Hey familia,
Well, it seems like this might be one of the last
times that I write an email to you. Next week I will probably get on the
computer and write a little email, but basically this is the last time. It will
be really weird seeing you guys in person. Whenever I get an email from you
guys, as I read it, I imagine your voices as if you were reading the letter.
It’s been a long time, and sometimes it seems like you guys are really far
away, but sometimes it seems like you're pretty close too. It’s kind of hard to
explain. I'm really excited to see you all, but at the same time I'm kind of
terrified. It really weird. It’s just going to be so dang weird to actually see
you guys and being able to talk to you. I'm just sitting here at the monitor,
wiping all of the sweat off of my face and trying to think of how to put this
concept into words.
I feel really happy to be going home. Today I woke up
and decided to pack my luggage. But I then realized that I had a ton of dirty
clothes that I hadn’t washed yet. I just rolled up my sleeves (so to speak) and
bent over my washboard and washed my clothes for a couple hours. It was pretty
exhausting, but I think that I got almost all of my clothes washed. After that
I busted open my suitcases and dusted them off pretty well. Luckily there were
no dead mice like last time. But anyways I packed most of my stuff. I feel like
I'm probably like 70% packed up. As I was going through all of my crud (well...
I guess you could say "recuerdos" in Spanish) I found that I had saved
a bunch of letters that you guys had written me last year for my birthday. I
found a bunch of letters from you guys, and a noisemaker thing wrapped in
tissue paper that Henry sent. Also I found a monkey birthday card from you all.
It was pretty funny reading all of that stuff. It was weird packing my bags. I
remember at the end of my first change watching Elder S pack his bags, and then
later watching Elder R pack his bags. I'm not terribly sad or teary eyed or
anything like that. It just still doesn’t seem real. That’s basically the only
way to say it.
But I have some really good news for you guys. I think
that you're really going to like it, and that it will make your trip down here
even more exciting. Remember that family that I baptized in Nagarote? You know,
the family that’s super awesome and their names are J and Y? Haha I'm just
messing around. But anyway, they have one son named J A. He is 21, and is best
friends with Y C (the elder’s quorum president of Nagarote). Anyway, yesterday
I was talking to Y C and he said that finally J A has decided to be baptized.
He has been waiting for months and months, even though his dad is the branch
president. I had almost baptized him, but for some reason he had cold feet and
didn’t want to do it. Anyway, now he has finally made the decision to be
baptized. So as I was talking to Y C I was super excited. I was thinking that
he'd want his dad to baptize him, but no. So I imagined that he'd want Y C to
baptize him, but no. He wants me to baptize him. Isn’t that totally CRAZY??? So
on the 10th, when we go to church in Nagarote, you guys will be able to
see my last baptism. I'm super, super excited, and it’s an awesome way to end
the mission. Isn't that totally awesome? It will be very special. After Y C
told me that, I was so stoked and excited. Very cool.
We're just working like normal. Basically just a lot
of contacting to fill up the tank for the next elder that comes in and takes my
spot. It’s all right, and I don’t think that I’m being lazy or anything. I still
feel like I’m working and doing a good job, and like I said, it still doesn’t
feel real that I’m going home. It still seems so weird.
So today for my birthday we didn’t do much. Like I
said, I just washed my clothes and packed my bags. Truthfully it just feels
like any other p-day. We jumped into a taxi and went to Burger King and I got a
milkshake and then we got some pupusas. After that I wanted to go to Monserath
and visit the first family that I baptized named A and I. It was all deja vu
walking around my old area. We went to the house, and only A was there, but
when he walked out of his house and saw me, he just shouted
"STARK!!!" and ran and gave me a big hug. It was fun talking to him,
and he is doing great. He's the 1st counselor in the YMs presidency, and is
doing great in the church. That’s basically all we did today. Now I'm here in
the cyber right now writing to you guys.
So another cool thing that
happened this week was that I went and did divisions with Tonola. I went and
interviewed a family that was going to be baptized. When I sat down and started
talking to the wife, she said that she didn’t want to get baptized yet because
she didn’t feel ready, and thought that it was too soon. I just said OK, and
did the interview and told her that I thought she was ready. She said that she
needed an answer, so I simply said, "OK, lets ask God what he
thinks". So she said a little simple prayer asking if she should be
baptized, and then sat there quietly for a couple minutes with her eyes closed.
Then she opened her eyes, and with tears in them said that she had received an
answer from God. It was a pretty powerful spiritual experience. I'm jealous of
Dad because he gets to interview people all the time and have these kinds of
spiritual experiences 24/7. In my district I went and interviewed two other
families and it went well. If my count is right, I’ve done 58 baptismal
interviews so far. It’s pretty cool being here and being able to work so
closely with all of these people who are making their first covenants. I love
it here!
Well, it will be great to see you guys. I am so glad
that I have a great family, with a great mom and dad. There are lots of
families that have tons of problems here, and it has made me realize the great
blessings that the Lord has given us. I'm really happy that our family has the
promise to live together forever, and I really love you all. It will be great
seeing you. As I was reading in the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi 5:7-9 I found
something that I liked a lot:
7 And when we had returned to the tent of my
father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.
8 And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety
that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I
also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them
out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish
the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language
did she speak.
9 And it came to pass that they did rejoice
exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and
they gave thanks unto the God of Israel.
Anyways, life is good, and I'm happy. I love you all,
and I'll see you soon.
Con amor,
Elder Stark
______
Now it is raining super hard. :)
And yes, I will write next week. I will be in the
airport when you get here (I’ll talk more to president in my last interview on
Sunday), and next week I’ll get a phone to talk to you guys.
