Another Year Older and Wiser...

This boy...he has my heart. Here are a few paragraphs from his last email.

"This week has been just dandy. On Monday I was fed "mongu" by my sassy dominican friend. I had no idea what mongu was except for the fact that it was delicious and it SO WAS. Wow. But it's also like leaven bread in the fact that I didn't eat again until the next day at lunch time. That was a good time. The day of my birthday we had district meeting and Elder Jacobs bought me a super good mexican cake. It was cute. I even had a lil piñata (thank you). That night we were fed by more members. The guy there always gives us guava juice so obviously I love him. We ate these cool tacos and they sang to me and it was cute. Basically I still had the opportunity to feel like it was my actual birthday, while being able to serve people in the capacity that I am. So #blessed.

This past Saturday we had literally 3 separate lunch appointments. THREE. We didn't even have dinner. Just three lunch appointments. I wasn't hungry until Sunday at lunchtime. I literally exercise so hard in the mornings to counteract all of the heaps of mexican food. On the bright side, I'm probably in better shape than I've ever been in, so my energy levels are good and I feel good and I love the Gospel so much that I cry all the time out of so much love...so that's how things are going for me.

Every Wednesday we get to go to lunch at this place called Mumfords, which is this super cool restaurant that grows their own food. Whenever they serve plates they have flowers from their garden on them. I love it. The only reason we can even go is because of my best friend Martin (not drunk Martin, although I'm hoping he'll call me again). Martin is this lil mexican guy who is literally the funniest man I have ever met. We go visit his sister every Monday now, and last time we were there she cried because she was so thankful that the missionaries came by to see her. I cried too, obviously. I always cry. Anyway, Martin is the best person in the entire freaking world and he pays for our food because he's the cook there. WOW. I LOVE HIM. 

 I get to take a side trip in two weeks to Philly to go to the temple open house with Justo and his wife. Justo isn't a member and his wife is, and I didn't even know Justo but one day he comes up to us on the street and tells us that the church is true which was confusing and also sic. He has been an investigator for so long, and hasn't felt like baptism was his thing, but yesterday we had dinner with him and his wife and talked about baptism and I read him Moroni 8 verses 25-26. He says he doesn't want to commit to a date but we're now returning every week to teach him more so that's pretty cool. Oh yeah, and we're going to bring him to Philly so estoy muy animado.

We volunteer every Wednesday and Friday at the local library and stock books and prepare crafts for kids. That's always a really fun part of my week. Especially because the old women who work at the library love me. And even though I can't read any of the books, I like being around them.

I've learned so many doctrinal mind-blowing things while I've been on my mission. Literally. Like things are crazy. I'm writing a paper right now called The Origin of Significance. Lame title, I know. But I'm liking where it's going.

Basically I just love my mom a lot. Here are some pictures as an apology for last week when I didn't have any. Every day I have three goals; Learn something new, see the Lord's hand in my life, and benefit the life of someone else. I'm thinking that by the time I come home I'll have a whole lot of all three. I feel so happy. And I feel like I'm making people's lives a little better and that's the only thing I want to do. 

Okay. I have to go. I love you. Like. A ridiculous amount of love." -Elder (Jack) Nielsen

Also...a shout out to Elder Bylund for helping me decorate for Jack's birthday. Looks like the silly string worked.