February 17

Hey how’s things? I’m feeling better, but Wednesday night was the peak. After we got back from working Wednesday night I felt crappy, and I had a 102.6 fever. The elders in the piso gave me a blessing and I took some Nyquil and went to bed. The next morning I still had a little above 100 degree fever, but I slept a little more until weekly planning and felt somewhat better. We have just been doing the work as normal and it seems to be as good a cure as any. All is well and I haven’t been so unlucky this week. My elbow is just fine.
Stake Conference went just great, and best of all 4 investigators were there. Manuel and Oliver were both able to go, even though we weren’t able to get in touch with them all weekend. They just showed up. We took Camilo, an awesome Dominican with us and the Paraguayan family clan took Eva and Alejandro her baby. Eva is such a trooper to bring a 2 year old to Stake Conference as an investigator. She has a testimony and reads and prays daily, it is awesome. She and her future husband Juan Carlos still don’t have plans to get married until after May 1st when they go back to Paraguay. They both want to be baptized then. We want them to get married in the embassy and baptized sooner. We will see what happens.
Interviews went really well. With 4 districts, the scheduling was a little bit crazy. The assistants had to do the number report Monday morning until oneish, and President Farnsworth started at 10:00 doing interviews. The assistants and president finished both at about 5:15 and then we had one more presentation to make to a district, and then we were done as well.
Last night we did exchanges with 2 of the elders from Valladolid while they are down here for Mission Conference. I went with Elder Ford and Elder McBride went with Elder Gamarra. It went well. Tonight we are going on exchanges with two of the elders from Salamanca. I’m going with Elder Sansing from Riverton. It should be good. He is about 6 ft. 4 and he is way nice. He played football for Coach Miller all three years in high school. That is something I would have loved to have done. Also, he wrestles and hunts and I really get along well with him.
It’s weird emailing on a Tuesday. That’s for sure. I also went on exchanges with Elder Goldhardt last Friday and it went way well, he lives in our piso and is companions with Elder Weinert. They have 4 baptisms this Saturday, and that should be awesome. They are baptizing a couple, and then a mom and her son. Anyway, Elder Goldhardt and I ate another interesting thing from the kitchen of Andres.... cow intestine. Gross, it was cut open and in squares about 3 inches by 3 inches. It had a skin like lining and then a thick layer and then the lining which looked like barbeque pork. It didn’t taste as good though. The way you prepare it is by soaking it in salt and vinegar for 7 days to purify and clean it, and then cook it with a ton of spices for a long time to produce a not very appetizing meal.
Today we are in Fuenlabrada to visit a family Elder McBride baptized. We are even emailing from the big library right by the piso. It is super weird to be back, and to walk the same walk I did on that first day not to long with Elder Van Dyke.
The work is going well and we are mainly working with the three investigators who were at Stake Conference - Manuel, Camilo and Eva. Manuel is doing well, but is jobless right now, and is still on for the 7th of March the last day of this transfer for his baptism. The only problem is his smoking, although he has cut down, he hasn’t quit. The goal we set for the 19th is Thursday, and we are hoping Elder Bednar will say some inspiring and life changing things to help him quit. Camilo lives right above Bernardo and Lorenza and is coming along well. He is about 50 and Dominican. He is oh so nice and punctual. He came to our appointment on Saturday, 30 minutes early and just waited on a bench clipping his nails. He speaks with a drawl as do lots of Dominicans, and is such a simple guy. He has been to church now twice and we have taught him twice. We are hoping to get his 17 year old daughter, 21 year old niece, his 10 year old son, his 7 year old son and his wife Juanita in on the teaching. As of now, none of them have been taught or come to church. The sons are the only ones who would really come right now, but hopefully they can set the example with there dad for the girls.
As far as food, we had Burger King from one member last week, and steaks from another. This week we are headed to a restaurant called VIP’S with an American couple the Whitmores. It should be a great week.
Thanks for all your help and prayers. Keep on keepin’ on and much love from me to you.
Love, Elder Miller