It's Getting COLD!

Hello,

Wow! A ton is happening at home and Paraguay. I am gonna have to make this email interesting to keep up with you! ;)

First off.... Thanks for all the packages and letters! I haven't forgotten you all... I am just a bit slow in responding... Sorry!

Papa moved? :( I was going to ask why he is moving to Utah in the Winter but its getting to be summer there. Re-confundido. Oops.

So I am back with a Latin comp. Which means.... my Spanish is getting better! (or so I hope.) At least Elder Berrios is willing to correct me on it. And for pay back I get to correct his English. Ha! Na... Can't do that because his English is good. Fail. Elder Berrios is a worker and wants to stay obedient so we get along just fine. I try making jokes with him in English but he doesn´t get it all the time. Oh well.

So we didn't find too many people this week but we have just been working with the ones we already have and trying to get references from EVERYBODY! If the missionaries ask for references and a name comes to your head, please tell them the name and introduce them to your friend. Please. The missionaries are allowing you to have a chance to receive revelation of who is prepared to receive the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Anyways, we are working with a guy work works on a fishing boat that goes down to the South Pole. Like "Deadliest Catch" but in the south. He was telling us you know it is cold when you are wearing three pairs of work gloves and your hands still freeze... (Freeze, they aren't stiff) It's just a wee bit cold. Anyways, he's amazing and has a lot of faith and has been looking for the truth. We had an amazing lesson with him yesterday and really felt the Spirit as he accepted to be baptized the 9th of April. As well we are working with a father of some kids who were baptized and he accepted the be baptized the 9th. (His work schedule is crazy!)

We were walking on the sidewalk yesterday and a van was parked diagonally making the path cut close to the fence of a house. Instead of going around the car into the street, I walked by the house. The result? A ginormous St. Bernard tries to take my head off. Luckily I've got quick reflexes ( ;) ) and the dog bit my jacket. After I looked stupid running like a little girl for a couple of yards to get away, I checked my jacket and there weren't any marks. That and other things have helped me to know that angels do watch out for the missionaries. So watch out evildoers!

So yea. That's about it. It's getting cold. COLD! Yea. The wind is crazy too. Crazy cold and strong. But hey, it's the South. It doesn't get any better than this. Love you all! Be good, stay safe!

Love,

Elder Watson

I have a new companion and I WILL be speaking better Spanish :D

Elder Berrios & Elder Watson

Hi All,

Wow. What a crazy day. Transfers are always stressful... Even if you don't go anywhere!

So Elder Beck went back up North to Buenos Aires... Much to his chagrin... We stayed up all night to go pick up an Elder from the Airport and then went back later to drop off our companions... It was an amazing night with little sleep, but Oreo pudding helps a bit! Haha. Elder Beck loves the cold and now has to go back to the heat and that he had to leave the best CONVERT that we have had ---> MONICA!

Monica was baptized on Saturday. Unfortunately there were a couple of complications that started about an hour and a half before the service. Yes, there was hot water to start... but it was all dirty. You couldn't even see the bottom of the font. That was fun. So we had to drain it by bucket and by pump (that is super slow). Then we filled the font back up again but this time with cold water. Two reasons. #1 - The cold water fills up faster and #2 - Maybe it wouldn't be as dirty. So we got that filling up. Five minutes before the service was supposed to start there wasn’t enough water to do the baptism so we were trying to get our ward mission leader to delay the service a bit. After a bit of frustration we started a little bit late and by the time we got to the font it was all filled up, although, it was freezing cold water.  Elder Beck and Monica pulled through like the champs they are and the baptism went through. The next day the confirmation went without a hitch and Monica is now a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Never have I had a more stressful day in my whole mission than Saturday... Wow! But everything is good now! :D

So my new companion is Elder Berrios from Chile. He has about 7 months in the mission and is really excited to work here in the South (Because the South is the BEST!!! Por supuesto!) and to find people to teach. He is really awesome and I think we are going to get along very well. Finally I have someone to help my Spanish... It's been suffering lately due to the fact that I have been talking in English with my companions for the past 4 months.  Now I will be cracking down on my bad grammar, accent and dialect. Yea baby! :D

Well... Not much else is going on. The start of a new transfer is the start of a new life - at least for me in Seis de Abril (April 6th). Hey... I wonder if anything special happens in my area on the 6th of April. Hm. I'll find out, won't I? Love you, mean it, let’s do lunch! Hope everyone is great y manden mis saludos a todos! (Say hi to all for me!)

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Michael C. Watson

Oh Yea!

Hi Everyone,

So this week went by.... guess! Too fast! Like it always does. Haha

Well. Update on Monica---- She's getting baptized on Saturday! But first she has to overcome her addiction to coffee... She's gone 18 hours without it! :D That's really good. I've never helped someone really drop something before so this is a really interesting experience. Let's just say it's not easy for someone to drop something. But she's doing well and is motivated to drop it. It's just not easy.

Nothing much has happened. A new family moved into the branch and already they have helped us quite a bit! :D OH. Big News. ITS COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like. Like. Yea. It's cold. It's summer and I am wearing almost all my clothes for winter. AH! It's cold!!!!!!!! And on top of it... It's windy. COLD wind. Like the Santa Ana's but all day long and almost every day. So yea. Fun. The members say the wind gets to 120 kilometers per hour at the strongest points in the season. So. That'll be fun. And interesting. I am really glad I have sleeping bag. I am going to be pulling it out soon.

So I heard there was a tsunami that hit cali from the Earthquake in Japan... I suppose it wouldn't be very big but that's what I heard. So. Oh yea! I got mail. And as usual the other missionaries hate me because I got so much. But I'll share with them so it's all good. I got a couple packages from you and a ton of letters. So that's good. Michelle told me her sister wanted to go to Japan for her Senior trip. I don't know if she still wants to go after what happened. I saw glimpses from the news and almost every member we have talked to has told us about it. Pretty scary. Like the introduction in the Book of Mormon says that its purpose is to help everyone to gain a testimony of Jesus Christ as our Savior, Joseph Smith as a true prophet of God that received His Authority to act in His name and to know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the Earth to prepare for the Second Coming of the Messiah. I testify that the Book of Mormon is true and those who read it, ponder its teachings and pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ and ask him if the book is true will receive a witness from the Holy Ghost that it is. The Book of Mormon is sacred scripture that comes directly from God through the ancient American prophets and those who read it and abide by its teaching will draw closer unto Him and His Son more than any other book in existence. These are the last days and as Alma says in Alma 34 that the time to repent is NOW and do not leave it for later! Also in Alma 7:14-15 that today is the day to be baptized unto repentance. I like the phrase "Venid y no temáis, y desechad todo pecado" which would be come and do not fear and leave all sin. The invitation is to come unto Christ and His teachings. Even if we have been baptized we still need to come unto Him. We are far from perfect and it requires all our efforts to follow Him. I promise as you read the Book of Mormon, liken (1 Nephi 19:23) and apply it to YOUR personal life, you WILL see profound changes - from how you keep the commandments to the very relationship within the members of your family. This book is a book of miracles and will help you to realize some in your personal life. God loves you and wants you to come unto Him and has provided the way for you to do it - The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we are humble and submit ourselves to the will of God, anything can happen and we will feel the Spirit in our lives. No Temáis! Do not be fearful, but full of faith! :D It may be hard, but it IS worth it! :D

So. Yea. That's about it. We made 20 liters of juice from tang packets in a 20 liter bottle of water. Fun Stuff. Love you all!

See ya!

Elder Michael Watson

Happy Anniversary

Dear Family,

I have to write a really quick letter this week, p-day ends soon and we still have stuff to do.  I am writing to you later than usual today because we went to see the penguins today.  It took 5 hours of driving over dirt roads, wow.  We thought the penguins had already left and we gave up hope of seeing them but we had success!  I have a ton of pictures but I don’t have time to send them today, so I will send them next week.  I will also write you a longer letter next week.

This week, we had a baptism of a 9 year old child of a family we are helping to reactivate.  It was pretty sweet!  We are also making a lot of progress with Monica. Hopefully we can announce her baptism soon.

We are looking for people that are ready to hear the gospel and it’s definitely not easy but I am happy with our efforts and can feel the Spirit! :D

Love ya!

Elder Michael Watson