March 14, 2011

Hola quierida familia mia!

Let me answer your questions here first. We are going to be going to General Conference this change - meaning unless there is a special change (which is VERRRRY unlikely) I will be watching General Conference with Elder Meneses in Concepcion. That is great to hear that you guys will be heading out (to Utah) to watch it!!!! That is so exciting you will have to get on the camera so I can see you guys from here haha, just kidding. The Reece's Pieces were not all for us. The elders in Horqueta asked us to get some for them - 10 bags for them. There are 4 elders. So don't be worried. I did not eat all that haha. I just wanted to take a fun picture souvenir. An elder called us the day of the Japan problem but you mentioned things in your letter that I didn't hear so that was interesting that I didn't hear before. That is awesome that you guys got to go to Banff. I really miss the mountains. There is not one close thing to mountains here! And snow, well you know about that. I hope you guys had a good time.

This month marks 6 months that we went to the temple so we should have the opportunity to assist this month which is really special. We BROKE A RECORD IN CHURCH YESTERDAY!!!! When I first got here there were about 30-35 people weekly and the Relief Society and priesthood were always together and the president of the Relief Society never has given a lesson before. Yesterday we had 57 people in church. The classes were separated and the president gave her lesson. It was a great meeting and the 4 elders of rama 2 gave talks. I talked about tithing and the importance of it and the blessings that we receive when we keep it.

But a notice that right now I am writing you guys from Asuncion because my companion had to go to the dentist and he got one of his wisdom teeth out! Yikes!!! We are heading back this night. We may have to come back next week to get a follow up! We'll see.

We Moved!! I will send pictures next week of our new house or should I say room. It is a little room with a divider. We are getting AC put in tomorrow HALLELUJAH!!!! It is a nice place. I don't have any complaints because before, we had to leave our area to go home. So we wasted a lot of time walking. Now we can do everything in our area! I think this will help a lot plus there is a less active family that lives on our same block and when we left to go walk to church we ran into her (she had a stroke and half of her body she can barely move). She has a cane. But we passed her on our way and I don't know how but she came to church!!! It was awesome and her daughter hasn’t been for 2 years so it was great to see them there. It must be a blessing to live there close to these members.

My shirts have stopped being white, and now have a slight brown texture :-(.

Well thanks for everything. I am grateful for all your help and everything that you guys do for me. The church is slowly growing. It is like a stone cut out of the mountains without hands. It will never stop and nothing can stop it. Thank you for everything!

Love Elder Lucas Rodgers

P.S. The pictures with the family are the family who owns the house where we were living. They are great people. The elders lived with them for 6 years before and we lived for about 3 months haha.