Spike's 2/13 letter

hey!!! it sounds like your trip went awesome. i didnt even know where you guys went. but it sounds like it was an awesome trip. i love the cruises. you know i realize how blessed we are that we are able to do those kinds of things. we are so blessed mom and dad. i am so blessed to have you all in my life. i am blessed to be in the family i am born into the church. i am blessed to have health strength and be on a mission. every little thing that we have is a blessing from or heavenly father. just think about it. everything. it is trully amazing. you can probly tell that i have a thankful heart today. well this week has been one of those weeks. where i have really learned alot about myself and how blessed i am and how thankful i am for my heavenly father. each week we have to go to the house of two boys. 12 13. they are from guyana but they speak portuguese. any ways their dad is a drunk and their home is about he most poverish place you could think of. their dad is an abuser and i have seen him beat his wife. we baptized them last week. anyways they have nothing. they dont have food or beds or anything. clothes they have very little. anyways i have brought them some crackers and things even though i am not supposed to cause i have a broken heart. they have nothing. i have them in my prayers. i pray for them always. anyways we go to pick them up for church or their father does not let them go. anyways the younger boy has a broken leg i found out. his dad beats him. it is so hard to take in. anyways he dosent have crutches so i bought him a cain. i walked him to church for 2 hours. he was in so much pain agony and so tired but he would not let me take him back because the oppurtunity he has to go to church is the best time in his life. he is loved there he loves it. therefore he is willing to endure anything to go. when i brought. him. i felt 2 inches tall. this little boy has a bigger heart than i do. he thinks about church not his leg. he is willing to endure anything to be able to worship his heavenly father. how amazing is that. he is who i want to become. it is my prayer that we can all thirst for the gospel like he does and that we can perservere like him. what a great example. it is very emotional for me. anyways our baptisms wen twell. it is so crazy doing everything in another language. i llove it though. they were my first actual baptisms. we have had 17 this month and we have 3 schedualed for this sunday. how amazing is that/ we already beat our goal. the most improtant thing to remember is that we are not converting the spirit is. it is not us who are testifying, but it is the spirit. it is our heavernly fathers work. it is a privalige to be a representative of him and to take part in the gathering of isreal. so that has been awesome. my companion has had a small case of dangy.he was out for a couple days but we still have been teaching. we have found some new awsome investigators. i am pretty excited to see what happens with them. i am glad to hear that my solution got sent off. i guess my other box did come yesterday. after 1 and 1/2 months. so it is good that i will have alot of solution and i will not have to worry about it. it is a blessing it came. i have een praying about it, oh ya i think yhou will find
this amusing, when we are at church the front row is reserved for people with dogs...!!! ha ha it is hilarious. people sit in the front of the chapel with dogs. ther is like 10 every sunday. it is so different here. oh ya the city is really flat. not a hill here. the sun is very stern and there are very few paved roads. the people are crazy. they always sit on the road at night cause they think it is cool or something. i guess that is how they hang out. there are stray dogs everywhere. they are really smart though. i bend down and pretend to pick up a rock and they take off. it is so funny i find alot of joy in harassing the dogs. ah. i just want a gun. i could freee this city of dog disease. well today we have zone conference. it is today and tomorrow. we have interviews with the prezident today at 4. then tomorrow we have our meetings. they flay in today around lunch time. it should be good. the AP´s come to so i will be able to see elder duffy. brad duffys first cousin from seattle. it is really cool. i think we might play
basketball today. anyways the houses here are infested with ants. the ants like tim says. it is crazy. bugs everywhere. i have the worst tan line you have ever seen on my neck and where my watch is it is nuts. lots of sun here. anywyas it sounds like you guys got katelyn an awesome present. that is amazing. i have been praying that you will stay close to the parks and become really really good friends with them. you should give kate a call. 2087554748. tell her hi for me and check up on here. i love that vinilla you got lori. i love the salsa too. cool cool. the snow is melting huh? thats cool. i miss it. sounds lke brett is really busy, doing enough trapping for me too. ha. i love you guys. dad and mom. i love you dad. your such an awesome guy. i appreciate every little thing you ahve done for me. i love you. thanks for always putting up with me. i knnow that i was a pill. i love you so much. your the best dad in the world. i know that this gospel is true. i love you all. keep it real and keep me posted. i love you so much.

elder gatten
oh ya i have to give a 15 minute talk this sunday in portuges. pray for me. i know i will be fine but i am nervous!