Elder Vanderlinden - Uruguay Montevideo Mission

Me and my companion

Where I spend my free time

Hello!

This week has been super busy, and it has been full of tons of awesome experiences. First, was that I had the opportunity to bear my testimony in church this Sunday. I had written down most of what I was going to say, so that I could practice it. When I speak Spanish, I am normally translating what I want to say in English, into Spanish. However, while I was bearing my testimony...I didn't. While I was talking I came to the realization that I was speaking Spanish, without translating it from English. I finished my testimony, and never even had to look at what I had written down...the gift of tongues is real! However..I think the gift only works with gospel related topics, because if someone asks me a question that isn't about the gospel...it sounds like they are speaking Chinese. Haha

So here in Uruguay, the activity rate for members of the church is 10 percent....that is because a long time ago, the rules for baptism were not strict at all. Missionaries were baptizing hundreds of little kids, and now those kids are adults...and they don't go to church. Because of this, the rules for Baptism are super strict, and Uruguay is the hardest mission to get baptisms in, in South America. My companion and I have been super blessed so far, and we have 3 baptisms lined up for the next three weeks. We have the highest baptismal goal in the whole mission...so we have been working super hard. I will describe the investigators more, after their baptisms. That being said, I have my first baptism this Saturday! 

Also, I thought I would share a funny story from this week.So my companion and I were having lunch with a less active member, and the lunch was fantastic. The food was the best that I have had so far. As we were finishing, she said she had some cookies for us. The word for this is "Galletitas". Then, she proceeded to bring out something that looked like a large loaf of bread. I grabbed a piece, expecting it to be sweet, and sugary....but no....it was bread. It was just normal bread. What an outrage. Haha. Then, the next night, we were at a members house, and she asked if we wanted cookies. We said yes, of course, and then she brought out a plate of crackers....plain crackers......Haha, The people of Uruguay throw around the word "Galletitas" like its nothing. Obviously they don't know what a cookie is. It is a disgrace. Haha

Love you all,

Elder Vanderlinden

"If you truly love life, don't waste time; because time....is what life is made of"

-Bruce Lee