February 21, 2011

Hola Familia!
How are you all doing? Thanks, Lauren, for your update email. Sounds like you are doing great! Have fun and keep me updated POR FAVOR! Thanks for the pictures too!
Wow, what a hot week we had, a lot of rain too. You guys can't even imagine the heat. Lauren, I had a companion from California who went to Berkley and he said this heat was hotter than California.
We had a good week and Sunday was more or less good. We had a great first 2 hours, then 2 min before sacrament meeting President came to us asking/telling us that we had to give talks today. So that was alright, we could. My companion and elder Packard gave talks about the Sabbath Day. They were good talks that helped show the things that we can do and the things that we should avoid (because the members here have a sense that they can buy food and do anything after church). The members were outside doing some gambling games. It killed our excitement. But it’s passed. We’ll just have to go and DROP SOME CANE!!!!! Just kidding, but we are going to have a talk with the members.
Remember this less active boy (Derlis Ibañez) that we gave mission papers? He came to church with a suit!!!!! It was awesome to see him like that, and also 2 less active families-well 2 ladies and one had 3 kids with her. So it was a good day.
One interesting thing in Concepcion is that at night there are spiders that go up in the telephone lines and wires. They have big webs and there are sometimes billons of little spiders all over the lines (see photo).
And I just bought a memory card for my camera. 2 GB for 40 Mil which is a little under $10 and guess what? We went to this place that sells American things. I found pumpkin pie filling!!!!!!!! Now I need to find someone who can make the pie shell!!! So that is awesome and when I walked into the internet shop our Zone Leader was here and he gave me a package that had my contact lenses and juice packets! Thanks a lot. I got the address from Gen. I am in the midst of writing a letter back. Thanks for giving the letters out! That sounds good about the garments. Tell Brandon (Spencer´s brother) congratulations for me! Tell him I am happy for him. The same with Kelly and Jake. They will be awesome missionaries!! There are 2 Paraguayans that are serving in my mission - two brothers - and they are the only members in their family, serving in the same mission! It’s really cool I think.
I love you guys so much. Pray that we will have some cooler weather here. That would be something awesome!
Mom for your class, all I can say is teach with the spirit, teach by the spirit and you will touch their hearts and their hearts will be turned to wanting to preach the gospel like it says in “Preach My Gospel”.
“What does the Atonement have to do with missionary work? Any time we experience the blessings of the Atonement in our lives, we cannot help but have a concern for the welfare of others. . . . A great indicator of one’s personal conversion is the desire to share the gospel with others.” (“The Atonement and Missionary Work,” seminar for new mission presidents, June 1994). Pg.13
If the atonement touches their lives there will be a strong desire to serve a mission.
Thanks for all that you have done for me. Have a good week.
Love,
Élder Lucas Rodgers