An Instrument in the Lord's Hands

F is for a family that does stuff together,

A is for all the fun,

M is for a missionary very happy!

What does that spell.. FAM! How the heck are you guys doing? You all sound like you are living it up! Props to the little bro for his qualification to the big State Track meet.. Capo no? I am so grateful for all your emails.. for your words of love and support. You all truly make me the happiest little guy ever. To answer all of your questions.. no the fungus hasn't gotten better BUT.. we are going to get working on it tonight... if we have water in the house! #fingerscrossed 

This week was one for the books. We headed down to Montevideo late Monday night and got there around 6:30ish. We were able to chat with the missionaries from all the different zones until the Mission Conference started. It all started with a panoramic picture from President´s Iphone. Is it on FB?

The conference went super great! President highlighted that talking is not spiritual but communication is spiritual. We must do more than just talk.. we need to communicate. We are also working on more worthy baptisms here in the mission.. trying to help people become fully converted before having them enter in the waters of baptism. He then said something very profound.. He talked about our companionships.. he said there should be no contention in the companionship.. he told us to ask ourselves.. Lord is it I?.. the then said, the answer is always yes. He then dropped a little cane on us.. telling us that we are not here to waste time.. that we need to drop the people who are not progressing and move on. He was pretty firm at the point. haha.  The rest was about the mission and what we are really here to accomplish as a mission but he ended with something I loved.. ¨Journals are treasure¨.. so true right? Check out Moroni 8:25-26 as well, it is something we are focusing on a lot as a mission (:

The conference with Elder Oaks. We moved to a different stake center and met up with the other mission of Uruguay. It was super cool to see us all in one building. Their mission president, President Cook said something I loved, ¨We are the army of Uruguay!¨ We heard from him and his wife, President Smith and his wife, Elder Cabrera from the 70 and Elder Viñas from the 70. Then we had the opportunity to hear from Sister Oaks.. she posed the question, ¨What are you doing to make this mission the best mission?¨ Also she told us.. that President Monson had asked Elder Oaks to come to Uruguay to speak to us. I thought that was very neat.. He really was sent to us by our loving Prophet. We then had the great privilege to hear from Elder Oaks.. his voice is seriously like thunder but you can still feel the still small voice talk to you as he speaks. Before the meeting actually started.. all the people who were speaking to us and their wives stood in a line as every single missionary took their turn to go and shake hands. Elder Oaks started his talk with telling us that he would love to do so much more than just shake our hands.. he would love to sit down and talk with everyone of us individually.. it was a tender experience to stand in front of him and shake his hand. He continued with his talk as he mentioned a quote from President Hinckley, ¨Just do the best you can!¨ I love it. He then talked a lot about being an instrument in the Lord´s hands and how we are able to do it. He used a pen to describe it and I would love to show you on skype. After showing us this demonstration, he said.. BE A FULL-TIME MISSIONARY.. he told us that we need to be able to balance our lives.. ¨but that is later, now is now¨.. there is no real balance now.. just being a servant of the Lord. He then told us more about success of a missionary.. it comes from our agency to do what we are responsible for and to keep the covenants that we have made. There was a ton more but I will end as he ended.. ¨Keep your eyes fixed on being an instrument in the Lord´s hands.¨ Very amazing experience. I was super grateful to be a part of it.

That is all the that I have for now.. time is running late and I must be going but I sure do love you so much! You guys rock my world and I am very grateful for each and every one of you! Keep smiling and have an absolutely amazing week!

I LOVE YOU!

Love, Elder Taylor Abel.. an excited missionary to be an instrument in the Lord's hands!

Elder Devashrayee! He has one more change and then he dies...this may be the last time I see him in the mission.  Such a great example to me.

Elder White and I on divisions.... we went biking out to a very far away people in his area.  It was super fun!  He's a great missionary.  

He was a companion of Elder Tyson Boyer in the CCM.... fun fact for the day.

Couldn't help but take some pictures in a place that looks like the sacred grove. 

Elder White´s idea (;