Another Week... A New Place!!!!!

08/24/2010

Dear Family,

What a week I have had!

Well first off, yes some things did happen with the money problem. I’m extremely sorry. It all comes down to bad planning on my part and some really stupid situations that left me having to spend more than I had originally planned. I’m okay for now and I do not plan to spend much more. I will get better at this! But thank you so much for your support. You really helped out in a tight situation.

I have now been serving in Minas for almost six months. It’s become my home! I asked the President for a fifth change there, but he just looked at me in my interview like I was crazy. On Sunday night I received the call I kinda didn’t want to receive. I was told that my new area was to be San Jose de Mayo. I was to be whitewashing (they pull both missionaries out and put two brand new ones in) and my companion was to be Elder Taylor. I was really excited and I got my self all prepared to go. I even printed out a map of the city and was dead set on this place. Then last night at 11 O’clock, I received a phone call from the AP’s. They said there had been some problems and there were to be some emergency changes with some problematic missionaries and that I am now the district leader in Bella Italia Morañas Montevideo. I couldn’t believe it! I was so mad because I really don’t like Montevideo. I don’t like the city! And I’m now going to one of the roughest areas in the entire mission right in the middle of the freakin’ city. My new companion is Elder Young. I still haven’t met him, but I hear he’s great. I’m slowly warming up to the idea and so we will see how it goes.

Last night we had a special noche de hogar (family home evening) with a family in the ward in Minas and Federico and Virginia. They are the couple who plan to get married and baptized in September. Virginia told me some things that made this whole mission totally worth it. First, she told me she had been praying like crazy that I would stay and when she found out that I wasn’t, she knew that the Lord knew best. Second, I asked her what the difference in her life has been since I found them and started teaching them. She said that now she believes in God and knows he loves me. She also said, “I know God loves me because every morning when Federico goes to work, he kisses me and tells me that he loves me. I have lived with him for five years and we have a child together and he never did that until you taught us about the eternal family”.

It was night full of tears. They have a goal is to marry in the temple in one year. If everything works out right we might be able to attend their sealing.

Minas was wonderful and I will miss it! A lot.

I have a question… Are you guys really planning on coming in a year to pick me up?

Dad your Spanish is perfect! (With Google, keep practicing)

I got my shoes fixed and I’m ready to go!

I love you,
Elder Sluder