December 19, 2012

Well hello family. It´s a bit early for me to write, but I have some things to do this afternoon.

Well life is going to be different.  Elder Gonzalez was transfered out.... and well, so was I.  They did a white wash to El Ferrol, :´´´´(  It´s hard to say, and it was hard to leave.  I left about half of my heart there.  I was moved down to Alcalá. It´s a bigger Pueblo near Madrid, so I am now in Madrid.... again.  I was super sad!!!! I wanted to stay! I love those people there. They were amazing members, friends, and well my new family members.  Alcalá has a good thing going. It´s like the north, actually a lot of the areas around Madrid are like the north, just not as much rain, cold, and Spaniards.  There are a lot of Spaniards here, but we also have a good amount of individuals from South American.  That was new to see.  Here's my new address.  I do not know the new address for Elder G, sorry!!!  He is in Mostoles, another Pueblo near Madrid. 

Mine is:

Paseo do la Estación

9 Bis 4ºC 28807

Madrid

Spain

Well yeah, I have a new comp!!  His name is Elder Verdu!! He is from northern New Jersey and he is supppper awesome! I met him before, but not a lot.  He was up north in Orense in the other District.  He has been out for a good year and a half.  His dad is from Spain, and his mom is from Uraguay.  How cool is that! But, he never knew Spanish before the mish.  He has 2 sisters, one is older and the other younger.  I have to say we get along pretty well.  I will inform you more when I find out more, haha

I have a lot of sweet stories for you all, from Ferrol and Alcalá. Alcalá is a college town. There are a lot of students here from all over, like the states, London, and Spain of course. 

Well onto the stories, first Ferrol. 

So when we found out we were getting transferred, of course told everyone, one by one, not all at once.  That was an experience by itself.  It was sad for the members and suppper sad for me because I was crying too and I didn´t want to leave :(  Still a little depressed on this, but I am getting better, and well it´s the life of the mission, gotta live with it and go with it, and still work your hardest.  So sweet amazing story.  Our President of the branch asked us to prepaire a quick 3 minute talk, just our testimony, so I got a nice little scripture and my testimony.  I dídn´t really write down any notes.  So we get to church and they were saying we might not have to talk, they have 4 people with us and just maybe not a lot of time.  Well the first speaker gets up and gives a great talk but only 5 minutes... oh snap.. Then the second, only 5 or 7 minutes.  Ohh freak!  then we sing and they said that it is now the time for the Elders.. we still have a good 30min left of church.  I go up first and ask how much time, President told me I had time for 15-20min to talk, and Elder G had that time as well.... Well here we goo!! OOO OO!! I get up there and just say a little prayer.  And I let the spirit take over.  I have to say, I have never felt the spirit so strong, okay maybe a few times, but it just filled me,  I felt as if I was floating.  I just started talking and using some of the experiences I had learned from Ferrol and my mission.  Then I started getting out my scriptures and and just wow... I spoke for those 15min.  No awkward moment pauses, no ahh or uhh, or what should I say.  I have to say that, that was the gift of tounges.  During my talk..it was the hardest.  I made a little joke that someone must have cut an onion on stage, and I just broke down.  I couldn´t handle it.. It wasn´t that awkard loud cry of sadness, just tears of sadness...  It was hard.. the members were all crying and weeping, and just a wreck, we all were.  Then Elder G gets up and gives a great talk, just took it to them!  He did great.  But this was just a great experience for me.  15min, in Spanish, without any notes at alllll. Love it!  I don´t know, I have never done that before, I always needed notes because of my Spanish, but I had no problem speaking, alot of the members said my Spanish was almost perfect.  I was using many words that were larger for me and my grammer was almost dead on.  That was sweet to hear.  :) 

Okay second thing, I am done with the BOOK OF MORMON!! How sweet is that! I might have said it before, but I´ll say it again.  It helped me out so much reading it in Spanish.  It was just a nice feeling, the feeling of accomplishment.  :)

Okay third, okay before I say this, I have to say that I am okay right now, I am fine and feeling great!

 

So on Monday we arrived in Madrid and I went to Alcalá.  That night we get a call from the office elders because we had to move some things for them for the new piso fo the hermanas here.  We get the stuff and just doing great. So they have a van with a back door that goes up, not the double doors, just the one that goes up when you open it.  Well Elder Johnson didn´t see that I was coming out, well he did, but he thought that I was out of the way, and he closed it.. and it hit my head pretty hard.   Yeah it hurt, but nothing big.. well he´s alll ohhh Elder are you all right?? I was fine and I said that... then I see blood... dripping from my head.  Then I touch my head and my hair has a lot of blood.. Okay so I have a nice little scrape, nooo biggie, I get some tissues and people on the street are freaking out. I was just standing there just chillin.  Then we call up Hermana Jackson to see what to do. I hadn´t seen it yet, but some of the other Elders saw it and it didn´t look so good... so thankfully Pres. Jackson is a doctor surgeon man, so he knows what to do.  We all get in the van and drive over to the Mission home, and it so happened to be the last day and the last super for a couple elders and a sister.  So I´m chillin there with all of them and my comp.  President jackson gets up and just is wowed.. He´s said... you need stiches, I´ll go get my kit.  This isn´t good, but you´ll be fine...  So he gets his stuff and well he did a little operation on my head.  I have I think 4 stiches in my head.  Some of the elders have some pics of it, and it is nasttttyy!! Just all open and gross!! Well, I ruined a good white shirt, I´ll send it home for yall to have, don´t want´to throw it away, ;) but yeah, I am fine and just putting a bunch of meds on the cut.  I get them out on Sunday, ohh yeah... He had to shave a little part of my hair.  Good thing I got it cut last week!! OOO OO!! So yup I have a nice little pach of hair missing, bit it´s fine. My hair grows fast and Elder V said he can´t even tell, just when I show people.  Good times on the mish huh?!  Love it!!  Don´t worry, I am fine right now! It hurts but I´m fine.  Just one of those moments when you want your mom to hold your hand...and your dad to tell you to man up ;)  I was about to rub some dirt on it and go on with my night. hahah jk.  Ohh and don´t worry, I got to hold sister Jacksons hand, that was nice, Miss you mom!!! Good thing I get to talk with you all next week!!!! AHHHHH!!! SAWEEETT!! 

About that, Elder V said that he would like to chat about 8ish in a locutorio.  So I am good with that, and it´s 8 at night my time, so about 2 your time, is that good?

Well hope so!! ohh and It´s pday so I can email you in the mornin if needed!

 

Hey all I love you! Hope you have a great week and welcome home Jana!! Can´t wait to chat with you!! Hope all is well on the home front. Alcalá is about to be lit up!!!!  Can´t wait to really work here!!  Can´t get me down, phhht head wound... !

 

Love you!!

Elder Alex Thor Laubaugh

(one of the elders said the cut looks like a lightning bolt.. so he calls me thor.. haha)

december 12, 2012

Hey all, it was another great and super quick week for me.  Well let me just start off by saying that I have the packages and I have opened them.  Elder G and I had 12 mins of Christmas. hahah get it, 12 days, 12 mins. hahah Jk JKJK  Don{t worry we shall be waiting to open one gift each day.  Well now is time for the bad news.  You know how last week I said that Pres moved transfers to the 27.  Well that was denied by the district, so they moved it to this week.  We find out if anyone is leaving Sunday night, and they leave Monday night.  Bummer huh, so Yeah, we both think that Elder G will leave.  By the way he says thank you so much for the things that you got him. He loves you all so so much! Thank you!!!  

Well, on to this week. What a power house week it was.  I have to say the Lord has really been blessing us a lot lately.  First off, Julio and his mother came to church.  His wife couldn´t come, but next week she will.  How sweet is that.  Ohh what a great blessing that was.  Our class was about the spirit world and he had really good questions about it.  He loved it.  But wait there's more!! Our LA, Gustavo came to church, he has never come in the 5 months I´ve here.  He brought his friend, Alberto, who is our investigator also.  How sweet is that!! Such a great sight to see.  He loved church too, he just is awesome.  His wife is active and so are his kids, but he isn´t.  I have to say, doing all the service for him, giving him a pair of my pants, and a tie, has really helped out.  Well that´s what we have been doing with him, cleaning a bunch of new things and all that.  SO great.  

Well yeah, it was good. I was so happy to see so many people really grasping what we have been teaching.  It was such a great heart warming experience to see these people really wanting to know more.  Also Enrique is doing better, he is getting along,  We are still helping him with his addictions.  He´s just having a hard time, but we all do.  

Well I had a great experience this week, yet again with prayer and my scriptures.  It was so neat-  For the past month or so I really had a question on my mind. Do I confuse people more than I teach and help them?  I just was thinking of that.  I know spanish, I can talk to people in a convo or in a lesson, I know a lot.  Yeah, at some points I don´t know a word, but I can explain it and it{s all good.  But I really started to wonder, well Do I help them?  I started praying about it well since a good month or 2 back.  Everyday just searching and praying.  A couple of days ago I was reading in Doctine and Convenants.  I was just flipping through, looking for some scriptures.  I just got an impression to go to D&C 100.  I started to read at section 100 verses 5-8 and it just answered everything.  It was amazing, just a couple of versus just helped me get over this little hump.  I felt so much better, it was bugging me, just a question that does that.  The Lord really blessed me this week.  Just so  much through everthing that I am doing.  More and more blessings.  He really is looking after me.  When I was thinking of this little thing, just these little experiences that I have been having a thought came to mind.  The Lord taught that this path is straight and narrow, that we really have to hold to the rod, but he doesn´t say if we won't have hills or mountains in our way.  It just really has been hard. Luckily life is getting really good right now.  Everyday has it´s new challenges, its mountains, but I have the Lord on my side.  Like I said, He has been helping me out so much this past weeek, just with a lot of my questions..  They have all been answered in my scripture reading.  Ohh and fun fact, I just finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish a couple days ago.  How sweet is that! Love it!  hahah,

Well fam, I love you.  Thank you so much for everything.  For your love, prayers, and well being there for me.  Hey for the family call, I am not sure.  We have a eating thing at 2ish, sooo maybe at 5ish my time, we shall see. Christmas is also my pday so I will email you all when I am on and ready.  That sounds good.  Hey I love you!!!! Have a great dayt!!!

Love,

Elder Laubaugh!!!!    

December 5, 2012

Pues, HOLA! Cómo Estan?? Bien o mas o menos??  Pues Yo Estoy PERFECTO ahora :)))  Well It has been a really good week, not sure why, but I just feel so good! I feel added strength comin in everyday from my Father in Heaven.  Well first I just want to say the Lord has really been blessing us up here in Ferrol.  In some letters I have said that I have a large area.  That´s an understatement.  If you look at a map of Spain, and find Ferrol, see that area next to it, it´s all coastal and that´s my area.  It´s HUGE!! We got to go out to Cedeira on Sunday, which I have to say, has one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen.  White sand, with water that looks light blue. Oh it was sooo beautiful! But we were there to work! We have a less active fam, that lives out there, well they are less active, cause there is no bus that comes to Ferrol on Sunday, only one goes out at 1:30, and comes back at 5, so they can´t, and they don´t have a car!! So double bad, but we met with them.  Comes to find out the mother and daughter have super strong testimonies. And guess what, they brought a friend that isn´t a member, oh and they(the mother) has a son and daughter that aren´t members. Oh but wait, there's more?? Why yes, the husband isn´t a member either!! So we have some more work!!! HURRAY!! :) How sweet is that!! I am so blessed to be here.  The Lord has not forgoten about the Elders in Ferrol.  Oh what is that I hear, another great miracle that happened.  Why yes it is!  So Roy, Naty´s papa, knows a lot of people, esp. from Peru, and he gave us a reference to a friend of his that is a member, but not active.  We called him up and the reason he has not been coming to church is because he lives 2 hours away, by train, from the church in Ferrol! Soooo we are planning on makin a trip out there to see what we can do! He was saying that he and his fam all pray and read the Book of Mormon, but they just can´t come.  We shall see what we can do to get these people to church! YAY! 

Well some more good notes, transfers have been changed to the 27 of december!  So If there was a change here, no one would leave before Christmas, so that´s good!  Also, did you know that I was in a play?? Well I was, and I had a lead part :) Yes it was in Spanish, and I felt I did well.  It was put on by the church, and it was about the Plan of Salvation, and about missionary work.  So that was sweet.  It was short, 30min and one of our recent converts, Amanda, her father came with his wife. They used to be really against the church, but we met with them and they want to learn more about us, and about the gospel.  So that is amazing!! 

Okay I have a food story, I know it´s been awhile, sorry, it gets boring saying, well I had pig skin, or pig stomach, blah blah blah. Well the other day I learned how to make Papa a la Jaun Caina.  Mandy might know what this is, it´s from Peru, and it is sooo good!! Roy and Flor taught us how to make it!  It´s boiled potato with lettuce, but the dressing the Jaun Caina is a spicy cream sauce that is sooooooo good! To die for!!  Well with it they gave us some corn and some of this meat.  Like a teryake strips.  I have learned not to ask what it is till after I have eatin it.  Welll I messed up, yeahhhh not good.  But it was super good and lean and ahh so good!! So I asked and they said well it´s Anti cucho.  Anti cucho??  What´s that? (bad question on my part) Well it´s pig heart.  OHHH Really, I look at it and think, mmm pig heart, and take another bite.  It was just nice little slivers of heart cooked up.  Yum huh? hahah well it´s been good. Soo good.  Ohhhh and the best part this was all put into my last book.  The first book of Elder Laubaugh.  It´s my journal.  Good timing too huh.  I am almost half way done with my mission. Sad thought.  Well yeah I have all these notes and entrys and a lot of good pictures.  SOOO GOOD! Well fam I love you, I love you so so much! I hope all is well on the home front!!  LOVE YOU!!!

 

Love,

Elder Laubaugh!

 

November 29, 2012

I have to say this has been one of the better times of my mission.  Sorry for not emaiing yesterday.  On Sunday night we found out that we were going to León to the other zone for a meeting with Elder Richards of the Seventy.  He is in the District Presidency over Europe.  I will talk about that later on in my letter. 

Well this week has been again a good one.  Yes still hard and I´m still tired, but oh well, let us all push on.  Their are many reasons why this past week has been good.  We first have been getting new people to teach, new but old, like Enrique.  He is super awsome!! AHH LOVE HIM!!!!!! I hope I see the day he gets baptized.  He knows that these things are true.  He tells us all the time, and he just wants to quit smoking, just something is holding him back.  We have had many good, heart felt, spirit filled lessons this past week with him.  He is in a hard time in his life. On Sunday I had a sweet spirit experience. He has been sick and couldn´t come to church, but he came after and pulled us two out to give him a blessing.  He chose me to give it.  I felt the love our Father in Heaven has for him, I said things I didn´t even know I could say.  It was beautiful.  I loved it.  He thanked us and we talked for a bit.  He´s doing better. 

The amazing thing is that we have been in contact with a lot of our old investigators over the past months, before I was even here.  It has been great because a lot of them have changed their attitude towards the church, and some have just come to church and we met them for the first time there.  That has been a real boost for me. 

One thing that has done my heart good is seeing people wanting to go to the temple.  We have many recent converts that want to go that want to make those covenants in the temple.  How great is that.  We have been having lessons on that as well.  Such a great experience to see. 

Now on to what happened yesterday in León.  Elder Richards is amazing, he´s going to be in Germany in a week or 2 so Jana, look out for him, he is taking a tour of Germany as well and visiting with all of the missionaries.  Hope you get to meet him.  Well in the past bit has been hard for me, just a lot on my mind and a lot going on.  I also have been praying a lot on what I could do better on, a lot of what I need to do, not do, all of that stuff.  Now that I have almost a year sad day :( I have been seeing what needs to change. I work each week to learn what I  need to do better.  It was amazing that we had this great meeting because he is like my coach.  He was telling us things that I have been praying for, for about a month or two, or just a day.  It was great, a spiritual feast.  Right before he and his wife told us that they don´t prepare anything and just let the spirit guide them. Everything that was said felt like it was diricted to me.  When he said a point that I needed to learn or hear, he just stared at me. I was in the second row, middle.  I was one of 30 or 40 people.  He could have looked at anyone, but no, he looked at me and I felt that he was talking to me for most of this meeting, a good 4.5 hour meeting.  Many of my questions were answered in his words, and the spirit just touched my heart.  I have to say that I got a little emotional at some points.  It was just a great time, being with him and talking with him. 

I am doing well, learning, growing hopfully, and just doing mission things.  I love you all so much. I feel I don´t say that enough.  I love you all very much.  Thank you for your prayers and for you love, I love you!!

Nov 22, 2012

Hello Everyone!!! How are you all doing??  I hope that your Thanksgiving is sooo good! Mine was amazing.  Today is my pday. President switched it so we could play today.  The sweet thing is that we have a Senior couple here, sooooo they cooked for us a great meal!! OHHH SWEEET GOODNESS!! hahah, yes we had turkey and stuffing and all the good stuff.  It was great.  Thank you for your letters, emails, and all the love!  I love you all so much!!  

Well, Ferrol is getting better, we are starting to see a little light at the end of the tunnel. It´s been a long, hard, and dark tunnel, and at times, I didn´t know what to do or say.  But right now we are seeing some light, which is great.  I am glad that  some things are starting to pick up.  One great thing is that we are seeing a change in an enternigator, Enrique. He has a great testimony, and he knows a lot about the gospel.  He has read the BoM a couple of times and has been coming to church.  He just has one problem, he smokes.  We just started to meet with him again, and there is a real change in his acciones in his manner of meeting with us.  He really wants to change, so we set some goals and we shall see what else we can do.  It has been a good soul lifter for me that we now have someone to work with.  Thank you God! 

Well right now I would just like to say what I am thankful for.  My appreciation of things has grown on my mission.  I am thankful for my mission, for this calling that I have right now.  I am thankful for it so much.  I have truly learned so much here on my mission.  I have seen many things that have really opened my eyes to the important things of this life.  I am thankful for you all, my family.  I will always be thankful for you all.  I truly feel all of your love day to day here.  I feel your prayers for me.  You don´t really understand somethings till you don´t have them.  Like you all, I am here alone, with my comp, and my Lord, I love it, but you know, I´d love to get a good mom hug, or a dad hug, or a nice talk with mandy or mitch or jana. I am so very thankful for the challenges that the Lord has put in front of me.  These challenges have changed the way I look at many things.  My whole mission has been a challenge, from the language, to the people, to the day to day troubles here.  But I am thankful for it, you know why? Because I´m learning.  I am gaining more of a testimony of the strength of this message everyday as it holds up to countless bashes from these spaniards.  I am thankful for my testimony that I have of these teachings, of this gospel in my life.  It has truly blessed me on my mission.  Having this testimony is priceless, it is my testimony, that no one can take away from me.  They can question it, the can bash it, they can spit at it, but it´s mine, and I´m thankful for that.  The last thing I want to say is that I am thankful for, My God, My Savior, and My Companion.  All three of them have helped me so much.  through the rough times and challenges, My God, My Savior, and My Comp have always been there, never fearing, there wavering, always at my right and left hand when I need them.  Always.  It has been a great blessing for me in my life, whenever I needed Elder G, he was there for me.  He is my best friend, through the times that I wanted to cry, yell at the world or do whatever, he was there to help me.  

I have so much to be thankful for, for this gospel, for the scriptures, for my friends, everything.  One thing that I have learned in the past little bit is that everyday I should be thankful for everything, not just one day :)  I love you all, have a great Thanksgiving.  Ferrol is getting better.  Our minds, hearts, and strength are on the up beat, that´s always good, they´ve been on the down for awhile.  We are workin our little tails off over here :P  I love you, thank you for everything you do for me and Elder G.  

Love,

Elder Laubaugh 

November 15, 2012

Hey all!! How is everyone doing??  I have to say I had a good week.  With all our sickness going on, it was nice to finally get a good week in.  We have people to teach, but just not as many as we used too.  Yeah we still are getting on track, but it just feels better.  I have to say that I still don´t know why I got sick, I don´t know why my comp got sick, I still have no clue why everything went wrong during those weeks, but what I do know is that the Lord is still with me.  I know that he still cares, that he is wanting the best for me.  I know that he wants me to find the answers to these things, he wants me to really search. He just can´t give it to me, I gotta do some work.

I have to clarify some things.  Today I got a letter from Mom, she was wanting to know what type of "hard" is this?  Emotional, expectation, or what?  I have to say all of it.  During this time when all of this was going on, I didn´t know what to do.  That was the hardest part.  During the first part of my mission I went through this same type of deal, when I didn´t know what to say or do.  But I had my trainer, I had people to help me get through those times, and I learned a ton by that.  Time goes by, I learn more, gain more knowledge of this gospel, things started to get easier, the language, the teaching...  When both our sicknesses hit, I didn´t know what to do.  That scared me, I didn´t know who to turn to or what to say.  My friend is in the hospital, I´m sick, our area is going down the drain and I am here... alone, with my mission leader trying to do everything at once.  Of course it is impossible to do it all at once.  Visit my comp, go to a lesson and all that.  It was hard on me, on my mind, my body, everything.  Soooo when I was saying it was hard, that is what I was saying.  I didn´t know what to do, I turned to my Lord and that´s all I could do.  My president couldn´t do a lot and others as well, they just watched me do it all, but I have to say I have learned a lot from this. I started to learn a lot more in my scripture reading and my prayers.  I have always turned to those 2 things when I am in my hour of need, and always, I have gotten my answers.  This past week I have been finishing up the chapters of Alma, good ol war chapters and things just started to make more sense.  I have to say, my studies have meant more to me. Also I have to say my man Capt. Moroni, Alma, Helaman have really been helping me through this.  This isn´t my time, this isn´t the time of Elder Laubaugh, but this is the time of the Lord.  I have learned that these things too shall pass, I won´t be stuck in this time for all eternity, that there will be an end, that I will learn from this.  I had really been in the moment latey and it´s been bringing me down, that ohhh nooo this is going to last forever, but it´s not, it will take some time yes, but it too shall pass.  That has helped me out a ton with this little problem right now.  We are both doing better, we are learning a ton.  Our bodies are getting better and stronger, I´m working out a little more and getting better. 

Well on to some fun things that have happened to me in the past week.  Well we have been helping a MA with a new house, we have been doing some service for him.  One of the members is moving out and is letting him and his fam live there for free.  So we ask if we can help.  He said sure and off we go.  Welllll what we didn´t know is that this house is bad... It´s not ohhh a little messy, it´s realllly messy.  Lets just say this fam is a fam of hourders.  They keep everything!!! It smelled sooo bad like something died.  So of course we get down and dirty.  I´m cleaning the shelves and finding weird things and old food and mold and all this grossness, but i have to say, now that house is alright, still needs a lot of work, but it´s better.  So yeah, it was a good day. 

Well on to some food things.  So in Madrid, I ate a lot of different things, as you all know. Up here not as much, a lot of octopus, pig, that stuff.  Well Naty and her fam love us... they feed us all the time. Well Flor cooks amazing food, yes good ol peruvian food.  mmmmm soo good! good ol papas a la juanciyna(spelling) its potatos, with this amazing sauce that I lovvveee!!! Then of course we get to have ceviche!! I loveeee ceviche!! yes raw fish that is cooked by lemon juice, yes it might be gross to you all but it is so good.  We had sooo much of that the other day!! AHHHHHH I miss Madrid!! I used to have that a lot.  Did you know that each country has ceviche, just made differently, I didn´t know that till a couple of weeks ago, pretty cool. 

But yeah it´s been good, still truckin along, but the Lord has really been helping me out for the past couple of days, well this past week.  Thank you all for your love, for you letters.  I love them! Family, I love you so much, keep on being great!! I love you!!

 

Love,

Elder Alex Laubaugh of Spain 

November 7, 2012

Hello alll!!! First off all, I need to thank you all for the birthday wishes!! thank you!!!! I loved my gifts as well!! My birthday was good! I didn´t tell a whole lot of people, but many knew about it(thank you Elder G), but yeah it was super cool.  The Stephensons(couple missionaries)  made me a cake with cream cheese frosting(my fave) it was soooo goood!!!  Then after we go to a members home and they made Empenadas also, another fave of mine.  They didn´t even know it was my bday, but they still made the best ones I´ve had! hahaha.  After we went to play practice, Yes I am in a play in the church, it´s about the Plan of Salvation. Everyone made me cards and got me a little gift.  It was cute and it really meant a lot.  After we went to another members house to eat.  My special dinner was Pulpo or octopus.  That was super good, well yeah I guess it was super good, it was rubbery but the taste was right.  They got me all these cookies, and chuches, and all that good stuff.  They are so cool!! They decorated their whole house with birthday stuff.  I have to say it was a good birthday.  Also I got your package last week, I opened it yesterday and I loved the gifts... Also Elder G says thank you so much, he loves it! hahaha, thank you all so much.  

We are slowly but surely getting back up to speed.  Elder G is still recuperating, but he is getting better.  I am mostly better as well. Life throws you some curveballs here and there. I do my best to keep on a smile.  I gotta keep happy.  I can´t get sad and be like wo is me, my life is so hard, well it is, but it´s just time to suck it up.  I´m on a mission, things pass.  I have learned so much so far, in a short 10 or so months. It´s my life right now, I have to learn from these things.  Elder G and I had a really great moment on sunday.  We just talked a bunch just about all of this stuff, we just feel bad, we haven´t been able to do more lately.  If you really look at it, yeah good we had a baptism but after the sickness and all that, it just has been hard.  The Lord knows, and President knows and thats all that matters. It was hard because well I felt I was being judged by others... Ohh he hasn´t been working or anything, but after that talk and after some other little things said and written to me, i forgot about that, it doesn´t matter what people think, I just have to put it all out, do it for me, and that is good enough for the Lord.  That has helped me out a lot, knowing that my Lord is there for me.  That is a big part of my testimony that I didn´t get to finish the other week.  That he knows us so well.  He is there for me every step of the way, guiding us, yes there are times that we need to take that step of faith, but that´s when we learn and grow the most.  Yes I have to say, during those times of adversity and all that, it was hard, but I had to rely on him, really trust in him... I have to say I made it through, it´s not over but I´m making it.   

I love you all so much, you know that right? I hope you do.  I love you all so much and you make me so happy.  Thank you for everything, for your love, support, and your testimony in this gospel.  Thank you.  

Like I said, life is hard, and I´m ready to Fight in the Shade any day.  ;)

I have to say that I have eaten some different things lately, I have had some good lil experiences putting down food.  Like I had a tortilla thing, i forget the name but it was filled with olives and all that, which is fine, then just huge chunks of big skin and fat! What the freak! haha, then some pig things here and there, then some big pieces of pig skin and that, I´m gettin used to it ;) hahah Ihope! haha I love you!

I love you all!!! 

Love,

Elder Alex Lobo