Can't think of a subject!

This week has been so tiring and so great! Thanks for endulging me last week with my Spanish email, I had written the whole thing in English but then it was deleted and I didn't have the energy to type it all up again. Sorry.

This week was our mission wide week of faith and so Elder Buttars and I set a goal to bring a member out with us everyday and it was so good! We got someone out with us every day last week (even if it was knocking on a members door and asking them to knock on their neighbors door with us). We put the members to WORK!!!

We also had a cool experience with a member referral this week. A 16 year old girl in our ward told us about her friend who just lost his grandma and so we made some cookies and took them over to to the family. They invited us right in and sat us down to talk to them all. We were ecstatic but as we started to teach, we both ended up just testifying of the Saviors power to help us through our trials. As we prayed with them, the Spirit was super strong and a peace just filled the room. As we left, I was reminded of something my mom told me as I left for the MTC and that was, "it doesn't matter how many people you baptize, just let the people of Chicago know that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them." I felt that as we left.

Other than that, we had a pretty great week with exchanges, bike riding, talking to a lot of white people, and service at an old folks community. I guess I'm just too good at crossword, because the old ladies were getting really mad and sassy with me. But I brought just as much sass and dished it right back;) It was a good time.

I know that this work is true and there is not a doubt in my mind that this is the truth. Others can believe what they will, but the more truth we have, the happier we are, and I feel so happy (and tired...). So if you are not happy, embrace the truth and let it brighten your life. I know that it will.

Elder Arkoudas

pic.1: we caught a frog
pic.2: and I'm bigfoot I guess. Not sure how I got to this pose...

Conferencia de la mision con el Elder Renlund

Hola Queridos Amigos y Familiares,

Esta semana fue una semana maravillosa y tuvimos la oportunidad de escuchar un Apostle del Senor y tambien 3 miembros de los Setenta. Nos hablaron mucho de la fe y de nuestro albedrio de ESCOGER felizidad y gozo en esta vida y me quede muy impresionado de todo eso. Tambien, el Elder Renlund hablo de la Santa Cena y si queremos ser fundados en la roca de nuestro Salvador, tenemos que tomar la Santa Cena cada semana. Recentamente, yo he recibido un testimony muy fuerte de la Santa Cena y como Jesucristo nos pude sanar por medio de eso.

Tambien quisierra compartir lo que estudie esta semana sobre la fe. En Eter 3, leemos la historia del hermano de Jared y como el tuvo fe muy grande que podia mover un montana y ver el Senor. Pero para mi, me encanta la historia de cuando el traio 16 rocas a la cima del monte para que el Senor las tocara. Dice que el los traio y oro con fe que el Senor las tocara cada uno de las rocas con su dedo y dejo el resto en las manos del Senor.

Aveces, solo podemos traer nuestras rocas chicitas. Aun que queremos hacer algo grande y algo maravilloso, aveces, solo podemos hacer las cosas chicitas, pero si oramos con fe, y dejamos todo en las manos del Senor, el puede cambiar nuestras rocas a milagros.

Yo se que esta Iglesia es la Iglesia verdadera. La verdad es que ya escribi todo este correo en Ingles pero por accidente, lo borre y decidi a escribirles en Espanol. Les quiero mucho y quiero que sepan que estoy muy agradecido por todo lo que han hecho para mi.

Elder Arkoudas

In English:

Hello Dear Friends and Family,

This week was a wonderful week and we had the opportunity to hear an Apostle of the Lord and also 3 members of the Seventy. They told us a lot about faith and our willingness to CHOOSE happiness and joy in this life and I was very impressed by all of that. Also, the Elder Renlund spoke of the sacrament and if we want to be founded on the rock of our Savior, we have to take the sacrament every week. Recently, I received a very strong testimony of the sacrament and how Jesus Christ could heal us through it.

I also want to share what I studied this week about faith. In Ether 3, we read the story of the brother of Jared and how he had great faith that he could move a mountain and see the Lord. But for me, I love the story of when he brought 16 rocks to the top of the mountain for the Lord to touch. He says that he brought them and prayed with faith that the Lord would touch each of the rocks with his finger and left the rest in the Lord's hands.

Sometimes we can only bring our little rocks. Even though we want to do something great and something wonderful, sometimes we can only do things small, but if we pray with faith, and leave everything in the Lord's hands, he can change our rocks to miracles.

I know that this Church is the true Church. The truth is that I already wrote all this email in English but by accident, I erased it and decided to write to you in Spanish. I love you very much and I want you to know that I am very grateful for everything you have done for me.

 pic1 Mi compa (y Elder Lewis)
 pic2 Donde esta Waldo? (Where's Waldo?)
 pic3 Mission choir that sang for Elder Renlund. So awesome!!!

La Uña del Infierno

Dear friends and family,

Wow, what a week! Lots has happened, lots of change and I've only got about 15 minutes to type out this email. I'll stick to the best parts!

Monday night the big toe of my right foot started hurting and by Tuesday morning it had swollen and I could barely walk on it, let alone put on shoes. Ay que carai! So we called the mission nurse and we set up an appointment with a pediatrist for Thursday and I had persion to go prostelyting in flip flops. OH YEA! Dream come true and I can scratch that off the bucket list!

The problem is, don't ever tell the members that you have an infected toe (expecially the hermanas!) because they'll want to dig it out and they don't give you an option. I've got a great picture below of Hna. Sanchez destroying my toe and me biting my tie trying not to cry. I still screamed though...

Thursday we went to the doctor and he said it was an ingrown toenail (I know, nasty) and the best way to get rid of the infection is to just to cut it out. Mom, you would have liked him--he told me that most doctors would just give you an anti-biotic and then "wait and see". Nope, this guy pulled out the scalpel and started hacking! Graphic pictures available upon request.

As for the rest of the week, we spent a lot of time working with our investigator Chris and a few less-active families and we even got a lot of them to come to our Branch picnic on Saturday. Chris has been struggling with anxiety attacks, but he said that going to the picnic and visiting with members helped him so much. He is so solid!

Saturday night we got those transfer calls and I will be leaving Joliet and heading about 45 minutes north to Aurora. We spent a lot of Sunday saying goodbye to members. I've really made a ton of great friends here and it has been such a blessing to have been here for the last 3 transfers. I have changed a ton and I have grown to love my Savior so much more. Yesterday I had such a sweet experience with the Sacrament. Instead of trying to think really hard about the Savior, or trying to focus myself; I just read in 3 Nephi 9 and I came across two verses that are some of my absolute favorites.

13 O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?
14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

Every time we take the Sacrament, we have that chance to just sit there for those 5-10 minutes with our Savior. You don't need to bring anything, you don't have to be smart, you don't have to think too hard--you can just sit there and enjoy his presence--let him heal you.

I know that Jesus Christ lives, I know that he loves each one of us and that his arm of mercy is extended to all of us at every second of our lives. I love you all as well and I'm greatful for your prayers. Wish me luck as I go to Aurora; I know Elder Aguirre's got it down here (plus, I'll be coming back down in about 2 weeks for Chris' baptism. WHOO WHOO).

Love you all,

Elder Arkoudas

 Hno. Ramirez (and my one day of freedom!)
 Dr. Sandra Sanchez and her faithful assistant: Nurse Daughter.
 They're breaking up the club... Love these brothers!
 Funny story* Our investigator invited us over to do service and the service was killing snakes. We got about 13 of those things and made a nice snake soup! (I'm kidding about the soup).

 Presidente Martinez