Week 32!

Hey mom! This week wasn't too interesting for me, but it sounds like it was pretty crazy for you guys! I honestly can't think of that much that we did this week.  My comp has been pretty sick this week, so we had to stay in for one day.  I got some really good scripture study in.  I really just sat and read the Book of Mormon almost the whole day.  Something interesting I noticed as I have been reading in Alma . . . Somewhat recently they made a lot of changes in the missionary work.  They changed it so that we had to focus more on finding new investigators, and working a lot with less active members, and the members to give us references.  Also, they came out with preach my gospel within the last few years to help missionaries learn to teach by the spirit, instead of teaching a memorized lesson.  SO they have put a really big stress on scripture study and teaching by the spirit.  And what I noticed in Alma, is that all the changes they made in the work, are exactly the way Alma (the best missionary ever) teaches.  There is a saying that we use as missionaries and it's "teach repentance and baptize converts" and that is exactly what Alma does.  He tells everyone that they need to repent of what they have done, and everyone who does so can be baptized and continue living a better life.  Also something interesting, they always tell us to teach the doctrine of Christ in all that we teach which is faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the holy ghost, endure to the end.  I noticed that Alma and the other missionaries that you find in the book of Alma all teach that way.  I thought it was incredible that all these years they did missionary work so differently, and when they finally did it, it changed to be exactly the way Alma did it in the scriptures.  And apparently it's bringing a lot more success.

We have been teaching our investigator Jei (Mercedes son) and he is learning really well! He always asks really good questions, and seems to understand everything really well! He was asking us about the apostasy, and what it means, and he wanted to know  more and more.  He is looking for answers, and he seems to be finding them! We are all super excited for him, he is a great kid.

Today for P Day we went way out into the jungle to see some really cool sights.  We got to do  a little hike in the Pura Selva (pure jungle) as they call it.  We saw some cool poisonous frogs and monkeys and spiders and stuff.  It was a lot of fun.  Its pretty crazy to think we LIVE out here.  We got to see a sweet zip line, and I want to do it sooo bad so we all have to come back and do it sometime.

Anyways, that's about it!  I'm sorry I don't really have time to write much more, or send photos, but I'm doing what I can!  Love you!

T

(A huge thank you to Mercedes for sending pics!  Tanner has been having a tough time sending them lately.)