I love Fast Sunday!

Elder Albrethsen

Bella Union, Uruguay

Companion: Elder Miles

Lunes, 5 de deciembre 2011

 

I Love fast Sunday!  This week was awesome!!!!!!!!!  Throughout my mission I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to participate in some of the best fast Sundays of my life.  I never fully understood the purpose of fast Sunday till I came on the mish.  I always knew it was more than starving to death till Sunday dinner, but still the true blessings that come from being able to be more spiritually in tune and focused and not having to worry about the body for a full 24 hours and be completely spiritually focused is awesome!

These times of fasting are some of my moments in the mission that I cherish the most. The Lord has taught me a lot on the fast Sundays I’ve had since coming to South America.  The one yesterday was quite special due to a lot of the circumstances that have happened the last few weeks. Really, I’ve learned to develop a trust and confidence in God that I never had before the mission.  One of the hardest things to do is go without food for 24 hours when your body is using energy constantly as a missionary walking for miles on end, and to keep 100% focused!  It’s a real sacrifice and thinking how the Savior did it for 40 days.... wow, that’s a long time.  But fasting gives time to focus on what’s important and to be taught something new and learn from old experiences.

Gomensoro adventures . . . This week we decided to take almost a full day in Gomensoro. We had great success!  We only got turned down by two people! That was awesome!!!!! haha We made it into about 10 people’s houses to explain a few principles and extend the invite to come to church, which all accepted!!!! But unfortunately nobody came, haha a bummer really, but we keep our chin up. The Lord certainly guides us though.  We keep walking down random paths and going to out of the way places and we were accepted everywhere like a visa credit card. haha Nobody can deny money... just kidding.  We had a sack lunch, which is the first one I’ve made since the MTC and we were eating on a curb. haha It was awesome! I had bacon flavored rice with BBQ sauce... healthy, I know, haha but it was a great day.  This week will probably be our last week to go  (with changes coming up.)

The bishop explained to me about the people in this town. This week was lots of great work but still with the same problems—coming to church.  I recently was talking with the bishop and he explained something I never thought too much about. The people here have been stuck in their same routine for years and years and to make even the smallest of changes is like pulling teeth haha.  Most people here are Catholics. I wanted a Catholic mission (I hoped to go to Italy) but here I am in little Italy. (Uruguay had many Italian immigrants.) Funny though, that he explained it the way he did.  What we ask is for a person to change their whole lives almost and become someone entirely new (baptism...new life) but for them to wrap this concept around their brain and accept it takes a lot of faith.  

We see Baptist churches that allow parties and rock bands and shouting in random languages popping up here. People seem to flock quite well to them, but we have a few amazing investigators that I probably won’t see get baptized in my time here, but they will get baptized.  One of which is Elsa she is awesome!  She reads and has something new to comment about the Book of Mormón every time we come and loves asking great questions. She is about 65.  She has felt the Spirit and is doing all she can to attain a testimony—which has renewed my hope for this area haha. One great person, that’s all that is needed (like my dad has been telling me).

I thank you all for your prayers and support—thank you for everything!!!

The church is TRUE!

Love,

Elder Albrethsen

The Choice to Be Grateful

We all can make the choice to give thanks in prayer and to ask God for direction to serve others for Him--especially during this time of year when we celebrate the Savior's birth.
--President Henry B. Eyring 

First Presidency  (lds.org)

Working hard in the hot sun

Elder Albrethsen

Bella Union, Uruguay
Companion:  Elder Miles

Monday, 28 November 2011

HELLO!!!!!!!!! and happy Thanksgiving!!!! I totally forgot about Thanksgiving.... well, at least while emailing.  So happy day of food!!! I hope the pumpkin pie was just as delicious as always.

This week was rather ordinary to say the least.  We didn’t have any big adventures or weird experiences or crazy abnormal happenings.  My comp did squish a huge spider that was about the size of the palm of my hand. Haha It left a blood streak about a foot long and an inch wide haha. We live next to a huge field so critters just pop in when they want to.

We had part of the family we are teaching in church yesterday!!!!! It was awesome! They are pretty cool—Jenifer and Carment. They are in a rather difficult family situation with how things are with the dad and brothers.  They are family relatives of some members in the ward. It’s just a difficult situation, but we are going to have another baptism this next weekend! So that will be awesome!!!

 

Working hard in the hot sun:  We have conference a week from Wednesday. For the most part we are just working and working and burning in the sun. Haha, I envy you in the winter times.  What I would do to see snow here haha... goodness.  But all is well in South America, apart from the bug invasion. 

Directions that didn't fail us!  We made it out to Gomensoro again this week and taught the same investigators. We received a referral to visit from one of them and managed to find the woman, considering the great directions . . . haha, turn left at the end of the street, pass the barking dog, and make a quick right into the small path past the big tree, and there a man in a yellow poncho will give you a couple glasses of water and he will give you the coordinates from there.

She mistook us for Jehovah Witnesses. It was cool, I guess. Hahaha, I wonder how many times that happens without us knowing.  She wasn’t too interested after we clarified things, but we had a great week.

We are praying for miracles!!! They are going to happen ‘cause this town needs a miracle to change it! haha

I love you all! The church is true and be awesome continually!

Elder Albrethsen

 

           General Conference

  

 You can still read, watch, or listen to conference addresses.  Hear what the Lord wants us to know.

                        (lds.org)

A remarkable way to raise a strong, valiant child

Elder Bradley Foster spoke at Jon’s stake conference in Salto, Uruguay. He shared a story that Jon said he hopes to apply in his own life; “I thought it was awesome!”  Elder Foster gave the talk in Spanish, which Jon said was better than in English, more comical.  Here is Jon’s translation:

Once upon a time I was a stake president at BYU-Idaho.  It was a wonderful calling, one I enjoyed thoroughly.  One of my responsibilities was to interview young men preparing to leave on missions.  This included asking questions to see how physically, mentally and spiritually prepared these young men were.

  

One day I had an interview with a young man named Pablo (Paul).  He was from Mexico and lived in the U.S. with his parents and family.   We sat down and began the interview.  One by one I asked all the questions which were required of me to find out the personal worthiness of this fine young man to which he replied to all of them—“Perfectly!”  

Now, having many interviews with boys looking to go on a mission, I knew how to change my questions to have the same meaning, but bring out more of the truth that I wanted to hear.  Well, I was quite astonished by the answers of Pablo.  I thought, “He must not have understood me.”  So I kept asking again, but differently to which he responded, “Perfectly.”  Wondering how he could respond such, I asked, “How have you been able to be so prepared for this interview?”

 “My father prepared me!” he cheerfully and boldly answered me.  I asked him to explain what his father did to prepare such a worthy priesthood holder.    He responded, “When I was 9 years old, my dad grabbed me by the shoulder and sat me down to talk.  He said, ‘Son, you’re 9 years old! I was also 9 years old.  I know what happens at your age.  Kids begin to gain their own personality, knowing right from wrong.  They start playing tricks on one another.  You need to choose the right, stand strong and be an example.’  He told me a few more things to which he committed me to follow and be obedient.  And I was!”

“Then one day, my father sat me down again.  He said, ‘Son, you’re 10 years old.  I was ten years old too!  I know what happens at this age.  Other kids at school are going to start to lie and cheat.  Others are going to start talking bad about others.  You will not do these things.   You know better.  You’ll stand strong and be an example to others and live justly.’  All these things that he told me I obeyed!

Once I turned 11, he sat me down again and at 12 and 13.  He said, ‘Son, I was once 13.  I know what happens at 13.  Your body is changing, lots of emotion and new feelings come.  Kids at school will begin talking about girls and do things they shouldn’t, like watch pornography and start using foul language.  You will not do these things.  You know that they are bad for you and will cause you problems.  You will choose uplifting activities and live as Christ did, walking in righteousness and continually doing good.’ 

He would let me know of all the trials and tests I would be required to pass and helped me in every one of them!  Even now for this interview, apart from a lifetime of guidance and correction, he has taught me how to be a missionary.” As Pablo finished the story, I couldn’t help but feel much love and gratitude for this young man’s father.  We concluded the interview, Pablo passing every requirement necessary and ready for his mission!

After this experience I thought of my grandchildren, who were 9 years and that they need to know!  I need to tell them!  I called my wife and related my experience to her.  She agreed that we should indeed talk more with our children and grandchildren. 

I called one of my daughters and said firmly, “We’re coming over right now.  We need to talk.”  Now, as I am getting rather old, we found my daughter very worried when we arrived.  She feared I was about to pass on to the next life!  We assured her everything was all right and sat down to talk.

I began, “My sweet daughter, you’re 25 years old!  With a young family and dealing with the pressures of taking care of this family.  I, too, was once 25 with a young family.  I know what happens.  Let me tell you.”  I began to tell her about frustrations and victories she would have with her children, the disagreements and arguments with her husband followed by the ‘I’m sorry conversations’ and the great possibilities of her family that are to come.” 

Let us all pay a little more attention to our children and sit down to tell them of what is to come and firmly assure them of the right choices to take in life and give them our solid testimony that we lo