11/1/10

Buenas!

Como les van las cosas? How is everything going? I am doing great of course. OH how i love the beach! We went this morning at about 7:30 and spent the morning kicking a ball around and doing our studies on the beach. Elder Tenney and i ran about 1.5 miles on the beach cause noone wanted to play a soccer game and i needed to get some energy out. There are 3 companionships in the ward which complies our district. Elder Baker and i, Elder Jacobs and Elder Tenney, and Sister Joslin and Sister Capua who is brand new in the mission. Sister Joslin has the most time on the mission besides me. She goes home 9 weeks after i do. Its a pretty fun district. I am living in the same complex i did before but the spanish elders used to have a separate apt there and now we are packed into one. Its actually one of the worst apts in the mission. Lots of bugs and cockroaches and its been a missionary apt for so long that there are holes and marks all over the walls. Right now i am sleeping on 3 couch cushions i put on the floor. The office is working on getting a bed for me, hopefully soon. i dont mind though cause we're never home much anyway. The office recently renewed the lease for the apt. without looking at it. All is well though.

The work this week has been alright. We had some great success on sunday. Apparently more hispanics came than usual and we had 3 less actives at church. We also contacted a lady who i taught and baptized my last time in the area and she was recently married. We are trying to contact the husband and are praying he will be interested. We also contacted a less active family who is definitely ready to come back to church. They said they have been feeling recently like they need to go back. They havent been for over a year but they said they noticed that things have been a lot harder while they havent been attending. They are prepared to return. We received a great referral from a young single adult. We are having a lesson with her tonight. We contacted her briefly and she said when she used to live in Arizona she attended an lds sponsored school and went with her friend to church for 3 months. She was about to get baptized and then moved back to Florida and her mom wasnt to supportive of it so she was never baptized. She is over 18 now but we will also do the best we can top obtain family support. Besides that we havent found many new investigators yet but things are looking up. Several members were exctied to see me back which was encouraging.

Last night we went spiritual message trick-or-treating at several members houses. The last one we went to were the Mortensens. I found out that his mom graduated from St. Regis high school(i guess there used to be a high school there?). They have been to Calisbel and Flathead Lake several times. He was the ward mission leader last time i was here. Him and his wife were really excited to see me back. He actually gave me a great compliment in combined Priesthood/Relief Society. I raised my hand at the beginning to introduce myself and afterwards he stood up and said told everyone how when i was here the first time i was brand new and the mission president called and told me to learn spanish and that i couldnt speak anything before and now i can speak fluent spanish. He said it was a great testimony builder for him that the Lord works through and teaches his servants. It actually looks like i will be doing a lot of translating here because we have to translate sacrament meeting and now they want to do combined spanish and english sunday school. There are only like 4 members there each sunday. A lot of people move in and out of this area or are less active. Well its time to get going. Thanks for the email Aunt Cathy! I received it just fine. Im glad you are all doing well. Keep up the faith!

Love,

Elder Carty