Toughest yet!!

Sorry for not being able to write last week but the computers here in the library were being dumb. It kicked me out like three or four times. I got really mad. But now things should go a lot smoother. So last week was a really challenging week for me. On Monday my companion was feeling sick so we couldn't go out and do much. He didn't get better until like Thursday. For those three days, I felt like I wasn't giving it my all. That in some ways that I could be doing a lot better. That my companion was just dragging me down so to speak. Now I understand that he wasn't there to drag me down, I was there to pick him back up. This trail has really helped me to be more patient with myself but also towards others. And to understand that not all of us can function at the same pace. That what I might think is an easy task is a really tough one for someone else. I have also seen all the blessings that our Heavenly Father has given me and all that he still gives me. He has given me the strength of body and spirit to deal with all of the trials I've come across and every day he helps me with all my faults and imperfections.

ELDER ARCIA
(stripplingarcia@myldsmail.net)

Four Months!!!

Well its not four months yet. I still need 48 hours, but its close enough. Its been a real neat ride. I have come to love this work with all my heart. I feel really good about having taken this step. it has shown me a lot about who I am and whom I want to become. It feels really good to be a part of the change in peoples lifes. I feel really fortunate to have opportunity. I never thought I would feel like this. The best part about all this is that I still have 20 months. Im really excited to see what will become of me in that time. I hope that you are all excited as I am. Well now to tell you a bit about my week. I have had a lot better weeks than this. It has been really hard to work with my injured companion. We have tried, but it only works out for a little while. I think I need to take more charge and help my companion get back into the groove of things. The worst part is that I feel like I have become lazy because Im not doing all I can. This sounds more like a confession. But oh well, I know what I need to do. I love you all.

PS: Write me back. I'd like to know how you are all doing!!!!!

ELDER ARCIA
(stripplingarcia@myldsmail.net)

My mailing address is:

1400 NW Compton Dr.,
Suite #250,
Beaverton, OR, 97006.

For those of you who want to know.

ELDER ARCIA
(stripplingarcia@myldsmail.net)

New Apartment!!!

This all started a few days after tranfers. My companion and I (and the English Zone Leaders) decided that it would be for the best to let other fellow missionaries, Elder Anderson and Elder Christensen, have the apartment that we had. They were living on the edge of their area and they cover quite a bit of distance on bike. Since our apartment was right in the middle of their area and we have a car, we decided that they could take our apartment. It was actually a really good trade-off because now we have a washer and dryer, and the days are not so hot any more so we don't need the A/C, so it turned out real nice. Ah, so the other day we went to go eat with some members of the Gateway Ward, and they were really curios about why we had not gone to their sacrament meeting in a while. We told them that we had a lot of work in the spanish group that we could not afford leaving them. They told us that some of the members there think that we are inactive missionaries (whatever that means). We are glad that we are only doing spanish work this transfer. It really takes some of the load off to only be concentrated on one thing. That's it for now but I'll be back!!

ELDER ARCIA
(stripplingarcia@myldsmail.net)