Email August 12, 2013

Hello Family! So, let me start off this letter by getting out some thoughts. Ever since I had dengue I haven't felt the same. Between the abdomen injury--which isn't so bad, but still has been stitchy--and then dengue, and then the flu, I have been feeling really tired, and it got me really discouraged this past week. I've had some pretty bad migraines. But despite all that, I promise you I'm doing well. I'd be lying if I said I'm perfectly fine, but I'm living with the problems. My digestion has been pretty messed up, and so with all of this going on I decided to talk to president about it. I'm awaiting his response to see if they'll take me to the doctor sometime. I don't really know the solutions, but I'm confident everything is fine. I think I probably will just need to take a vitamin of some sort, make some even bigger changes to my diet, and try to come up with a basic exercise routine that won't cause my ab any pain. Important note: it's not the ab injury that's causing problems. I think it has more to do with my immune system. So we'll get things taken care of :) This past week I completed a year as a missionary. Wow. The mission is great, but it's tough. We went to Cold Stone to celebrate. We must be family since you all went there too. Haha. I had chocolate with brownies. You know me. Thank you for sending me the money! I got the package, and I ate the licorice in one day. I've come to love chocolate here in Puerto Rico more than I did before. There's no specific reason why. I just have. Realizing I had been a missionary for a whole year made me reflect on all I've done as a missionary and I was amazed by something: I've been in Carolina for a long time. Out of the 12 months I've been a missionary, 2 months was in the MTC, 2 months were in Arecibo and Corozal, and 8 months have been here in Carolina. I was humbled to have had the chance to be here, and then a desire to leave settled in. I want to see more of the island. I don't think I'll get sent to the islands because President Smartt has sister missionaries out on the other islands, so I'd like to go to the middle of the island: Orocovis, Barranquitas, or Ai Bonito, which are mountain areas where the church is founded on small branches with few members. I want to go there and escape the buzz of the metropolitan area, and just work, work, work, and learn more Puerto Rican Spanish and culture. Don't think I am just wanting out of Carolina, but I'm officially ready to leave. I'll stay here gladly for another transfer, but I won't be devastated now if the Lord moves me. We'll see what happens in two weeks when transfers come. Leangie came to church! It was so great! We went to primary with her since she didn't want to leave her daugther alone. It was fun to be back in there. Haha. It reminded me of my time as a primary teacher. But the little latino children are without a question more wild than the ones I taught, and I don't say that to be racist or rude. They're just a very excited people :) And the teachers are much more patient than I ever was. From primary she came to our gospel principles class. She participated and really understood the lesson. Then she was really attentive in sacrament meeting and told us she was touched and was sure she was going to come back. She's really set on her baptism for the 25th. She asked us the "Are you racist? Do you have many wives?" questions last week. Haha. I said, "I have one mom, and I plan to only have one wife." She laughed, but she was honestly curious to understand the doctrine. So we explained the church's past, keeping it all focused on the scriptures and testifying that Joseph Smith was a prophet. She understood perfectly. I really hope she'll talk to Rodney and Rebecca and tell them how great her experience was. We're struggling with them right now. They didn't show up to their appointment with us, and there could be many reasons for that. We'll just keep working with them :). This past week I made Elder Delcompare the designated driver so that he can learn the campo area. I realized that if I leave, no one will be able to find the investigators, and no one will know where all the less-actives live if Elder Delcompare doesn't learn the campo and continue the work we began with the leaders. We've been taking the elders' quorom president and the bishop to the houses of investigators and less-actives up in the campo, and we're seeing the fruits of it. A family from the furthest point of the campo has come to church now twice in a row. I'm really excited about it. So, the work is moving. I can't wait to tell you more about Carolina when I get home :) It's meant so much to me. I can't wait to come back here with you. The members have already told me they're going to take us to places, because I've told them I want to come back. We're going to have all the hook-ups. But, that's still a year away right? So you're going to have to wait to eat banana lasagna ;) Love ya! Elder Cevering