I hope you're all enjoying these emails as much as I am!  I just love reading them each week!

Hey Fam! How is everyone? Things are going great down here in Guadalajara. This week has been a good week. I love being a missionary for a lot of reasons, one of those reasons is that when we're being obedient and doing what we're supposed to, EVERYTHING works out exactly the way we need it to throughout the day, to do the best we can at fulfilling the will of the Lord. It's just cool to see all the little miracles throughout each day.�

Anyway, things are going well. The ward we're in is awesome. They've been working way hard to get their friends to church, to go with us to meet investigators and help them grow in desire to learn the gospel. All kinds of stuff. On Sunday they brought a few references to church this week that we've been working with. Fernando is doing well. It's been hard to meet with him lately because his daughter is in the hospital and he's been pretty busy making sure everything works out with her, and trying to keep up with his job. Samuel Aguilar is doing really well. We usually teach him in the chapel now, and the last two times he brought his wife with him. She loves the Book of Mormon. Their biggest trial is still going to be getting to church, but Samuel is talking to his boss this week, and giving him an ultimatum. He's going to tell him that from now on he's either only working half days on Sundays, or taking his day off each Sunday. He decided that if they don't want to let him change his schedule he's going to take a different job that a company offered him a while ago. Awesome. that kind of sacrifice will bring a lot of blessings into his life. The Hernandez family is doing alright. The mom is being really difficult, but the kids are still cool. Jorge Ocampo (I can't remember if I had mentioned him before,) is doing great too. We read the chapter of the coming of Christ to the Americas with him the other day and he liked it a lot. He's also making changes in his work schedule to be able to come to church. Sweet.

This week I got a letter from the Stake Presidency that I really liked. It had a quote from C.S. Lewis in it that impacted me. It says: "Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house that in a way hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but he is building up a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself." Awesome. That's such a sweet quote. The letter from the stake presidency also came with a talk that focused on the feeling of fulfillment and happiness that comes when we give our whole selves to the Lord, and just submit to what He's trying to do with us. It also talks about focusing more on the needs of others and less on what we want. It was all pretty uplifting. I think a lot of times when the Lord gives us instructions we're just scared of the outcome. We think to ourselves "But I was building up such a nice little cottage, what's He trying to do? He's ruining all my plans." We have to trust that His plans are going to bring about miraculous results. Progress in leaps and bounds that is beyond what we thought possible. I love the example of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham thought he had finally been able to set up a nice little family after so many years of feeling hopeless. He had his own plans and they were working out pretty well. Then the Lord just tells him to sacrifice Isaac, throw all his own plans out the window and go a different direction. It's incredible that Abraham had the faith to just comply with what the Lord said. At the last moment the Lord intervened and everything turned out fine, and thanks to that decision to obey, I'm sure it taught Abraham and Isaac things they couldn't have learned in any other way, and it continues to teach us in these latter days things that we couldn't learn in any other way. A lot of times the Lord says something like "Just tell your investigator they have to repent, or else they and their families will be miserable forever." And I think to myself "I can't tell them that, they'll think I'm crazy and probably won't want to listen to us anymore." But then when I heed the prompting, I find out that that's just what they needed to hear. Or sometimes in life the Lord says "Stop focusing on this thing and the other thing, and spend more time with your family" and we say "But if I don't practice this, or focus on that then everything will fall apart." But we just need to have faith in ALL the Lord instructs us to do.

Anyway...Today we went and had lunch with Frosty in a little sandwich place downtown. The Frosty that's from Jamaica that I met way back at the start of my mission. It was pretty awesome to see him again. He's doing well. Well, that's all for this week.

Bam- Thanks for your dearelders and the news on the fam. I didn't know you had 18 piano students. That sounds like a ton! It's like a whole music school. Sweet. Love ya. Have a great week!

Dig- You're going to the dew tour man? awesome. I always thought it would've been sweet to go check it out. That's too bad about your popped tire, I guess that's just part of having a good time and really using your bike. haha.�Love ya. Have a great week!

Den- Sounds like school's really rolling now. When does wrestling start? You'll have to let me know how that goes. I can't wait to see you and Dig wrestle in real meets. It'll be awesome. I don't know if I'd be able to beat you both at the same time anymore.�Love ya. Have a great week!

Dad- Sounds like that training trek was a pretty amazing experience. I think I'll be taking advantage of any and every opportunity to be involved on treks for the rest of my life. It's just an awesome experience. There's things you can only learn about the Gospel and the Restoration in that kind of a setting. You'll have to keep me updating as the trek trek unfolds.�Love ya. Have a great week!

Mom- The pictures I'm sending with the e mail are of Elder Olson and I at a member's house for the "Let's work together as a ward" program thing we're doing. The other one is of Frosty and me. I was glad to finally get a picture with someone that I met back in my first area. They pulled me out of there so suddenly that I didn't have time to go around and say bye to anyone. Keep me updated on Nay. I didn't get an e mail from her, but I understand she's probably got a ton on her mind. I want her e mail address though so I can send her e mails when I write the fam. I hope everything works out for her. That stinks that her roommates are kinda lame. They must just not realize that the coolest girl on campus is right there in their own apartment. Anyway, thanks for your dearelders as well mom. It was sweet to hear about Tanner's farewell. He's gonna be a killer missionary. Love ya. Have a great week!

Shash- That's so sweet that you got a sewing machine for your birthday shash! That's a great talent to develop. It'll help you a lot throughout your whole life. From what I hear you're already pretty good at it. And that's awesome that you're starting up with the viola. I think that'd be hard, but you've already learned a song so you must be a natural like Nay.�Love ya. Have a great week!

Nay- I hope you're doing alright Nay! Just stay strong I bet once you get everything in order things will start going real smooth. Just work hard, and don't forget to relax! Joseph Smith said that we're like Bow and Arrows. If we're strung tight all the time, we eventually lose our spring. He was famous for being able to work harder than anyone when things needed to get done, then as soon as the important stuff was in order, he'd naturally switch into his "relax and have joy" kind of mood. Anyway. Keep on keepin on little sis. Sure do love ya.�Have a great week!

Elder Aguilar


Elder Aguilar & Cute Man & Elder Olson




Frosty & Dallas