It's a Tongan!

Hello world,

This week was great! There were some ups and some downs, but it was really good. 

Elder Perez left me. We went and said goodbye to everybody. He seemed pretty excited to get out of here haha. They didn't tell me I was going to Santiago so on the day of transfers the bus gets to our house and I help my companion with his bags. They told me I was going with them and I looked down and was still in my pajamas so I changed the fastest that I ever have in my life.

My new companion is Elder Tupou! He is from Utah and he is Tongan. He is super cool and chill and we just play my ukulele all the time. I realized how much Spanish I've learned in the last year because I was just like him when I got here. He is still learning Spanish, but he is doing really good.

On Friday, we went to this meeting in Santiago. I saw Brandon... um I mean Elder Todd there. He just barely got to this mission and it was super weird to see somebody that I knew before the mission.

Sunday was fast and testimony meeting. Two of our investigators got up and shared their testimonies! ESO! HECK YEAH! It was so cool. They are doing really good, but just are having problems with leaving coffee.

The mission is really good. We are finding a lot of good people and working hard. We had some good spiritual experiences this week and we can see people changing. The church is true and Jesus lives!

Mine and Elder Perez's last picture together

Brandon?

My child, my dad, me

the mission is hard

This week was crazy.

They took my new missionary away from me. It was super sad.

My new companion is Elder Baldiris from Columbia. We really don't have anything at all in common but he met Shakira one time so that is super cool. All I can say is that I'm going to learn a lot of patience these next 6 weeks.

When Elder Maltez was saying bye to everybody we went to Deurin and Marlen's house. They are the couple that we have been working with for a while. They said they had something for us and gave my comp a bracelet and they gave me a tie. They are the best people in the whole world. Their baptism is going to be on Saturday. I feel so blessed to be in this area and to have met them.

We were playing basketball today against Dominicans. We won three games in a row and during the fourth this kid hit me so hard in the face. I hate playing basketball with Dominicans.

Pictures,

Me trying to get into the picture before the timer went off.

Me and Elder Maltez's last picture.

One of the people that we are teaching had this massive English Spanish dictionary. I asked him if I could have it. He said yes. It has all the words in the world in it!

Still here

This week was super hard and first, but it got better.

The first few days were super hard. All of our appointments fell through and there was nothing to do. We ended up contacting and it is so hot during the afternoon. Everybody told us no and it was hard. Those are the hardest times when there is nothing to do and nobody wants to listen to us. But it got better.

I've been trying really hard lately to be a good missionary and be diligent and at the end of the week we saw the blessing. We had a lesson with our 2 super good investigators and I felt the spirit so strong. I felt really good about the work that we are doing and even though I'm not perfect and my Spanish isn't perfect, I'm trying really hard.

It doesn't matter where you are or how strong your testimony is. The only thing that is important is that we are trying. If we are improving we are moving in the right direction. God didn't send us here to be perfect, He sent us here to grow. And we can do that through Jesus and his Atonement. I have a testimony so strong of that now and I have changed so much because of Him. I know that Jesus lives and loves us.

Also Dewdy and Marilyn went to church again this s

Sunday! They said they are going to go again next Sunday and now have a lot more friends in the church. I'm hoping so badly that I don't get taken out of this area before they get baptized.

I didn't take any good pictures this week, but here's a picture of Elvis.

It's hot here

This week was interesting.

First, it is so hot here. If we walk in the street for more that 5 minutes during the day, I get soaked. It's so uncomfortable.

We had to contact so much this week. I feel really lucky to be here because the people are so nice and let you in a lot, but nobody let us in. I don't even know how many people we talked to but it was a lot. It was sad because these people don't know what they are missing out on. But... 

we did find a part member family that is super good. The mom hasn't gone to church in like 20 since she moved, but her family is cool and she gives us lemonade. So all the work was worth it.

Also this week so many people have been saying crap to me about Spanish. So many people judge me because I'm white and if I don't start talking to somebody first, they don't think I speak Spanish. It was bugging me really bad so I read about when Jesus was crucified and he said, "Forgive them for they know not what they do." I really liked that because a mission is hard and I've only been speaking Spanish for 9 months. I'm trying to help people and they don't know how it is so I don't have to worry about what they say.

I just keep learning more and more about Jesus and how amazing He was and is. I know that Jesus lives and that He loves us. He lived a perfect life and suffered for us so we don't have to. But we have to follow Him. Even though a mission is hard, I am happy. Jesus equals Happiness.

I didn't take any pictures this week, but here is another one of me on top of Puerto Plata! I love Puerto Plata!

NEW COMPANION

HEY!

This week was pretty good. Transfers were on Wednesday and I got a new companion! His name is Elder Cortez from Nicaragua. He is pretty cool and even better we never fight! We have been working a lot harder in this area than with my old companion so hopefully we can start seeing some more success. 

This week it rained so much which is weird because it hardly ever rains here. The whole entire street on the side of you house got flooded and it was so cool. Whenever it rains there is always mud for like 3 days after too.

Our area is kind of struggling right now. We are going to start dropping people this week because they aren't progressing very well. Its kind of hard but also its really good because we will be able to focus more on finding people that are ready and we wont have to waste so much time.

My Spanish is getting really good and I can basically communicate whatever I want now. With my new companion, I realized that I can actually do a lot. I realized that Elder Mieses kind of dominated the conversation a lot and my new comp sometimes doesn't talk so I'm like oh, ok I can talk to these people. I've realized that I learned a lot with my old companion and even though it was really hard I feel like God has a plan for Elder Eliason and he knows that I would grow the most with Elder Mieses. 

The mission has started to get better and I'm starting to be more happy! The church is true and the Book of Mormon changes lives. I've realized that nothing is easy, but if we work through the hard stuff and do what we should be doing we will be blessed. 

Elder Eliason and Elder Cortez

Elder Mieses, Elder Eliason, Sister Niceler, Sister Lynch