Nina was baptized!! and I got to Skype for Christmas !!!

Monday - we went to Spetus while we were in Chuy, a little expensive but totally worth it, the only bad thing is that I couldn’t eat more, and they brought it so fast. I could never finish my plate because they brought a new meat every 30 seconds. Then we just did some Christmas shopping. Then we stayed in Rocha because the Christmas conference for half the mission is tomorrow.

Tuesday -  we left at about 5ish to go to Montevideo, then we had the conference. It was really good, we talked a lot about the saviour and what he has done for us, and how he was the greatest gift that God could give and that we could receive. Then we left at 4ish, and I got a little surprise from Jake! haha He made a homemade planner for me, it’s hilarious, my whole zone was dying laughing from it. So we got to Rocha at about 8:30 and the only other bus was at 10 so we got home around 11 and were dead tired so we went right to bed.

Wednesday - in the morning we went to watch Nina and Michael get married!!!!! It was cool to be a part of, kinda felt like I was a part of Ty’s wedding, just in a tiny Uruguayan court room. Then we taught Antonio, who we challenged to baptism but he turned us down sadly, but now we know! So we might keep working with him,  we might not, he just doesn’t ever want to read or pray. 

Thursday - haha so today we were walking to an investigators house and we walked past a future, and I knocked on his door. So we talked and started to teach him, so I asked if we could start with a prayer, and he didn't want to pray outside so we went inside, and his grandma was sitting there. So we taught them both and got 2 new investigators, haha we got a 2 for 1, went for 1 and left with 2!!!! Then we went to a less active, and went home!

Friday - I had an intercambio with Elder Paulson, he’s got like 6 months. He is a pretty good missionary for his time, but we had a good day. We just walked aloooottt! We had to get the keys to the baptismal font to get clothes for Nina and Michael. So we walked about 40 minutes to the other side of town to get the keys, then 20 mins back to the church, so we were figuring everything out, and realized the pump to suck the water out of the font doesn't work, so we tried to figure that out but didn’t, found clothes and went home

Saturday - so I stayed in Rocha and we went to the font to check everything out. So I went inside the font and cleaned it all out while everyone was watching me. I cleaned it all with a rag then filled it up for the baptism. Then my comp came with Nina and Michael, and they had their interviews. Sadly Michael cant be baptized this week because he’s still smoking. So we put a goal for next week. But I think it’s better for him so he understands really how important it is to stop smoking and follow Christ. But Nina got baptized, first baptism in 1 and a half years here in La Paloma!!!!!! Haha it was a weird baptism because normally there’s members, but it was just 8 missionaries and them, but it was still a great moment. Then we went over to Juan Torres house for Christmas Eve. We stayed there til 12 playing cards and eating a roast! We watched the lamest fireworks show, they lasted about 9 minutes and you have to wait for the sounds of it shoot then try to find where it is, because they shoot up randomly all over the place.

Sunday - CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!! Wooohooo I opened up some of my gifts! So in sacrament I confirmed Nina, blessed the sacrament by myself then gave an improvised talk about christmas that I found out about at the last minute, but I love them. The best thing was Skyping the family, even though it was on a crappy small laptop. The only thing was it didn’t really feel like christmas for me. I don’t know, everything  just kinda felt fake, like I was just watching a movie. But yea thats really all that happened today, other than that I got pretty sick in the night and ran to the bathroom like 4 times in the night. 

So yea this week was really good, we got to see Nina get baptized, even though Michael didn't get baptized this week because he's still smoking. I think this is what’s best for him to fully understand what he’s doing. Also we did a decent amount of walking, my legs will be a little sore from that, and we got to Skype our families!!!!!!! That was the best part of the week, seeing all of them together having fun, I got pretty homesick afterwards but all in all it was really good!

Love,

Elder Grigor

So much meat !!! 

Elder Grigor with his Mission President and his family 

Micheal and Nina's wedding day 

The wedding 

Elder Grigor with Nina and Micheal 

Elder Grigor with Nina at her baptism. Such a great day! 

Nina had her baby!!!

Monday December 19th, 2016 

Tuesday - well in the morning at like 5:30 Michael came knocking at our door asking for money, to buy food (2nd time) and at first I was mad (cuz we don’t have that much money), but then I realized I was being pretty prideful, because they don’t have money until next Tuesday and she’s pregnant, so I had some money that I saved up for my emergency fund from this change and used it to buy them some food, I’ll send some pics it only cost about 500 pesos (15 dollars) so we wanted to make it a surprise that is wasn't us, so we bought everything and started walking to their house and we saw Michael getting onto his bike, so we hid around a warehouse and he started coming towards us, so we ditched the food in the warehouse and talked to him, then when he left we booked it to his house and placed the food but he came around the corner and saw us! haha nooooo!!!!! but oh well, then we took pics, then we did some service cleaning up the beach.

Wednesday - NINA HAD HER BABY!!!! haha everything went good, a bouncing baby boy (I don’t know why I used that phrase but ok). umm not much else happened, walked a lot, oh we taught our dueña (landlord) and she said that she stopped going to church because the presidents wife (the music conductor) always stood in the middle of the church, and one day she only stood on the left side and "forgot" about the people on the right, so we helped her with that.

Thursday - absolutely nothing happened today, just walked around all day, did a couple contacts here and there, we did meet a guy from the states who said someone from Edmonton would be coming down in 2 weeks, so looks like I’ll be talking to them real soon, maybe see if they know you guys!

Friday - had zone conference in the morning, finally got a new planner, I’ve been planing my weeks and days on the tiny little part in the back (for anyone who knows the planners know you know what I’m talking about. But it was good, then afterwards we went to visit Nina and Michael in the hospital, we went there and actually started teaching them a lesson in the hospital, and gave them blessings. It reminded me of when Ashley had her baby, just in a dirty Uruguayan hospital. Then we had a branch christmas activity, (which we did everything for, called all the members, cleaned and set up the church. Then president bought the food. But it was good, about 20 or more came, and a less active family. 

Saturday - so Michael wanted to surprise Nina today with rings for the wedding, (but he didn’t have money so he asked for some 180 each rings (pesos)) so we went looking with him but we couldn't find anything, then we had a noche de hogar with the Torres family, so we went there at 7:30 and Hermano Torres wasn’t there, so we waited outside his house for an hour talking with his mom, and I sat in sap!!!!!!!  I didn’t really realize and while we were waiting we started fencing with sticks, then we had a stick pulling contest like in Joseph Smith’s time, (I won about 50 times), but I sat in the dirt so that mixed with the sap looked like I crapped my pants. So by the time Hermano Torres got there (his motorbike broke down) we had to leave. So we left and went to a store, (with my pants looking like I pooped myself) and people were all looking at me weird. I thought, well I know they looked weird at missionaries here but not like this... then I remembered. 

Sunday - went to church with Nina and Michael, haha they came! 3 days after having a baby! About 20 people came, so then we had a lesson with them afterwards, so we watched Between Heaven and Earth, a movie about temples, and we talked about that, and almost at the end a massive storm came through like mini hurricane! Sand a mini river came through their house(and I didn’t bring a canoe) haha so we found the problem, it was under the sink, and I opened the cupboard and I opened the flood gates, haha a crap ton of water came pouring out and soaked me, so then we cleaned up all the water for the next hour and let the storm settle a little, and Michael fixed the sink. So then we finished the lesson there. haha but it was an interesting lesson, haha one of the funniest I think. 

Monday - woke up at 5:00 to go to Chuy, and it’s still raining here, so I’ll just be in stores all day, looking for christmas things to buy!

Yea all in all it was a good week, a lot of walking, had a lot of lessons with Nina and Michael getting them ready for baptism. Haha we taught them in the hospital and when a mini river started in their house from the huge storm we had. We are hoping everything goes good with the baptism, it’s gonna be this Saturday, so far everything with Nina is good but Michael is still smoking, so we need your help to pray for him!!!!!

Love Elder Grigor

The massive pen that attacked my pen!!!!!! in the shower. 

Delivering food for Micheal and Nina 

Nina and Michael 

Doing service down at the beach

Cleaning up the beach 

Some sweet goggles I found 

Selfies at the beach 

We cleaned up a lot of garbage at the beach 

Our little branch in La Paloma 

Elder Grigor with his branch in La Paloma 

Cleaning up at Nina and Micheal's 

Please say a few prayers for Michael

December 12th, 2016,

Wednesday - so we were checking what Nina and Michael needed to get married at the court, and asked what are the requirements for marriage (as soon as I said that I realized) then the guy asked: for you guys??? hahah Noooooo, for our friends 1 guy and 1 girl, we made ourselves very clear! They needed to buy some things in Rocha then bring them to the court with 4 people. Then we went and taught Nina and Michael (the miracle couple) about the spirit, we read Galatians 5: 22,23 and they said yea we feel all these things! Then we told them of the things they needed for marriage and we planned we would go to Rocha tomorrow. Oh also the president and his wife got new jobs so now we have exactly 0 lunches per week, but they’re going to give us dinner, but I would rather have lunch because it keeps us going for the whole day. 

Thursday - so we went to Rocha with Nina and Michael (we paid for the tickets) then bought the timbre- basically postage stamps looking things. 500 pesos and we realized that me and Zacarias could have come alone. Then I tried to find a tailor to fix my suit. and we walked about 28 blocks there and back and she wasn't home!!! Woohoo!! SO then we went back with Nina because Michael was grabbing something somewhere and..... he didn't show up at the bus stop! haha so we left him cuz we already bought the tickets, reminded me of mom in china! Then we did all the things for their marriage and they’re getting married the 21st, and should be getting baptized the 23rd. 

Friday - umm we taught Nina and Michael again, just a normal lesson, then here in La Paloma a huge festival things called Fiesta del Mar, or sea party in English basically, and there’s been some windsurfing competitions. In the night they set up a huge concert and little fair like thing, like a mini stampede. So no one really wanted to talk to us, but there were a ton of people.

Saturday - it was suuuper hot today, I was sweating bullets when we rode to another part of town called Barrio Parque, which honestly I hate going there because we always get rejected there, always! and hahah we accidentally contacted the same house twice, in the front and the back because we thought they were different homes, then not much else happened.

Sunday - we went church with Nina and Michael, now they're only missing 1 more thing and they can be baptized, the only thing is that Michael smokes and he is super nervous because Nina is going to give birth this week. If you could pray for Michael that he could quit smoking that would help us a lot, he says he’ll quit when the baby comes, but it would still help a lot, so maybe just say a prayer even right now, just so you don't forget! Then I taught Nina and Michael principles of the gospel, and Michael said the funniest prayer to close! We need to teach him better, but he said: Heavenly father thanks for yesterday because I was hungry and then I ate and it was good. haha I almost laughed but I held it together. then the president told us that we would need to be in charge of streaming the Christmas devotional at 6:30, so we taught Nina and Michael again about the word of wisdom to help Michael, then went to the church and started the devotional- only 1 OLD lady came, then she left halfway through because it was getting cold. So we watched it because everyone was at the sea party, then President came back and gave us some cake!

So yea this week was good, we taught Nina and Michael a lot, we could use all of your help with Michael to get him to stop smoking so get saying those prayers! But now we have a date for their marriage, and also I did find a tailor in La Paloma for my suit after walking 28 blocks in Rocha for nothing. So the only thing is because nine is pregnant she could miss the next Sunday but I think President will allow it, but we just need help with Michael, also it is getting sooooo hot here! I’m sweating so much in the house, when I’m cooking, when I’m showering, it’s bad. I actually miss the cold, not crazy cold just a little cold.

Love,

Elder Grigor

The miracle happened!!!!!

December 6th, 2016 

Tuesday - I had an intercambio with Elder Vicente, it was good, we taught Antonio. We did a contact on someone who lived in the area of Elder Vicente, so I asked where they lived and they said near some place, Vicente only said: oh yea I know where that is, and nothing else, so I contacted them and set up an appointment for Vicente while he just stood there, I thought it was kinda funny

Wednesday - so we went to the beach and found Dennis fishing again, and I invited him to a lesson and he said yes! so we went to his house instead of english class and we talked a little about english but we taught him the restoration, so now we’re gonna teach him and try to get his family in the lessons too.

Thursday - Oh haha in the morning we did service at the beach cleaning it, and found  dead seal, also 2 girls (fairly good looking) came down in front of us and just kinda stood there, putting sunscreen on each other in front of us, then we moved to a different spot and they left right after that. haha only there to tempt! Then we went to Barrio Parque to try and find Jorge, the old guy with a baptismal date but he wasn't there, then next door there is a less active but she wasn't home either. So we just did a ton of contacts all day, went to the beach to skip rocks for a bit, then at night there was a big traffic jam in the plaza!!!! Muahahahaha, so we started contacting all the people in their cars haha it was pretty fun, then we went to Rocha because tomorrow is a multi-zone conference in Maldonado so we slept there, (I only brought 1 pair of clothes, forgot deodorant and my towel to shower, BUT I brought my toothbrush!)

Friday - went to Rocha at 8ish and had a really good conference about how we are the keys that open the door of salvation for people. They are searching and may not know that we are the key, but some people will recognize it, maybe they need to study it for a while but they'll recognize it, all we have to do is bring the key to them. Then we talked about teaching about the Holy Ghost and how he manifests himself. It was really good, and at lunch we ate Tortugones!!!!! (massive hamburgers basically a 5 pound hamburger) then on the way back my comp told me were would have an intercambio today because he forgot so I stayed in Rocha another night wooo!!!! Here’s to no showering or using deodorant for 2 days!!!!! yaayyy!!! but it was good I was with Elder Vera, he’s new but we had a pretty good day.

Saturday - the miracle happened!!! It was a normal day, contacting all day because we don’t have anything to do, and at like 8:20ish we were walking to the house to go to the dueña (landlord) to teach her, and we did about 110 contacts this week, We walked passed a dude who said: hey are you guys witnesses?? so we explained we weren't (and he’s from Brazil, just moved here, so I couldn’t understand too much, but my comp a little) and he asked for a Spanish bible, then we went home grabbed it and brought it too him (he lives around the corner). Then he invited us in and we met his girlfriend who’s due in 10 days (prego) and they asked where the kingdom room was, we told them we didn't know but invited them to church and they said sure!

Sunday - so we passed by their house to pick them up and showed up late to church because his wife can’t walk too fast, and we thought the night before to change the class from lessons of the Book of Mormon to the Restoration. So we basically had a lesson with member in the church teaching them and having the members testify, then it was fast and testimony meeting and someone bore their testimony about Joseph smith and how he died for the church. After they asked us to come over later that day to know more about Joseph smith. So we went over and watched Joseph Smith the Prophet of the Restoration, then taught the plan of salvation, and challenged them to baptism and they said YES!!! We said they are some requisites for baptism, and they said ok what are they so we can get baptized!!! So first they need to get married which they were planning on doing, and that can happen quick, then he smokes a little but he said he can stop! Woooo finally! But the funnny thing was, we did so many contacts the whole week, to everyone, then the person we don't talk to, talks to us and wants to get baptized! so they have a date for the 24th, a nice little Christmas present right there!!

Monday - umm basically nothing happened today, just a normal day, then we got the callll. I’m........Staying! with the same comp! which is good because we are getting along really well now.

Tuesday - bought some pizza and came to ciber

So I had a good week, had a nice little miracle there, didn't shower for 2 days, and also the water in our house has like no pressure, it just dribbles out of the shower head, because their doing work on the both roads beside our house, and the water from the faucet is super dirty too. But other than that it’s all good, but it’s getting pretty hot. 

Elder Grigor

I bought a Christmas tree and found this leaf on the road

I made a KFC double down with Milanesas, an egg and rice 

All the missionaries in my zone 

I won a free bag of chips from a boat of chips that I bought

 (there is a thing kind of like Monopoly from McDonalds, but with Lay's chips) 

My knee, it's been bugging me from the bike because the pedal is broken.

A cool bridge that was covered with water before but the water went down a lot 

Elder Grigor in La Paloma 

If we work to find the good out of the bad, something good will always happen.

November 28th, 2016 

Tuesday - so I had an intercambio with Elder cruz, my very first zone leader, it’s crazy he’s going home now, when I knew him he had 15 months. But it was good we went to the lighthouse again because we had another "free day" where all our appointments fall through and we just contact. Then we skipped rocks for a bit, taught english to Dennis, who then invited us over for lunch on Sunday!!! That was pretty sweet, then we had a lesson with Antonio, our second lesson and we taught him about the Book of Mormon and he was really interested. So he said he would study it and pray about it!!!! That is probably the most success we’ve had here. 

Wednesday - so we set up a service Project for a lady in our Ward who moved up from Montevideo, so we went there and she wasn't there, but her son said she would be coming soon, 1 hour later she arrived then we cut her lawn in her backyard. haha we used a weed whacker because no one flattens their yards here. And my comp kept hitting up tons of dirt, haha it looked pretty awful where he did it. Luckily my landscaping experience came in handy. I also made some pretty bad marks though because the ground was all bumpy. Then she made us burgers and we didn't realize what time it was, so it was 6:28 and we had english at 6:30 in La Paloma and we were 3-4 km away. So I booked it there on the bike, left my comp behind a bit, and I got there right when he was about to leave! 

Thursday - haha so all of our investigator lessons fell through but we taught some less actives. And we tried to go to Jorge, the old investigator with a baptismal date, but we mixed up the house and started teaching a crazy guy who would never let us talk, and when we would say something he would give us some extremely long complicated answer to show how "smart" he was in theology or something like that. He believed in an energy not a god. We left his house and found Jorge, but he was busy.

Friday - so we started handing out the little Light Up The World cards, we have 500 to give out before Christmas, and we have to do a contact out of every one, ask where they live stuff like that. Most people reject us but we did 25 contacts. Then we hosted (and planned) a branch activity, (I forgot to takes pics) but only 4 people came, so we played a game to get to know us, then charades, then we watched some Mormon messages on the tv. Then the branch presidnet showed up just in time to eat. (hot dogs chips and pop, but no junk food though !! ) * that is a family joke we have had for a long time :) 

Saturday - Probably the worst day, so we found what seemed to be a person who was actually interested, we went by today in the morning, she wasn't there, went by Jorge.. wasn't there, another person we contacted, wasn't there. So then we tried contacting, almost everyone rejected us, or just took a card and left without saying anything else. Then our lunch fell through, basically that was the whole day, then on top of that... it started raining!!! probably the worst day ever. But in the night a peruvian that we are friends with (cuz my comps peruvian) saved us, he made us chicken fried rice with papas a la huanacaina, basically potatoes with a good cream.

Sunday - so we had district conference in Rocha, (because Rocha isn’t big enough to be a stake) then we tried to go by a couple people but while we were contacting, we found a Peruvian who had been taught by the missionaries in Peru, so we invited her to church next week and she said: “yea I will do everything I can do to come”, because she takes care of an elderly person I think, but on Sunday she doesn’t work (I believe). Then Dennis had us over for dinner and made about 7 pizzas for us and his family, then they bought us ice cream! It’s was awesome, and haha his daughter, who’s not bad looking didn’t know we don’t give the beso (cheek kiss) and I went to give her a handshake and she pulled me in with it and gave me the beso, used my strategies against me!

Monday - so we went to Punta del este and we wanted to get torugones (a massive Burger) but we couldn't find them, but we saw the fingers! pretty cool. Then we bowled, haha it’s been so long since I’ve bowled, I was pretty rusty but I started cooking with some peanut oil at the end!

Well this week was a tough one, a lot of rejection from basically everyone, but 2 good things came out of it, first one was Antonio, it was amazing to see that in him, I didn’t think he was going to be anything, he just invited us over because he used to go out and preach for his church. Then just everything was falling through and right when I was about to give up for the day, we found the Peruvian lady, just goes to show that when bad times happens it’s a trial of our faith and diligence, and if we work to find the good things out of the bad, something good will always happen. You just gotta look. 

Love, 

Elder Grigor

"Haha, some dudes running away from us, they turned once they saw us" 

breaking an old TV they found 

Elder Grigor and his companion in Punta Del Este 

Los Dedos - "the fingers" 

Such a beautiful place! 

More companion selfie's

About to eat FOUR burgers. This boy loves his food 

YUM! lots of good food. 

"Frozen was playing while we were eating, I haven't seen those images in sooooooooo long!"

P-day fun-Bowling! 

"I don't know how I won, I played awful!"