Hola familia y amigos
Well! haha culture shock from the get go! This place is definitely a 3rd world country! It’s hard without a doubt. My house is so small, and its nasty, and we have one light. It’s going to humble me real fast. We have to drink from a filtered water bottle but when we teach a lesson or go in someone’s home we have to drink their water because it would be considered rude. It’s a whole new level of faith. I am a bike mission for now and I bike like all over the area. It’s so hard, lol!
Monday – Tuesday
Well, we left for the airport at 4am and caught our flight. Landed in Panama that was sketchy and we couldn’t find our flight. It was just like home alone! So funny! We got on the plane and it was so long. We finally got to Uruguay and met President Eddy. He is so cool. One guy is the AP, Elder Mecham, I played against him. It was so good to see a familiar face. We slept in the mission home, which had no hot water, lol and so I knew it was about to get real. I met with the family of President Eddy and they all knew me, it was awesome! Haha I love it.
Wednesday - Thursday
Today is the day I met my new dad. He is my trainer! His name is Elder Bailey from Texas and he’s awesome. This will be his last area before he goes home. He is 10000% obedient so the mission is going be fun. I met him by having him surprise me outside the temple, it was awesome. He then took me to our new area in Aeroparque which is in the county with lots of weeds. Oh my gosh, our house is TINY! It’s a cement shack, no lights except one, 2 rooms and a small studying area. The shower is nasty lol. There is also no heat and we are in the end of winter so its still cold. So its been, not going to lie, hard. Its definitely going to require a lot of faith. I am really trying. We knocked on our first couple of doors, actually you clap outside because everyone has a gate with 5 mean ugly dogs. It’s crazy! But our first day we met with investigators and got 3 lessons. It was awesome. I have no idea what anyone ever says! So that’s going to be another trial, but hey what’s a mission without being humbled and have some trials. All I know is Mosiah 4 and D&C 121 serve others and your trials will be, but small moments. Its helping me through this. One guy threatened to call the cops, it was funny. We played futbol with little lads, it was awesome. I also work out every morning so that’s good!
Friday – Saturday
We taught a family that changed my whole mission. Michael, Phobiana, Brandon, Rosilianna, and Erina. They are awesome. We knelt on a dirt floor and I bore my testimony and invited them to be baptized. The spirit was so strong and it changed my mission forever! I love it right now because of that one example. Our bikes are rough at times because the chains keep falling off. We figured out that our trash bikes have lights, so that is cool. A lady shook our hands and apparently, it’s been years since she has seen a Mormon! She lit up! :)
It rained on Saturday. Let me tell you bikes, mud and rain are hard. but when it rains it rains really hard but miracles happen to help you get through. We also taught this other lady and I bore my testimony to get her baptized. She got cheated on and she knew our gospel/message was true. I started crying in my testimony. The spirit was so strong to see someone change their life for the better. These people are so poor but are way nice and humble.
Sunday
We went to “groupo” our ward of 15 people. We have a goal to make it a branch soon. I got asked to bear my testimony, then came the curve ball, a talk. LOL. It was hard but good. We then were able to bless a lady. We are also the people who prepare the sacrament, bless the sacrament and pass, haha. It’s awesome. The people are awesome. We’ve got two baptism dates and taught kids not swear. I know this mission is going to be hard but I already know that I am supposed to be here. I already love the people and my testimony grows every day. I love you all and love hearing from everyone.
Elder Knelly
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