YEAH FOR INVESTIGATORS!!

THE PLAZA
Ah! I don't even know where to begin this week. It has been.... crazy, let me start with this. I love you all so much. I love you for your support, love, kind words, encouragement and all. I don't know where I would be without you. Thanks for everything. How is everyone? Things here are... well :) por fin!

First things first: small list of exciting things that happened.

- I went to one of the nicest houses I think I've been to yet while being here... by the ocean, craft shed, painting room, apartment out back, pool, huge room for BBQ and games and much more. It was there that I got fed octopus haha. Yes. It was good too.

- We had interviews this week. Surprise! I love president. It went really well. Once again, he told me that I have a gift to love and to USE IT with my investigators. He says it's a gift and a Christlike attribute and I need to use it. He specifically said to use my smile. It will work wonders with our investigators. (Did I mention we have investigators?)

Alright, now to the good stuff. When I first got to the mission home, my first day in the field, pres gave us something that said, Expect to see miracles, Expect to feel the spirit as never before, Expect to rely on the Lord like never before. Be willing to be a tool in his hands and be subject to his divine work. SIGH... this week has been that. I getting teary eyed just thinking about it. I forgot for a minute that this is HIS work. I was trying to do everything by myself and it's not even close to being possible. A visit with a good ole friend, Hermana Lundskog. Yeah!
We fasted on fast Sunday as a zone for Maldonado zone. After reading last week's email from dad, my comp and I decided it might be good to do it again for our area. We were fasting when we got calls late Tuesday night that we were going to have interviews on Wednesday. What a perfect way to end the fast... with president, his uplifting words and a devotional from Elder Holland. We felt inspired and good to go. What we didn't realize was that the Lord had something much greater planned for us than we could imagine.

We've been working side by side with the zone leaders this week. They called us and told us they had a reference, a girl who moved out of her boyfriend's house so she could be baptized. She is now living in our area and they wanted to take us to meet her. We went, shes awesome. We've been teaching her and she has a date to be baptized next week. Ah! They gave us a bunch of other references too. We went to church on Sunday and out of NOWHERE we had 5 investigators in the building. What the junk... yes, FIVE! We were shocked, amazed, and soooo grateful. Out of NOWHERE we have 5 new people to teach. We were running around the church building literally to talk to everyone before they all left. Not to mention new members who wanted to talk with us, and new recent converts who moved into our area. The work the Lord poured upon us was almost more than we could handle. It reminded me of the tithing blessing. Ah! We are so excited. What a little patience, faith and hope will teach you, eh? We have this whole week practically filled up with lessons and we haven't even gone out to work yet. Crazy.

On top of that, Veronica. She is so amazing. She didn't come to church yesterday, but we have taught her a few more times. She's so great. She seriously is too smart for her own good. She has so many questions and ideas, but we're teaching her the way things really are. She has her Book of Mormon now and is going to pray this week. Ah! She better. She already accepts everything though. Shes' scared to receive an answer because she knows with that comes responsibility. Her situation is very complex. I wish I could explain it over email but, I can't. With all her knowledge of religion she didn't know Christ suffered for her sins. It was the first thing we taught that she didn't argue against. She was touched by the spirit. I couldn't even talk during the lesson, it was so powerful. I bore my testimony at the end with what I could through the tears. She was so touched and started crying too. Then she did what no other person has ever done here. She got up, came to me and hugged me so hard and we both cried together over our Savior. It was soooo powerful. I felt her love. She felt mine and most of all we felt the love our Savior has for us. I have never had to work so hard for an investigator. I think I love her more than any other gator for that reason. Her way of thinking is sooo dominant that we really can't help her. Talking after the lesson with my comp, we realized she's not going to progress or doing anything without her answer from the Lord. I have never had to leave things up to the Lord like this. I'm hangin' on pins and needles, pleading with everything I am that she can pray, and get an answer that she will recognize is an answer. Like my president told me the first day I got here, I am having to learn to trust in the Lord like never before. Now... it's up to her and him. And I know he'll take care of her. I have to learn to accept his will though, it may not be her time right now. But I pray with everything I am that it is. She is AMAZING! There is nothing better than meeting these people here that you learn to love so much. I can't express it in words, I really can't.

Sigh again. This week has been crazy! But our work is paying off. Eh, it's not even our work... We are witnessing the Lord's blessings even though we don't deserve it. On a lighter note... right now the "Copa de America" is going on down here in good ole South America... the soccer tournament. It's crazy. These people are crazy for their soccer. We tried knocking doors one night while 'Guay was playing... yeah so not happening. Every single person was watching, every single tv in every store, restaurant, household, everywhere was turned on to the game. People watching in the streets, restaurants full with people cheering. And what's worse was the game this week was against Argentina our arch enemy/ rival. We totally killed them though! When Uruguay scores, every single man goes out into the street, pounds his chest and screams. They shoot off fireworks and it really is dangerous to be out. We ended up going to a member's house because we couldn't get any work done. We watched the game with them, taught a lesson at the half, downed a pizza and booked it before our curfew. When the game ended, ALL NIGHT LONG, people were partying, honking horns and screaming. We are number 4 in South America now. We play Peru tomorrow and then we'll see who next. It's against Venezuela, Chile, Brazil and Paraguay. I can't wait to see what happens. (Hey, I have to be excited about soccer, it's the only sport they have here. I got nothing else.) Then, we see who goes to represent South America for Mundial. Crazy. Wish us luck :)

Alright, we best be going, I love you all so much. Pray for our investigators. I'm so glad we have some now. Oh! Transfer calls are this Sunday. Crazy how time flies when you're having fun. I don't think I'm going anywhere.

I love you all more than words can express!!! Keep the faith. It pays off ;) I love this gospel, I love this work and it IS the Lord's work. I'm glad I get to see the blessings, witness his love and share in his glory. I love the gospel and it is true!!!

Hasta Luego, Ash