August 7, 2011 - Email to Family

Hello Family,

Sooooooo I am no longer going to be serving in Cáceres. I will now be serving in Puerto De Santa Maria!!!! I am pretty darn excited for a change! I leave this Wednesday in the morning and I will hang out in Badajoz for a little; have my last district meeting with Elder Manning and enjoy my last moments with him. It will be rough saying goodbye to him because I have been serving with him and have been with him since the beginning we carry 6 months together! Yesterday was rough in sacrament meeting. Our mission leader Andy got up and bore his testimony and gave like 3 minutes of it thanking me and telling everyone that I was leaving. Of course me being a baby I started crying horribly. I love Cáceres and I don´t want to leave. It is my first area really. So yeah I finally made it up there and started crying in front of everyone it was sad I love the little branch. So yeah I am super sad leaving them they are my family for sure. 

 Yesterday we had an awesome teaching day. We taught Silvia and Sofia and we finally got Silvia to open up more to us! She said she is super sad when she kneels down to pray and she just starts crying. She says every time she goes to pray she feels sad and cries. She told us this, and he starts bawling. I didn´t think this lady had tears in her. She kinda has the natural glare on her face like Amy haha. Anyways she kinda has always scared me, but she just started crying-and we told her that is her answer. She said she has only been crying when she tries to pray ever since the missionaries have been coming to her house for a year now. She told she believes everything we tell her. We talk about setting goals and don´t be afraid to do the right thing. She knows that baptism is the right thing, she is just scared. I read her D&C 6: 33-37 and she really liked those scriptures and we asked them both; Silvia and Sofia to set their baptismal dates. They are going to get baptized next month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I then bore my testimony to her and thanked her for all she has done for me. Silvia and her husband Mauricio really are like my parents out here. They took such good care of us. Anyways I got her to cry and I was crying. It was a miracle lesson and I am sure my last lesson with them. I wanted to see them get baptized before I left but it didn´t happen. Oh well I was there to set their dates though! I felt like I did what I was there to do. So they are good; that is my investigator story this week.

The others are good. We didn´t get to meet with Gloria this last week because we have been gone for like 3 days travelling. Gloria and Miguel and Luis are from Columbia. I thought I told you that 2 emails ago or something.

So Puerto de Santa Maria apparently is right on the BEACH....that is bad news. Hahaha whenever there are beach cities there is a lot more interesting people. But I am excited; my companion has one transfer less than me so I am senior companion I guess! That is cool. His name is Elder Banberry, I don´t know if I spelt that right. But he apparently speaks suuuper good Spanish. I am stoked and I cannot wait to serve with someone else. I had a blast with Elder Shaver and I love the guy. He is a really awesome missionary and I learned a lot of things from him.

Ward Mission Leader and His Family

Dad thanks for the email. I needed it. I think I have read that talk by Elder Bednar about don´t worry if you feel like you don´t have the spirit; because I have changed a ton I just don´t know it. I am obedient and I remember that was the last thing you told me to do. Thanks Dad I love you.

Liliana and her Mother

Jude I didn´t get any pictures and I would like to see the boat all redone!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes I got the letter from Kacie. Sorry I will write her today hopefully. Tell her I will send her a letter back soon. I will send a letter; she will think that is cool.

I LOVE YOU
CODY