3.10.14

Everything is going well here. I have the language down, understand everything and can express everything, but I miss my wide vocabulary, so that’s basically what I’m working on. The temperature is cooling down so that’s good and our Branch is exploding with success. E' Mar and I are 100% sure that it’s not just the hard work that we're doing, but that the Lord is speeding things up here. Our area is the best of the mission right now with regard to the three mission goals...100 baptisms, 100% retention and double the church assistance. We have had at least 2 baptisms a month, 100% of our converts are partaking of the sacrament, and we more than doubled the attendance during sacrament meeting. (When I say “WE”, I mean, God, the branch, and maybe us) It’s going really well, and things never get old. I love a lot of the missionaries here. With Gavin, I'd say his first focus should be just graduating early so he can go to college before the mission (preferably BYU). I miss Gav so much and seriously want to get back and hang out with him and my buddies. I could see why it'd be tough. Basically everything I did with my buddies I'd do it with the G and have a bunch of fun. All of the stories that I tell to the others elders here are about me, my brother Gavin, and my best buddies doing stupid stuff. That’s why he needs to get good grades and graduate early so he can study and hang out with me in Utah. Also, I could see why the church thing would suck for him, but he’s got to be less selfish. Those kids in the ward deserve Gavin in their presence, and he needs to learn to be friends with everyone. Even the weird ones that look at you funny when you quote a movie line from a PG13 movie. Driving will help him out a bunch, and so will the Trek...he could work on baptizing his buddies that aren't Mormon if he wants! I'm still in Artigas and will probably be here for another 3 months. I'm seeing all of the new missionaries come to the mission wearing tan pants and brown shoes and I’d love to be able to wear my tan pants and shoes that I had...that'd be the only thing that I'd say I would like to get. Love you all!

E' McRae