bananas and dulce de leche

Hola Familia....
How are you.... Things aree going pretty great here in T -Bò. As you can see in my photos we had the baptism of Juan y Maria this weekend and it went great. I got to baptize juan. They got married tuesday and baptized saturday... I know that Maria is going to be a great member and is going to love to being a member but I am a little scared about jaun, maybe i just need more faith but the guy is always askisng for money and stuff but he has changeda bunch since we anitially met him. The wedding was pathetic.... hah nobody showed up. They said there were going to be soo many people and wow it was sad and embarrassing. But the baptism was pretty good, still no one really there but Maria said it was the best feeling ever.
Aslo week took out a date with anopther family last week and and now we are going to take out another this week. Last weekwas with the Familia of Carlos and Maria Fernandez who are studs... the watch BYU tv all the time and love it. She helps clean the church. They are pretty much members but they are going to get married on the 5th and baptized the 26th.
The other Familia is Barbosa.... remember that name because you are going to hear it a lot. This are always crazy with this family. This is the family where the mom lost four sons. Well she has two girls and one boy left. Well the boy was hit by a motorcycle this last week and was in the hospital. It s sad because the people who drive here really are crazy, this last week we had the brother of a investigator get in a crash and die, after church this five year old girl was crossing the street and was hit bya moto... she is in the hospital now, I am sure she is going to be okay, after she was hit the guy picked up his bike and drove off. Then we had this boy, the barbosa boy, gethit. He is fine (one of the pictures is me and the boy and the two girls outside their house). But as you can imagine the mom freaked... she only has one boy left... she lost the other two. We watched how to find faith in Christ and she said great movie but I still dont believe in Christ. We talked with her and we are really trying, I feel terrible. She has gone through so much. But her kids want to get baptized which is great but Elder Bitnoff and I wont do it unless they are baptized as a family. If we baptize the kids now they will go inactive within 2 weeks, but if you baptize them as a family they have a better chance of making it. So we have toget them married first and there is a lot hat we have to work with like the parents... they need to grow a lot stronger in the gospel. But just keep them in your prayers and I am sure that everything will be great.
But once again... much to say and so little of time. I have soo many stories but soooo little time. I hope all is well with the family and I am not sure if I have ever told you but I really look forward toi your e mails and letters.... they really help me out. I recived a packet of letters forwarded to me from the MTC... thank you Kris and tori and all of the nieces... that was awesome to recieve that. But I am in Uruguay now just so everone knows.
and to answer your question dad it takes about 7 to 10 days for mail to get to uruguay and we recieve our mail ever tuesday so depending on when they get it in the office it could take from 8 to 20 days to get to me which is not terrible.
But I hope all is well. I know mom is super busy so kids help her out a bit. love you all...

Elder Blanco

Time for a new post

This week was a lot better than last week. That lady who lost four sons.... well her name is maria and I told you how they were doing great but then they were rude to us. Weel we had two amzing appointment with them this week. First off we got to the house and they were jst kinda seeming like they didnt really want us there and it was hard to talk to them and what not but then we asked if they were saying their prayers... and the mom went crazy... in a good way. She said it was hard at first but the family pushed her and they said their family prayers... then her husband found work (they werent able to eat because the dad had no work) but he found some at a potato factory so now they get potatos super cheap which is awesome. She said that when she looks at the pictures of her sons that have passsed that she doesnt cry anymore because she knows that she is going to see them someday. This lady didnt believe in God!!! But things are getting a lot better for them... but only the two daughter went to church this week... the mother doesnt like church.... very common here, we have tons of problems with members and the Bishop that we are trying to fix right now. But yeah everything is marching with that right now. Lets just hope for the best....
Also we had our first baptism this week... sweet dude named Carlos... I got to do the confirmation which was pretty awesome. I hope I get to see his family go through the temple.
My Health is good... when I first got here I lost a good amount of weight because we have one meal a day from 12 to 1 and then we are back in the streets the whole day. But now the mewmbers are super nice to us here. They always give us food when we come over and it is hard to get out. So I have gotten back to my mormal weight again...haha its all good I decided a couple months before I go home I will get worried but right now I have plenty of time.
And I have a speacial project for Dad.... We have this crazy church here called Pare de Sufrir... or in english (not direct translation) Stop the Suffering.... This church is growing huge down in south america and now when we talk to people they say its all over in america and everywhere in the world. I have never heard of this church till I got here. I think the church might be lying to their people a little bit but it could be true cause its pretty big down here. But I kinda wanna know the gist about this church... Dad if you have time. They have a bunch of websites, we try and talk to a lot of their people about their beliefs and why they like it but we cant quite figure them out.... they selll soap that washes away your sins!!!! So just copy and paste a little bit about them... what they beleive... if you can find it, anything to help me out. That would be awesome....
Pride is killing this area of Tacuarembo for sure, there are close to 600 members in this small area and maybe 150 are active. Everyone is either a member here or wants nothing to do with the church.... at times it is hard buch we still have people that are going to get baptized showed its show that this area isnt quite done yet.
This week we had a Rat in the house.... the thing seriuously ruined the house.... I saw it, no one believed me then we moved my bed and picked up a bag and they it was... thing was super freaky... and ways we tore apart our room trying to find it then I saw it run into the Bathroom... once again the other elders thought I was lying. But we went it and check under the cubboard and it came runnin out... one of the elders freaked and tried to jump om the sink but ended up breaking the water so the house got all wet then we turned off the water and now we dont really have water in our house. Someone has to hold the pipe closed while the other takes a shower... but then we figured out a better way to fix it to save the embarrassment in the mornings.... but it doesnt work that welll... its a cork but it stilll leaks. So we will have to get that fixed soon.
I know you have been dying to know where I write e mails Dad... haha. The place I live in T-bo is on the outskirts by the farms and whatnot not... there is some stuff in the central part o town like a Cyber where you pay to use the computers.... its not really that expensive. But yeah thats what I do.... I am sorry I really have no Idea what the Perpetual Preparation Fund her in uruguay is.... but I doubt they have it.... the gov is dumb here.
But I gotta go.... love you all and miss ya.
Elder Blanco

A few good stories...

But a few awesome stories for this week. The Sister missiuonaries here are all crazy.... it keeps me entertained. They really struggled wirth the language so me and my comp decided we would try and teach them lessonns slow so that they could learn. Well about half way through the lesson they started to look like they were feeling a little unconfortable.... then I realized something that I had been informed about the day before.... when I speak spanish I WINK.... no lie its the craziest thing and I cant stop it. If a word has a rr or is long I cant say it... so they got unconfortable cause I was winking at the whole time... I cleared everything up but I still dont think they believe me.
Proselyting this week was amazing.... Seriously we were in the ghettoest place I have ever seen in my life. The people were lucky to have roofs and doors and there was one park if you wanted to call it that... it was dirt with two goal posts. Believe it or not the best success ever. These people would listen to us all day... I gave out probably 40 pamflets and 5 book of mormon and we have 4 appointments for this week. All the people were so amazingly humble and all they cared about was family and they were blessed... even though they didnt have a roof. So remember them.... there wasnt one person we talked to that I didnt show a picture of my family too.... we get a auotomatic connection through family. Thanbk you for alll of your prays and tellling me about you weeks.
The language is impossible likee always hahaha... but I am surving. Cant wait to get out.
Thanks to all my friends for the letters!
I wish I could write more but I will write the family a letter cause I have no time.
Love all of you
Elder White

A small part of Elder White's last letter....
......But things are good here... to answrs some of Dads questions I went proslyting in B.A: this week and it was tough. No wonder it is the 8th largest city in the world. After almost dying in the bus 20 times we arrived to our area... I had a cel phone cause Im DL and within 30 min a couple of the kids in our district got robbed... haha I shouldnt laugh but they are fine, it was just some drunk guy. It was the first time happening at the MTC. But Saturday we proselyted for almost nine hours, we had a descent amount of success and got some referrels and will return this saturday. In general the people are nice here (except the old Catolicas) but just dont want to here our message. We taught one lesson in english which made it so easy to answer questions. So I know when I get spanish down it will be a sinch. haha

So here are a few pics from his memory card he sent us....it looks like he is doing pretty good....same Joe, different hair do, new friends, good times...




The Latinos....Joe LOVES these guys

Is it OK to lay on the wall of the temple? If you are Joe, yes

Still very GQ

The States boys

The Argentina temple.....BEAUTIFUL!

Elder Blanco loves you....

Thank you everyone for the shout outs.... I am sure you thought they wouldnt make it all the way out here to Uruguay but all 43 pages did and I truly am grateful for all the amaazing friends and family I have. Thanks monica and maria for the great pictures... when I think of my family those pics are directly what I see in my head... its a beautiful thing, I carry them arround when I teach lessons. I could not have made it out here wuth all the amzing cousins and aunts and uncles I have. You inspire me all. It is kinda sad thinking I wont see ya for two years but I know the lord will bless all of you and take care of you while I am gone. Also Happy birthday Chinnkers..... Cant believe your a teenager now.... haha jk you and tori and rach have been acting like teenagers since you were seven years old. But always remember your never too cool for the spirit or your your family... theyre eternal! And always there for you... ps stay away from boys!!! that goes for all of you Tori! Rach! and Chinks!
Also I hope ryan gets this but best of luck brother... you truly are going to love it... the whole experience. It phenominal. A few words of advice to all pre-me´s is get tio know Preach my gospel! its inpired and amazing... . Love you all and hope to talk to you soon.

Elder Blanco

Also If I could get Beaus and Danes address that would be great...
Most people at thios MTC are going to Arg unless you are white then you go to Uru.... but most of them are from... italy, colummbia, chile, arg, etc.
I have to go and I wish I could say for but I look eagerly to your replies and I love you all.

Elder Blanco

Aloha (Hello and Goodbye) Ke Au Hou

Well to begin out this blog I start with my birthday which was April 7th (thank you for all the b-day wishes) and I am grateful for my friends who were able to throw me a little shindig despite the fact that it was finals week. I have met some truly amazing people here with great spirits and saying goodbye was not easy.

The Lei that I received.

The Cider was like my cake that we all shared... haha

I even blew it out and made a wish! haha

Walking to the party.

Me and my friend Paul.

There were more but some had to bail out early to finish up some studying... but how many were there doesn't matter, these kids are all the ones I need.

Haha funny picture... she was wearing my friends hat and sweater and we tried to take some funny pictures but I couldn't stop laughing.

Haha

And the last thing I would like to say while I sit here waiting for the car to come pick me up and take me to the airport is thank you... to all of you. For your blogs and your comments and your calls, you truly did make this experience easier on me. Also thanks you so much mom and dad for letting me have this opportunity to come out here. I have developed such a bond with this place and the people it makes it hard to say goodbye but I can't wait to see all of you then say goodbye for two more years. It is hard to believe that all my experiences are just memories now, and they are some of the best I have! My first week here was one of the lonely times in my life but I learned and grew and met amazing people and gained a stronger testimony. What is beautiful has a new standard after living here... and i'm not just talking about the nature, I dig those polynesian girls! haha
I love you all and will see you in a few hours...




Aloha!!!