URUGUAY! (First area: Bella Italia)

My charger works and all is well here in Uruguay. I have a new mission home address (don`t worry my other mail will still get to me but here is the new address):

Elder Jeremy Gardner
Misiòn Uruguay Montevideo
Dalmiro Costa 4635 Bis.
C. P. 11400 Montevideo
Uruguay

We didn`t get to go through the the temple here yet. I arrived safely in Uruguay and am currently serving in the Bella Italia area (part of Montevideo in the northeast section). Our time in the mission home was short but great. We ate, met President and Hermana Da Silva and met our trainers. My trainer is Elder Jimenez from Panama. He doesn`t speak much English and is a triple degree black belt in kung fu. He is a great missionary and a great example. He has had a rough time before the mission. He is the only member from his entire family and doesn`t have the support of his family (they don`t even write him). It would be really good for him if you mailed him a letter or package or e-mail or something so he has something to read. He doesn`t speak much English, but he understands a lot of what he reads and I can tranlate what he doesn`t understand. He really is a great and hard working missionary and could use the support of you if you can do that for him.

We were placed in a difficult situation here in the Bella Italia area... We are in a white wash (an area where President removed both missionaries and wants to start anew with 2 new missionaries) and neither of us knew the area or the ward or anybody here when we arrived. It`s been difficult because our area is so big and we have been a little lost. But thanks to the amazing Ward Mission Leader here we have been able to make a lot of progress. He is an amazing man who is really dedicated to his calling and helping us here. He is practically a missionary! He works early in the morning and late at night but has the afternoons off and spends nearly every free moment he has with us visiting less active members and investigators and helping us get to know the area.

We had no investigators to work with when we arrived so we had to basically start anew (probably why there was a white wash here) and so we now have 9 investigators that we are working with and there are a lot of inactive and menos actives to work with here. The ward is big but there is a retention problem here that we are going to try and change. We are doing well and know that we are going to do very well together here and have much success.

I have learned very much this week and have spoken Spanish ever since I arrived here, so it`s weird to speak in English now because half the time I am thinking in Spanish. Thanks for all of your support and I want to let you all know that the Lord is leading and guiding this work. I have been blessed with the gift of tongues insomuch that I can nearly understand everything that my companion and all the other people here say. I know that this church is true and that miracles do happen. Every day I see countless miracles in my life! I feel the spirit very strongly every day here and love the life of a missionary.

Our house is small and clean NOW... It was pretty dirty when we arrived, but we cleaned it up and it is now a house of order. We have to wash our own clothes by hand here and pray that it doesn`t rain when we hang them out to dry. We also have a pet chicken named Shakira. She lays eggs for us and we don`t know what to do with her because we aren`t supposed to have pets as missionaries, but she was there when we arrived and the people who gave us the key to the house told us to keep her and eat the eggs if she lays any.

I love you all and hope that all goes well. You are in my prayers and I have faith and strength knowing that there are many doing the same for me. With faith, anything is possible in the Lord.

Gracias, hasta luego.

Elder Gardner

P.S. Elder Jimenez wants to say something to you mom and dad:

Es un verdadero privilegio poder ser el compañero del Elder Gardner. Yo espero que ustedes confian en mi en que podre ayudarle en todo lo que necesitan.
Elder Jimenez