Elder Ivie Chillin' On the Mission: Amor Perfecto! (22nd email)

Opa che these weeks are just flying, I am starting to see how a misión is a ¨sweet dream¨dad! Next week is changes week already and this time I might be transferred. Im not quite sure but we will have to see, I love it here and I love my comp. So Im definitely not itchin to get out of here. And as usual dont forget my pday is on Tuesday instead of Monday. Anyways ¡Feliz Marzo! how are you guys doin?!? Spring is probably comin right around the corner. Can you believe that conference is in a month? Im pretty darn pumped if you ask me! My week was super good as usual Elder Western has been putting me in some uncomfortable positions to take the lead and talk more. Because I got to be honest my Spanish is progressing just the only thing that is missing is talking more. I still got a Little bit of the shy Tyler in me. However its been super good, I have already seen a good amount of progress and confidence in myself. Elder Western laughs at me sometimes because he remembers trying to learn Spanish and trying to talk to people. I really appreciate him though for giving me lots of opportunities to speak because thats the only way I´m going to learn how to speak. It was a super normal during the week but the Lord blessed us this Sunday with a new investigator in the church and a menos activo couple that we have been visiting for like 5 weeks. This Little awesome dude named B is our new investigator. We went to go visit a new menos activo (sorry less active, I am just so used to spanish) family in Santa Bernandina, a town across Rio Yi about 25 minutes walking distance from our house. We visited with the Mom that went menos activo for no reason and her Little 9 year son named B. We found out that he hasnt been baptized and the only reason why its been put off is because the family has been inactive for about a year! The Lord´s hand is in His work, it took us awhile to contact the family but with much diligence they came back to church this week! I know me and Elder Western are just the instruments here the Spirit helped them come back to church I just know it. I felt like a little kid at Disneyland when I saw the mom and B walk in through those doors yesterday! J And it was quite the miracle the menos activo couple came, I gotta admit I was really shocked. They have been promising to come to church for 5 weeks and nothing. They work on a farm just the 2 of them but somehow they found time to come to church, I know that was the Spirit too. Because interestingly enough Saturday night while they were sleeping some of the dogs from the neighborhood all gained up on one of his cows and killed it! Pretty gross and he was too happy about the whole situation. I know the Spirit comforted and told them to go because there is no way we could have convinced them to go. That was the big news with our investigators this week.

This past week for my spiritual thought I have been thinking a lot about Christlike love just like last week. Dad thanks for your insights last week it sounds like we were thinking sort of the same things. Its so true if we have Christlike love, we will be better at teaching the góspel because it changes our attitude and ability to have the Spirit stronger. I read a scripture this week in 1 Nephi 19:9 it talks about what the people did to Jesus Christ right before he was crucified and it is just horrible and almost too sad to read. But at the end it says he supported all of it because he had perfect love for the people. I don't know about you but it would be super hard for me to love someone spitting, hitting, and making fun of me. Innocent and perfect Jesus bared it without a doubt because he loved them unconditionally. I read a quote in Preach My Gospel this week that says something like this…strive to be a Christlike missionary not a person that does missionary things. Its always a challenge to love someone who rejects or slams a door in your face. But this is what I have been working on this week. Its changed my attitude and the Lord was willing to bless me and my comp. With mucho éxito esta semana! Oh yeah and this week we had the amazing opportunity as a zone to go to the temple!! Soo awesome its been 4 months since I went which isnt even that much time but compared to before it is. It was super cool to focus on the whole Plan of Salvation perspective side of it because I definitely understand it more being on a misión. It is so essential for every person and to just help someone fulfill that essential ordinance makes the experience incredibly special!

Thats the goods, I love it here fam! I still miss your food Momma and I always will but thanks for the Valentines card Momma I teared up a little. I almost forgot it is March Madness time!! Are BYU and the Badgers in it? Tooo sick wonder how mad it will get this year. Interesting to hear about Jimmer we will see what happens. Hope he gets lots of playing time. Alright thats all I got love you guys so so so so much pday is on Tuesday dont forget! Hasta proxima semana chaocito!

Love your son, Elder Ivie