30 August 2009--1 year baby!!

Well put me down for 1 year in the mission!!! OHHHH YEAHHHH!! Crazy its already been a whole year huh. I’ve reached the peak, and I’m headed downhill now. I still remember the day that you guys took me to the MTC going out to eat at the BYU
creamery, and then picking up the kids from school to take me over. Man I was so nervous that morning. I really can’t believe that was over a year ago now. Time flies when your having fun!! Sounds like things are going great at home. Everyone is back at school and as busy as ever. Its always good to hear. Steph and Andrew are working some crazy hours at seven peaks. Hope you guys still have time to do your homework and everything, and even more importantly the sports! Ha ha. So how are things going with swimming? You guys should be starting workouts soon I think. Are you still running Andrew? If not you better be swimming hard buddy, its all good I love them both. I’m getting some pretty good runs in every morning, I’m up to about 2.25 miles a day, and I’m going to work it up to 5k each day in these next couple weeks. So sounds like Allison is back from Tonopah. That must have been an awesome summer. So I guess she is back at BYU doing the studies again. It sounds like school is going good for you too Mom, and Dads job sounds pretty interesting also. How are things going with Jen and her last year in Junior High. Just really interested in everthing that’s going on back home. Oh and the yard is really sounding beautiful, I am really excited to see the whole house when it is done.
So everything is going awesome down here in the mission. It was a pretty busy week with getting all of the changes in so we could make the missionary payments. We have 188 missionaries in this mission, and it is our responsibility to make sure that they have there money the first day of the month or there are a lot of angry missionaries. So that was our main responsibility this week trying to figure out how much each missionary was going to receive with travel, personal, laundry, and everything else included. It turns out to be a pretty big job. So we got everything ready Wednesday so we could hit the button Thursday and pay the missionaries. Lets just say that is the biggest payment that I have ever made in my life, but hey, it was awesome!! We also had a zone leader conference where I gave a little training on reconciliations for their funds and everything. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty nervous, but everything really went well.
This week we had a lot more time to get out and teach too. We have the familia Negron, who are progressing really well. The best one is Johan though. He is going to be baptized the 5th of September, and he is so excited for it. He has prayed and felt the spirit so strong, and is just loving being in the church. We are working hard with his mom and brother, and we are going to be challenging his brother for the 5th also. We also have Leslie that was baptized last Saturday, and I’m pretty sure it was the most spiritual baptismal service I have been in. When Leslie got up to give her testimony she started to cry, and was so grateful to have made this decision and have the church in her life. She even said that she wants her mom to get baptized too, and then after her mom got up and gave her a big hug. It was amazing. We are working so hard with her mom, she really has had answers to her prayers and seen miracles happen. The problem is her whole family are strong Catholics and her Grandpa is dying, and she is worried about offending everyone and having problems there. We are continuing to animate her though, and she is going to be baptized, the question is when though. As we put our faith and prayers together she will be baptized sooner than later. So we are really having a lot of success with finding great investigators too, and the members are really helping a ton. I think that is what is going to help the hna Rosillo more than anything else.
Well it has really been a great week, and a great year. Thanks for everyones prayers and letters, you don’t know how much I appreciate them I love you all, and am praying for you always. Thanks for everything!!
Love,
Elder Lee
The pictures are the temple, Leslies baptism, and the 1 year celebration with my companions E’ Myler and E’ Ranilla

23 August 2009--!Hola, Como estan!

Well another week has come and gone, and I really can’t believe how fast it went. This week was absolutely crazy! We had changes so we had 21 missionaries leaving for their houses, and then another 11 coming in. I had to collect all of the missionaries that are going home emergency funds, and credit cards, and it was a big job with the 21 of them. We had everyone sleeping in our house to so it was like complete chaos. So this week was some late nights, and early mornings to send off, and receive the new missionaries. I went to the airport to send them, and you won’t believe who I ran into there. Elder Garcia! My companion from the CCM! He was the financial secretary in the Lima South mission, and they were there to send missionaries home too. It was awesome, and so good to see him again. He is from Lima, and is just a great kid. It sounds like all of the missionaries in my group that are in Lima South are doing great too. I just couldn’t have been happier to see him there and to hear how this last year has gone. Crazy its already been a year huh.
So after sending them all home the next day we had the 11 new missionaries come in. I gave a training on the money that they will be receiving, and how important and sacred it is. They seem like a really good group. I was looking at the missionaries that are coming in for next month, and we have one from Tooele. I don’t know if you guys remember Mike Taylor, but he is a kid that I ran track with for one year. He’s coming in next change! Its going to be interesting seeing him again. So this week has been crazy, and it looks like the next week is going to be the same with having to pay all the missionaries and everything, but I’ll survive. I’m loving the calling.
We have some awesome investigators progressing too. One of our investigators, Leslie, is going to be baptized today, and then her mom in another two weeks. We figure that seeing her daughter get baptized is going to help her mom feel more excited for her baptism. Sometimes people think they need a ton of preparation, and all of the knowledge in the world. More than anything we have to help them gain a testimony, and have them realize and feel the promptings of the spirit. We also have the familia Negran The son Johan was a reference, and he is just an amazing investigator. He had problems with drinking before, but he has really repented, and really wants to turn his life around. He has such a strong testimony already, and it just gets stronger everyday with him reading the Book of Mormon, and its awesome because he really understands and analyzes everything It was crazy when he started asking about the Urim and Thumim, and José Smith used it to translate the Book Of Mormon. He is just awesome, and is going to be baptized the 5th of September. We are also working hard with his mom and his brother who are really awesome, we just need them to come to church, and recognize the spirit in their prayers. They are awesome though, and hopefully will be baptized with Johan the same day.
So we have a good hard week ahead of us, but its going to be awesome. Its so awesome here in La Molina. Our office is like one block from the temple, and our house a few blocks more. Its so beautiful, I really just love the area. Its different than any other area I’ve been in. A lot of people have their own cars, and have money. It definitely is one of the richer areas in Lima. There are still tons of people willing to listen to our message though, and its just a great area. Everyone know “Los Mormones” for the temple. Its pretty cool, and I’m really loving it.
Crazy school has already started again. I remember a year ago when I was with you guys those first days you started school. This year has just flown by. I’m sure starting this year will be a lot easier for everyone now that you’ve been their for a while, and its great to hear you have such a good class mom. Keep having fun, and working hard, and know that I’m always praying for you all. Hope everything is going well with work Dad, and I can’t wait to get those pictures of the family. Tell Karen, Nate, Lizzie, and Tyler hi for me, and everyone else around there. Thanks for everything, and thanks for always praying for me. Talk to you next week!! Chow!!
Elder Lee