A WONDERFUL Week in Uruguay

How are you doing? 

This week was a wonderful one to say the least. It started a little rough but it ended perfectly! Last Tuesday we took some time before the district meeting to talk to the zone about obedience because they didn´t quite get it the first time. We talked very clear and very direct with them to help them and it went pretty good. We had a little "companionship inventory" between us and the zone and I thought that we were on the same page. We are now on the same page about obedience but we have seen that some of the missionaries have hardened their hearts to us and no longer want to be around us. I feel like the zone really isn't too fond of me.. in fact, they quite frankly don´t like me and aren´t afraid to show it but if they only knew that we did it out of love and not only to "drop cane" then they wouldn´t treat us any differently. It is sad that they have changed their thoughts toward us in a negative way but that is just part of being a leader right?.. not everyone will like you and I guess I am okay with that. It really bothered me throughout the week but what do ya do? Only two more months and no more dealing with missionaries.  However, that also means only two more months of teaching this great gospel as a full time missionary.  Definitely bitter sweet.

So yeah, that was the start of the week for us but the weekend made up for it all. I loved 1conference, it was amazing. So many great talks and I can testify that God answers our questions. God sure is great, I love Him and I am grateful for His love. The two talks that hit me hard were Elder Oak´s and Elder Holland´s. I also found some answers to my questions as Elder Waddel talked. So many good messages. This time I tried not to write down anything that they said.. I only wrote down impressions and it was really good. I quite enjoyed it that way, notes that I will actually use instead of just quotes of the talks.

During one of the breaks between sessions we had a charla with Mathyas and we have seen a complete 180 turn around in him. He is ready to be baptized and already has a date to receive the priesthood a week later. I am so grateful that he had the desire to act and that the Spirit was able to help him come to know that these things are true. What a true blessing he has been for me, I am positive that he has blessed my life much more than I have blessed his. The Spirit does it all, we are just there to help him feel of the Spirit. If he has the Spirit as a constant companion then he will stay firm in this wonderful gospel, I am sure of it because someone who has the Spirit as a constant companion keeps the commandments. I am grateful for him and that he has been able to have a change of heart.. the Lord sure does prepare His children.

What else could I say that hasn´t already been said to close an email.. I miss you and I love you. I love you more than you can imagine.. now picture that love and make it perfect. Yeah, that is God´s love for you. He loves you perfectly even though you are imperfect. I hope you have a great week! Until next week (: See you in 8 weeks!

Elder Taylor Abel.. an Elder who is learning a whole lot.

Luis Rovelli and I watching conf in English in the family history center.

 He lived in North Salt Lake for 4 years so he likes to watch it in English so he doesn't lose anything in the translation.

so many miles!

God Loves YOU!

How are you doing? 

Things here have been going good.  We had a little scare the other day when Elder Huamali and Elder Medina separated from each other due to miscommunication between them.... classic mission calls telling us that they are alone and don't know where their comp is.. can´t beat it  Ü  Other than that it was a awesome week! Yesterday was amazing, I was able to travel down to Montevideo for a fireside with Elder Huamali. (Those who hadn't participated in one yet had the chance to go down and participate.) We sang songs, there were videos and some really good testimonies from recent converts. I loved the opportunity to participate. I felt the Spirit so strong in so many parts of it. The part that I was just overwhelmed by the Spirit was during the first testimony. I believe that her name was Candela.  She bore such a powerful yet simple testimony and I had another confirmation that the church indeed is true. It was a feeling that I can´t deny.

To add to a great Sunday, after the fireside on Sunday we got a text from a young women in our ward that has been helping us with her boyfriend as he investigates the church. He is Mathyas. The message asked how many charlas we still needed to teach him so that he can be baptized. I definitely wasn't expecting a message like that because he has been kind of up and down lately and hasn't really had the desires to be baptized due to some doubts that he had.. however, I responded to the message and it turns out that he has the desires to be baptized. I then talked to Elder Saldivar about it today after getting home and he told me that yesterday at church he had a change of heart, the Spirit testified to him and helped him solve his doubts.  I am so grateful for that beautiful gift we receive after being baptized, what a blessing it is in my life and in so many others.  

This week I would like to testify of your divine potential. I know that each of you have divine potential and that God loves you. I know that our Heavenly Father is loving because I have felt His love. I know Him to be a very merciful God as well and that mercy is due to His perfect son Jesus Christ. I know that Christ died for us so that we may live. This last week I found some time on my hands and decided to decorate around my desk a little bit.. I cut out some pictures of Christ and found a line/quote that I love. I put the quote in the middle and taped the pictures of Christ around it. The line is "Para que tengamos gozo". I know that Christ lived, died and rose from the dead so that we may be full of joy. I know that Christ lives today and that one day we will find ourselves in front of Him to be judged according to our works, what a blessing it is to know these things. I hope that you had a wonderful Easter and I wish you all a very happy week. May you find yourselves on your knees in prayer this week searching for guidance and may you find it as we listen to our church leaders is my desire for each of you. I love you! 

Elder Taylor Abel 

Anchored by Faith

How are y'all doing? 

I really enjoyed this last week it was full of opportunities to change. We had our leadership meeting with President Smith, the assistants and the rest of the zone leaders, along with the Hermanas who are leaders. I had a moment to talk with President one on one and we talked about everything that was going on.. he then said, well it has been a problem in other areas as well so we are going to address it today. The Hermanas left and did their own thing and we had a big boy talk with President Smith. He "dropped cane" as people say it here in Uruguay but he did it with love. We then all committed to raise the bar of obedience in the mission and be the leaders.... pretty great talk! It was exactly what we needed here for Fray Bentos and for Mercedes and to add to it the divisions with Elder Chuyes and Elder Guevara.. the assistants. After concilio we went back to Fray Bentos in Hermana Smith's car.  The divisions were great, I had the opportunity to be with Elder Chuyes in the studies and the afternoon and he helped me out a lot, we had one of my most spiritual companionship studies in the mission together and we just laid everything out on the table and he gave me advice of what I could do. Very inspired divisions for sure because I know that Elder Guevara was exactly what Elder Saldivar needed too. Lots learned! The leadership meeting was awesome Ü

Between the leadership meeting and the divisions I learned a lot about being very clear and direct but also doing so with love. We are going to do divisions this week with Elder Medina and Elder Huamali. I believe that I am going to go with Elder Huamali and try to help him reach his full potential by being straight forward and loving.. I mean there is a reason that we have spent so much time together in the same zones. I will let you all know how that goes.

Our zone training here was amazing and we were able to be edified by each one of the zone members. We set some high goals together and set little short term goals to hit the high goals. We are going to start a zone fast today after lunch and end it as a zone tomorrow after district meeting. We are building faith to see miracles here..(see 2 Nephi 27:23) I just finished up a study about miracles and faith and I now know that faith is truly needed in order to have miracles.. one line that President said that I loved was.. "Miracles don´t require time, they require faith".. amen to that. So many great scriptures that testify of it as well. I also received a testimony as I shared mine.. that a day without the Book of Mormon is a day in darkness.. so grateful for my daily study of the Book of Mormon. I gained this knowledge through something Elder Bednar taught us.. The world is darkness and the Book of Mormon is the light. Some people get so confused in life about church doctrine and things they find on the internet and there is a simple question.. "Are you giving the same time to the sources that destroy your faith as you are to the Book of Mormon?" "Then why are you surprised to find yourself in the dark when you turned off the light?"

Things here in Mercedes have been better and we are going to amplify the spiritually here in this zone. I know that all things are possible in Christ and I thank the Lord for the challenges and difficulties that He gives me so I can grow and learn. Thank you for all you do! I sure do love you all so much and I know that God loves us.. and that He loves YOU!

Elder Taylor Abel.. a missionary anchored by faith.

Arrived in Mercedes

Look who I found in Mercedes....Elder Vargas

A Beautiful new area....Fray Bentos

Hola!

  

This week has been amazing and quite difficult. First things first, I love Fray Bentos. I had told you all that I was going to Mercedes and I am in the zone Mercedes but I am actually in the city of Fray Bentos.  It has been so great to re-open the area (which means that they just sent the two missionaries that were here to another part and we came in. Elder Huamali and an Elder Medina are opening the other area in Fray Bentos but we don´t share a ward with them) The ward here is called Commercial. It has been a very humbling experience nonetheless it has been wonderful. It is weird leaving the house with little plans but somehow we always find someone to talk with and the members have been a huge help. 

We were able to talk with Bishop Selius and he has been great, love the man already. He is a lot like an Uncle Jason or Dr. Prince with the way that he jokes but once he began to be serious it was great. (read my journal entry picture for me.. )(Let me know if you like the idea of sending journal entries to read as well) We also had the opportunity to talk with President Patrone, and he was the reason that we are in this area now. He is a good friend of President Smith and he asked that we be here in this area. What an excellent stake president. I am super impressed with him, he gave a few references and told us that we could have a charla in his house whenever we wanted, lots of blessings here in Fray Bentos.

As for the zone, I have a few worries. This last Friday when we had district meeting I realized that the zone is super close.. which isn´t a bad thing but I feel like we are a little too close that I am not sure what went on here last change. I talked to an Elder Alvarado (who was here last change) a little bit and he said it was pretty normal for everyone to mess around. I also have some worries for Fray Bentos, I have been obedient for 21 months.. not just gonna throw it away like that.. this may be a very lonely 2 changes. I talked a little with Huamali today because we are pretty good buddies since we have been together for a good part of the mission.. I feel like if I can get him to be obedient with me we will be fine. Other than that, it has been great here, love it! It has some real potential to be my favorite area.. so beautiful.

Things here though have been good so no worries just got to get back into the hang of things.. like I said this just could be a very lonely change.. let´s hope not (:

Well my cute family, I sure hope that you guys have a wonderful week! Keep smiling and find time to pray lots and read them scriptures.. I know that if you guys do you will see that you are happier and are more at peace.. I promise! I love you soo much! Until next week Ü

Love, Elder Taylor Abel.. an elder not giving up that easy!

Beautiful bike ride this morning! It is sooo beautiful here. 

Twelve Weeks to GO....but who's counting!

Well.. I can´t believe how fast time is flying. I only have 12 weeks left. To put it into perspective for you.. the time I have left would be my time with either.. Elder Vargas, Elder Studebaker, Elder Devashrayee or with Elder Naylor.. take your pick! Pretty nuts if you ask me, but hey I still have plenty of time! #nottrunky solo para que sepan como me siento (;

So you are all probably wondering what happened with changes.. they actually came relatively early yesterday. We finished our personal study and we were both praying when the phone rang..I was thinking that it was a missionary from the zone asking for their changes.. like normal even though we don´t ever get changes early haha.. anyways.. so I didn't worry about the phone and I noticed that Elder Emrich either.. just as the ringing was about to stop Emrich got up and it was already too late.. missed call.. I heard under his breath.. "ah.. President!" I thought.. well that sucks, the one time he calls we are praying! Emrich gave him a call and I finished up my prayer and I heard that Elder Emrich was getting a new companion.. Elder Blair from Indiana. I didn't know what to think.. I then had the chance to talk to President. He told me that I am headed down to Mercedes! I finally get a 3rd zone! I will be opening an area as zone leader with Elder Saldivar a good mission friend. He is from Elder Huntsman's group so he has right around 17 months. He is from Paraguay and he is a super stud! He was in Salto a change ago.. great kid!

I am very excited for what lies ahead for me in Mercedes with Elder Saldivar. It will be awesome to be with him, he is a great friend and I look forward to working with him. Super excited to open the area and work with the stake president there. I was sure what to think of the change when I first got it just because things were finally clicking here in Ceibal but I know that it where I need to be and more importantly where the Lord has called to me to serve so vamos arriba! Also parents it looks like we have another stop to make before getting to Salto Ü

Things here in Ceibal this past week went super well, I really enjoyed my last week in Salto. It was definitely one to remember and I can say that I went out with a bang. We worked really hard this week to have a better attendance and get our investigators back to church and it worked out. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful Sunday and it couldn't have better. We were able to have 5 investigators in the church. Margarita, Monica, Lauro, Mikaela and Juan.... and an attendance of 105 all together. The best week I have had in my time here in Ceibal.. lots of good things to come for Elder Emrich and Elder Blair. I am excited to see all the great things that they do! 

This basically sums up the good ole week.. today we had a zone activity. We played Volleyball and 21 Tip-in. Volleyball as a zone. Pretty good time, lots of good missionaries here in Salto! Other than that today we just have some packing to do and some more "see you later's".. the two things I am not too fond of doing.. but do what you gotta do right? Blessings of staying for a lot of time in one area Ü

I hope that you all have a wonderful week and are able to enjoy some time reading the scriptures! I have been reading in the war chapters of Alma and I know that we have these chapters for a reason.... other than great war stories we can find many great things for our life. Check it out (: I love you all so much!

Love, Elder Taylor Abel Ü

I spilled some milk eating some cereal the other day and it totally made a Mickey Mouse!

Beautiful Salto!

With Monica.. she is definitely getting baptized next change!

Elder Bednar Makes a Visit!

¡Muy buenos días a todos!

¿Cómo están?  Espero que hayan tenido una semana muy feliz y que hayan sonreído mucho!

This week was absolutely unforgettable. It was filled with Elder Bednar. He got to Argentina early on in the week and he had a few transmissions there that got sent out to the rest of the area.. Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay. We had the opportunity to attend the transmission for the youth on Tuesday and the transmission for the young single adults on Wednesday as well.. not to mention a missionary transmission for the whole area on Wednesday in the morning and then the real face to face conference on Friday.. like I said this week was full of Elder Bednar and I loved it. I learned so much and now I have a lot to put to practice. I am so grateful for the opportunities that I have had to grow and to learn in the last little bit, the gospel is so great! 

One thing that I loved that Elder Bednar said was that we don’t go anywhere by coincidence. He shared a story about how he was working on his roof one day.. and he needed some nails so he went to the store in a baseball cap, jeans and a dirty t-shirt. While we was there a guy came up to him and asked "Are you Elder Bednar?" and he told him that he was.. The man then said.. "The disguise isn´t working" then the man continued and asked, "Can I ask you a question?" Elder Bednar said yes.. He said, I came to the store to answer your question. I need nails but that isn´t why I came to the store.. I came to answer this question.

He just kept saying.. the Lord works in his church.. One by One.. like said in 3 Nephi 17:21, 3 Nephi 28:1 and 3 Nephi 11:15. Remember that when you are asked to help someone in your calling.. the Lord works one by one! For us as missionaries.. I think a lot of the time we just get caught up in the motions and don´t take a moment to think about why we are in the place we are in or why we are in the situation that we are in and now I am going to take that moment to think about.. I really feel that it will help us as missionaries fulfill our call to serve!  

He also talked a lot about agency.. and it is interesting because there is a scripture that really has caught my attention that is found in Doctrine and Covenants 58:28. It really hit me hard during a charla when we were talking about the plan of happiness with a progressing member.. "For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.".. I love it. It has gone perfectly with what we have been learning from Elder Bednar.. the power is in us and we are agents to act and not objects to be acted upon. I took the chance to study agency more too after the YSA transmission and I had a remarkable study in Moses 7. Agency is awesome, check it out. We really don´t have the agency to choose between good and bad after making covenants and you can find it in the scripture. Just think about this question.. "Why do we have agency?" If you remember from a few weeks ago.. the doctrine always answers the question "Why?".. so go find the doctrine!

This week in the area was great! After such a spiritual week full of Elder Bednar we topped it off with a baptism on Saturday. Maikel is such a sweet kid.. right after being baptized and changed into his clothes again he had the opportunity to share his testimony. He couldn't finish it without just breaking down, we are excited for him. He will get the priesthood next week and we couldn't be happier! Church didn't quite go as we would have liked but we were able to help one investigator come.. we went an picked up Margarita and about 2 or 3 hours after church finished she sent us a text telling us that she has a friend that wants to go to church and change her life. We were able to meet her last night and it was awesome, so much potential in her friend. Her name is Monica and has 3 kids. References from investigators are amazing and now they both have a friend to walk with to church because they live right by each other! 

We also received another reference from a progressing member and her name is Mercedes. She is 56 years old and doesn't like with any guys nor have marriage problems.. she now has fecha for the 26th. Missionary Work is awesome (:

This week we did better with our progressing members.  We aren't quite sure what happened with our attendance but we aren't going to let it get us down. Only 74.... but we are going to try to get 100 people there this week to end the change right! I won't be writing until Tuesday just FYI. I love you guys! I hope you know. My desire for you guys this week is that you can feel my love and feel the love that I have for this work and go and do something about i.. The power is in you, you are agents to act! I hope that you have a wonderful week! You all make me the happiest little guy! Until Tuesday ♥

Love, Elder Taylor Abel.. an agent ready to act!

Maikel and his momma and little bro. His little bro is the cutest.. His name is Matias!

Us and Maikel.. cutie huh?

Elder Emrich and I chilling at a birthday party.  We went to visit one of our investigators.. Juan Carlos, and they were having a party for 2 of their 3 sons and so they insisted we stay. It didn't take too much convincing once we saw the cake Ü

Working hard and sharing the plan of HAPPINESS!

This week was pretty awesome.. we worked hard. Last week we had 4 investigators in the church and so we didn’t want to settle for less so we set up everything the best that we could and we were waiting on potentially 6 investigators in church.. Sunday came around and unfortunately we only had one. However we did all that we could to help them come, we just have a higher hope for next Sunday. Just gotta keep going right.. can’t back down or give up! Things with Elder Emrich are great, he is such a good companion and I am super grateful for him. There is just so much good here in Ceibal, we have been finding some good part member families and that has honestly made the difference. I now know what they were talking about in the worldwide conference when they said that the part member families are gold mines.. so true. 

We believe that we felt true sadness on Sunday as well.. we left early from the house to go and pick up Lauro, Natalia and their children. I had my camera in hand and I was so excited to get there and begin to take pictures of all the kids as they were ready to go to church.. we got there and they were asleep. We returned to church and after the first hour we headed back and we talked with a few kids.. we actually saw 2 of them in the street going on a little errand for their parents so we knew that they were up.. we went with lots of hope to still be able to help them go to church.. we talked to the kids outside and we told them to call their parents and tell them that we are here.. they went in and came back out after a couple of minutes and told us that they were still sleeping.. We just turned around and walked away with a saddened heart. It is so sad that they are stopping the progression of their kids, not to mention their own progression.  Sometimes I just don’t understand.  Last week we had a fullness of joy and this week.. it was destroyed.  Better hope for next time.

Really, this week I think that I was able to grow quite a bit in my knowledge of the scriptures. I was reading the counsel that Alma gives his boys and it just clicked with me when I was reading Alma 36 that the Book of Mormon is full of doctrines, principles. It was awesome and now it just makes sense and I have a stronger desire to study each day. The Book of Mormon is such a blessing, I am learning lots more as I find principles and doctrines. I love it! Keep reading!

We only had 68 in church this past week.. we had 90 the week before .. dropped lots and we aren’t sure why. We think that it was carnival. We definitely have to work on the attendance this week.. trying to get as many people we can to come to church. We are going to set up Saturday so that we can make a stop by all of our progressing members and our investigators. We are excited for our investigator Maikel to be baptized this Saturday and we can’t wait for Friday to be with Elder Bednar. Going to be a great week!

For those who are wondering who Maikel is.. he is a 12 year old that has a very active grandma in the church and she has been helping a whole lot with the process. His grandma is the lady who was contacting people when she left on some visits with us.. remember? Anyways.. Maikel is a stud and is very smart.. we are excited for him. More pictures to come next week (:

Well my cute family... I just want to let you know that I am so grateful for the things that each of us are doing... we are all progressing and I couldn’t be happier! It is a problem when we stop progressing and changing. I just hope you all know that I love you and think about you guys daily! Keep on being great! Until next week ♥

Love, Elder Taylor Abel

We go hard through the heat, the rain... just to have people receive the happiness that we have..... so that they can be together with their families forever!

Double banana....yes please!

#igotavalentine Ü