18 Months Down... Six Months To Go

March 7, 2011

Dear Dad and Mom,

Well another week has passed! Today is not change day. We still have another two full weeks until the day of changes. My companion is hanging in there. He’s got two more weeks to go and we’re both doing pretty good. This last week on Tuesday, we went down to Montevideo for Zone Leader concilio. It was great. On Tuesday night I worked in an area near the temple and the mission home. When we finished up, we headed back to the mission home and stayed the night with President Da Silva. It was very pleasant and it felt so good to sleep in a normal, North American style home once again. The benefits of being a zone leader are quite nice…

On Wednesday we held a leadership meeting that we hold every so often. The leadership meeting is for all missionary leaders (like district leaders) and future missionary leaders. It went well and we got back to 33 late on Wednesday night. Thursday, Friday and Saturday were difficult. It seemed like no one wanted anything to do with us. But we fought and did everything we could to just make it through.

Yesterday was district conference and President DaSilva showed up. We were actually expecting President Arnold of the seventy, but something happened and he was not able to make it. In his stead he sent an Elder Davidson, who is his secretary. He brought plans from the first presidency for future of our stake in 33. From what I understand, Trenta Y Tres doesn’t qualify to be a stake! President Arnold got thinking and realized that the district of Rocha is just to the south of us. Combining them with us would bring us two wards. I’m about 99% sure that this is the new plan and from how I see it, it is wonderful. My old companion Elder Young is now the zone leader in Rocha and from all we can put together, THIS PLAN IS AWESOME! We really need it. Besides all of this, the conference went well and afterwards we went back to work to finish our week last night.

Change day will be on the 22nd of March. It is a Tuesday, but we have changed things around a lot in the mission. We no longer go to Tres Cruzes, so there is no email on Tuesdays. The mission president decided that it’s just best if the day before change day we just have a regular P-day. So I will never write you again on a Tuesday. I will write you Monday the 21 like normal because Monday will be P-day. I love this new idea!!!

Today I received what is called the “TRUNKY CALL”. It’s where the offices call you up and begin to prepare your fight information for going home. I told them that you guys were coming to Uruguay and that I plan to end up in the Salt Lake City airport. Let me know if that’s not right so if I need to change it I can.

Well… Love you guys

Love, John

P.S. Dad, tell Todd Mund that I honestly am definitely going to think about it. Ask him if the night crew still exists so that in the day time I could be going to school?