Haz lo justo

My dearest family!

How are you guys doing? I am so excited about Sadie Kade.... sounds like a total cutie!  I was so excited when I logged on and read that from Aim. Pretty sweet that I was super close with my guess. When I was sitting in the cyber guessing.... I took like 5 seconds on each and made my guess. I don´t think that it has much to do with me being closer to the Spirit.... I just know my nieces and nephews (; 

This week felt a little longer but it was a good week. No we didn't find 4 new investigators again or have any crazy successes but we did have a good week of fun and maintaining!  We walked quite a bit this week.... we just didn't have too many people receive us.  We did a lot of walking for not too many charlas so we will be making some changes tomorrow in weekly planning.  If there is one thing that I have learned, it is that if something doesn't work.... you gotta change it. You can expect good results if you are doing the same thing as last week and last week didn't quite add up.  The same in life.... if we want to change things or see changes, we need to change.  We can't expect to become real disciples of Christ if we aren't making appropriate changes when they are needed. " It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow." - Robert H. Goddard. Change is necessary to go and get those dreams Ü

I would like to give you a challenge this week and it comes from an anonymous source.. "Try to give ten compliments a day, to ten different people. You´ll find that your whole world changes by the accomplishment of this goal." What do you guys think?.. will you do it? I am going to give it a try.. don´t start tomorrow.. start today.. Today is the Day!

This last Monday was probably the highlight of the week. We had another charla with Ana. This time, the charla was just us with her and we taught the Book of Mormon. As the charla came to a close and she began to express her feelings, Elder Naylor jumped into the conversation to invite her to be baptized.. she said yes! As she began to talk more, I came up with the date of the 26th and she accepted. She then told us that she would do everything in her power to read, mediate and pray about The Book of Mormon. We have passed by her house but haven't had another charla yet.  She loved our CTR rings.  We just have the simple green shields that say HLJ and told us that she would like one.. not because of its worth but because of what it means.. Haz lo justo.  

As for Ken, we hadn't been able to have a charla with him but yesterday he showed up at the church and we had a wonderful family night with him, Maria Almada and Hermana Britos about prayer and testimony (Alma 4:19). Pure Testimony. We have another charla with just him tonight in the church. Ken and Ana are the big focus for now for us. Josefina doesn't want to progress right now and we have been struggling to find the others.... we will take what we got though! 

The week was super good and yesterday we had a beautiful conference in the stake center to only Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and Chile from Elder Walter González, Elder Richard J. Maynes, Sister Niell F. Marriott, Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder Robert D. Hales. They talked about the importance of prayer and family night and then they hammered the two topics of missionary work and the Sacrament.  It was perfect for Uruguay.

I am so grateful for the work and for my compy and all that we are doing! I am happy, healthy and we are working hard in every way. I sure love each and every one of you! I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love, Elder Taylor Abel 

Lunch on Saturday.. delish.. made in home! (Raviolis given to us by Maria Imelda)

Finding JOY in the JOurneY!

How are you guys doing?  I must tell you.. I sure do love you so much! Thank you for your emails. I wasn't able to write you all back individually because of the craziness of the day and not as much time as normal but I thought I would just get right into it with the big email.... hope you don´t mind.

Things this last week went super good! I was super grateful for the work we were able to do. We got a lot done and were able to find quite a bit of new people to teach. I would like to share an experience that I had this past week. On Tuesday morning we were planning and Elder Naylor and I took turns setting some goals.... it was his turn to set the goal once we got to news with members and he set the bar high.  We set the goal of finding 5.  When he said that, I was thinking to myself, wow.... we are going to have to work hard with some members this week. (Something we should do every week) However, as the week went along we were able to find 4 new people and one of the new people has fecha baptismal for the 26th of September. His name is Ken Rey. He is the nephew of the Hermana Maria Almada.  She is also the sister who took us out and showed us like 7 houses that we could visit... basically like 7 references.  Yeah, her nephew is our next victim (; It was a week of many blessings. I am so grateful for Elder Naylor and the faith that he has.

This past week was honestly one of my favorite weeks of the whole mission. It was up there with the time that I spent with Emili and Macarena.... remember that? I had thought that I found like a new love for the mission.. which I definitely did.  However, I am finding a way to find that daily. I left the house this last week with a new energy to share the gospel.  I loved it and look forward to it this week.  The Lord truly blesses us as we work hard. It is so good to have a comp that wants to work hard too.  I mean I definitely had that with Elder Huntsman not too long ago but this time is just different.... a good different.  Such a good kid though! love him.

We have been having a competition between us to see who can jump out of bed the fastest. It is actually a mission competition between the oros and their trainers. We had a tie today which puts us at a tie for the whole time we have had together. The kid gets out of bed so dang fast though.. it’s like bro.. wait for me to wake up before you jump to your feet (; It has been fun to jump out of bed!  Have you jumped out of bed lately? It really does help you to have a better day! Try it!

Yesterday we had our first exotic food together.. we had squid! They told us what it was before we started eating it but I didn't understand the word they said so they just told us it was like fish. I ate two servings and then after we got talking about it and they described it like octopus..... and that is when it hit me.. Squid.  Pretty great. I actually didn't mind it though, it was like a soup so it wasn't just plain or anything crazy.  When I first saw it I thought it was cow stomach so when they said something like fish I dug in (;

Needless to say.... the week has been one to remember. We worked hard and are going to continue to work hard! I love you all and hope that you have a great week! Keep smiling and look for the blessings that God puts in your lives daily!  I was able to find JOY in the JOurneY.... were you?!

A very happy and excited.. Elder Taylor Abel

Elder Macdaddy? McDonalds today.. yummy!

letters from the beautiful mommy and studly skysky.. thank you!! Loved them.

Dulce de leche and bread.... free? We will take it.  Our investigator Ana has a little store in front of her house and so we asked if she sold Dulce de leche and she gave us this huge jar for free.  We then had bread left over from lunch.,,. and you all wonder why I am fat (;

Taylor, Naylor & Puppy

Family.. how are we?! Long time no talk right? It may have been a long week but it definitely was a week that I will remember!  

The journey began at 11:30 when I went to bed like a little kid on Christmas Eve.... the nerves and the excitement were definitely there. Surprisingly I got a good amount of sleep with the dog I slept with (we found a little puppy in the gutter outside our house in the rain and we couldn't let it just suffer .... so what do we do? We took the little feller inside and dried him off and turned on our little heater and heater him up. We went from a wet sad mutt to a very happy, fluffy pup.  In between my legs for most of the night and then like right up by my face.... soo cute! We woke up early and got Figallo´s stuff ready and called the taxi to go to the terminal.  We arrived to the terminal and met up with all the trainers... meaning my boy Huntsman. From there all the trainers left together and we headed over to the Temple and the Hostel. 

We had a yummy breakfast.... it started to pour rain. 

After our breakfast, the assistants, President Smith and us 11 trainers had a charla about what our thoughts were and about what we were feeling.... as well as the responsibilities as trainers/parents. President brought up the scripture in Luke that says, "Forgive them for they know not what they do." He stressed that these missionaries are innocent.... they will do everything you do. Forgive them for they know not what they do... good lesson learned. 

He then told us a little about each of our companions in front of the group. After I shared what I was feeling... "I am excited, nervous.. I just want to be that best friend I had in Elder Devashrayee".... President said, "Elder Abel is very humble and very obedient and that is why his companion is who he is."  At that moment I had about 100 things going on in my head... I thought for sure I was getting some Peruvian who was prideful and disobedient.

We then made the 2 minute walk over to the hostel. We got lined up behind our companions.... they were looking at the wall and had their eyes closed. I was standing right next to Huntsy.  My kid is white!  We then sang Called to Serve. Just the first verse and gave our theme a yell.... Hoy Es El Día! He turned around ... we both gave it a good yell and had a big tight hug.

My kids name is Elder Naylor. He is from Las Vegas, NV. He lives in Summerland which is like 20 minutes from the strip. He played soccer and lacrosse for Pablo Verde High School. He was Student Body president over 1000 kids. He went to the Y for a year and actually played lacrosse up there for the team. He isn't a Y fan which is a blessing and he is not prideful nor disobedient. He is humble, tender, confident and reminds me a lot of a young missionary me. I am super grateful for him and love him already. These 2 changes are going to be soo amazing! I can´t wait to learn and grow with him. We have worked hard already and are going to do so all 12 weeks!

What a blessing it is.... his testimony is so pure and he is so ready to learn. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the many blessings and opportunities it gives me. I am grateful for the love of God in my life.... for the confidence that the Lord has in me to help Elder Naylor begin his mission. I am grateful for you guys.... for all you do for me. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!  enJOY the JOurneY! ♥ 

Love, Elder Taylor Abel.. a very happy and excited missionary!

  

with President and Hermana Smith

Hunstman and I with our boys.  His kid is from STG.  He went to Dixie High and played football there.  His name is Arthur Anderson.  We were stoked for the experience! 

This little guy slept with me!

Another stay in Cerro 8!

Hey!

From Mom´s email I have heard that there is a lot of great music out.. She mentioned that name Levine and all I can think of is... Suuugar? Yes please! Is that his new song? I have heard it a few times down here.... that is one song that I am just itching to dance to after the mission. I heard it with Huntsman and we were both loving it.... goodness I miss me some music!

How are you all doing?! I am doing good.. you are never going to believe this. I am staying in Cerro 8. Yeah you read that right.. staying in Cerro 8. You have got to be kidding me right?  However, this change will be different.  I don't know who my comp is.... I have to go to the temple tomorrow to pick him up. Something about him being new in the mission and like needs a trainer or something.  This should be interesting! I am super excited (: #blessingafterthetrialoffaith #training #gettingmeababyboy #hijoamado Something else that is awesome about this change is that Elder Huntsman will be training tomorrow so we get to be training buddies and we will spend all day tomorrow together while we are getting our kids. Could I

be any more nervous or excited? (; 

Elder Figallo is going to Paysandú with an Elder from Elder Huntsman´s group. Figallo will be going back to being DL up there. I will no longer be DL here, I will have these next two changes with my kid to just completely focus on him and his needs as he is new to the mission life. Seriously.. I am soooo stoked for these 2 changes! The changes with the ZL´s.. Elder Degn is finishing up tomorrow and Elder Neilson is getting another gringo comp.. Elder Eiker who was comps with Devashrayee in Delta after I left. This change should be amazing!

That is the news I have for you guys! This Sunday went good but Sacrament Meeting was a little different. I had the wonderful opportunity to lead the music.... can you say train wreck? (; We didn't have a lot of people there though.  The new Temple President here starting in November, President Lobo, unexpectedly passed away due to brain bleeding. He lived in the ward so a lot of the members went to his funeral. He was a young guy too. The Lord had a more important calling for him on the other side though.

As for our investigators.... I am thinking about doing some different things with my kid. We shall see. As for now..... there isn't anything too note worthy. Things are going good.  We are trying to find more people to teach. The area has soo much potential.... it is just finding it! Can't wait for tomorrow!

Well.. my wonderful family! I hope you have a wonderful week (: Keep smiling and keep finding the little tender mercies in your lives!.. they are always there, you just gotta look for them! I love you all soo much and have been missing you guys too! Wish me luck for tomorrow! Until next week ♥

Love, an excited and nervous Elder Taylor Abel

                    

The district.. loved my time as DL

The crew.  Don't mind the pajamas.  I'm looking Fabuuulous. (;

The Package Arrived!

Hola! Como están? Todo bien? Saben que les amo?

Okay.. that is enough Spanish for the day (;

How are you guys doing?! From the emails, I would just have to say that you are all super bien! If not, I would first invite you to stop deceiving me in your emails and then I would invite you to be happy! You guys make me oh so very happy ... did you know?!

This week went pretty good! A lot happened this week.. we shall start with the best news ever!.. I got my package! It is actually a really good story.. ready?! So, I called last Monday night and I talked to the people who are in charge of the packages and letters.. some newer missionaries.. and they told me that there was nothing.. no package, no letter.. nothing with my name on it. I was absolutely bummed out.. thinking that the package got lost.. I woke up the next morning and went to the church to study, plan and have the District Meeting.. and to receive nothing.. to my very surprise.. there was a package!! I loved it! Thank you sooooo sooo much! Pictures at the bottom (: 

We will now go onto the not so good news.. we spent one whole afternoon in the hospital. Elder Figallo has had some pains in his side where his appendix is supposedly.. and after lunch one day it really was hurting him so we got permission and headed to the hospital in centro. Turns out everything is good. It would have been a complete waste of an afternoon had I not brought "Our Search for Happiness" by Elder M. Russell Ballard.. I read most of the book.. Yes you read that right.. I read! I actually enjoying reading about church topics! Also, I heard some great songs.. (; Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran, Human Nature by Michael Jackson and maybe one of the greatest songs ever.. December 1963 (Oh what a night) by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.. man I was in heaven.. too bad I was on a bus and couldn´t dance (; 

I have been having really good studies about "Love".. I am going to attempt to teach it tomorrow in my last district meeting. I am going to try to teach a lot of scriptures without opening the scriptures.. we shall see how it goes! For an inside scoop on what I will share tomorrow read the talk by Elder Jeffrey R Holland ¨The First and Great Commandment¨. 

I am soo grateful for you! I am so grateful for your advice and for your love! I sure love you all soo much and hope that you all have a  wonderful week (: Like Sky told me this week.. Find JOY in the JOurneY! 

Elder Taylor excited for a new change Abel (:

Package arrived!!!