Monday, January 26, 2009

Monday - Missionary Update - WOW


What an update this week! I'm sure the Spanish at the end is done better than his English : )

Dear Fam,

Wow, i cant even begin to explain how this week went haha. wow it was honestly sooo craZY AND i kinda dont know where to start. loved getting your guyss emails and hearin from ya, and the pics, wow awesome! the chunch is getting so big wow! she is so cute. okay so i think that i am going to start with some changes that were made in the mission.......
drum roll please......nah jk that was lame, but seriously.... haha okay there are some minor changes that i am aware of....for example: 1 i cannot email more than two emails....one to the family, and one to the mission president. I cant even email seperately. I guess that there is some problems with some elders in the mission and they had to change that rule. sorry, but i am just going to have to email mom, dad, and tuffy in the same. But i guess that is not tooo bad right? and about the transfers, wnt know until tongiht or tomorrow. and i cant email you guys until next monday, sooooo i guess you guys are going to have to wait to find out haha sorry. you guys all know what i am hoping for...
here is a story for the books. haha this week was crazy, and here is the story:

Wednesday afternoon after our intercambios with the zone leaders, we went and ate lunch with the good old mamita cleme. in the middle of lunch, we get a phone call from one of the members of the chruch telling us that Barabra, the recent convert of the branch is in the hospital. we rush over there as soon as possible to see what has happened. It was not a pretty sight. she had the flu and an infection. ouch, not good. she could barly open her eyes. we gave her a blessing and then after visiting with her, we headed out. and here is where it gets crazy. we noticed that there was a ton of people at the exit of the hospital, or i guess that would be the entrance also. this was very unsual. as we make our way through the people, i see a man, complety bloody. i didnt reconizge who it was, until he looked at me. i knew him. he was an investigator of our zone leaders. i asked, what happened? he told me, complety tramatized, they killed my son. i didnt know what to say. he son had 4 years old. the people then surrounded him and we could no longer talk. his wife, who was going to be baptized this Friday, was crying and was devestated. i couldnt believe what was happening. we imediantly called the missionaries there are in her sector to come over. well, they were in intercambios, so the whole disrtict was over her in a matter of mintues. to make a really long story short, we spent almost the entire day with them, the family, helping out, and with whatever they need. quick backroung of what happened. in that family there are 4. the dad, juan carlos, the mom, the daughter (13 years old) and the son (4 years old). the parents had left their kids for the first time ever in the house alone to go to work. two guys broke into the house and were going to rob a comp. they ended up stabbing the boy 7 times, the last stab in the next, and twisted the knife to instantly kill him. and the girl, 13 stabbings....and she lived. the parents came home to see that their kids had been murderd. wow, it was terrible. the mom and the daughter were boht going to be baptized Friday, two days later. the day before they were teling ht emissionaries about their testimonies and how excvited they were to be a member and be baptized. the funeral was this friday. there was tons and tons of people. my zone leader spoke, and was on the radio. everyone in La Union went into a riot. there is a video on youtube i thihnk. type in La Union 2 ninos muertos. there you can see a video. but wow, where we in the right place at the right time. i knew that family and couldnt belive what was happening. that fam left to santiago to get away from La UNion. the missionaries there will visit them.

this whole week has been basicyl delt around that. it was a busy one for sure haha.apart of that things are going good. kinda just counting down the time if you know what i mean haha. that is cool to hear tuff that you are doin good. keep up the good work dude, datin and stuff. i am going to buy a little mini guitar here, called a chango and going to learn how to play it here haha. should be pretty cool! okay here is some of the emial in spanish:

Bueno, con el tiempo que tengo en la mision, yo puedo decir, facilmente, que es lo mejor dos anos de mi vida. no hay nada mejor que ayudanding personas a ser feliz en esta vida, y siempre estar en servicio todos los dias. estoy un pocito triste porque se que en mas o menos once meses, me voy a mi pais, y termino la mision tiempo completo. segurament seguiré ayudando personas por todo mi vida.las experiencas que uno tiene en la mision, son unicos and van a servirme por todo mi vida. AMO LA MISION!



Okay, Splenda Daddy and I are a little FREAKED and would like Luke out of La Union himself. However, we are more than certain he will be staying and crazy comp will be leaving. Loved getting new pictures. Isn't he a stud? I am so happy for him!
And finally, if anyone knows Spanish and would like to translate the last portion and leave in the comments, I would appreciate it!

12 comments:

Martha H. said...

Holy Schmoly! Don't worry about him. He's in the Lord's hands and he'll keep Luke safe. :)

Jan said...

This made me want to cry for so many reasons. One for that poor family. How devastating. I just can't even imagine. Two, for the spiritual surroundings of the whole event. I am speechless really. He is a stud.

Just M said...

Hey there. I had a friend translate the ending. I tried to type and she rambled it off. Hope this helps!

Okay, hi. With the time that I have been in the mission, I can tell you easily that the past two years of my life have been nothing better than helping others with their happiness. I'm always working towards that everyday, I'm a little sad to say, more or less, that as the months pass, I miss my home. I want to complete the mission. I will always look for a way that I can help others in my life. The experiences that I will take away from this will be unique and with me all of my life.
I love the mission.

rychelle said...

what a devestating experience for that family.

so glad your son is safe. (and in the right place at the right time)

mCat said...

Thanks for the translation Melrox! And yes, still trying to absorb the magnitude of the experience for that family. My heart goes out to them. I am glad Luke was there and was able to offer any assistance that he could. I'm sure he will need to decompress himself.......

tammy said...

My heart just aches for that family! At least with them getting baptized and joining the church, they'll have the knowledge of knowing their little boy will be with them again. What an amazing thing for your son to have to go through. Wow. Don't worry Mama Bear, he'll be protected.

Erin said...

Wow, what an awful story! Isn't it nice to know (scary, but still comforting) that missionaries are watched over and protected while on their missions? Can't wait to hear more next week.

Kristina P. said...

Thank goodness for missionaries!

Meg said...

What a sad story and what an amazing son you have!

I am too late to translate, but I can offer you a little something I have for you over at my place, my new friend!

Meg said...

What a sad story and what an amazing son you have!

I am too late to translate, but I can offer you a little something I have for you over at my place, my new friend!

Mia said...

My heart breaks for this family. My heart aches for your worry. But I am also so grateful for Missionaries and the great message they share with those that need it the most.

tiburon said...

Wowsa Melissa! That is just plain crazy! I want Elder Cat out of there as well!