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Dear Family,
Well what a week! So yeah, I’m the new zone leader here in Trenta y Tres as you already know. We have so much work to do! Trenta y Tres is one of the nicest little towns I’ve seen or been in on my mission. This place is beautiful! It’s actually very clean. Our home is absolutely wonderful. We are cold when it’s hot outside and we are warm when it’s cold outside. Being a zone leader is definitely different. Monday morning at 2:00 am, we got back on a bus and went to Montevideo for a leadership meeting. I fell asleep many times during the meeting. At the end of the meeting, about five o’clock yesterday afternoon we got back on the bus and headed back to thirty three. It’s about a 4-5 hour bus trip from Montevideo. The trip really wore me out, but after a good nights sleep, I’m doing well.
We have the smallest zone in the mission. There are only six companionships. The work is slow and as of right now, the missionaries aren’t really doing much. President Da Silva told me yesterday that I’m here to get this zone running right, have the zone start applying preach my gospel, lift it up and prepare it to become a stake. He told me personally that that’s what he expects from me. Things here haven’t really been running the way they’re supposed to; our district leaders are poorly trained and really aren’t doing what they need to do. Today we had district meetings. One of the district leaders was very upset with me because I’m already starting to change things. He was mad because he didn’t want to write numbers down at night and just do his job. It was ridiculous. In the end we won and he will write his numbers down and do his job.
On Sunday, I went to church and we had about 30 people in sacrament meeting. The branch seems really down and things there are not getting run correctly at all. In the middle of sacrament meeting, the branch president stood up and invited me to speak by saying, “Now we will listen to the new gringo missionary counsel us for about twenty minutes. Elder Gringo the time is now yours.” I was caught off guard at first, but I was prepared for an emergency and it worked out just fine in the end. We shall see if they ever figure out what my name is.
So here it goes… another special assignment from President Da Silva. My new companion, Elder Gonzalez is absolutely wonderful. He is doing a great job himself. He’s super humble and like you said Dad, he’s well trained and he’s an absolutely excellent missionary. I’m sending you two pictures. One is of Elder Gonzalez and me. We took it about an hour ago in our house. The other picture is of my trainer, Elder Vargas and me. He finished his mission last week. We took the picture in Tres Cruces and it was the last time I saw him. What’s funny is, I am taking his place here in 33; he was the old zone leader here. We ride bikes here and because I sold my old bike, Elder Vargas left me his. That’s what I ride around on here… weird huh? We don’t have cars, but I do have a cell phone.
John and Elder Vargas at Tres Cruces
John and Elder Gonzalez in their apartment at Trenta Y Tres
Elder Hofeling will be going home today. He came and visited me with his parents on Sunday. I hope that you can go and listen to all they have to say about their trip. Dad one more thing, if you could give him $10 bucks, that would be kinda nice. I kinda owe it to him for something. I will explain it later.
Oh and yes, if you could put 25 dollars in my account today that would be wonderful. I kind of need it just to finish out this week. By next week I figure I will be doing just fine. Sorry for the inconvenience. Oh and if you haven’t sent me my Christmas stuff yet, there is one more thing I need. I need an American stamp book of stamps for sending letters. Forever stamps would be preferred. That’s all... for now. I love you very much.
Love, Elder Sluder
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