Well I have some stories this week, but first I wanted to say thank you for the video. that was super funny! I am so grateful that you guys made it! WHOA ABBY!! Good work in ballet! I am sure that you will do that part very well! Lilly…I can see you being a fish…Maybe a mermaid…hmmm. one of those two ;). I hope you continue to like swimming. It is really good for your heart! Oliver…oh Oliver…I am scared for other drivers… ;). I am sure you are doing fine, and you will continue to improve, and it will become second nature after awhile! That is so crazy though… wow, I feel that I am missing so much. I guess as a missionary we think everybody else is on pause, and we are at light speed, but I think it is the other way around. The way I look at it is like this…We are sitting on a couch watching a movie, and we pause it for snacks. While everybody else goes and gets junk food, I am gone a little bit longer and come back with healthy snacks! See, when I get back to the “real world” I will be prepared in ways I never could have been, if I had taken junk food, but because of my spiritual food, I can grow in that sense. Oh well. I am grateful that things are going good.

Now to some stories. So this week we started with our normal English classes, and the first time is never how the rest of the transfer will go, because people show up, not like it and then don’t ever come back. Anyway, so we divided the classes up like this: One beginners Romanian, and Russian; Medium (we have a Romanian speaker and Russian speaker, but it should be in English mostly); and Advanced. Well because of the way things are set up now with companionships, I have the opportunity to teach advanced English by myself…It is the only option, and it is okay, because there are lots of people in my class. which is the crazy part. All my first time students (with the exception of two who I had known would be gone,) came back! They all came back for the second lesson. On top of that, at the end of all the lessons, we give a spiritual thought. This transfer each teacher has to come up with their own for their own class. So I do mine in English, and all my students stay for the spiritual thought as well…every single one. In the other classes, none stay for the spiritual thought and some even leave during the English lessons. They all lost half their classes due to the whole first time thing, and I lost none. It was a small blessing, but I have my work cut out for me. I like it though and it is really fun.

A week ago, on Monday, we went and played soccer, on a sketchy field, with some random kids on the street. Anyway, we beat them 4 to 3. That isn’t what is important though. After all of it I approached them and gave them all an English card. I didn’t think anything of it. However, my companion started talking with this clearly advanced guy in English on the first day. They had started chatting and he had asked if my companion liked playing soccer. He said yes, and he continued to say that his younger brother came in from playing soccer and gave him this English card. However, he felt more drawn to it then a normal English card. It was really cool, and we invited him to play with us tonight, and we want to try to set up a lesson with him this week! Who knows what will happen ;). That was way cool.

That is basically it. Tonight, more soccer, and fun! Hooray! I really am happy here and things have been moving up, even if it seems like they aren’t. Oh I saw my first baptism on my mission this last week. It was a member from Canada, whose daughter turned eight here, while visiting family, and wanted to have the baptism here. So they had it this week. It was very emotional for me, not because it was my investigator, but because it was my first one. It has been 8 months, and finally my first one! it was nice to be a part of a ceremony again. I miss the temple… Anyway, we move on, and I owe a girl in the branch a chocolate bar because Argentina lost to Germany in the World Cup Final…good game though. So I heard ;).

I hope that you are shredding the red ;). I also hope that you all get as close to the Lord as possible right now! I have really been noticing that even in times of peace, Captain Moroni fortified his lines. We need to be doing that RIGHT NOW! I am not even joking. I am starting to see the signs of the times, and it is frankly scary. I am happy because it means the return of our King, but it means that it must get worse. So please, I beg of you, get closer to Him right now. Today even! Tomorrow and every single day after, and in between. It is more important than anything you can do on this earth. Serve Him, and serve His children. I know that when we do this, we receive rewards in heaven, and those are far more valuable than any fools gold here. Stay strong, and know that the Lord is with you. I love you all.