28 September 2010

This week is going too fast. It is the last week of the transfer, my comp has to go to Salta, its general conference, we have district meeting, then transfers. It will just go flying by and it should be great with the investigators since it is general conference. Sebastian is hanging out, we haven’t been able to find him much lately, and the other two families are doing well. I love you a ton. You can forward this to everyone if you want so they don’t think I died since I didn’t write much. P-day with Ro was amazing, we had a blast. I’ll miss him a ton. He said he’d come see us when we leave. We’ll talk to you all later. Chau
Jeff

27 September 2010

Really short email this week

Things are going way well here. This Sunday was cool, I spoke impromptu on how to receive spiritual knowledge. It was fun. We had 2 investigators in church that are doing really well. Things with me and my comp are doing really good. So today, actually as I speak, I am sitting here with Rodrigo Copas, one of my converts from Jujuy. He came down to visit Elder Donaldson and I and we are going to take advantage of the day we’ve got. I’ll send pictures. Well, I love you all. I will make up for the super short mail with the letters I am sending out this week. I Love you all a TON!!!! Take care.

Elder Rose

20 September 2010

Time is flying by!

How is everything going back there? From the sounds of it it seems like things are just going spectacularly. I am glad that you are all doing well and that you are happy with where you are at in life. I know that there are a lot of challenges on all sides, but I also know that as we pull through those challenges, that we can come out on top and enjoy life a whole lot. That is one thing that I have learned on my mission too. There are struggles every day. Sometimes they are tiny, sometimes they are bigger, sometimes they are easy to fix, and sometimes we just can’t do a thing about it. BUT, there is always something that depends on us, our attitude. I’m happy you’ve all got a good attitude about life and I am so stoked to know that you are doing so well.

This week in Universitario has been a week of interesting outcomes. We were talking to Sebastian and while I was on divisions doing a baptismal interview for another companionship my comp and another elder taught him the law of chastity. He seemed to take it really well, what’s more his girlfriend was there, yet when we went back the other day he was a little freaked out. I wish I knew what is going on in his head, but there are definitely a lot of things that we still can do with him. He still has the desire to learn, but we are sort of walking on eggshells at the moment, I know that your prayers have helped him out. I know it depends on his own prayers.

The next best thing that happened this week was that we found two pretty cool families. The first is made up of a mom who is a member, and 5 kids that are not. They are aged 6, 10, 13, 17, and 19. Two so far are for him to leave his listening to us and the other two who are of age we hope to get to listen to us as well. They are super cool and I have noticed recently just how important it is to really get to be friends with your investigators.

My comp struggles a lot with that, he is not so much shy as just in his shell and it is difficult to move from his comfort zone, or talk about life, you know, just small talk with people. He asked me the other day why the people don’t really like him, that took me off guard. He’s struggling a bit with everything, and I am just trying to find the way to help him out.

The other family we found is a mom of about 50 and her two daughters of 23 and 26. They’re pretty cool. They listened to the missionaries for a while about 5 years ago and we have no idea about what happened that time around. They are really interested, or at least curious. And as far as the whole investigator situation is going, things are alright, people are progressing and we are trying to get them to church.

Things are really interesting this time around with training. My comp can speak fairly well, but he gets lost so easily. I feel like he is always just lost. There is just so much information to process and he is just not used to it. There are so many names and so many things to remember about them. It kind of makes me think back to my beginning of the mission experience. I wonder if I was this lost or this worried about every little thing. I am trying to help him learn little by little and overcome the challenges he has but sometimes it is hard cause he doesn’t want to talk about it or just hides. We’ll be walking down the street and he will walk a couple meters behind me. I don’t know what to do, but we will just keep on keeping on and help him out.

So it is getting rather toasty here. We went to centro today and I bought a couple of souvenirs, and then we went to the church and some members from one of the branches made lunch for us since today was Donaldson’s birthday. It was a pretty fun p-day, tonight we have a lesson with Sebastian and with the family of 3 we found. So wish us luck. And tomorrow we have a normal day and in the night we have to go to centro to get my comp’s foot checked out. Then on Wednesday we have divisions with a companionship in my district, then on Thursday it is zone conference and divisions again to do more interviews, then Friday weekly planning and a trip to do more interviews, then Saturday I am sure there will be something interesting, and then Sunday and then I will write you again. So there you have it. This week is going to FLY by. Then it is General Conference. I challenge each and every one of you to watch every session (I will :) Well, I Love you all a ton, never forget that. till next time.

Elder Jeff Rose

15 September 2010

The countdown has begun!

Jeff's travel itinerary for his trip home has arrived!  I don't know about the rest of you, but to me, it seems like the time has gone by pretty quickly.  In celebration of Jeff's pending return home, I've added a new feature to his blog: a countdown timer!  Check back often (as I'm sure mom will be doing) to see just how much time is left!

On a more serious note, I just wanted to take a minute to say how grateful I am that Jeffrey made the decision to go on a mission.  He's been a great example to me and receiving his letters and hearing his stories has inspired me to renew some of my goals that I've slacked on a bit since I got home.

Jeff is such an amazing person. I love him, I miss him, and I'm excited to see him again soon.

13 September 2010

Cumple Mes

So.... yesterday was me and Elder Donaldson's 22 month mark, and the day before was September 11th, that was weird to think it has been so long since that day. Elder Donaldson is an elder from my group who is living with us. We end at the same time so that should be funny when we leave. I think we are going to leave a ton of stuff that we have accumulated over these two years. I was thinking about bringing some of it back with mom and dad but since they aren’t coming (and honestly I don´t think I need half the stuff anyway), there will be some lucky elders who get some cool stuff for free:). So now I am the last one standing I guess. Everyone else is home and now you’re just waiting on me. Don’t you worry, I’ll be there soon:).

Last night I had my first trunky dream in a long time, I dreamt that I got home and we went to Costco and bought a ton of my favorite foods and then we ran into a member there and I had to go do a baptismal interview. Apparently it’s not going to be so easy to leave this place and this work. But I don’t have to think about that for a while anyway.

So this last Sunday was good. We have a really cool really really cool investigator. I think I mentioned him. His name is Sebastian and we are trying to help him stop smoking right now. Pray for him please.

The visit we received from Elder Foster of the seventy was waaaaaaay good. He talked about the problems with the church in Argentina and especially in the mission and said something very good. He said that we cannot let the culture of the place change the laws of the church. God has his laws and his way of running the church and those laws must be enforced and the things will run His way or those who impede this labor will answer for it. It was rather strong but I think he kicked things into gear here. He spoke with us. Then on Sunday he spoke with all of the stake presidents and they should, in turn, speak with bishops and all that and that will be fantastic.

Our ward had ward council meeting for the first time in years, we have a new renewed desire from some to do the work, so now we just have to be able to retain that desire and make things work. It was a cool opportunity to talk to Elder Foster with President Northcutt and just the leaders here in Tucuman. There were only about 15 of us and he asked us what we felt and asked us to ask him whatever questions we desired. What a cool opportunity, right? They are really special people. You know what I was thinking; I think we lose that eternal perspective way too easily. One day we are excited and happy and the next we are moping around about how the world is against us; but it isn’t that way. Attitude determines altitude right? It also determines your salvation. If you are happy, you will love the Lord. If you love him, you will obey him, if you do that, you will gain your salvation, and in that process you can influence many others to gain theirs as well. I love you all a ton. I realize that by writing just one email, it is difficult sometimes to know what is directed to whom, but just know this. I love you all and those things that you think are directed to you, they are:). Love ya. Oh and I think I have started saying words with weird accents, hope you like it:). haha. Till next week, love you all a ton.
Bye.
Elder Rose

06 September 2010

Summer time is HERE, and it's all over the place.

Well, here it is feeling like the first days of summer, a nice temperate 80 degrees or so, nice and sunny and things are looking good. This week has been a pretty good one. We have found new people to teach and are having success teaching some of them. The experiences of late have taught me a lot and have reminded me of things that I knew before that I had forgotten. Today, or as soon as I finish writing my email to you guys, we have a family home evening activity with an investigator. She is struggling to get married, her boyfriend doesn’t really want to, but we are going to try and help her out with that, see if we can talk to him and get them to get hitched :). She has been investigating the church for a long time, so hopefully this is the time. We have a really cool guy we are teaching named Sebastian. He is 26. At first he didn’t really want to listen to us but thanks to a member we had with us when we found him, he listened to us and came to church. He has been once, now we need to teach him about all of the commandments and get him stoked about that stuff.

This time around as district leader has been a really cool opportunity so far. We have a really great district of really hard workers and we have been hitting almost all the goals and the baptisms are coming, slowly but surely they are coming. We have some cool opportunities here soon. Elder Bradley Foster of the seventy is coming to do a conference on Thursday. Those are always really cool meetings. Kind of nerve bending too cause I have a meeting with him and president and the other leaders of the mission beforehand. The theme I believe is going to be working with the members since they asked us to read chapter 13 of Preach My Gospel beforehand. So yeah... then we have the zone conference in a few weeks, general conference, and assorted divisions with the elders of my district, a leadership conference with president and other assorted funness. ha-ha. So things are just going to go slipping by pretty fast.

It was great to hear from all of you this week and hear about how things are going. Thanks for the pictures :). Mike, you’ll have to start training up so we can see if you can finally out climb me when I get home :) ha-ha. Just kidding. And Diane definitely is rather pregnant. Thanks for that pic too. A couple of questions. Are there any cool things that you would like me to start looking for for you guys so that I can get to buying cool souvenirs? Anything you can think of or just a general idea. I want suggestions from all of you. Also I was wondering how much time we are going to have between the 18 of November and the vacation in December. I was thinking about trying to go back to In-n-Out for a couple weeks if they’d take me back. But anyway, just thoughts. Oh, and Drew Wilde should be home this week. Have him send me an e-mail about what his thoughts are for school. I love you guys a ton. You all made my day today! Talk to you next week!
CHAU
ELDER ROSE