I love this country!

Hey my loving friends and family. I hope that this week finds you all doing great. I really don’t know where the time is going, every week is faster and faster! I am LOVING the experiences that I am having here! Both spiritually and with the cultural y todo! Aqui is quite the experience, every day is interesante and diferente! I never know what’s going to happen. So lets get down to it shall we! 

This week we taught a good amount, we got after it, hitting the streets hard. We have some people that are really progressing and then others that just want our company and that we come and share the good word. But, really deep down they don’t want to change, so we will see what happens. We put them all on blast and told them what they need to do, so time will tell.

With that being said, let me tell you a little story from this week! :) So we are teaching a man that is in his 30s and has had a lot of problems quitting smoking and drinking. He really wants to stop so that he can get baptized but he just doesn’t get the importance of it, I don’t think. He has a strong addiction but won’t trust in the Lord. Well, we put him on blast this week in a very loving manner :). His attitude was a lot different. Well, my companion and I saw that there was some alcohol on his shelf.... so I asked him what that was? He was tripping in his pants. So I took it off the shelf, walked straight to the front door and starting dumping it out in front of his whole familia… he was very sad to say the least. But it gets better. So when I finished I asked him if he had any other cigarettes or drinks or anything and he said no... so then I asked him why he was lying? Then I walked to the shelf again because I had seen the cigarettes and took them and starting ripping them apart. I told him we are willing to do what it takes to help him. He doesn’t have the money to go and buy a new pack right now so that should help for a day or two. It was a new pack to boot. We told him we love him and that he needs to know that. We finished with a prayer and told him to put the big boy pants on and quit all the bad habits. So we will see what happens with him :)))) All good here!

This week it started heating up again... you know what that means. The sweat report is going to start up again. It’s starting to get real hot again… oh great…but it’s all good!

This week here in T. there was a dirt biking event up in the mountains so there were TONS of four wheelers and dirt bikes from all over the country. It was a cool event for T. because it brought a lot of activity here.  So that was good! 

Also, this week I had the opportunity to do two interviews for people that were getting baptized from the sisters and the elders that are in my district. One was a very straight arrow person and was amazing and very ready to be baptized. The other one was quite the interview! He was very very very diferente before y en un different life to say the least. He spoke English becuase he had lived in the states and said that he wanted to talk in English. It was SO hard to say the least. I don’t know why talking is so hard in English yet not so much to type pero to talk is nearly impossible for me. I don’t really need English right now! I am so glad that this young man wants to change his life around like a 360 literally. I am so happy to be able to do the interviews of people and to make the call if they are ready or not to be baptized. It’s really an uplifting and spiritual experience always. It is one of the highlights for sure. There are so many humble people doing their best.

You can really see how the gospel changes lives for the better. When we grow closer to our Savior we are always blessed and I promise you that my brothers and sisters. I am so glad to have this gospel in my life. I am so thankful to be serving a mission in such a cool and unique country! I am so blessed to be changing for the better and growing closer to my Heavenly Father. I know that our Heavenly Father can change lives always; we just need to be able to do what he wants us to do. It takes a lot of trust and faith. I am so thankful to feel the atonement in my life. I know that Jesus Christ died for us and our sins, and por medio de jesucristo we have the opporunidad to live with our Heavenly Father again. I am so thankful for the scriptures in my life, they have changed my life for the better. I want you guys to have the same testimony of the sacred scriptures, if you are not reading, read!

I hope that you guys are doing amazing. I miss and love you guys tons. Make it a special week and aim high in all that you do and put your best foot forward! 

Con mucho amor!

Elder Long!!!