Week 61 Could this week get any trunkier? haha!

Yeah it was a good week for us here but oh my gosh I cant lie to you guys, I really wish I wasnt here right now (in Florida)! I know that this is where the Lord wants me right now but wow I think that this may have been one of the hardest times of my mission ever! 

First off, two of my favorite Uruguayans ever are going to be getting baptized this week it seems. Ernesto is getting baptized tomorrow (if his date didnt change for his baptism) and also Selene it seems is also getting baptized this week! I am sooooooooo excited and soooo happy for them and I really wish that I could be in Montevideo to be able to go to their baptisms! But I wont be able to because I am too far now and I wasnt able to get permission to go to their baptisms....😥.

Yeah its a big bummer and I miss my last area soooo freaking much! Also two of my favorite people in the world might be getting married soon it seems. But I wont include their names because so far nobodys engaged as far as I know. But still its like getting hit by a ton of bricks and knowing that I might not be home in time for that. 

Yeah well, as far as Florida goes things are ok. I mean we havent had anything too crazy here happen. I mean I cant lie these past couple weeks have been kinda rough. As you know I just got here less than two weeks ago and this area had almost no investigators and so weve been working our butts off to find new investigators and weve been finding a lot of investigators and we found one named Adrian on Tuesday who is 34 yrs old and we just set a baptismal date with him for next month and he came to church yesterday which was awesome and he wants to get baptized. So we are doing good here and we are working really hard but man its a huge bummer that I have to be outside of Montevideo. 

But yeah just keep me updated on how things are going with Selene and I have Ernesto's email so if he gets baptized this week I'll have him send me some photos to send to you guys! Also Mom you need to send me photos if Selene gets baptized this Saturday!!! 

Well I still dont have photos cause Im trying to get my camera chip fixed but hey I hope you all have a good week! I love you guys take care!!

-Elder Welker

Week 60 Florida!!!

Ok guys so im here in Florida (in Uruguay, for some reason people thought I went to the state in the US so I have to be a little more specific now haha) 

Things are going awesome here! The city of Florida is pretty small and we are here in a branch called Asamblea. Its the first time that I am in a branch and not a ward and yeah, its pretty small, haha, like on average there are like 50-55 members at church on Sunday. So its really interesting and our Gospel Principles class is made up of us (the two missionaries, the teacher, and one recent convert), as opposed to the class in Camino Carrasco (about 12-15 of us in total). So yeah its really fun here haha! Its super chill and quiet here cause we are out here in the field and its just a lot of farm land and stuff and there are more gauchos (cowboys) and gaucho type people here. And there are a lot more horses and its pretty common to see horses being rode in the street like every 15 minutes. 

But yeah, im here with my new companion, Elder Rivera from Ecuador. He has only been here for about 3 months and is a really good guy. A bit weird but hes good haha. We are working really hard right now to find new investigators and we have been talking with a lot of people. Our area is actually pretty small (I mean its big because we have a lot of farm land but in terms of like where all of the people live it is a bit small, about the same size as Lezica was when I was there in North Montevideo. But we have been doing really good. We only have a couple investigators that are progressing so we are just spending most of our days knocking doors trying to find new people to teach. But its really good and the people here are a lot friendlier than those of Montevideo and it can be a lot easier here to enter into someones house and teach them something because the people are a lot more open and friendly here. 

But yeah im really liking it here! I live with the zone leaders, Ward and Johansen from my group and it is awesome!!!! I love these guys and we are all going to go to Utah State after the mission and we all got the same score on the ACT and so we are probably going to see eachother after the mission. But yeah its cool here! And its colder here than Montevideo, I think...

But yeah I really miss my last area! Camino Carrasco was the best area ever!!! I miss it sooooo much! And I really miss Ernesto and he is going to get baptized on the 29th of this month and he wrote me after I left and he is really looking forward to his baptism! Im going to try to go because I love Ernesto and I want to be there for his baptism since it means a lot to me cause I was the first missionary to talk to him and teach him and I really hope that I can go back for the baptism! 

I will try to get photos next week because this stupid computer is rejecting my sd card so I will try to get photos to you guys another way but I should have them by next week. Love you guys! Have a good week!!!!!

-Elder Welker

Week 59 I don't want to say goodbye!!

Yeah so we just got changes and im leaving😥. Uhhhhh....I dont want to leave!!!!!! Gosh I love this area and the ward and im sooooo sad that im leaving. But its ok im going to be going to Florida! Its been 9 months since I was last outside of Montevideo cause ive been serving here for what seems like an eternity now. (which is fine if im in Camino Carrasco, I could have stayed here for the rest of my mission!) But yeah its gonna be fun up there in Florida! Im going to be with a really young missionary (I forgot his name but he is from Ecuador I think and he just finished his training, his trainer was Elder Waite from my group). Im really excited cause Ive never been companions with somebody younger than me before. Also im going to be living with the Zone Leaders (Elder Johansen and Elder Ward, they are both from my group) So yeah its gonna be fun and I think im going to like it up there. I heard that it is really clean (which is good cause there is a lot of trash everywhere here in Montevideo). 

But yeah yesterday I said goodbye to a couple of members and also Ernesto because yesterday we met with him. Im really bummed that I wont be able to continue teaching him but im pretty sure that i'll be able to come down here for his baptism in two weeks. He is super cool and im going to miss him. Today I visited Luis and Paola in the morning and said goodbye to them (they are going to get married and then get baptized in probably a month or two). Today im going to pass by all of our converts and also a few families that I was really close with. I hate saying goodbye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahaha. But seriously im going to miss this area soooooo freaking much! 

Yeah well I still have to finish packing, uh packing, the worst... And I heard that our studying desks in the house in Florida are small 😥. dang it I hate having a small desk. The desk I have right now is gigantic, its perfect! Now im not going to have space for my Star Wars collectibles and my other desk toys... And it also makes it harder to study (theres that as well, I mean having room to study is important too I suppose) haha. 

1. Me with Ernesto and also Martin and Leo (members from our ward)

2. Me with Luis and Paola

3. Suarez, Neymar, and Messi (haha, goodbyes are so hard, Neymar left Barcelona and now is playing for Paris Saint-Germain. No!! I really like Paris but I loved it when Neymar played alongside Suarez and Messi.) Bye Neymar! 

Yeah im going to miss this place but im sure I will like Florida! Love you guys take care and have a good week!!!

Week 58 Why do good things always have to come to an end??

Well this week flew by super super fast! I dont even remember what happened this week haha.

Well on Wednesday we helped one of the zone leader's investigators weld gates for an apartment complex. He's gonna get baptized this week and we were helping him to weld gates around an apartment complex that is right next to ours. We also had a noche de hogar (like a family night) in the church and Ernesto went and an exmissionary gave the class and it was awesome! He just taught the Plan of Salvation and drew it out on a chalkboard and everything and it was great cause we hadnt taught Ernesto that lesson yet. Ernesto is doing super great and wants to get baptized. Im really sad though because im probably going to leave to a new area next week and so I wont be here for his baptism most likely. I dont want to leave here but I understand that if the Lord needs me somewhere else then im fine with that. And besides, Ernesto is going to move to Utah soon and then we can just meet up after I finish the mission and hang out and drink some mate.

Also to give yall a heads up I was talking with Selene and she asked me if there were missionaries in Costa Azul and I told her that I knew the missionaries that are there because Selene's mom lives in Costa Azul and wants the missionaries to go teach her mom.

Also I passed Selene's contact information to President Eddy and he told me he would make sure that the missionaries in Pocitos make contact with her so im really hoping that they get in contact with her and start teaching her again.

Yesterday Ernesto came to church again and I love seeing the commitment he makes to go to church because he is a taxi driver and was working until 4 am and then went to church at 9:30 and then after church he had to go back to work later in the afternoon. I know that if I was back in st george and I was out til 4 am I would probably just sleep until like 5 pm but Ernesto is definitly ready to make this covenant with God by being baptized. Im really excited for him and I hope that he will get baptized asap.

Well thats about it for the week (or at least all I can remember). Also we went to the Carvallo family last night. Gosh I love being with them. Im really going to miss them a lot when I leave (cuz im pretty sure im leaving).

Well love you guys take care! I really hope that Elder Lopez leaves and I stay but its not likely! Next week P-day is Tuesday and i'll let you guys know what is going on with transfers! Love you guys! And pray that I stay here please! haha

1. ex-missionary Leo Suarez, Ernesto, Elder Lopez, me

2,3. Me and my comp with Brother Carvallo and Clara and Sara. (theyre the ones that hadnt gone to church for years until last Sunday. The Dad couldnt go but the mom and the kids went)