Growing up (Week 43)

Happy Monday family!
This week has been amazingly COLD. Winter is officially here in Tarija
and I am just like enjoying EVERY SINGLE MINUTE because I know that I
will never freeze my toes off like this again. So I am just keeping
the smile going and loving life. The cold is so humid and down to the
bone. 5 layers dont do any justice. But the good thing is there are
always things like socks made out of alpaca that can help save the
day. And a nice warm shower. Thank you, nice house.

This past week we went to a place called the Casa Vieja, or old
house that is famous for its wine!! We didnt try any, even though it
was free, but it was so beautiful and I cant wait to send some
pictures. I love Tarija and I love that we can just enjoy the culture!
This past week something really fun happened: So I decided to laminate
my family photos just so that I can be super prideful of my family and
show them off to everyone. So I started with the family that gives us
lunch each day and they were SO AMAZED at how beautiful Ellyn was. My
pensions son even wants to marry Ellyn. I hope its a joke. But
needless, they asked if they could keep ellyns picture and I was like
WHY NOT? And then Hna Morales put it next to her FAMILY PHOTOS. Hahaha
I took a picture of it and youll see it in a few.
Oh, big shout out to GALE VAN PATTEN for sending me a super sweet
card. You are amazing. 
So this week has been one of those growing up weeks. Well, I called it
that about a week ago. So I decided it was time to grow up because I
am almost 20, I have FINALLY found reason to shave each day like it
says in the Missionary Handbook, and I feel kind of old. So I decided
to Budget my money, for the first time EVER, and just try and be
organized. And the whole money thing is going REALLY well. Turns out
going to the grocery store once a week is A LOT better than going to
get fast food each day. WHAT A CONCEPT! (Thanks, Mother.) But besides
that, Ive been losing more things. I left my copy of mission pictures
in a taxi, and the taxi didnt want to let us visit him so I dont have
his contact info (for the record, my original copy is safely en route
to the US… hopefully it gets there). And like it was one of those
moments where I just had to suck it up and just go on with life. A few
days later, I lost my gloves too, but an angel left them out on the
Street for me to receive the next day! AWESOME! So with all of that, I
have been feeling a little bit lost. I see that so many times we feel
like we are trying to get to a better place, but we are just being
pushed farther and farther back. But then something happened this week
that I want to share with you: So I have had more chances to share the
problems my family has passed through. Last night, I spoke to a family
about how even though my dad was sick and suffering a lot at home, I
had the ability to be in Bolivia because I knew that we would be a
forever family. That my family is keeping their promises that each of
us has made with God and that nothing can separate us now. The man we
spoke to was just in awe of the power I had in my testimony. As we
finished the lesson, and invited him to baptism and he accepted the
invite, he also prayed intently for my family. He prayed that they
would be blessed for their sacrifices and have peace. That stuck out
to me that my trials are for a reason. For me to grow and appreciate
that I am imperfect.

A few hours later, we walked up a super steep hill to get home and my
legs were hurting and my back too and I was super cranky and then I
paused for a second and turned around. I saw a beautiful view of
Tarija and I was filled with love for the new view I could see because
I had climbed that hill. Had I not suffered the hard walk, not only
would I have missed the view, I wouldnt have been able to return Home.
It is the same with our lives, my dear friends. The hills may be
steep, the frustration may be too much sometimes, but we must return
Home to our Heavenly Father. He has sent us here to learn, to grow,
and to come to Him with a greater view of who we are. That we can
become like He is and that we, too, can help many others. I know that
we can. In my sisters room, she has a poster of yoda that says DO OR
DO NOT, THERE IS NO TRY. But that isnt true with God. Because He wants
to see us try and try again. He knows that without falling, we can
never rise to greater heights. He wants us to become like our Savior
one day at a time.
I'm trying to be like Jesus;
I'm following in his ways.
I'm trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say.
At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,
But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers,
Love one another as Jesus loves you.
Try to show kindness in all that you do.
Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,
For these are the things Jesus taught."

I invite each of you to try and be a little more like Him this week.
Let us all work together and try to find ourselves as we lose
ourselves in the service of others. Ill let you know next week how my
own challenge goes. I love you all, I pray for you, and my
investigators are doing fine. No baptisms set up for this week, but we
need some more help from the Ward. Please pray that we will receive
that help so that the investigators progress.

For a dollar!
Elder Risueño