Week #7 Having Joy in the Work!

Hey guys wow what a week it has been. I have so much to talk about that I am just going to dive in. Get ready. This week has been a roller coaster(in more ways than one). Ready? Let's go. 

Answers to Moms questions

1. I got the adapter. It works great. Thanks for sending it as well as the pictures. You have no idea how much they mean to me. Hey so I cannot find the charger for my Bose speaker. I never took it out after I left the CCM because it was in my suitcase the whole time. Did I leave it at home?

2. I have not got a package yet. But I am sure I will get it soon. Mail comes on Monday so I will email you next week if it comes

3. My area is called Javiera Carrera A. Maybe Kaitlyn and Brett know where that is. It is in the south part of my mission. Compared to other areas based on niceness, it is in between. It is a wonderful are and each day I gain more of a love for it. 

4. There is another companionship in my apartment with me and my companion. We have a lot of good times and I have learned a lot from all of them

5. I have lunch at members houses every day. The food here is absolutely fantastic and meeting the members is a great way for me to practice and learn more Spanish. We have a ward so there are a lot of members willing to feed us. And they give us TONS of food. 

6. Yes I am doing my own laundry. Our apartment has a washer and dryer which I am so grateful for. It is actually not that bad. 

7. Sometimes I am cold in the field and in the mornings but when I am sleeping, not once yet. It is a great blessing from the Lord

This week has been one of the longest, hardest weeks of my life. I have experienced a whole bunch of things. Homesickness(probably the most out of all of these), exhaustion, hunger, etc. I will admit there were times I wanted to call it quits and go home. During the CCM, I felt like I was fine being without Mom, Dad, and the rest of the family but when I entered the field, it hit me like a train. Sometimes I wondered if I was ever going to go home. People told me before the mission that the time would fly by but to my frustration, it felt like it wasn't.

But...

OK so I probably said this in one of my emails from the CCM but this week has given me the most growth and change in my life. My love for the children of God has increased. My personal conversion and faith soared. My appreciation for the blessings God has given me(including an eternal family) grew. This week taught me a lot about the phrase in Ether that says you receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. This week has definitely proved that to me.

Ok now that I got that of my chest, here is some of the good that happened this week. 

1. Piano: I am so grateful Mom forced me to stick with piano. This Sunday I realized how much foresight and wisdom my Mom had to make me continue to practice. My ward has not had a pianist in years. And through my service I was able to fill that void. They pick the hymns, unfortunately, but I am actually glad for it in a way because it improves my sight-reading and I am going to learn the hymns a lot quicker

2. Catalina: Catalina is my first investigator to accept the baptismal invitation. She is 14 years old and has a big heart. Her acceptance was a big help for me because I was the one who extended the invitation because I received the prompting too and she accepted. It was awesome!

3. Miracle with English: I had a best two years moment this week. Spanish is rough. I cannot understand the natives but in time it will come. Anyway we actually met someone who did not speak Spanish so I had to teach her alone in English. I testified simply that God loves her even when she felt like he did not. Apparently it touched her because right after I finished, she asked for the address of our church. We have not sen her since so hopefully it goes well in the future.

Love you guys. Know that I love reading all of your emails even when I do not respond. Thanks for all the love and prayers. I feel them everyday. The mission has helped me realize how much more you all mean to me

Love you guys 

Elder Evans

This morning I got to go to the temple. It gave me so much strength. I am so blessed to have the temple in my mission

Me and my trainer Elder Nava. Love that guy 

 This is my study area. I have had a lot of spiritual experiences here already and it has only been one week.

This is my bed. It is a little cramped but I have gotten used to it. 

I am back to the good old days sleeping in the top bunk!