Elder Justin Welker: Week 77 Goodbye Florida!!!

Well today will be my official last day here in Florida. My time here in this area has come to an end already 😥. A week ago I was wanting to leave and go to a new area because I had already been here for about 4 months and our area is tiny and so I wanted to get out but now that im leaving I dont really want to go! I spent most of the day yesterday and Saturday visiting members and investigators and saying goodbye to them and also packing my suitcases but now im really sad and im going to miss the members here sooo much and also the investigators. Its been sooo great here in Florida and though im sad to leave im excited to return here after the mission as soon as possible.

So with that being said im going to be leaving and going to Rocha!!! Its on the coast and its really close to Maldonado (where I started my mission) and its gonna be awesome! Its the only other District in our mission (Florida being the other district here). If you dont know what a district is then lets just say its like a mini stake (and its under the direction of the mission president). Also Rocha is a zone compiled of only elders, the only zone in the mission that is an only elder zone (because there arent a lot of priesthood holders in Rocha), and we are only 10 elders in total over there. Im going to be with Elder Castañares from Cordoba, Argentina. I already know him so that makes it pretty cool. Its super weird though cause he has 2 more months in the mission than me and so he goes home in 4 months and we are both Senior companion. So yeah its really weird but I guess it'll be fun and that just puts less stress on our shoulders so we'll be able to work and just give it our all and have a good time.

But yeah im really excited to go! I already know basically all of the other missionaries over there and im really good friends with a few of them so its gonna be a blast!!! I cant wait to send you guys pics. I already talked with Elder Soriano last night (he's from my group and he's in Chuy right now (which is in Rocha but on the border of Brazil)) and were totally gonna go to Brazil on one of our preparation days and go to a brazilian buffet. Its gonna be sick!!!

Also Elder Fairbanks is staying here with Elder Guerra from Fortaleza, Brasil. Elder Guerra is such a cool guy, he was my zone leader back when I was in East Montevideo. He's only got 2 transfers left and so he's probably going to end the mission here in this area. Elder Fairbanks is excited and its gonna help him a ton! Elder Guerra was a zone leader for like an entire year and prior to that he trained Elder Holland so Elder Guerra is gonna help Elder Fairbanks so much and he's gonna learn a lot from him.

Also this week im probably going to go to Maria's endownment session!!!! I have to call President Eddy to get permission (but i'll definitely get permission). Maria is my first convert from Maldonado. Elder Alvarez and I taught her and baptized her and so we both got invited to go to the temple with her and 20 others (family members and friends) and were gonna go this Saturday so she can receive her endownments. Its gonna be awesome!!!!!!

So yeah im really happy and im excited to get to talk to my family this Sunday on Skype for the 3rd time!!!!!!!!!!! I love you guys!!! Have a fantastic week!!!!!!!

1. Me with Flavia and Jose (were still working with them, I hope that the the future missionaries here will be able to baptize them

2. Us with Daniela and Brissa (Daniela lived in Utah for 12 years and wants Brissa to get baptized, I also hope that the future missionaries will be able to baptize them both)