Week 82, Venado Tuerto, Argentina

Church talent show

Hey Family!

Thanks for all the letters and emails. I love hearing from you guys.

This week had its highs and lows! We taught a 13-year-old Juan and he was progressing really good until his friends started making fun of him. When he’s with us, he loves the church but when he’s with his friends he feels embarrassed. The whole experience really made me think a lot about friends. TRUE FRIENDS. I’m sooooo thankful for the friends that I had in high school that helped me stay on the straight and narrow path. Right before I left on my mission Colby and I talked about this a ton. Without a solid support system it is so much easier to stay strong, in hard situations. I seriously believe that friends are one of the biggest influences in the world. We must choose wisely the people that we get together with. I forget who it was, but somebody talked about that in the church once, we must have two types of conversions. Social and Spiritual. Our spiritual conversion comes by asking God if the Book of Mormon is true. Our social conversion comes by interacting with people inside the church. Sometimes people get a testimony before the get a friend and sometimes people see the examples of Mormons and then get interested in WHY we are so happy. I love my family and my friends. I found a cool scripture in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.

9  Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

 I love you all!!!!!

Elder Hjelmstad