It's Getting Cold in Uruguay!

Below is the letter from Ben this week. I would also like to encourage you to go to Because of Him, a 2 minute video posted by our church for Easter. It is amazing and I know Ben would love to see it, if he could. Enjoy the video and his letter!

Well,

It's cold here all of a sudden. I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden everything just got cold! I can see my breath almost all day from when I wake up to when I go to sleep. We'll break out the space heater when it's more necessary, including in the house. 

It's pretty funny actually. In the summer I was dying of heat. We had like two weeks that were comfortable, then bam. Cold. I broke out the quilt that mom made me and the two other blankets I received from the mission when I arrived. Now when we shower in the morning the entire house fills up with steam. 

I have been thinking of how blessed I was to have a house with heating, carpet, and a clothes dryer. With this cold weather, it is almost impossible to dry our clothes. Elder Aguilera and I put our clothes outside when it's not raining (and its raining a lot more now) and then bring them back in as soon as possible. 

We had a good week, but the rain and cold wind yesterday destroyed our church attendance. Remember, everyone walks 30 min more or less to get to church and almost no one has a car and few have motorcycles. We had two people who had dates to get baptized this next Sunday but didn't come to church this week, along with half of the congregation. We'll just keep working with them and try even harder to make sure they'll attend church.

Yesterday we had a birthday with Familia De Maria. They are our recent converts from a few weeks ago. Yesterday was the birthday of Edgardo and they invited us over for lunch to celebrate. We don't have much to give as a gift as missionaries, so we made a packet. 

It had an autographed tie, a tie tack of one of the sons of Helaman soldier with an explanation to the story, a For the Strength of Youth, some photos, and some American candies. 

Edgardo reading about Helaman--and enjoying his presents from us

It was an awesome time! They are still following firm in the gospel; and we're planning on teaching the brother of Ana Laura. 

We ate Asado. Elder Aguilera, Edgardo (Bday boy) and Ana Laura (la mama)

Birthday party of Edgardo--behind me is his grandma (Olga) and brother (Mateo)

What I Learned This Week!!!:  

• As a companionship I really felt that we have grown in our teaching.
•  Something that I have really struggled with since the beginning of my mission has been simply opening my mouth. I've always been a quite person and always struggled to open up to people I wasn't already very close with. Then in another language that I've only spoken for 5 months, it makes it even worse--at least that has been my excuse for staying so quiet. 
• We're very different personality-wise, me and my companion. This is a good thing, in my opinion. He is, in his own palabras (words), "Bien Chileno," (he is from Chile and like many from this country, has a very outgoing personality, according to previous letters from Ben). He loves to talk to everyone and just has this natural gift of befriending everyone. 
• This week he decided to help me more with this; and put my talking as one of our companionship goals. 
• To have this small constant push to keep talking in the charlas, with members and with our investigators, I really feel like I am starting to develop a relationship with them. They trust me more and I'm actually participating a lot more in the charlas, instead of just testifying of the teachings of my companion.

Anyways, that's what I learned this week. Recently, the idea of my companion being transferred out of this area has really stressed me out; before I had any relationship with the people. Now, I am still a little nervous as to how I would react, but now I feel better and am planning on continuing this throughout the rest of my mission.

List of things to send next time, no rush.

Things that are big it might just be easier to buy here, like thermal socks and stuff like that.

I would like one of those pink gel things that we bought in Utah where you flex the metal chip and it makes heat.

A couple thumb drives to save pictures

Other than that, I think I'm good

Love you guys,

I hope everything goes well at home, Don't worry about me being cold. I know you are going to. I prefer it to the hot. At least for now... haha!

Your Son,

Élder Benjamin Taylor