Society President and it will be fun to be in the presidency with her! Keep strong and I am glad that you enjoy your classes so much!!! That is great that you saw Angela. That is crazy that she is already at BYU. I  I love you Mikesell! so much! Keep up the good work!!

Brennen- Sounds like you had a great week!! I am super excited for you. Keep working hard and being a solider. I love you Buddy!! I am super proud of you. Keep it up-

Alex- Sounds like you are doing great buddy. Keep rocking it! How are you doing with your goals that we talked about? I love you Man. You are awesome. Keep it up. Good luck with all your games. Can't believe that you are as tall as Mom!

Harrison - Sounds like you really enjoyed basketball!!! That is awesome. I hope you keep doing good. You are a stud. Keep being happy!

McCall- You are so great! I loved that you rocked you basketball game!! 7 baskets is awesome!!  I hope that you are happy and loving the snow. I love you little sis.

I love you all so much thanks for being the best in the world. Sorry I havent been able to write very much the last couple of weeks, hopfully today I could fill you in a little bit.
James 4:17
Have a wonderful week!
All my love!

Elder Austin