October 3rd, 2011

Hola Familia, How are things going? Are ya getting excited for winter! haha. It's still hot here and now its more humid. I think I liked the dry heat better because now it's just going to rain more and more every week. When the sun comes out after rain your pretty much walking through a natural sauna, haha. But it's all good, it's fun, it's the best. So this week was very different but went good. We didn't work Wednesday because there was a big protest and they were vandalizing motorcycles. Fights were going on. But the natives here that live in the jungle blocked off the airport because they didn't want the government to put a road right through thier land, so they blocked the main road that goes to La paz. So our president got stuck here for two more days. It was pretty funny. But we did pretty good for not having too much time to work with president coming a day inside away from the indians and conference. But it was awesome. We had a good amount of investigators come to conference with us. They were always amazed when the camera zoomed out and they saw how big the conference center was. But I got to show my investigators (who are going to be baptized this Saturday if things still go good) who my choir teacher was in the choir. It's pretty crazy when the songs come on and they put the words on the screen it's still in English so hardly anyone sings. But I sang it in English and my investigators seemed to think it was cool and funny. The three kids that are going to be baptized are Maria, Gabriel and Erwin Sanchez Yarari. The oldest son won't be able to be baptized again because he left home and probably went out to drink. So I hope we can teach him more and hopefully help change his life around. But it didn't get his mom down. She is still excited and is helping her other three kids out so they can be baptized. She is awesome. I am way happy that I got to help her out and had the priviledge of baptizing her. This week I was getting so stressed for my investigators. It sometimes really gets to me and it's hard to think. I am always hoping that they will feel the spirit during conference or that they will be able to have the motivation to come to see conference. I couldn't concentrate or listen very well to the confernce, but things all turned out and I was happy for how things went. I am scared that I will be transfered this Wednesday. But I am thinking that I will stay and my comp will go because for a year and a half he has never been in an area for more than 2 transfers. It's sad for him because we have baptisms ready. He and I are doing really good together. We're good friends and we have a good time together. It's kind of wierd. I am becoming way competitive in soccer now, a sport I haven't ever really liked to play much, haha. But I scored 3 goals out of the 6 we had. It's fun and really gets your legs going. But one of the things I am really trying to develop is recognizing the answers the spirit gives to me. I feel pretty good about knowing what the spirit is telling me not to do, and I know when I am doing good. But recognizing the answers to what the spirit gives me is hard for me to realize. I know I will develop it more and more and with patience it will come. I have realized a ton that there is so much a missionary can do to improve. I don't think there will ever be a time where you can't improve. Just keep doing your best and work on a few things, and when you have mastered those few things, work on a few more. You progress so much its crazy. I'm sure you can apply this to everyone in thier lives. Just never think that I want to be this person and then everything will be good. Just always work to improve. If you're always working to improve, you won't have to worry much about other things in your life that dont truly matter. Things are going awesome in our zone here in Riberalta and especially in our district of 6 missionaries. We're all working hard and things are truly working out good. The Savior is on our right and and on our left and his angels are all around us to bear us up, and he has prepared the way before us.   Love, Elder Christoffersen