Dear Family,This week was another wonderful week in missionary land! Missionary Land because missionary life is like an amusement park. SOme of the rides really don't require that much courage, and really don't give that much enjoyment. Other rides require a lot of courage and leave you feeling a little pukey at the end, but still glad that you did it. This last week I felt some of those physical manifestations of missionary challenges. :D
Anyway, the week has been going great. We have several investigators who are working to be ready for baptism this week. Their names are: Fabiana, Luis, Ana Paola, Bruna, Norma, and Carlos. We will be praying a lot this week for all of them to be prepared to be baptized. We have taught them about almost everything. Some of them are having trouble understanding the importance of the comandments. It's caused a little bit of a disturbance in their preparation to be baptized. The problem is that they aren't praying fervently enough to know if our message is true. They want to follow the Savior, and they feel good at church and with us. The thing is that now they have to do exercise a little faith. If they would pray to the Father to know if our message is true, I know that they would then have enough faith to trust more in the Father's servants and keep the commandments. That goes for all of us. If we would just daily renew the firm assurance we have in things of righteousness, through the ministrations of the Holy Ghost, we would have the daily faith necessary to keep commandments and fulfill covenants. Remember, "if the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do?" Well, if we can feel His presence next to us and openly recognize it, we would give pause to give in to temptation.
Anyway, that is our ongoing battle with our beloved investigators. Just pray!
Like I said, I had some physical manifestations of some missionary stress this last week. This is the gross part that you don't want to read at the dinner table (if you are reading at the dinner table). It started at the beginning of the week. My shoes have been wearing down. Also, my feet walk in a funky way so that it affects my soes to conform to the funk, so that my shoes make my feet walk even more extremely to one side. Well, I have been trying to self correct it by walking entirely on the other side of the shoe. This has been a bit of a painful process as all of a sudden my left foot has been forming some of the grossest blisters and a wart/furuncle/whatever. Don't worry too much as I have been able to care for everything using first aid stuff. Also, I have had a pretty carefree attitude here so far about food. If it's there, I'll eat it. Well, this caught up to me pretty quick this last week when I ate something that started do "around the world"s with my weak American belly. That's right, the big D. It was Friday and I woke up to a horrible pain in my stomach. I rushed to the bathroom to find that I had diarrhea. Afterwards, I rushed to the bathroom several more times that morning to discover the same thing. Well, I laid down in my bed that morning watching 17 Miracles as my companion figured out some things. I have no idea why I watched 17 Miracles since crying my eyes out surely didn't relieve anything. Anyway, I got better enough to go help with a service project at the Bishop's house of sanding the walls in preparation for painting, but ended up sleeping on his couch. Then that night we had our big pancake activity at the church, the theme of which I was completely in charge of producing. Luckily my USS Constitution became ironsided enough to not need the bathroom anymore, but I was still feeling a little shaky. After running around like a crazy man, everything turned out well. Grandpa's pancakes were adored by everyone there. We also had toppings of chocolate cream, strawberries, whipped cream, and syrup. It was awesome. There were 70 people there! Only 20 less than normally come to church on Sundays, and 15 of them were our investigators! It was really awesome! I didn't eat a single pancake, but was glad everyone liked them. The next day I couldn't smell anyfood with feeling like throwing up. Happily, I am all better now, and I am feeling like your probably don't want to read anymore about my internal physical problems.
Anyway, things are going marvelously! I love my companion, I love my calling and my assignment, I am feeling very capable language-ly, I love our ward members, and I love learning more about the gospel of Jesus Christ. To add to all of that love, I love you! What a great thing! Be grateful, smart, clean, true, humble, and prayerful!
Love, Elder Parker Alan Ayer
"You dream of me, and I'll dream of you"
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