Family!!!!

How are all of you doing?? I haven't heard from any of you in a long time. Oh well. This last week has been good. I don't think I've worked so hard in four months. We have knocked like beasts!! This is so much fun!! There is three pairs of missionaries in this branch, so there is three times as many missionaries for the bracj to feed. The cool thing about it is that we all eat in the same place at the same time. So picture this, there is six missionaries in a table for four and we all eat like we've never been fed before. It's actually really sweet. We have a good time and the members are willing to do it. They like it. We like it too. We get to know each other and the members every day. Its so much fun. I could not have asked for a better place to spend the holiday season. Yesterday, Monday the 26th, we did service. We went the house of a member. The english Elders invited us to help this member expand his basement. What we are doing is we are moving all of the support beams and digging to make the basement bigger. It was hard work. Harder than what I did with back home. But it was a good feeling to know that we are helping this member. Afterwards his wife made us Frito Pie with home made chilli. It was good!! Last but not least, the other day my companion and I found this lady that was literally possesed. It was one of the craziest things that have happened to me on my mission. This just strengthens my testimony that there is an opposing force that is trying to drag us to missery. And the only way that we can protect ourselves from it is to have faith in Christ and do all that he want us to do. Love you all. See ya later!!

ELDER ARCIA
(stripplingarcia@myldsmail.net)

Hey People!!

Well I have exciting news, I have a new companion! His name is Elder Battaglia. He is a really good missionary. It kinda funny, we both are follow-up training each other. That is, we both are our first companions after our trainers. It pretty crazy. He has five months in the mission and I have six, so I'm the senior companion. I think that he will help me more than I will help him. I also moved from area. I'm not in Portland anymore, I'm in Forest Grove. Its a little town. Not as big as Portland, but also not as hectic either. Our area is pretty big though, I think it might be the biggest in the mission. We cover from Downtown Hillsborrow all the way out to Sea Side. The good thing is that our work is pretty much centered in a small area. So that's the big news. I finally got a new companion after six months. We had a good run but it was time for a change. I can't wait to go out and work!! See ya!!

ELDER ARCIA
(stripplingarcia@myldsmail.net)

1/4

Within a few days I will have completed one quarter of my mission. It feels weird! I never thought that six months could go by so fast. Looking back on all that I've done throughout my mission, I feel really good. Sure I've stumbled but. all in all, I feel that I've given it everything. I've also seen the fruits of my labor and how the Spirit has worked through me to help others. I think that more than anything my decision to come on a mission has really helped me to live a more righteous life. I've received so many blessings and I still receive them as I strive to do better. I have gained a greater understanding of the Atonement of Christ, and how I can use it to help me through my times of need. I've also learned that the greatest reason, if none else will do, to live righteously is to show Our Heavenly Father that we love him. I know this experience has changed my life and my outlook on it. All of my ambitions have changed and so have my desires. I just want to live worthy enough to be able to show Christ that I love him and how grateful I am for all that he has done for me.

ELDER ARCIA
(stripplingarcia@myldsmail.net)