November 26, 2012: Week 58

Hey Fam!

I'm doing really good just to start off. My comp is actually from Murray and his name is Bryce Woolston. We have a lot in common so we always talk about stuff for really long times. Only difference is that he likes soccer and I like basketball. Also he's my first comp who's taller then me. By 1/2 inch... He has 2 sisters and 2 brother and he's the oldest, like me.

Investigadores: It's going alright. No one came to church last Sunday....Barely any members came, we dropped from 70 last week to around 40. I just don't get where those 30 people went... Gilberto is doing fine. We actually go by all the time with the first counciler in the bishopric. He's a great guy and really believes that the gospel can help him.
Estela is doing mas o menos. We only met with her once this week because of her ridiculous work schedule. Also when we went to pick her up for church she had gone to visit a friends whose aunt died. Other than them we have people who need to get married.....Such a big problem in Uruguay, and the laws about marriage here are just absurd. First you have to wait like a month just to take out a fecha (date). Then you have to wait another 3 months or so to have your wedding be announced in the big national newspapers. All in all it can take up to 6 months just to get someone married! ya.

We are definitely using the members. In our mission other lessons are pretty much shunned. Right now it's really being pushed to do lessons of retention and do lessons with menos activos and try to find through them. It works really well and you find a lot of part member familes to complete doing it. We've actually found some good people through it. Also we've found a guy and his wife who are really great. Noelia and Paulo. He told us that if God tells him to leave his church and join ours, that he'll do it. Ya, we got really excited like little giddy girls ;) lol!

I wish you could just transfer all your good ideas and successes to me. It would be like having super-missionaries everywhere that don't have to learn how to work effectitively, they would just know.(Edit by Dad: Uh, no. This young man is already a better missionary than I ever was...but that doesn't stop me from giving him ideas! ;) )  But that doesn't happen soo I'll just have to use your advice and use what I know to have success. Of course with using the members.

I haven't found anywhere that does hand tailored suits, but it's alright I have 2 suits now because right before I left a member in Carmelo gave my a jacket that was too small for him. Only problem is I don't have pants to match it.. I can't wait to call you guys either. It will be great to hear your voices and see how your Christmas was.

Fah! I'm super jealous! Clipper-Jazz game! I would love to see Griffin play. We'll still win though. We're just better :) And with BYU, if they don't start Lark in the bowl game then Bronco is making a mistake.

I love you guys and hope that you have great rest of your day! I know that this gospel is true and through it we can have and eternal family.

Love,

Elder Jordan Duke

November 20, 2012: Week 57

Hey Dad, Mom and Kids!

This week was good, we had some interesting times and also had success. This was the last week of the change so now there's changes. Elder Petersen se va a Salto! My new comp is another from Utah, Elder Woolston. He has about 5 months left in the mission. I think he's from South Jordan. He's a really cool guy. I know him from Colonia. It's funny because the mission is so old now with a lot more people that are leaving soon then coming in. Most of us aren't going up to senior comp till like 9th or 10th change. It doesn't really bother me though, less stress really.

Still not much new going on. Estela couldn't come to church this last week which made is a little worried. She is starting to be a little iffy so we're praying for her a lot. Also we did find an old investigador from Barrio 1, but she isn't married and her husband doesn't want it. Just living together is the way to go here....

Gilberto keeps going strong to church. He set himself a date for baptism for the beginning of January. If he keeps it up and gets rid of his vices he can do it. He has been coming to church for a good month now.

Lol, try those Isaiah Chapters in Spanish! It makes even less sense. I've already the BoM in Spanish BTW and I'm on D&C 97 right now. I'm going to read the new testament after. The Old Testament, maybe....lol! It's so great to know that he is getting baptized! Super Awesome! Keep being a great missionary Dad! (Dad had nothing to do with my friend getting baptized....I've just answered a few questions for him.  He was meeting with the missionaries long before I knew about it.)

Thanks for the pics also! Now the people will understand what I mean when I say I live in the middle of nowhere in a desert :)

When I get back it will snow so much that we'll be snowboarding all year long! That would be awesome! Ya.

Speaking of letters, I got one from Brittany Hanks but I have no way to respond. Would you mind sending me her address. Thanks.

Also tell Hno Cable "Hi."

I've thought alot about this last year and even though numbers wise in baptisms and all it doesn't look like I've had sucess I feel like I've had a really good time here in the mission and have taken advantage of every moment. I am doing good with the language and get comments on how well I speak all of the time. It's weird to think that I have only 11 months left but I feel like I've used it well. I hope to accomplish a lot here including helping others get converted. I definitely see myself using Spanish when I get home....especially to have "secret"conversations with Dad, lol!

I love you guys and hope you all have a great week, we'll be talking in a month!

Love,
Elder Jordan Duke

November 12, 2012: Week 56

So sorry to throw you off with my last headline. Changes are next week... The 20th. Also I don't know if you saw, but I'd like some pics from Halloween and the house and around where we live. People always ask what it's like where we live. Pics with snow would be awesome also.

Thanks for the PIN. We went to the bank and I put in my personal card then realized that I didn't have PIN. All good though my card from the mission already came and I bought a new wallet. I'm sure that I'll get my Christmas package before Christmas. It takes about 3-4 weeks so all's good.

HAHAHA. Sarah with braces. Definitely need a picture of that too. Lo siento (sorry) mucho Sarah.. suerte (good luck).

That's soo cool that Scott and his wife are going on a mission. Is it Neuquén? That's the farthest south I know of the misions there in Argentina. So what are they gonna do while Scott is gone? Does it affect you?

What great news. (Told Jordan about a friend in Oregon who is planning on being baptized.) That's cool to hear that a old friend is embracing the gospel in his life. I'm happy for him. That's really great news.

Awesome to hear about all the people leaving for missions. We are going to be super old when the new missionaries start coming in....21 compared to 18....  Really Cree is going on a mission? I thought she'd be married before that. Guess not. ;)

The investigadores are doing great. Estela still has fecha for the 24th. She is a little uncertain but has a lot of faith and two awesome missionaries to help her, lol. The mombers are a big help and have already accepted her as one of their own. Gilberto is slowly marching. Didn't come to church this Sunday and after we found him at his house drunk. We're just going to keep inviting him and let The Lord work on him.

Yep, 2 really short paragraphs to Lizzy but still that is a record. LOL! Tell Emily to stop being a slacker with the writing. I get one from her once every 3-4 week.

I love you guys and hope you all have a great week. I'll tell you how the changes go next week. Don't forget to send the pics.

Love,
Elder Jordan Duke

November 5, 2012: Week 55

So to start off. I got everything back including the drivers license and my social security. I have my personal card but still not the one from the mission. I got the packages I think.... Were they the ones with peanut butter and nutella and jolly ranchers? if so then yes i got them. If not then no.

This week was really good! We had people in church!!!!

First Estela: She is super prepared! The only issue is her husband is crazy and hates anything to do with God or religions. She is super great though and came to curch anyway and got a lot of support from the members. She getting baptized for sure. She has fecha for the 24th of this month for now.

Also Gilberto came. He doesn't really progress but there's nothing wrong with him coming to church.

Lastly Carlos the husband of a recent convert named Maria came. He's really dificult and hates when he's pushed to do something so we're taking it easy with him too. We're already starting to see changes in him. I think soon he'll accept and join his wife as a member.

I'm sooo hapy to hear that the Kids did great in MB at BOAs!! SUPER AWESOME! Sounds like they did good and had fun also. Well little side note.... I won't miss the next end of season... It feels weird to be this far. I never thought I'd be here and yet, here I am.

No one will ever be as good as the "black sax brigade." We were the bomb! LOL! I think it's cool that Mango asked Lizzy to play sax. Well we'll see how the sax section is next year.

SO cool that they're going to have a drum line in middle school!! Josh is going to rock!! Sad that He didn't make the basketball team, but as you always said you can't teach height... Just grow a little Josh! LOL! We'll hope you're all having a good week and I'd love some pics of Halloween, and send me some pics of what it looks like where we live, like the house and just the landscape in general. People always ask about stuff like that.

I love you guys!
Elder Jordan Duke