I always forget the general mail! =D‏

I´ve been thinking a lot lately... about the law of Moses and then the higher law. I always wondered why the people weren´t ready in Moses time but I´ve come to realize that many people aren´t even close to ready in our own time. I thought about how we prepare people to be baptized like Christ was baptized, in the only true church on the face of the earth. And that comes BEFORE going to the temple. The people have to be able to receive the lower law and be prepared to live the higher law. Sadly, many people aren´t even closed to prepared to receive the lower law. I´ve come to realize as I´ve thought about it why it is so important that we teach simply. Why we don´t overteach.. we want them to accept the simple laws before they receive the harder to understand and live laws. That is why it is so important that they also feel the gospel, hear the music, before they learn all the dance steps.. because we all fail and we need to be able to see the purpose, the bigger picture so that we´re willing to get up and try again. I´m grateful for this time I have to serve the Lord fully, but I know it is only a lower law, to prepare me to work even harder and apply what I learn here afterwards. There´s a talk that explains about how to apply the sacrifice of your mission. Like with the passover, where they kill the firstborn lamb and put the blood on their doors, it doesn´t serve for anything if they never APPLY the blood. We have to apply the sacrifices we make, and LEARN from them. Look for the small changes in your life that you can make, the ways you can apply what you have learned in order to improve your relationship with your Heavenly Father. I love you all so much! thanks for everything! 

Elder Lohberg

Mom: Hey -

Dad says that your on - how's your week been?

Aaron: super good. Mom.. today we were playing soccer as almost all the zone.. and I think i ripped my toenail off.. also i slammed by finger in a window and cut it haha. I´m not sure about the toenail.. it was pretty long so that it wouldn´t get ingrown.. then to play soccer I put cotton on the sides so it wouldn´t drive into the toe.. I stopped super fast playing and I heard a pop and a TON of pain in my toenail.. we looked at it an elder and I.. their was a little blood in the cotton and it has like air.. under the nail. When i flatten my toe the air pops under the nail, is it going to fall off? It still hurts.. but i kept playing=D

Mom: Yeah its probably going to fall off. Don't pull it off! keep it taped or something. If you rip it off you'll cause damage to the nail bed. Glad you are playing soccer again. Its been a while since you have gotten to do fun things.

Aaron: Yeah, we asked permission.. now President put a new rule in, if the zone makes the goal next month we can do an activity.. if our companionship has 20 investigators progressing we can go outside the zone in our companionship on pday 1 time a month.. and in september if the district makes the goal they can do an activity.. not to shabby! 

Fetch it hurts like crazy lol. 

Mom: k - what I'm reading:

Take advil (ibprophen) and put neosporin under the lifted nail - DO NOT RIP IT OFF - then put a bandage or tape over it to keep the nail from being ripped off.  Repeat as needed - the pain should ease in the next day or so - the advil will help dull it.  The nail should fall off in a week or so - and then take a few months to grow back in - YOU will need to watch so that as the new nail grows in it doesn't get ingrown 

Aaron: I dont have neosporin, but I have rubbing alcohol? or maybe i do in the my suitcase??? idk.. if not i can loko for it. 

Mom: i bought you neosporin before you left - did you use it all?

Aaron: Nope! didnt even know i had it.. i´ll look and use it=D Probably made a bad choice, when I saw that i had hurt my toe, i did look at it right, and it had broken a bit too, so i trimmed it back

Mom: you should have it in the bag I sent you - if not - peroxide would work - alcohol I guess - but peroxide would be better than alcohol - both will sting like crazy - so look in your bag first for the neosporin - I know I sent you some along with cortizone (which is itch relief for rashes etc)

Aaron: OHH YAHHHH!!! I remember now=D so what, i lift the nail up and put it under???

Cas juice

Mom: trimming it back wont hurt it - that should help you not to accidentally rip it out all together - it should fall out naturally instead so you don't further damage the nailbed

yes - just gently lift it up then squirt that stuff under (it's gel like) and then when you tape (or bandage) it - try to push the nail bed down slightly so it's not super lifted up

Aaron: okay! 

Mom: do you like Cas?  I tried to buy some here to try it but can't - I read that it's part of the guava family of fruit and that it was amazing! I like guava so I'd probably like it too.  I LOVE tres Leches cake!! That is a fav of mine :) yum!!

fell again...different pair of pants with a hole in them : (

Aaron: Holy crap. Cas is the best fruit in the world.. Apparently lots of Gringos try and smuggle it into the states when they go home from the mish but the police stop and take it, you cant get it through customs. 

Mom: sorry about your pants :(  How's your knee?

Aaron: better me extraña

Mom: well you can buy it in Canada - so I was thinking next time we go there I'm gunna search it out and try it!! Plus I think you can get it in NY, LA and FL and even TX but just not everywhere in the US is the problem - I want to try it though!! I want to go to Costa Rica and see what you are seeing!

Aaron: TRANQUILA TRANQUILA we´ll go later like.. months after i get home and check it out... but we´re not going to visit in the rainy season lol

Mom: so what are the best times to visit ? when is the least rainy season time frame?

Aaron: Costa Rica would be good in December depending when.. December is when the summer begins.. and it´s more cool but sunny

 I gotta go now mom!!! I Love you so much thank you for everything! Tell dad I love him too

Changes?‏

Nope! Still here haha. An elder passed away this week so we went to his memorial service yesterday, pretty sad but I didnt know him very well. But the Spirit was super strong when President Hayes was talking. We rushed and got some areas in our zone to bring flowers.. we called them an hour before and they were robbing flowers from trees and then Elder Parker used them to make a lei for the mom. Some areas in our zone had changes, they closed the sisters area in our ward.. so we´ll have to work there, it´ll be a little tricky but di, vamos a ver que pasa. Then lots of areas are being opened in other zones.. lots of sisters are training and opening areas. Elder Escarcega and I get along well. We´ve been reactivating some members, and we´ve seen some good results.. we´ve gotten rid of all our pridefulness.. and now we´re finally seeing the fruit of our labors! One of our less actives asked me a really good question yesterday, they went to church 2 weeks ago, and then this last one he didn´t go. They hadn´t gone in a long time because they´re constructing apartments above his house so that they can rent them and make more money.. he works long hours everyday except Sunday, Sunday is the only day he cant work on his apartments. So he asked... ¨Why is it that we get blessed with the money we need to work on our apartments and buy the materials?¨ Ït´s like God is giving us blessings and we need to use them¨ I told him.. I guess that depends on what type of blessings you´re looking for in your life. Are you looking for the blessings that matter most or the ones that come and go with this life? And he sat and thought for a long time. I think we´re making good progress. I really like the talk ¨Of Things that Matter Most¨, by Elder Uchtdorf. I encourage you all to look it up and watch it. Think of your life and what things really matter most. 

Love, 

Elder Lohberg

Ma made us Tres Leches for changes :)

Mom: Well Hello there :)

So your ward now has 2 sets of missionaries instead of 3 - I figured they will have to do some readjusting in the mission as they get settled into having 2 missions.  From what has been posted on the Facebook page- a LOT of sister missionaries are being called out to Costa Rica - so should be a flood of them coming out shortly - I think they were all entering into the MTC this month.

I love that talk by Elder Uchtdorf as well - great talk!! Great response to his question.  I think we can be blessed by the adversary as well - as he can "bless" us with worldly things - tricking us at times to think that we are being blessed by Heavenly Father.  Obviously Heavenly Father does bless us and at times it is in "worldly things" but usually those "worldly blessings" will help us to further his work - and come as we are doing our part.

Did the whole mission get together for the funeral or just some? did West mission come out for it as well or only East?

"my comp felt fat so I ate 3 thirds of it haha" **mom note 3 thirds? haha!

Aaron: I talked about that too. Just our half.. those that wanted to go. Yeahh.. I want to train again.. I liked training and I want to open an area.. Zone leader is a lot of work haha.. like.. paperwork/planning/phonecalls/texts.. I don´t like that haha but oh wells keep swimming! it´s cool that i can talk to Parker and Toledo, they both had changes, basically they just swapped spots.

Mom: I'm sure if you said something to president in interviews at some point that you wanted to train he would take that in consideration :)

You never know I guess :)

I can imagine the "paperwork" stuff is a nightmare to keep up on.  I didn't think you'd have changes - you'd said last week that President had mentioned you'd be staying - so figured you would be the same.  

How are things coming along with M? anything happening there with her?

Gizzard: "the fight was real...I had to cut it SUPER small bites"

Aaron: Maybe.. they´re looking for lots of zone leaders.. also I don't want to change the Lord´s will.. idk..  Nah.. they still don't want to change

Mom: question - I was re-reading your email - so the guy works long hours and Sunday is the only day he CAN work on his apartments? or CANT work on them?  I was sort of confused - just trying to fully understand his question.  So he was saying - I work long hours to get $$ so I can build the apartments (on my day off - Sunday?) so we can make $$? or ?

Aaron: it´s the only day he can. He doesn´t make much money.. but it´s his time.. he only has time on Sunday and he wants money too... because he can rent them to supplement his cruddy construction job. 

Mom: ok - I understand then - he can only work on the apartments on Sundays - so he doesn't come to church because of that. "Sunday is the only day he cant work on his apartments."  in the email it said "can't" so I was confused - but was thinking you meant he was working on them that day - but then re-read it and thought maybe not - then thought I should clarify :P

Aaron: oh whoops.. yeah it´s the only day he can. Typo. fetch. How´ve you been then? today i´m going to drop my shoes off and get have a guy replace the bottom part and make them tight again.. because they don't have shoelaces they are SUPER loose, like a 13 or 14 i think.. so we´ll see how we´ll he does. He told me that $20 and they´ll last me 7-8 months more at least.. not bad right? 

Mom: sounds like a good plan to me!  Yes $20 is a good deal if they will last you!  

Things are well - I stayed home from the food bank to type at you this morning - you have been emailing at 9:30 (our time) - what kept you this morning? what have you been up to today?

Aaron: We were putting the numbers in.. then we went to get pizza and then came back to write.. also handling the changes and everything.. calling and figuring out everything

Mom: so your area is super large now eh? so with the sisters leaving - did they leave you any investigators to work with?

Aaron: not very many.. all their investigators were in the area of the elders.. they were robbing them.. lol. but all the members are in their area.  but yeah the areas big.. we´re trying to figure out how we´ll handle it with the other elders 

Mom: that's tough - when I was in Chattanooga we had a HUGE ward boundary - and we would have to work "areas" based on either the day or week - because it was just so large.  So I understand that issue for sure.  You will need to rely on the Spirit to direct you so you will know where you will have the most effect.

another haircut by Aaron :)

Aaron: yeah.. i cut my hair again today.. didn't turn out quite as well. the back is always the hardest because i only have 2 shards of a mirror haha.

Mom: why don't you go buy a mirror if you plan to do this regularly?

Aaron: i might.. diay we´ll see what happens lol

Mom: you should get one you could hang on a nail or something so you can use both hands ;)

Aaron: i usually just wet my hair and spike it all up and start cutting lol.. with normal scissors.

I forgot to write a general mail!‏

Summary: I´ve found a new love again for reading the scriptures because our next President has taught us some really cool things that I´d never known, concerning the numbers 3, 7, 12, and 40 in the scriptures. I´ll explain more next week but look into it=) I remember that in Heredia I had an agenda with a page that had 39 references to the number 3 in the scriptures.. and now I know what it means!!!!!! I love you all! 

Love, 

Elder Lohberg


**we started typing back and forth BEFORE he sent off his general letter - and he forgot and had to rush one out - so it was SUPER short :)

Aaron: hey my watch broke haha

Mom: can you pick up a new one there or do you want me to send you one?  sorry your 'ultra cool' watch broke :( how are things Aaron? besides the broken watch?  How has your week gone? Tell me about interviews with Pres. Hayes - how are things with your comp?  Gators? etc :D

Aaron: yeah i´ll find one! It went well, I really love him, he´s a good man, and he´s really good and showing his love for his missionaries. We´re doing well, sometimes we fight haha but not much, he´s really like letter of the law and i´m spirit of the law when it comes to how numbers work I´m spirit of the law, but we´re getting along well haha. Our areas growing little by little, we probably wont baptize this month, we just dont have people with enough times in the church, but next month for sure! 

Mom: I'm so glad you love your new mission president.  I hope he is a blessing for you while you are there.  Haha - meanie! your poor comp :P  So were you standing next to your comp in the zone picture?  I was trying to figure out who was your comp but couldn't read the tags.

Also - did you sign the Wilkinsons flag? if so - do you sort of remember where?  there's like a billion signatures on it so I'm sure I won't be able to find you on there but still - just curious (you know me!)

Just keep swimming - work the best you can and strive to have the Spirit with you and people will change because of that Spirit you carry - baptisms will come for sure :)

When is the next transfer? You think you'll probably stay there for another transfer length?

Aaron: I signed it.. but he didnt like advertise it or anything.. i just saw it and i was like, welp yea! and signed it haha.. in the bottom right corner in the middlish i think.  next week is transfers. i´ll be staying i think, almost 100% he told me oh, you guys will keep together then! 

Mom: interesting - he told you that you'd stay together? probably because you've only been together a short bit and you're working well together then? that's good then I guess?  You ok with that?  Do you like working in your ward? 

I've been searching on the map trying to find kind of where you are located - can you give me any landmarks to look for? like stores or anything? something on one end and then the opposite end?  Where is your church located? I found two in the area I think you might be close to.

Aaron: Yeah i´m fine with that. No it´s because we´re not fighting and we´re improving a bit.. but no baptisms =(.. second month in my whole mission that i haven´t baptized, oh well!! I WILL KEEP THE FAITH=D. The ward is rough, the bishop and some people are AMAZING. Super dedicated.... I will take a picture and show you. 

Hold on. 

Mom: cool!!! thank you for sending that to me - you are further south than I had originally thought - when I type in El Carmen on google map it took me more in the zoo area - but you are south west of that area actually - I can see a place called Las Americas which is by where you said you lived - so I see now sort of your area!  Thank you for sending that to me :)

Aaron: I marked where I live, we live on the main street of El Carmen=). I really love it here.. it´s hard.. and I almost have photos of nothing.. I might carry my camera more.. I haven´t been assaulted yet, should be okay, it´s only a tiny bit dangerous here. But i want more photos.. Even though there´s not much to photograph.. maybe the people at least.

Mom: well even just getting pictures of things you see daily - daily life as it were.  I'm sure you see things that at this point are just common to you - but you are living in a really neat place - and I'm sure experiencing interesting things (even if you don't always recognize it) - take pictures of food :) memories of the wacky stuff you've had :) 

lunch :)

Aaron: if i get robbed will u be upset lol

Mom: of your camera?  I will be sad that you don't have it and will have to figure out how to get another to you - but you should take pictures for sure.  Buy some duct tape and tape the camera up so it looks old :p I'd be more worried if you got hurt than the loss of a camera - that is my only concern - your safety

oh - I just looked at the blog and see the picture of your comp from a few weeks ago - so I see him in the zone picture - he's in the middle of the group not next to you - ok - I was thinking I didn't recognize the guy next to you :)  His hair looks longer than the last picture I'd seen of him and you cut it? 

 Aaron: yeah... but he has a weird head.. the hair goes in all directions.. and latino hair is super hard to cut haha.. super hard and it doesn´t lift up.. so i had to keep lifting and cutting. 

Mom: haha! tell me about it!! SOME does lift up though and it just stands STRAIGHT up which is like - doh! now what do I do to get it to lay down!!  The hair is course and it is hard to cut for sure! how are you on time? 
Aaron: I think i´m almost out. I love you mom, I hope you had an awesome trip. I´ll start taking more photos of random things haha, just pray that we dont get robbed haha. 

Mom: ok! be safe!!!  Love you tons! Did the picture come through my gmail account of grandma and Kara & I?  If not I will send it to you next week - LOVE YOU!!!
Aaron: yeah i got it! 

Hey‏

Well, this week went well, we were able to listen to our new President, President Hayes in the leadership meeting. It went really well, he´s a very loving and intelligent man. Something I learned this week, despite the challenges and difficulties we had, is that the strongest way to the share the gospel, the most effective way, the most impacting way, is a heartfelt testimony guided by the Spirit. There is no more successful way to share the gospel than with your testimony and the Spirit. I testify that this is the Lord´s kingdom, the Church of Jesus Christ himself, that he directs it, guides it, and has reestablished it or restored it in these Latter Days, before his second coming. I know it´s true because I have felt the Spirit testify of the truthfulness of this restoration. The Church of Jesus Christ is the same as it was in old days, directed by Jesus Christ and his chosen servants, who speak to him face to face and receive the revelation we need in this crumbling society and world. I´m so thankful for the knowledge that my loving Heavenly Father has given me. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, or of being part of his church. I encourage you all to share the gospel, speak up with your friends, share your testimony. Speak what you feel, you never know what might have a lasting impact. 

Love, Elder Aaron Lohberg

San Jose Costa Rica East Mission

Hermana & President Hayes

Zone Toyopan

Aaron: hi mom‏
Dad:  I'm here!! how are things with you this week?
Mom: I'm on here too Aaron - in California :)  So does making a report for the stake president eat up your computer time? I hope not.  Tell me about your week! 

Aaron: Usually no.. but i´m trying to verify that I get the miracles from our missionaries.. because they don't listen.. 

Dad: Hey sorry my work email is not working for some reason. I sent you a few emails and didn't get anything back.

Hope this week went really well for you and your companion, we lost Elder Tempest (he went ZL) and the new elder is pretty unique (from UT, go figure) We still have Elder Knight (from Australia) and he's pretty gungho. This mission is weird though cause if the investigators aren't progressing the missionaries just drop them. Not sure if that is a mission thing or just this set of elders?

Aaron: Depends. Some elders drop tons here.. usually if they don't progress they leave them.. it just depends on the people. Sorry i was reading. I have to make a report for the stake president so i´m trying to make sure our missionaries sent us their miracles from this month.. 

Dad: its sad you have to use you personal email time to do work stuff too. Oh wells. I figured you were reading, just didn't think it was work stuff. Hope you get lots of personal emails each week to keep you in the know. We are doing good here. Its been hot and I mean Costa Rica hot. Mid 80s each day. Been too hot to get much done around the house. I get off work and its so hot I just relax by the fan. I know I'm lazy. Mowed the lawn last week and probably sweat a gallon of water off easy.

Aaron: (answering questions from my email to him) I wanted to see how it went.. and save money.. so ma gave us a razor and i cut it and then i used scissors for the part on top.  We´re okay.. our area is super hard.. we only had 1 in church this time... so we´re trying to make that better. Yeah im good with money.. i took out 100 bucks. The guy that makes the scripture cases is in our ward.. super expensive.. the basic ones are $70 for 1, like to do the Book of Mormon would be $70 and then 70 more for the bible. elder Escarcega says they do them in mexico for like a third of the cost.. lol.. better off just visiting him and elder contreras and buying them there.

Mom: well - if you LIKE what this guy does - then buy them there! That would be  better for "memories" :)  We can put more money in for you to have enough to do that if you want to.  Didn't you say he did like pictures or something on them and they are made out of leather?

Aaron: Yeah. it´s a brown leather. let me see if i can find you a picture and send it.

Dad: How are you and your new comp working out? Sounded pretty good from the last email. Did you bring a lot of families to church this Sunday? hope it didn't cost you another taxi if you did.

Aaron: We get along well.. some of our sisters told us last week that they don't feel like we care about them.. that was like.. fetch for me.. because I don't know.. i do.. but i also don´t.. idk.. too many things that bother me. So we´re working on that right now.. that the sisters can stop having stupid feelings=). We brought 1 person. and we did pay taxi because we have to go fetching bring them because they lie and they start to get ready super late and we miss the bus so we take a taxi. 

I never want to be a Primary Teacher.. I feel like that´s what we are right now. 

Mom: sorry to hear that people aren't just "coming to church" on their own! That is dumb!!  but you will be blessed for your efforts :P

As for the sisters - what is their problem?  Why do they feel like you don't care about them? Like what is their complaint?

Have you met the new mission pres. yet then?  I just read from sister Wilkinson they will be using the same office for a year or so until they get a new one built for the west mission.  Interesting.

where is your church building? is it up on the hill you are on? what is the ward called?

Mom: so back to the haircut - how did your comps hair turn out? :) 

Aaron: I think it´d be better buy them in Mexico or something, they´re not cheap here haha.. because of the prices. 

idk more or less.. let me see if i have a photo

Aaron's haircut he did on his comp :)

Dad: Nah you want to be a primary teacher, just for the little kids. Its the teenagers that are the problem, and since I've done that I can relate to what you are saying. The investigators aren't motivated to change so they don't put any extra effort into things. I feel for you, its hard to get someone to motivate themselves to make a life change. It will bring them so much more happiness but until the Spirit works on them until they have a burning desire its hard.

Mom: I agree - the Spirit is what will motivate them to act - so they need to feel that  and then the actions should follow suit.

You will be a primary teacher at some  point - but you will be MUCH older I'm sure if and when that happens. :)

Aaron: yah the photo is on dropbox. but he likes it. so idk.

Dad: I'm with Mom on that. Memories are priceless, if you want them get them! we'll take care of the cost.

Aaron: Nono.

Better that I get them in Mexico! Is it costly to go to mexico? no right? 

FETCH WHEN KARA WROTE ABOUT BOOKS I FREAKED OUT. I WANT TO READ THE FREAKING STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE AND ALL THE BOOKS BY HIM. 

Dad: Think of it this way. How good do they look? how much time does it take him to make them? is it helping him to take care of his life expenses? Then its worth it. Some things you do because of service others you do because they are artists and their time / crafting is worth it.  The other thing is this, If investigators see that you treasure your scriptures they might be more interested in the message your sharing. Then again, you don't want to be a target for thieves either, so be careful

Aaron: There´s another member in Los Yoses where my comp came from that does cheap cases like of just colors, like red and black for 10 mil for all of them, 20 bucks.. better off with that.. just to protect the scriptures and then Mexico

Mom: so ya - it might cost more in mexico for your scripture covers BUT you didn't serve in Mexico - so get them in Costa Rica - paying the extra is worth it - memories Aaron!! memories!!

Aaron: PFFFTTTTTTTTT

Dad: He teaches at BYU I think. If so you should make it a point to take one of his classes if you are able when you get back. I'm so happy you are almost to hump day. I can start counting backwards, it will be so cool

Aaron: Yeah President Hayes taught at BYU Idaho, not byu utah i think. but he´s super awesome! Haha counting backwards, like what? 

Aaron: No, you give him any photo.. he rates them on difficulty and different difficulties cost more. A case with an easy picture back and front is 48 mil, with difficult it´s 64 mil 

This one person gave him a family photo.. which is really hard for him.. it looked okay

Dad: wow sounds like he's really talented then. He is worth the money if that is the case. He probably only does certain pictures, does he have a portfolio to show you or will he do anything you ask for?

Dad: get the cheap ones and the nice ones, put the nice ones in your suitcase and the cheap ones on your scriptures. Problem solved.

Aaron: THAT´S LIKE 150 dollars. the base price for easy pictures, pictures on both sides it 72 dollars each forros, each case. He rates the difficulty of the pictures.. but I cant think of what pictures to do, everyone does the same ones lol

Mom: listen - don't be a butthead about it :)

Getting the cool looking ones with the Captain Moroni (I think you said he did that once) is cool!  So you might go to Mexico one day but you are THERE now! And getting covers made in Costa Rica while serving there will be a lifetime memory every time you see / use them.

I'm with Dad too on this as - you are helping the livelyhood of this guy and his family.

As for books - I can't remember if I ever told you that i finally started reading the Ranger Apprentice series - finished book one and I have book 2 here with me in California  to read.  I have 3 pages left of "the Giver" (which I saw that movie - and that is helping me to understand - visualize the book)

Aaron: Everyone buys from him.. im sure he´s rolling in money. AWESOME! I would take a class form BRandon Sanderson, that´d be awesomeisimo. 

Dad: the reason everyone buys from him is he is good!, so what if he is rolling in money. He's an artist, he gets paid for his skills.  Mom is right, get them in Costa Rica or you will regret it later I promise you.

Mom: well - you will want to do the Doctrine & Covenants count down - that is when you have like 4 months left I think - you just read it from the back to the front - one section a day until you get to 1.  So - what is that 138 sections plus the 2 declarations? 140 days out from the end of your mission you do that?

I saw a ton of elders and 1 sister leaving for home when I was flying down here - I couldn't believe how many of them I recognized just from serving at the food bank - a couple of them remembered you too were serving and they asked how you were doing.  Elder Tempest always included you in his prayer when he was at our house - it meant a lot to me.

Aaron: Haha mom encourages me to be trunky hahahah. yeah I met him, that´s why i said he´s awesome. we had a leadership meeting and nobody got their head cut off lol.. but he´s new! They say because we never talk to them really..We work on the mountain the church building is down in the city.  the ward is called Purral 

Mom: don't forget your general email - just a quick service reminder :)

Kara is here with me - so if you want to chat with her I can give her a bit on the keyboard :)

Dad: I have to get back to work. I love you bud. Know that we pray for you and your companion daily. Stay safe and work hard, (I know you will anyways) Love Dad

Aaron: Love you too dad! 

Aaron: That reminds me, I don't think we have to wear suits at all anymore!! The church posted a post saying a ton of missions that don't use suits anymore for the climate, as a rule

Mom: a I saw that! It was posted on facebook about how your mission is a no suit mission! 

I'm sorry - how did I make your trunky? or how was I encouraging you to become trunky? Was it the count down thing? if so I'm sorry - I didn't mean to do that! I was butting into the conversation about being half way - which I guess was also started by me ;P sorry!!

Aaron: lolol

Mom: I was reading a couple of blog posts from other elders from President Wilkinson's last meeting with y'all where he said "if I've told you something is black and the new president tells you it's white then it is white to you!" and then I saw posted the 7 things he said would keep you strong in the gospel or something like that - looks like he gave good council to everyone - is there anything  that stood out to you?

Aaron: Uh... not really.. I´d already heard the whole white and black thing like 9 times in leadership meetings.. to prepare our zones. I also had heard about the 7 goals for when you finish the mission because I´ve killed two missionaries, they finished so.. I know the basics.. but he did teach us a doctrinal principle.. that Melchizedek was a president, I cant remember of what, but he had 2 counselors. 

Mom: this is hard having dad typing on my account too! haha - I get confused as to who typed what and then he looks at the emails before I get to and responds and then I don't realize it was new! but I think I'm caught up now! 

So - you met the new president - he is new - so he is still getting his feet wet and all - but will be interesting to get to know him and his teaching style I would think

Aaron: yeah haha. Tomorrow we have interviews, our whole zone. with him. but they´re limited to 10 minutes

Mom: well that's good I guess - not much time but I'm sure he is busy right now.  

How much more time do you have? you haven't written a general letter yet

Mom: hmm...maybe you got off already - no general email this week then.  Sorry I didn't get to say goodbye to you :(  Love you!! hopeful that you will have a better week this up coming week! 

Aaron: kk done=)

Mom: i LOVE reading your general emails -they are short but they are powerful in testimony!   Love you!! hope you have a great week Aaron! Hope things pick up and that people feel the Spirit and are moved to act on it :)