CAMBIOSSS

CHUCK WENT HOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

It was like the weirdest thing ever. It felt really unreal. Especially since the days after I spent with Elder Velazquez, another elder who´s comp went finished up the 2 years. Preeeeeetty weird. It feels like I should see him again in like a zone conference later on cause it was just a normal transfer, but it´s not really that simple. A major bummer. But it was good to get to know him and work with him for the time we had. But now transfers were this morning and I have a new comp!! His name is Elder NEWBIE CAUSE I AM TRAINING!!!!! 

JK his name isn´t Elder Newbie, just I don´t know who it is yet cause they get here tomorrow. BUT I AM PUMPED! I will have another kid and Elder Galleguillos will have a brother! Training was really fun and a great experience (I LEARNED SOOOOOO MUCH) so I am really excited!

SPANISH LESSON FOR THE WEEK: Baptize (the verb) in spanish is "Bautizar". Baptism (the noun) is "Bautismo." Everyone here says "Bautizo" and it is SO FRUSTRATING not really lol but like for real. We joke aobut it, saying that "bautizo" is the little flick-water-on-the-forehead thing and "bautismo" is the thing that Christ did. It is funny/obnoxious, especially when the people testify in Sacrament meeting about "bautizo" which totally doesn´t exist BUT ITS FINE.

So I don´t really know what to say aobut htis week. I totally got to eat turkey leftovers on Friday, which was cool. Thursday for sure was not a Gringo thanksgiving, but I totally ate turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing (but the stuffing totally had the insides of an animal which isn´t too gringo but it´s all good) and then to top it off, they had nice gringo ice cream and PUMPKIN PIE. I haven´t liked pumpkin pie in like 10 years but MAN that was one delicious piece of pumpkin pie that I got. 

I hope everyone is doing great! Please, always remember to do the small stuff! Read your scriptures, pray at least 3 times a day on your knees, and do the little things to keep the Spirit in your life and keep him guiding you! Here are some powerful words of one of my buddies, Elder Salazar that he said during a district meeting this week: "Ignoring impressions of the Spirit doesn´t come from fear, it comes from pride. It comes from us thinking we know better, but we just simply don´t." Ouuuuuuuuch.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Elder Pratt

PS Lotsw of love to the Trounce family. Keep them in your hearts and in your prayers. We love you guys!

HAPPY ALMOST HOLIDAY THAT ISN´T CELEBRATED HERE!!!

THIS has been a week of SERVICE. This week, my comp and I have done like almost 20 hours of service activities here in San Luis, and surprisingly all of them having to do with fixing roofs (or is it rooves...). Like three tiems this week we were over at the house of this investigator family helping them build tmore ceiling part of their roof, putting up cross bars and wood underneath the already place roofing sheets. It was fun and I learned a lot along the way. They were doing it in a pretty cool way so I was pumped. Then today (yes, during p-day) we went over to the house of our ward mission leader and helped him stucco his ceiling. That was really interesting because I had never done that before, but he taught me and now I totally know how to stucco someone´s ceiling with just the bucket and a little metal plate. Kiiiiinda felt pretty awesome to learn that, not gonna lie.

So San Luis, being an almost entirely illegal city/neighborhood (meaning the land-owning and building and all that good stuff is done totally without involving the government which totally makes the government unhappy) kinda has some problems with water and power sometimes. Like last week, the power in the whole city totally went out just like cause for like an hour. That happens once every few weeks. And we run out of running water in the house sometimes too which is cool. Just helps you learn some patience and to appreciate the little stuf, you know? But this city is awesome and I love it. There are some stellar people here and it is just wonderful. 

WEEKLY QUOTE: Refering to how some people choose to be unfaithful in their marriages and stuff, one of the members who we are helping come back to church said, "Don´t look around for fast food when the best food is in your own house!" I ALMOST DIED LAUGHING IT WAS AMAZING AND SHE TOTALLY GOT A HIGH FIVE AFTER SAYING THAT. If anybody knows my Aunt Ann, this lady is soooooo similar and I love it soooooo much. She is the best!

CRAY FACT: Chuck totally finishes his two years as a missionary and goes home in like 4 days. It´s weird. He is cool. We are gonna miss him like 10 bundles.

SO I totally don´t remember if I have told you all about Helen, but she is this investigator we have who is 19 years old and cool. We have like taught all of the lessons to her, sdhe understands them, but she was missing something. We came to the conclusion that that something was the Book of Mormon. She wasn´t really reading it too carefully and wasn´t getting a testimony of it. She liked a lot of waht we taught and already believed a lot of it anyway (including like the majority of the commandments which is spectacular) but she just wasn´t progressing like she could´ve. THE KEY - The Book of Mormon. She started to read a bit more carefully and pray a bit more. Se now has a much better understanding of it all, but we had a killer appointment with her the other day where she realized that she probably wasn´t putting the faith necessary to really receive an answer from God about the book, and therefore had doubts about everything else. PEOPLE EVERYWHERE: Read the Book of Mormon. Read it with a sincere heart and pure intent, really wanting to know if it´s real. Even if you have already received an answer or even if you think it´s true or even know it´s true, ASK AGAIN. HE WILL ANSWER YOU AGAIN. It is amazing. This book is the real deal. It is the most correct book on earth and will help a woman or man get closer to God by reading it. I know that simply because I have experienced it for myself. I invite you to do the same and see the difference.

FINAL THOUGHT: If you want different results, DO DIFFERENT THINGS.

BOOM that quote is money and shatters my mind everytime I hear it. So simple yet so true, am I right???

I LOVE YOU ALLLLLL

Elder Praff

I HAVE NO TIME

HEY SO I HAVE NO TIME BUT I thought I´d share some stuff:

Yuri got baptized!!!!! It was so great!!!! When she shared her testimony after, she like nailed it. Like a lot fo people just say they feel really happy (which is super awesome and spiritual, don´t get me wrong) but she like gave a 5 minute talk like teaching the doctrine of baptism. That morning, she also taught the entire Joseph Smith and First Vision and Restauration story to her mom. It was crazy. She is outta control. Ahhhhhh yeahhhhhhhh. So yeah, that was pretty much an awesome part of our week. 

ALSO so we had the Primary Program yesterday in the chapel and it was AMAZING. Daniel totally nailed it directing the meeting and playing his song on the violin. We were so proud of him. Also, the children were crazy cute and everyone cried when they shared their testimonies and it was great. One girl said "I know that Jesus Christ was baptized and that he went church every Sunday." Soooooo when you think about not going to church or something, just remember the words of this little girl. :)

ALSO in church, we had a lesson on service and the Elders Quorum President shared these inspired words: "Service is like peeing your pants. Everyone notices, but only one person feels that little warm feeling." So if you feel cold and want some warmth in your life, try thinking about serving. 

Sorry I don´t have more time. I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ELDER PRATTTT

In my dreams I`ll always see you soar above the skiessssss

My comp and I totally started singing the song from the movie Pearl Harbor this week. That movie is spectacular.

I MET MORE GRINGOS THIS WEEK HERE IN COLOMBIA

So I totally forgot to mention that I found a Gringo two weeks ago in this really rich part that is part of our area but like not at the same time. We went to visit some members and we were in the city and we totally found this guy with a rich deep southern accent and talk to him and he is from Tennesse and MAN it had been a long time since I had heard a nice southern accent. That was reallllly funny. BUT this week I FOUND ANOTHER. He is this kid from Florida (I say kid but he is like prob my age maybe older) and he didn`t speak any spanish so when he found me and my comp he came to us from a distance on the street yelling, "Hey man, what`s up???" like suuuuuper excited. It was his first day in Colombia. Precious Gem. Also He was also preaching the gospel- he is a Johevah`s Witness. But unlike a lot of people, he was like super friendly and pumped to talk about the stuff we have in common instead of trying to argue or fight, which often happens. It was cool. 

Second of all, I just wanna give a shout out to the girl from the HB Stake Girl`s Camp that sent me a note. I got it in one of our Zone meetings and totally made everyone jealous, saying it was from my girlfriend. If I knew who you were and was not like crazy far away, I would fist pump you.

Third of all, shout out to the 90s version of my brother Murray Pratt for totally coming to my mind this week when, while standing outside of a random house waiting for a bus, that one Sugar Ray song called "Every Morning" came on. That was a delicious blast from that past.

Fourth of all, we were in the house of a family we are trying to reactivate and I heard in the background from another room that song from Nacho Libre that is playing when they are going shopping and its the super funny song and yeah the grandma of the family was definitely watching Nacho Libre. It was pretty amazing.

OTHER FUN STORY so this crazy guy, who we met a few weeks ago when he crossed us in the street and pulled out the only words he knew in english to talk to me (aaaaaand one of the 5 was not a very nice word), totally snuck up on us the other day and was like "ooooooooOOOOOO I am the devil ooOOOOOOOOOOOO" and yeah then he followed us for a while and was like "no just kidding I believe in Jesus too" and was calling us other cool names. He does a lot of drugs, but it was like a totally cool story that I now just have with me which is cool. 

FUN FACT: When people get really mad about really silly things sometimes I think it is funny. I don`t know if I should feel bad about that, but sometimes it just is really funny. But don`t worry, I`m always classy about it. 

EVERYBODY so I had understood something cool this week that I think I hadn`t understood in the past. So there is this one line of Preach My Gospel in Chapter 8 that says something to the effect of, "Your attitude towards missionary work is directly related to your love towards Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and your understanding of the Atonement." IT IS SO TRUEEEEEEEE. I have realized that the times when the mission is really hard is when I don`t remember the Atonement, when I don`t remember the love that God has for me and I for him, and when I just forget about the importance of Jesus Christ in my daily life. When I humble myself and remember these things in my daily life, the mission is a joy. When I don`t, that`s when times get harder and the people we visit stop progressing. With this shared knowledge, I would like to throw an invitation. Pray more fervently, pray more sincerely, and really listen. Really think about how He is listening and how much He loves you. When you come to understand that love a little more, missionary work comes naturally. Sharing what you feel comes a bit more naturally and less scary. It is true. So, so true. Also, THE PRIESTHOOD HAS BEEN RESTORED. Just ponder how huge that is.

I LOVE YOU ALLL!!!!!!!!!!1111

Elder Pratt

I HAVE A NEW NICKNAME!!!!

Helllo!!!!!

Halloween in Colombia is sketchy!!! I am in "tierra fría" and stuff is waaaaaaay crazier in tierra caliente (I hear)  but I don´t know if I ever wanna see that then!!!!

but yeah. this week wwas pretty coool. We had a super awesome Stake Conference this weekend and there were some pretty stellar talks given. The Stake President started off his talk saying "Well 1 Corinthians 4:20 teaches us that the kingdom of God is not in word but in power, so let´s forget about all of the cool words we hear and ACT." Yeah, thooooose were some pretty wonderful words to hear as missionaries because MAN our jobs would be so much easier and we could work more effectively if instead of TALKING the people got ACTING. But yeah that was a pretty cool moment ahaha. 

Other excellent moment of conference was when the 1st counselor said "The Atonement gives us the power to ask for forgiveness, but also to forgive." Sometimes forgiving people is really hard but JUST DO IT because you will feel like so much better. Holding grudges is really tiring and annoying and after a while you just forget why you are mad and are just mad because you feel like still being mad and its really silly. Like I totally picked that word for a reason. Silly. I want you all to think about your grudges and how silly they are. yeeeeaaahhhhh thats what a thought. Go tell them you are sorry for being lame and silly and then just stop being lame and silly. Those are two attributes that I am trying to develop a bit more and I can frankly say my life is like so much better. Learning how to forgive and learning how to humble yourself and ask for forgiveness, and not just to God, but to other people. Try it out, believe me is is the bomb.

TODAY WE WENT TO THE TEMPLE AND IT WAS SO GREAT I LOVED EVERY MINUTE WOW everyone who has the opportunity to go to the temple frequently and doesn´t do is totally missing out. Like for real. Man the Spirit is so strong there. Preeeetty awesome.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK, attributed to Thomas S. Monson:

"Never let solving a problem be more important than loving a person."

Just let that one sit in a bit. Yeeeeeaaaahhhhh. It´s pretty fantastic.

IN LESS THAN 4 WEEKS MY COMPANION GOES HOME FROM HIS MISSION and that is weird. 

ALSO finding golden families is like the best. BUT I reaslly dislike how (almost) everyone isn´t living the law of chastity and it makes missionary work harddddddddd but its totally fine because THAT´S WHY I´M HERE.

With lots of loooooooooooooooooooove,

Hermano Tras (I really don´t understand why my name is so hard)

(also the nickname gets funnier when you understand the meaning of the word "tras")

Hello World

Why yes, that was a shout out to computer programers becuase even though I am a missionary, that doesn´t mean I´m not a nerd.

THIS WEEK was like crazy then normal then wacko (I haven´t used that word in a long time) then super chill. CRAZY THINGS THAT HAPPENED:

- WE FINALLY HAVE A BRANCH MISSION PLAN HERE IN SAN LUIS!!!!!!!! It took a loooooong time and a lot of pushing from us and from the stake (and from the Area Seventies) but we finally have one and we are pumped. We are hoping to be able to make changes here and help out a lot with the branch and not just with the investigators because if the branch is bad, it will be so hard to help retain all of these great people so WE ARE WORKING ON IT!

- SO word got out that I liked music and knew a bit (thank you, companion) during the branch council aaaaand I got two new assignments. I have to play piano in church next week (we have a like 20 year old keyboard that is awful and I am out of practice so this will be fun) aaaaaaaaaaaand the funnest part. So the primary program is in two weeks and Daniel, the 9 year-old who got baptized about a month ago, wanted to play violin in the program. The primary leaders said AWESOME, and said okay do it. then they told me that that was going to happen and I said cool and they asked me to go over there and help him a bit and I said um okay I don´t know abotu violins really but okay. That was a few weeks ago. Fast forward to yesterday. they tell me he hasn´t practiced or anything and get mad at me and I´m like woah you didn´t tell me when the program was, waht song, or like anything. So yesterday I had to go over and tune the violin (he has no idea how to do it and FUN FACT it is way harder than tuning a guitar, especially since I had never ever tuned a violin or played a tuned violin, but daniel knew the notes to tune it to), which I succesffuly did after a while, and then had to show him the song. We decided to got with "I Am a Child of God." I quickly learned that he knew almost nothing of how to play violin and can´t read music. I found out he took like 2 months of lessons about 6 months ago and never ever practiced. Also he is only 9. But he has a decent little ear so we went to work and I can now say that I am moderately proficient in playing violin (I had to learn so I could teach him) and he is getting better. Now I have to take like a half hour out of my day every day to give violin lessons to a 9 year-old. moderately annoying but also really cool at the same time. I hope I can keep developing this new-found hobby!!!

- Our Gospel Principles class on Eternal Marriage yesterday turned into a discussion racism during a 25 minute strech. And not even like any type of relevant racism at all (if such a thing existed). Just a straight talk on racism. At one point, after many failed attempts to gently fix the topic, my comp and I just straight took over the class to get us back on topic and stuff. It was cool I guess. (that was sarcastic)

. another investigator of ours has a baptismal date and she is so crazy awesome!!!!!!!!!!! and we have like 2 more on deck getting ready for baptism!!!!!!!!! and Paola is getting a bit better (also a bit worse at the same time but its a work in progress!)!!!

- This investigator of the other elders who is also a really good friend of ours totally escaped from the house of her abusive boyfriend after a crazy explosion fight and now she is safe!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The whole mission thing is like super crazy but also suuuuuper cool. I have learned so much about everything and it is crazy how you can apply God´s love and the Atonement of Jesus Christ in your life. Let´s remember what Alma 7:11-13 reminds us: Jesus didn´t just pay for our sins, but he suffered for our sins, afflictions, pains, temptations, and more so he could know how to help us when we need help. That is something that I have really learned a lot more and been able to experience as a missionary. There are a lot of things that stress us out as missionaries: people who don´t progress, people who are progressing but then get a big trial in their path, members who don´t come to church or aren´t living the commandments, and a lot more, but Christ died to help all of us out and to help us to keep moving forward how he knows we can. There is a line in Preach my Gospel that says something to the effect of when we feel the healing power of the Atonement in our lives and understand it better we WANT to share the gospel. We WANT others to receive the help that we have received, the same hope in Christ that we have found in our lives. It is soooooo true. Once we feel that change, we can´t help but feel like Lehi, desirous that our family and friends partake of the same fruit. We can´t help but feel line Enos, who prayed and worked so his friends and even his enemies could get a knowledge of the Savior like he got. We can´t help but go out and share what we know, even if it is just at first with our example. SHARE THE GOSPEL. There isn´t a joy greater in the world thatn knowing that you have helped others be happy and you will rejoice with them in this life and the life to come. Share with others the miracle that God has done in your life and help them to receive the same.

I love you all and hope that life is lovely!!!!!!!!!!

MY LIFE IS A GIFT, MY LIFE HAS A PLAN

Wellllllllllllll today I come with news. Today there were transfers aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I AM STILL A SAN LUCHADORRRRRRRRR which is super cool but to be honest like a HUGE task, but I AM PUMPED. Also I come with news that CHUCK (Elder Chauque) is still my comp which is super cool because we are gonna rock the worlds of the people here and preach the gospel with all we have until Chuck dies (figuratively- he finishes his mission on the 29th of November which will make me a MURDERER).

so yeah. Life is pretty cool. And yes, the subject of my email is totally a pirmary song. Chuck found this CD in his stuff witha  bajillion songs and song primary classics popped out so we have been pumpin them DAY and NIGHT (or whenever it is convenient in our missionary schedule).

THIS HAS BEEN A WEEK OF EVENTS. Let me share some with you:

- Elder Duncan totally got a package from his fam with powdered mashed potatoes (4 cheese flavor) and we ate them and it was DELICIOUS. Said package also came with BEEF JERKY and GARDETTOS which was prob the coolest thing ever

- While we were eating the gringo food from Elder Duncan´s family, this mariachi band totally came and was playing for this birthday party on the floor above us and we got to listen to mariachi music while we ate delicious food

- There is this store in the city with a whooooole bunch of gringo stuff and I found some cool items (that I did not buy- BUDGETING LIKE A WINNER) including but not limited: Tang, Del Monte cans of corn (if you have ever been to the Pratt Family garage you can see why this means so much to me), and nutella

- this one day here is was super cold and rained a lot and then it stopped raining because the clouds just came right to us and we lived our lives in the middle of the clouds. so yeah, I guess you could say we are at a high altitude.

- So here in colombia they have crazy good bus systems to transport you from one part of a city to another or all the way to other Departments (like states). The inter city buses are usually a bit smaller (obviously) and most of the time you are standing on the bus. HERES THE CATCH so i´m like not even that tall but I´m like so tall and most of the time I have to slouch like crazy or just bend my neck in a weird way or something like that. I DISCOVERED A CURE and it is called the Emergency Exit. When I stand in the emergency exit part, it is a bit taller and I fit. YAY!!!

- This crazy lady in the branch who always follows us missionaries around and tries to like touch us and stuff super creepily totally brought a drunk guy to church. Like he was super drunk and stayed all 3 hours. COLOMBIAAAA

- Chuck has a CD of music he got from a member in this one area here in Bogotá called Granada and we were listening the CD the other day and I heard a version of I´ll Go Where You Want Me To Go that I recognized and then I paid closer attention and it was totally the version of my cousin Mike Larsen who served in this mission. Then another elder told me that he had heard that version from other elders. MIKE YOU ARE TOTALLY FAMOUS!!!

- So I learned the other day from Elder Duncan that his mom reads my mission blog so I jsut wanted to throw a special shout out to ELDER DUNCANS MOM. WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!

CRAZY EXPERIENCE THIS WEEK so remember that investigator who was living with her BF and then left him but was with another and it was all crazy and mixed up? YEAH so we have been working like crazy trying to help her out and MAN we had a crazy appointment this week and it was sooooooo strong and the Spirit was like super strong and we invited her to be baptized and she accepted but like was scared a bit because its hard to give up our favorite sins. My comp and I both felt super strongly that she needed a baptismal date to go with it right away and we had been praying and working to find the right date and we extended it and she was like "oh I don´t know I don´t know" and we said "how about we say a prayer right now and ask God if thats the right day?" and she agreed, said an amazingly humble and beautiful prayer, and then waited like 15 seconds after in silence and just said "Okay, but you guys have to help me!" IT WAS SO AWESOME WE WERE SO PUMPED IT WAS OUT OF CONTROL. We are going to be working with all we have to take some photos in white on November 9th! Pray for Paola!

So this week I was thinking and totally had a revelation (or something like that). PROVERB TIME: In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Deep stuff right? Yeah so I had heard that phrase a long time ago but I was like thinking about it this week for some reason that I don´t remember right now, but that totally represents missionary work. Let´s be frank, we are all preeeeetty blind in the terms of God´s plans for us. Yeah, we have a skeleton and the basics, but we don´t know the specifics adn we know that we fall short daily to achieve that plan. Here´s the catch: There are a whoooole lot of people out there who don´t even know the skeleton of the basics. That´s what we (and I say we because we are all missionaries) should do. Let´s be the guides for our friends or family who maybe don´t have the basics or the skeleton that we have. We may not ber perfect or we may not be able to see everything, but let´s do what we can to guide those who have less than us to a level a bit better. Trust me, the missionaries aren´t perfect, but we are just taking the light we have gotten and trying to share it a bit. Let´s all do the same and join in the fight.

Okay so this letter has been long an you are all probs tired of me so I´ll end it. I miss you and I love you all!!!!!!

Elmer Praff

THE NEXT EDITION OF: the life and times of elder pratt

HOWDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

okay well I hope life is GREAT for everyone. Life is cool as a missionary and a bit stressful but also cool! This week we have been a bit stressed with our investigators because it turns out that EVERYONE IN SAN LUIS (okay like 76 percent) IS LIVING IN OPEN UNION (i totally forget how you say it in english, that one thing where they live together but they are too sissy to get married) AND/OR TOTALLY DROPPING THE BALL WITH THE LAW OF CHASTITY but its like okay. its part of the job. This week we had some appointments that were very straight forward with some of our people that have craaaaaaazy excellent potential to be stellar members and leaders in the church (whether they are investigators or members who are less-active or inactive) and can totally get so many blessings in their lives but are throwing it away because they can´t make firm decisions in their lives. LEARN HOW TO MAKE FIRM DECISIONS, PEOPLE. I promise with all my heart that you will find blessings in your life when you learn how to make a firm decision (obviously searching God´s help) and STICK TO IT. Seriously, yo. I´m not lying. 

But anyway, 

FUN FACTS FROM MY WEEK:

- I totally learned how to play violin kinda not really. I started playing a bit and it was really fun but super hard, I think if I throw my whole life away for awhile I can actually get maybe goodish and make a really mediocre life out of it. Yeahhhhhhhh probs not.

- We were teaching a fam and we asked them if they remembered any of the Ten Commandments. This 10 year-old kid piped up and goes, "Ooooo Oooo I know! Thou shalt not rob in vain." It was sooooooooooooooooooo funny. (For all of you that was probably just like a tiny bit funny, but as a missionary, we live on jokes like these. They carry us in our hard times. It´s like when you have your nerd thing in your life and there are things that are so funny for you but nobody understands.)

- WE HAD ANOTHER SUPER P-DAY (when a bajillion of us missionaries get together and play sports all morning and then have a conference with president and they are WONDERFUL)

- Colombia cualified for the World Cup this week!!! (bad news: fast and testimony meeting was full of people testifying of the Colombian team and all this apostasy like that. BUMMER)

Soooooooooo my comp and I were having this appointment with a lady the other day that turned her life around, came back to church, was being awesome, and then started to turn back to some old vices of hers. It is a huuuuuuge bummer for us because she is really cool and a super good example in her family but right now is totally dropping the ball. So. We decided to talk a bit about a story from the Bible with her. Remember that one time that God sent angels to take out the city of Sodom and Gummorah (totally forget how to spell that in English) and Lot and his family peaced out running? Remember what commandment they got when leaving? DON´T LOOK BACK. Remember what Lot´s wife did? She LOOKED BACK. Remember what happened to her? yeahhhhhhh. SO. Let´s learn a lesson. When we turn from sin, when we decide to really makea  change in our lives for the better, let´s do the right thing and NOT LOOK BACK. We all know how hard it is to turn down an old temptation when it comes our way again. So instead of making things hard, let´s just avoid the temptation and NOT LOOK BACK and KEEP MOVING FORWARD (props to all of you who recognize that movie reference). That is my invitation of the week. Turn from the things that are holding you back, even if it´s just one thing at a time, and don´t look back. How does that sound, alright? It´s the real deal guys, just put forth a little more effort and stuff gets a lot better.

Welllllllllllll I gotta go. But I LOVE YOU ALLLL and I hope your lives are just dandy right now. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK :)

FROMMMMMmmmmmmmm

Elder Prattttttttttttttttttt

PS the movie reference was from Meeting the Robinsons

PPS I totally passed my 8 month mark this past week. A third of the mission has passed me by. WOahhhhhhhhh it goes fast these days.

CONFERENCE WEEK IS SO COOL ALWAYS

BUT WHILE YOU ARE A MISSIONARY IT IS LIKE OUT OF CONTROL COOL like woah

but really.

super cool.

BUuuuuuuuuuuuut this has been a super exciting week. HIGHLIGHTS:

- After taking a small break from Rubix cubes for a time, I picked it up again today and I practiced- and I mean PRACTICED- and I achieved a new record. 63 seconds. and yes I will be studying humility later because I AM RIDICULOUSLY PRIDEFUL OF WHAT I DID. Next step: Break a minute.

- The computer where I am at right now is really great and that is a miracle!

- Elder Chauque, my beloved comp who doesn´t speak hardly English but likes to surprise me with stuff he knows, this week was getting off a bus but I was still sitting down and he yelled, "Pratt! Let´s go!" Also, in another ocassion in a totally perfect situation and with perfect usage, he called someone a "lady killer" and I just about shed a tear laughing.

- I met some members in Bogotá this weekend and we were chatting and he asked where I was from anad I said California. He asked what part. I said close to Los Ángeles. What city. Well, like an hour south, along the coast. What beach. Huntington. "Oh that´s a really pretty beach, huh?" I was like ummmm yeah thanks totally so how on earth do you know and he says well I was there 2 weeks ago I should know. Ha. Ha. Haha. Well. that was a funny experience. 

LIFE ADVICE: 

- If someone offers you eat some cow intestine in a mixture and it might not be totally cooked, lie. Say you are allergic. Say you can´t. Think of what you answer will be now so when the situation comes, you are ready. DO NOT EAT IT AT ALL COSTS. When you do choose to eat it and regret it the next day, remember me. Remember this moment. Remember my name. elder ALEX WILCKEN PRATT. YEah, my middle name is wilcken. You will especially remember that part cause it seems super random. BUT whatever you do DON´T EAT IT.

IF I had time to say all of my thoughts of the conference, I would use it. But. Instead, I will name names and you will have to look up the talks and listen to them for yourselves and then ACT ON WHAT YOU HEAR AND LEARN. Ifthe named people gave more than one talk, READ THEM ALL please :) (listed in no particular order)

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf (powerhouse this guy), Neil L. Andersen (Priesthood is a crazy cool thing and guys don´t let it get to your heads cause that´s like so so so so bad and annoying it´s crazy), Robert D. Hales (follow the counsel, be blessed. Pretty simple), Ulisses Soares, D. Todd Christofferson, Arnulfo Valenzula, L. Tom Perry, Henry B. Eyring, Richard J. Maynes, David A. Bednar ("I invite you to consider your ways, and repent." BOOM), David M. McConkie, ummm who else oh and I forgot one TOMMY THE HEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (that´s Thomas S. Monson, Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, ladies and gents)

I love you all. I hope you are all doing great. I miss you and I pray for you. Keep the prayers coming to San Lucho. We need them, man. PEACE OUT MY HOMIEzzzzzzzz

ELDER Alex Wilcken PRATT

my life gets more and more interesting everytime I stop and think about it

It´s true. It´s super weird actually. But also cool I guess haha.

FUN FACTS FROM THE WEEK:

- My camera memory card picked up a virus and it like desstroyed a lot of my photos. We have an investigator here who repairs computers. He offered to take it, suck alllllll the photos that it has ever had and restore them, reformat my memory, then give me the photos back. I ended up scoring some old photos from BYU, including photos from when I had my hair moderately crazy and my dirty old mustache. My comp got a real kick out of that. He said I look really young nowadays hahaha.

- Our investigator who was stuck in open union (or whatever it´s called in english) got separated and is now living with her mom! we have big plans coming up!

- I want all of you to think for a second about how much Mexican food you eat in your life. Yeah. A lot. Now think about how much more you would eat if you spent a semester in college and that was your specialty. Yeah, a lot. Now I want you to think about how I don´t eat like ANY mexican food these days. Think about the emptiness in your life. Think about the hole that exists in your heart. Yeah, it´s large. Now think about the resulted happiness when a really nice lady in the branch makes lunch for the elders and makes taco salad. Yeah, i´m talking beans with ground beef. Cheese. A salad (that isn´t just onions, like many Colombians make). Avocado. Colombian version of Fritos. I almost cried.

- Vanessa, an investigator of ours, came to church this week!!! It was the first time she had been to church in a loooooooong time. Her mom is a member of some 20 30 years who basically never comes to church, her sister just left on a mission, and her grandparents are also members who never come (and have some moderately apostate ideas, like the Holy Ghost is more important than God the Father and Jesus Christ and is the one that commands in all things.... okay maybe super apostate) but they came all together to church! It was basically the best thing ever. We learned this week that she totally has a testimony of like everything and knows a lot, but she is rebellious and is scared of change. She is one of those teenagers who basically just does what she wants, but she is cool. We are hoping to make some good progress this week and get her a baptismal date for the 19th of October. Pray a lot for her!

- Some really sketchy stuff happened here in San Lucho and the legal system is a piece of junkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk and I don´t understand how they make their decisions sometimezzzzzzzzzz but whatevs

So many things I could say about my beloved Colombia these days. But I shall refrain. lol

The scriptures are really cool. Also they are really good for teaching us stuff preeeeetty clearly. Like how the Godhead totally isn´t one person with three names, shapes, and forms, but it is three people with one purpose. If you have doubts, read the New Testament. Or just read Matthew 3 when Jesus is baptized and all three members of the Godhead present themselves in different forms. Or in Acts 7 when Stephen (I don´t remember if he spells it Stephen or Steven or whatever in english. Esteban.), while full of the Holy Ghost, sees God the Father and Jesus Christ at his side. Hmmmm. Interesting, eh? SO this week when some investigators of ours the other day told us that there church taught that they were only one person, we (lovingly and with the Spirit, calm down) helped them understand the truth. It was a nice experience. My comp and I were reading this one talk the other day from the past General Conference (WHICH btw I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS WEEKEND) where one of the 12 (I shamefully forgot who, was it D. Todd Christofferson??) said that basically the most important truth we need to learn at the start of everthing is the nature of the Godhead, and that was one of the worst things that these days is all confusing. (BTW that talk is like crazy powerful for us as missionaries. Maybe when you heard it, it was just kinda normal, but for us it was like out of control because he explains super plainly like the basics of everyting and many of the things that a lot of people don´t have so clearly these days. read it again from the standpoint of a person with no or a mixed-up understanding of the Godhead.) So yeah. good times, yo.

Oh, also,

I have a formal declaration:

THIS IS A FORMAL DECLARATION AGAINST SPOUSAL ABUSE. 

Thank you, that was a formal declaration against spousal abuse.

Um so yeah well I don´t have much esle I can say right now, but I always accept emails, letters mailed by snails, DearElders, and candy. 

I hope life is wonderful and you all are super happy and stuff because life is pretty cool and if you are sad you should stop being sad and think about how God doesn´t want you to be sad. IF that part isn´t super clear, go looking for some of the stuff that he has given you to make you happy. YEAH there is a lot, huh? just remember the lot and forget how sometimes stuff goes against you (or we just think it does because we can´t see the big picture like God does) because the good stuff is almost more plentiful, stronger, and super awesome.

I LOVE THE WORLD

Elmer Praff

SAN LUCHO KEEPS FIGHTING

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Hello.

Welcome to this weeks email.

Enjoy.

WEEK OF FIRSTS:

- FIRST baptism in San Luis HOLLAAAAAA

- FIRST time I learned how to knit using two knitting needlezzzzz

- FIRST hillside fire while in Bogotá that almost shut down our access to the city (there was crazzzzy traffic on Saturday when we were going to the baptism and we eventually got off the bus and walked down the mountain so we could make it in time. We walked for like almost 2 hours and still got there before the people who stayed on the bus)

- FIRST time I accidentally went to Bogotá Sur because this crazy bus didn´t stop for like 45 minutes and took us like 2 streets outside of our mission limits (don´t worry we already talked to Pres lol)

- FIRST time duing my mission I witnessed an investigator get baptized and not get confirmed the next day (don´t worry it wasn´t our little Daniel - that kid is gold)

- FIRST other thing that I can´t remember but was crazy too

So yeah this week was pretty cool. Daniel is so great. he is only 9 but he is like powerful. this week we were teaching him and his family (who are almost ready to be baptized - pray a lot for Paola!) and he was like totally dominating the world and telling this one guy who was there that he needed to stop drinking and repent if he wanted to get saved and baptized and really repent. also he explained to his mom and grandma during the appointment the difference between the influence of the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost perfectly. HE IS SO GREAT ITS AMAZING. Also his recent-convert grandma is totally teaching me how to knit which is like the second most legit thing of my life. Im totally making a scarf right now.

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT OF THE WEEK:

- This is a formal invitacion to read the lyrics of the hymn, "I Stand All Amazed" and really think about it, not just think about how sometimes the hymn feels like it goes slow or how you sing it like twice a month in sacrament meeting. YEah. I knew your thoughts. But seriously. its soo good. like crazy powerful. Also the song "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" and pay attention to the line at the end of every verse that says, "...if I could see the Savior standing by, watching over me." He is ALWAYS there and ALWAYS watching and ALWAYS ready to help us and stuff. We just need to make sure we are doing our part. 

AND REMEMBER if there is disobedience it is because we don´t understand well enough or have the faith sufficient. Think about that a bit.

My time is short today but thought I´d senbd some pics, some love, and some appreciation. I hope life ins wonderful in (the place where you are)!

(cyber-hearts),

Elder Pratt

A WEEK OF THINGS

I am struggling to come up with good titles nowadays

This week was a week of lots of exciting little things. Here is a list of some exciting little things:

- I saw a mall cop on a Segway (or however you spell that) with training wheels. Instead of 2, it had 4

- I ate a burrito from Taco Bell, the second burrito I have had in 7 months.

- We almost had a precious baby dog of one of the members of the branch spend the night in our house but we decided not to - REVELATION cause we learned the next day it wasn´t potty-trained

- My companion has seen Space Jam and we spent like a half hour quoting it (and by a half hour I mean like 5 maybe 10 minutes but they were some spectacular minutes)

This week has also had lots of exciting little things about missionary work. Here is a list of some exciting little things about missionary work:

- We have a couple of investigators (Jair and Sandra) who are totally keeping their commitments with like the readings and pamphlets we leave them and they love the members of the church and ARE ALREADY MARRIED OH MY WORD ITS A MIRACLE they are so great it is like a sweet experience everytime we go teach them. Like how DC 88 says it, we don´t just teach and cool, but we are all spiritually edified.

- We have another investigator who is super cool and her mom just got baptized and her kid is getting baptized this week and she just decided to get separated from her abusive, alcoholic, live-in boyfriend and she is gonna progress more!

- Vanessa, the non-member daughter in a less-active family and sister of a girl in the branch who is leaving on a mission tomorrow, totally found out she has a testimony of the Joseph Smith and the restauration (im not sure if thats how you spell it in english and am embarrassed) and that is like a huuuuuuuge deal. It was a super crazy good visit.

MESSAGE OF THE WEEK:

LOVE EVERYONE. stop being haters and judging, yo. if you are going to be judging, do it at home alone on your on time. Read Mark 3:15-17 (I think thats the right reference). Jesus (aka the church and the Gospel) is for the sick, not the people who are perfect. We are all trying to get better, just in different ways soemtimes. Love everyone. I know sometimes its hard, but trying isnt going to hurt. In fact you might actually surprise yourself and love them a tiny bit. Try it. It is like super cool and makes everyone happier, that I know for sure. Help to gather those who maybe dont feel as loved. do something small, even a text or something, to show you are thinking about them and care. I triple dog dare you, so now you can´t back down or I will call you a woosy.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Sincerely, (this is like the 4th time in my life I am ending a letter with sincerely)

Elmer Praff

P.S. READ ALMA 29

THE FIGHT CONTINUES IN SAN LUCHO

Saludos from....... San Luis!!! They didn´t transfer me nor my comp so we are still here working in the outskirts of Bogotá. It is hard sometimes because it is a town on the side of the mountain and we basically are hiking all day, but it is an awesome people and we have some great investigators.

FUN FACTS FROM MY LIFE THESE DAYS:

- I am reading the New Testament still and am finding some cool scriptures. They are some burried gems here. Also, lots of really funn scriptures. Like Romans Chapter 14 verse 20 that says (I´m translating so the wording might be a bit different), "No destruyas la obra del Señor por causa de la comida." which is really really funny and actually has some uses, which is fun.

- We were standing outside yesterday waiting for a bus to come by and a dog urinated on one of our companions which was just about the funniest thing that has happened in my life.

- As missionaries, we have some rules like we can´t hug people (well women) and stuff like that and you know what, I think that is an absolutely great rule (especially when there are crazy ladies in your ward who come all up in your grill and you need an excuse to get them off and run away). That said, who doesn´t like a little hug now and then? SOLUTION: dogs. not the crazy dogs in the street, but the dogs of nice members of the ward and investigators who are little and nice and sit on your lap while you pet them and yeah. there are some precious little dogs here in San Luis and it is just great. And yes, you all have permission to laugh at me becuase I am also laughing at myself.

- speaking of dogs, wow there are so many dogs here. Like maybe more dogs than people. and everywhere. and they are annoying sometimes and do sketchy stuff. One bit my comp the other day (just a tiny tiny bit calm down mom) and the next day we went by there again and it came up to my comp so he kicked it in the face (and softly calm down everyone) and it hasnt bothered us since. Nor its buddies. sounds like they learned a lesson to not mess with the dudes in suits. Problem solved.

I feel bad for not having sent pics and you guys have no idea of what my life looks like here(well mostly because we took some wicked awesome pics that I am super proud of and well I want to brag). But today we finally found internet with a working USB port and I will be send some your way promptly. You´re welcome.

SCRIPTURE STORY FOR THE WEEK:

so lets all turn in our Book of Mormons- wait no its Books of Mormon- wait no its ummmmmmmmmmm

so lets all turn in our copies of the Book of Mormon to Moroni 7. Please read this chapter (whith special emphasis on the back half) placing special attention to the words Faith, Hope, Charity. These are 3 very special attributes of Christ (please see Preach My Gospel Chapter 6 for more info). Analyze these three attributes. Pay close attention to how we need to have these more in our lives, following the example of Christ. It is pretty crazy. Like we can do everything perfect, but if we don´t have charity, it doesn´t do us much good. Think of three ways in your life your are charitable. Keep it up. Think of three things (and specific things) that you could do to be a bit more charitable. Make plans to accomplish this goal. Do it. Pay attention to how good you feel after. Yeah. That´s right. It´s kinda hard to describe but you feel really good, huh? Wash, rinse, repeat, and pass it on. Make it a weekly process, this self-analyzation. Watch the blessings flow to you and others (maybe even to others through you).

I love you all and hope your lives are wonderful!!

Elmer Praff (now my name is a running joke and the other elders here and some members tell everyone that I am Elmer Praff and its just easier, they understand better so I let it go)

HOWDY

I don´t know why I like saying howdy so much I´m not even from the south or anything

but

HOWDY!

I hope all is well in wherever you all are. Life here in Colombia is totally life in Colombia. Today during P´day we went down to Bogotá and were in a mall and it is a super new and nice mall and it was also like a really rich kinda mall and had a bunch of Gringo stores and I felt like I was in the USA again. They even had gringo music and I could speak english with one of my Latin homies. It was crazy. Then we got on the bus to go back up to San Luis and it was soooooooooo full (like people on top of each other full) and crazy and I totally had another "we´re-not-in-kansas-anymore" moment. But it still way cool. Colombia and the mission are a blast!

Well my life is cool right now. San Luis is a super cool branch with some really awesome people. The work here is moving along really well. We have transfers this next week and if they transfer me I am going to be super bummed because Elder Chauque and I have PLANS YO. We have these two awesome families that just have to get a bit more assurity (pretty sure thats spelled wrong) and (of course) get married (because we are in Colombia lol) and we will have two great families added to the branch here. We are kicking booties and takin names. Missionary work is a blast.

I am short on time this week but Ihope you all are doing great and I love you! If I find a blasted computer that works right one of these days I´ll send some photos! Ciao!!!

Elmer Plaff (I´m serious the people here call me this)

It is hard to understand people who talk fast and have no teeth

YO YOY YOP YO YOOOOO 

Howdy y´all.

San Luis is going wonderfully. This area is crazy hills. Like we never walk more than ten steps on flat ground. we are always going uphill or downhill.  It is a workout yo but it is full of great people. 

This week was full of funny little stuff. Like when:

- We were having a district meeting with 6 missionaries in the chapel and proselyting Jehovah´s Witnesses came and knocked on the chapel door and started to try to Bible Bash with us. That sure was enjoyable.

- When we contacted some people and they invited us to come visit them and one of the daughters said, "Great, let´s kill a chicken!" CULTURE SHOCK I´m deffy not in Kansas or Utah or California or anywhere over there anymore

- This one 50 year old guy we were contacting said these words: "My mom is Catholic and bless her heart but since I have grown up I´ve come to realize that that is probably the most incorrect church out there." Then he started saying all this mean stuff and we had to stop him cause even like I was getting offended adn I´m not even Catholic. We were just like woah chill dude they are like super good people just calm down lets not just talk smack about them. But man it was also kinda funny I can´t lie. First and last time I will hear someone say that in this country haha

But otherwise it was a pretty good week of work. We are meeting a lot of new people and getting some progressing investigators. We´re praying for a marriage/baptism to go down on the 21st of September of the excellent family. Life is great!

Sorry I haven´t sent photos but all of the good internet cafes were closed and the one I´m at doesn´t work with my USB for some reason but it´s a work in progress. I have some pretty swell photos to send down your way.

I hope all is well and you are all doing great! Read the talk from Jeffery R. Holland from last conference! It´s sooooo goood!

<3

Elder Frack (yep like nobody here can say my name either)

I dislike Regueton/Reggaeton

Regueton/Raggaeton is a type of music down here (that I have no idea how to spell) and it is terrible (And it is not Raggae because raggae is splendid) and a car just passed by this internet cafe and it had it playing really loud so I thought I would dedicate the title of this email to it.

wellllllLLLlLlLLLLLLllLl Howdy! I hope your week was a lot less crazy than mine!

First of all, TRANSFERZZZZZ! Transfers are supposed to be in like 3 weeks but because of some stuff that went down in other areas they transfered me and took me away from Zipa on Friday morning. I was SO BUMMED. They took me away from my investigators, my child (Elder Galleguillos still had 3 weeks left of training), and my birthplace (of the mission). It was a very sad morning, but now I´m working in an area called San Luis! It is a pueblo on the side of a mountain in Bogotá and it is super cool. They have an awesome branch with a weekly attendance of about 90 in a tiny chapel-house. It is so great. There are some wonderful people here. My new comp´s name is Elder Chauque and he is from Argentina and is really cool. Also fun is that my comp and I are opening an area! San Luis has never had 4 missionaries, so we have to find our way around this maze of a pueblo and find investigators and live the good life! Also, President said he might let me go back to Zipa in a few weeks to see a baptism of a family that we were teaching and was gonna get baptized the 31st!!!!!!! That would just be splendid!!!!!

FUN FACTS:

- About 2 weeks ago, Elder Lamb who was in Zipa with us taught me how to solve a Rubix Cube. I now can solve it in less than 2 minutes and the other day I did it one-handed in about 8.5 minutes. STILL A NERD AND LOVE IT

- Gabriel (from Zipa, the super cool old guy) got cooler in my eyes. The other day Elder Galleguillos and I realized that he basically is the old guy from the movie Up. Also he fixes umbrellas. Also he watches Lassie. Also he has a giant rifle in his house that is almost taller than he is.

- Ryan Balzer, homie from FV, is in my same district here now after the transfers. HOLLAAAAA

- One of the counselors in our Branch Presidency here in San Luis looks just like the lead singer of The Format/Fun.

- I MADE AREPAS AND THEY WERE DELICIOUS

- If you ever wondered why the song All You Need is Love by The Beatles sounds a bit off rhythmically, it is because it switches from 7/8 to 8/8 a bunch of times and is awesome. (I heard it on a bus, calm down hahha)

Also wow Preach My Gospel is so good. READ AND ENJOY

Also I saw a video of the last testimony of Gordon B Hinkley in a chapel in England and it is so powerful I cried no joke. Look it up, yo. It is from May 25, 2005

Well time is short and I have a pueblo to teach. I hope all of you are doing well and life is treating you great!

With an excessive amount of love, 

Elder Pratt

P.S. SHOUT OUT TO JORDAN SMITH REYNOLDS WHO GETS HOME FROM HIS MISSION THIS WEEK

THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER

THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER

so we have this lady here who got baptized like a year ago and is cool and really friendly and yeah but for some family circumstances, is not active right now. BUT the other day, she was telling us about this dream she had before she got baptized. It was so amazing, we asked her to draw it out for us, and here is what she did. One night, she had prayed and asked if the Book of Mormon was true. that night, she had this dream. I could explain the whole thing to you if I had the time here at the internet, but basically she had Lehi´s Tree of Life dream. Absolutely incredible. In the drawing you can see:
- the tree
- the fruit, which she said was the most sweet and delicious thing she had ever tasted
- her and her family partaking of the fruit and knelt down by the tree
- her husband standing outside with his arms crossed (he didn't end up getting baptized)
- a bridge they had to cross and to cross they had to hold on super tightly so they didn't fall in the dark chasm (also her husband didnt cross the bridge either, again there with his arms crossed)
aaaaand much more. Absolutely amazing.

WHEN YOU READ THIS I WILL HAVE 6 MONTHS IN THE MISSION

I have decided that I get out of control with caps sometimes and if it bothers you, I apologize. Its just how else can I express emotion through a keyboard?

WELLllllllllllllll how are you all doing? I hope life is wonderful. Things here in Zipa keep getting weirder and cooler at the same time!

This week had some BUMMERS. Sadness from and investigator who had a baptism date (we had some crazy experiences with her and this was going to be the most amazing baptism ever) for this coming Saturday who just like starting saying she never had time to meet and told a member who is a friend of hers that she didn´t want to meet with us anymore. Suuuuuuper sad. I was like mad and sad and everything all at once, but it´s all good. We are going to stop by her house tomorrow and try to surprise her and figure out what happened. Major bummer.

Buuuuuut its all good because the Lord has prepared some other people in Zipa. One of them is the niece from some members from Bogotá. She is 14 and has a stronger testimony and understanding of the doctrine that a lot of people who have been members for years. We found her last week when her aunt and uncle were visiting and she came to church here in Zipa instead of going in Bogotá with them. She even came to seminary this week and gave a talk in church yesterday! She is gonna get baptized this Saturday!!!!!!!

I finished reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish this week! It was an awesome day. Now I have the goal to finish the New Testament by the end of the month. I am in Luke and trucking along strong, but the Book of Mormon is just, well, better. Like the New Testament tells us about Christ´s life and some of the apostles and stuff and its super cool, but the Book of Mormon is just out of control. The testimony of Jesus Christ that it carries is much more than just facts or killer stories. It really helps understand who he was, why he is so important, and what we need to do to really take advantage of the Atonement in our lives. It is spectacular. There is a reason why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is so strong: The Book of Mormon is the cornerstone. And I don´t care how many times who have put it to the test, do it again! Just wait and let the Spirit fill you up and let that testimony grow!

Just so you all know, I am officially the captain of putting stickers in my scriptures. I think next week I will send a pic. I really like putting the tab kinda stickers in my scriptures to mark things and i think I got out of hand a bit. They are just so useful and helpful! but whatever, its all good haha.

Also new fun fact, my comp is getting pretty good at English. with all the gringo-ness and English in the house these days with Elder Lamb and Ringwood, my comp has picked up a lot. It is so awesome (especially when Elders Lamb and Ringwood teach him phrases like "How YOU doing?" and other stellar stuff like that). We totally can talk in English if I talk really slow and explain a word or two here and there. He is doing great! Also Elder Ringwood has gotten crazy better at Spanish with them chatting. gooood times, yo. Good times.

If you want to fall in love, listen to Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, as sung by Freddy Ashby. You will instantly question everything in your life that has kept you from listening to this song and rethink all of the choices you have ever made. I am only exagerrating a very tiny bit.

I hope life for you all is going great and I miss you! Keep up your prayers and doing those small things and like Alma 37 says, the big things will come, even the salvation of souls. Just keep doing your part and the blessings will flow! Also you all should watch the Joseph Smith movie (the hour-ish one) and then cry like small child. A very very small child.

I love you all!

Elder Pratt

Woah

Yo yo yo.

SOOOOOOOOOOoooOOOooOOOOO life is about to get interesting here in ZZZZZZipa.

Life was pretty normal this week, except last night we learned about the transfers for these next weeks. 

For those who don´t know, right know when missionaries leave the MTC or CCM or whatever it is, they are in training with an older missionary for 12 weeks (2 transfers) to help them learn the ropes and focus a bit more on the what and how of missionary work so they get a good grasp and example and stuff. I, as of yesterday, just finished my two tranfers of training with Elder Sanahuano. And now, most missionaries go along with normal work for a transfer or two and then they might train or something. Wellllll the mission president and apparently God have other plans for me right now. Tomorrow, a brand new elder fresh out of the CCM will be coming to the mission to be trained by me. AHHHHHHHHHHHH (that was not a sigh, but a scream). I am all kinds of nervous, excited, thrilled (in the positive and negative sense of the word), and nervous again. I can´t tell you how many times I´ve reflected on the scripture in 1 Nephi 3:7 (if you dont know it go and read the story and the verse - pretty powwerful stuff). I don't know how yet, but the Lord is gonna provide a way for me to do it. Tomorrow afternoon, I meet my new companion. PRAY FOR MEEEEEEEEE

other news:

- I got a few letters in the mail!!!!!!!!!!!  Just so y´alls know which ones arrived, I got one form Grandma Baker, 3 from Brian and Aubrey and the kids (the pics were a hit with the other missionarioes), 2 from the Stake Pres there in HB, and a packet with some notes from The Primary in the ward. Thanks fo reveryone! It means liek ten billions of awesomes. Seriously. I counted the awesomes and it came out an even ten billion.

- I heard spanish versions of Hotel California by The Eagles and The Reason by Hoobastank

- WARD COUNCILS HERE IN OUR BRANCH ARE BLOODY BATTLES OF HEAD CUTTING DOCTRINE. Next week i am bringing popcorn. I literally laughed out loud during it with my companions because of how ridic it got. it was freaking fantastic.

- Belén gave a talk in church. A real life talk like a member of a thousand years. Man that was like the coolest thing ever.

I love you all! Keep me in your prayers, you all stay in mine!

Elder Prattttttttttt.