everything's better with ketchup on it

Dear Family,

Summer has come quickly here - I'm not sure if that has anything to do with being closer to the equator, but either way, it's getting warmer fast. Christmas came and went, and Wednesday we were back at it with our district and zone meetings in the morning and proselyting in the evening.

My companion and I noticed (it's worse when others notice, too) that we have been gaining a little weight, so we committed to go running in the morning. We started Thursday morning at a brisk pace off to the end of the Gran Chimu (the street parallel to ours). It was maybe a mile and a half or two before we reached the end, then we turned and headed back. We were both sore all the rest of the day. Friday morning, we took it easy and ran to the zone leaders' house and collected the packages Mom sent me. It was like Christmas unwrapping all that newspaper! Thanks for the tie (and everything else)! And my companion says thanks for his. And my pensionista wants you to come visit her when I finish my mission... haha. But again, thanks for all the effort put in to sending those. They appeared untampered with when I received them, so I'm pretty sure everything arrived safely.

It was an extraordinary week. Every time we had a lesson, we invited our investigators to come to the ward activity on Saturday, and then we spent most of Saturday running to and fro, gathering those who committed to come. It was amazing to see a whole ward forget the whole ward-family-strengthening-activity mindset and turn into a building full of missionaries. During one of the later parts of the activity, the microphone was passed around to everybody present to allow them to introduce themselves, and almost every member took the opportunity to extend (at least verbally) the arm of fellowship to those who weren't members. A little time was given to the missionaries (as we whispered frantically, trying to come up with a game to play with everybody), and at the last moment I got an idea. I got everybody to stand in a circle, and I taught them the Hokey Pokey in Spanish. (It was a rough translation - you can't really say "that's what it's all about" directly translating it.) We went through it slowly at first, and to finish it off, I sang it in English while we all danced. They loved it. My only fear is the impression I'm leaving of what North Americans are like.

There were twelve investigators who attended the ward activity. We didn't stay for the whole thing, since we had other appointments, but we left with smiles on our faces. One of our investigators, Carmen, was deeply impressed by everything she saw and felt. She, along with any of those who came to the activity, was able to come to church the next day and experience the spiritual side of her new member friends. We had left her a long reading assignment in the Book of Mormon the last time we taught (the stripling warriors, Alma 53-58 inclusive), and after church she read the whole thing that afternoon. Thanks to the member support and everything they did during the activity, we were able to help four people set a goal for baptism in the coming month. And we hope to set one or two more this week for a couple others who attended the activity.

I love missionary work. Most of all, I love seeing the people I serve smile when they talk about the changes in their lives as they make little steps to come unto Christ. It motivates me to smile all day long. The Gospel is true - but as extraordinary a fact as that is, it's not as inspiring as the fact that the Gospel works. It changes. It makes people better. It isn't enough to know the truth - one has to live the truth until it's a part of who they are.

There are a number of strong young men in our ward, and a couple of them accompanied us to our teaching appointments various days during the week. At first I felt like we were ganging up on people, but it really had fantastic results when they saw that the third missionary didn't have a nametag and found out that he lived right down the hill. I only had one chance to go with the missionaries before leaving on my mission - but in retrospect, I can't think of a more practical mission preparation experience.

Congratulations, Drew and Michelle! I've been telling mostly everyone about the wedding, and I even used it as an example when I talked about temple marriage. I have a "cuñada" now! That's exciting. And another one in June. But if I have to say "sobrino" before I set foot in the land of the free again...well, then somebody better send me pictures. (You can e-mail them, too!) I hope everybody made it to their respective homes safely. I get a little jealous when everyone talks about cold, snow, rain, and other wonderful features of living in the great northwest...

I have a personal goal to apply a different Christlike attribute every month of my mission. At the beginning of each month, I search for concrete ways to improve and apply the principles in Preach My Gospel (chapter 6 - it's phenomenal) throughout the month. October was humility, November was charity, and December was faith. I've been thinking of what to start this next year with, and I feel like "hope" is the best one to apply in January (who knows how long I'll be here in Esperanza?). The goal is continuing to apply what I learned in the previous months; Preach My Gospel is a fabulous resource for the Latter-Day Saint who wants to live the kind of life Jesus Christ lived.

Well, time is running out. Happy New Year! We have another short week, since it's not recommendable that we go out and teach on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. It'll be somewhat like Christmas, only without the phone calls home.

Love always,
Elder Withers