Spike's Letter 6/18 "I am making it =)"

What’s up vagabundos? I have not heard much from anyone lately. I realize that the letters would begin to tapper off, but I did not think that it would begin this soon. I think it is because summer is here and everyone is traveling and busy as heck. Its fine for me though. It just lets me focus more on the work and I don’t have things to think about and make me have saudades. I know that I am loved though and that your all making it.I received letters this week from kate, mikin, and dusty. I loved them to say the least. I think dusty and angie are such a good lookin couple! The picture that they sent me is up on my refrigerator along with many others. I love pictures. Everyone needs to break out their cameras and take more pictures. I really get sick of seeing the same ones day in and day out. Plus I did not take many when I left of family and such so everyone needs to send me more. That would be awesome.I received packages also this week. Two of them were from my other family that writes me every week, and the other two were from you guys. I love them to say the least. They came just in time cause I did not have anything in the refrigerator to eat. Thanks a million! I loved the pancakes mix. Every time you guys send a package send some pancake mix. I love it. I love the drink mix too. Thanks a ton. Dad needs to make some more jerky like he does and send some. He is the man at it. You guys better be eating some of the goose in the freezer too. It better not go to waste. But thanks a million. I appreciate it all. My retainer was tight getting it on, and the first night wearing it I kept waking up cause it hurt, but now after a week of using it, my teeth have moved back and they are all perfect again. How blessed I am tohave a dad who is a dentist. And I use the workout gear every morning and night. Building up!
All of the women except for both angies are at womens week or whatever they want to call it, there in Las Vegas! That sounds like it is a lot of fun. Hope there are not to many cat fights down there. What do you guys do at that anyway? Spend all of the money your husbands work hard to make. Does not sound to cool to me! Joking! Seriously though. Just eat, and go to the
spa? Hope you guys have fun there! Brynne is going to help dusty too with boards. Man dusty you have a sister who loves you. Thank her!Mom and dad got back from their trek this last week I heard. What do you know it was a big success also! I had no doubt in my mind that it was going to go well. It sounds like it was a real spiritual experience, let alone a tuff thing that took a lot of effort. That is amazing. Dad really explained it so well in his e mails I do not think that I can really express my feeling on it. Dad sounded like he was really happy with it. No real mistakes or anything, and the youth enjoyed it. I am looking forward to
seeing pictures of it. That will be neat. They had all kinds of weather too. Rain, hail, and it was hot the last day. It sounded awesome. I wish that we would have done that when I was in the youth but you know everything improves once you leave. So this week has been great. Really busy. We had our district meeting last Sunday. Like stake conference. President itnose came here with his wife and spoke. It wsa the last time that he will be coming to boa vista. He ends his mission here the last day of this month. We get the new president, pres. Jaime, the 1st of july. That should be awesome. I am really excited. He is
American and he will speak sucky portugues so it will be fun! Ha. His wife does not speak any so I am sure we will be speaking in English some. The lord qualifies his servants though so I am sure things will work together fast. He is a biochemist and she is super smart too. So I am sure we will be taken care of. I love the opportunity of havein a couple different presidents. Change things up some. My old press is a area seventy over all of the stakes in sao Paulo too, so maybe I will see him. Crazy. So ya that’s it for them.This last Sunday after the conference we went to robertos house to eat lunch. He is the man. He is from curitiba. Southern brasil. His wife is brazilian too, but moved to the united states when she was four. She lived in SLC. Anyways, Roberto went there and studied business at BYU. He met her there, and they moved down here two years ago. They have three children and they each speak English and Portuguese. Crazy huh. We were sitting there eating lunch speaking both languages, and so were the children. They seriously speak English perfect with no accent, and they speak port perfect also. It is amazing. They switch back and forth constantly and it amazing. I always hear people saying they want to do this with their children but they never do. It is amazing to see. They always go to the US too. They are rich. He finished his MBA at BYU also. That’s sweet. So ya I have a cool guy in my branch. He really loves me and I will be sad to leave here in a couple weeks at the transfer. I basically have 7 months. Crazy. Ill have a year before you know it. The next transfer is the 7th of july.

So they have not broke ground on the temple yet. That is tomorrow in manaus! The area presidency of brasil will be doing that. None of the missionaries are invited. That is tomorrow though. Cool huh. They think it should be done in the end of 2010-11. long time. Maybe I will bring kate down here with me in 2014 when they have the world cup here. We will go to it and then fly to manaus and go to the temple. IN MY DREAMS. Ha. That would be a blast though for sure.

The weather here is cool. I am enjoying it. The rain is good. It makes it cool at night. It is summer in manaus though, so I have to suck in the cool weather here before I head there soon. The rain is strong bichou. Sério I cannot even explain it in English. It makes more sense in Portuguese. But im loving it. The weather there is nice I heard. Not to hot, but not cool either. Lucky. You dirty rats are have the best year of weather in years!I am doing well here. I am making it. I really have no time to think of anything cause we are so busy. Really, we are teaching amazing amounts of lessons, and we are marking baptisms like mad. We have really been banging on the doors and getting new investigators, so we have a big pool to work with. The lord is really blessing the work. It is amazing how much success we are having. We have about 4 families that we are teaching and they seem to really love the messages. Some of which are catholic, but they just realize that this church is true. We really enjoy teaching about the apostasy to them. They realize that the authority was taking off the earth. Also that the original church of Christ had prophets and apostles…..so shouldn’t the true church have them also. God is the same yesterday today and forever. It is a real treat being able to share this doctrinal truths with them. I am enjoying it.I really feel the language coming. Like dad said, it feels like second nature now. I have few problems with grammar once in a while, but teaching is no prob. The lord is blessing me! I really feel more comfortable and such because I can communicate now. The people are actual people now if that makes sense. I am enjoying it. I can express my feeling when I teach, and even make old ladies cry at the first vision. Ha ha. It’s a pleasure. I really love the work. I am in a grove now. I just have to become better everyday and work hard. He never said that it would be easy, only that it would be worth it. It is worth it. To have those who you come to love as your serve and teach them dress in white and take your hand as they enter into the waters of baptism…..it amazing. Unexplainable. What a blessing it is to be a part of his royal army, and to have so much success week in and week out. I know that I am not doing the converting. The spirit is. I am just an instrument in the lord’s hands. That statement really makes sense to me now like it never did before!

So I just wanted to make one request….and I hope you guys do not think I am asking too much. I have that testimony book that mom and dad sent me from the Christmas of 2006, but it is missing testimonies form some people. Go through it and look who still needs to do it. Type or write them out and send them to me so I have them all. They are a real strength and a neat thing. I showed the president a while back and he loved it. He is going to do that with his family this Christmas. So I know that I need to do it also, but I will send it to you all soon. Don’t worry. I just love reading them. I know that each of you have such strong testimonies I want to have them all. I asked kate to do the same thing. She did it and sent it to me this last week. I love it. I am so blessed to have her in my life. She is one in 13 billion, or however many are in the world. I love her so much. I want you all to know that I have a testimony of this gospel. I know that it is true. I know that it is perfect. I have a thought that I share with my investigators once in a while. I ask them if they knew that in the world there would be rape drugs murder….would they support the plan of their heavenly father? Of course they say no. then I say…but you did support the
plan in the pre-mortal existence. You knew that the plan was perfect, and that it would all work out. That knowledge was whipped away though. The plan is perfect. I know that god lives. I know that we are made in his image. I know Jesus Christ is our brother and he suffered for you and for me. I know I can live with my family forever. I know Joseph smith restored the gospel. I know the book of Mormon is written revelation from prophets of old. I know these things. I love you all. Have an awesome week. I got to get running. Got letters to write. Keep in touch, and gods speed!

Elder Gatten