Hello week something email something email yes (Week 32 - 8 months!)

So this week was super duper tough for me. This week was super duper hot and on Friday afternoon it was like 105 degrees and we were walking to lunch and I got so much freaking sweat in my eyes and was trying to wipe it out with my shirt and wasn't looking where I was walking and I stepped off the curb and rolled my ankle super bad hahaah like it was the wimpiest thing ever and Elder Thompson just laughed soo hard at me. I felt so stupid and just tried walking it off but after we ate lunch it just freaking swelled up SO bad bahahah and I was super nervous it might be broken so we went to the doc and I was saying a ton of prayers while the doctor was looking at the X-rays and when he came back in the room I was sooo relieved when he said April Fools day suckers hahahaha. Got ya!

But if I were actually being real this week was pretty hot hahah. We worked like some pack mules teaching some lost sheep of the Lord and it was a super satisfying week. On Friday I started a little Fast to know how we can help José. I really was just having a super hard time with him because every time I just am so over his crap the Spirit is like "dude just hold on a little longer” so I always just keep the trust. After I started the Fast we went and visited him and I felt like I needed to just ask him "alright you old fart what are you really feeling about the Church and our visits and all this goodness because we really love you and are here to help you and will do whatever you are needed” and he kind of just looked back at me and was like "dude to be honest with you like i just don't really feel like I wanna change my life right now like I'm just gonna keep waiting for God to come and pull me out of the sadness I'm in", and the second before I started telling him the same old thing like "we need to act if we want blessings” the Spirit just came to me and was like “it's time to let him go, you planted a seed with him” and I like got all emotional and teary and it was super hard for me to actually cut him for real. Like I was kind of fighting with the Spirit and just talking and telling Him I'd do whatever it takes to help José and then I just had the feeling like it would be all okay if i just trusted in the promptings I was getting so we ended up cutting José loose. It actually like kind of made me pretty bummed. I was thinking about the moment after and I was like, today I started a Fast thinking about our grump-ball José and what we could do to help him, and the complete opposite thing of what I thought would happen happened. It kind of just showed us that it's not up to us to decide God's timing for people and I have no ounce of doubt in my body that one day José will come around again. It's just sometimes hard to accept God's will sometimes but something I've learned is that it always ends up alright if we do so, even when we don't know why we have to do so. Never thought I'd miss someone complaining so much hahah but I do.

On Thursday night we had a super epic family night with Tiago and Vanderline's family and Vanderline's child who likes to cuss and Tiago's little wingnut of a child just loved each other I've never seen 2 groms bond so quickly. But we talked about Eternal Families and it was a bummer that Tiago's wife was working so we weren't able to have her there but during the Family Night the Spirit was just pile driving Tiago and I could tell he really was realizing how real these things are. That he can actually have his family forever, which is actually so rad. I don’t know if you guys have ever really stopped to think about that because every Mormon talks about eternal marriage is the goal and all that cheese, shoot sorry... I meant every member of the Church of Jesus Christ, not Mormon hahah I don't even know what Mormons are... but really it is something so profound. No matter what happens on this earth, if we lose a mother or a loved one we literally will see them again. Like how we saw them before they passed away. We'll be able to touch their hair and hug them and help them put socks on or something random like that. Like these things are real. These things are true. Watching other people become truly converted to these things is really converting me. It's helping me think deeper and realize the simple beauty in the Church of Jesus Christ. I love this gospel so much and I know that God loved us so much He gave us a way to have eternal happiness. Freaking happiness FOREVER with those we love… we must just think about that for a second. It's incredible. 

So I like really didn't wanna share this with you guys but I feel like I should so were just going peanuts to the wall again haha. Recently I've been having some really profound doubts and difficulties that run through my head that have made it really hard to continue every day being a missionary. The thing that has gotten me through every difficult moment is, and I'm not even kidding, a simple testimony. A simple knowledge that my Heavenly Father loves me, that Jesus loves me and knows what I'm feeling, and that His Church is restored here on this earth. I cannot explain to you guys the gravity and the relativity that this simple testimony had in keeping me on the right path. As I passed through some of the most profound difficulties in my life over the last 2 months the thing that kept me going was a simple testimony. It wasn't knowing every freaking scripture reference and using big cool words to talk about the gospel that got me up every day, it was the simple testimony I have about the true love that my Heavenly Father and My Beloved Brother have for me. I know that They love you, you, you, you, you with everything that I have. I know the love that They have for you is infinite, that it is perfect, that it is deeper than anything you've ever felt. I challenge you to gain a true and lasting simple testimony, and continue to fortify and strengthen it every day through talking to God. A simple testimony really is the hidden gem that everyone looks over. I am a living testimony that the simplicity is what's up. This week when you listen to General Conference I want you to focus on the Apostles' and the Prophet's testimonies, and notice the simplicity of their words.

I don't know how to end this email so I'm gonna end it now. 

Elder Tom Tom didn't like his study chair so he upgraded to a plastic supermarket chair, but we had to walk 30 minutes back home with the chair. Here is a photo haha.

After we told José we won't be visiting him anymore I wanted a picture so we went back and I got a picture.

Service!