"So grateful to be here"

Last p-day we went on a small hike to a giant statue of Christ that stands on some hills (we´d call them mountains in virginia) looking over Valle de Uco. The view from up there was beautiful and the statue was pretty impressive. I have only seen it from a distance as you can see it from Tupungato.

 

This week I went up to Mendoza for a special training that everyone gets from the mission president while they are being trained. I finished my training 5 weeks ago but I was still invited because President Ávila didn´t do the training then (everyone who came in at the same time as me already had their training in the states while waiting for their visas). It was very inspiring.. just the basics but President Ávila has a way of inspiring and getting us all motivated. Elder Quadros and I left rejuvinated and firing on all cylinders.

 

While I was there I saw Elder Hurley. He was there because right now he is training a missionary from Chile. Wow!! He has lost a ton of weight! 40 pounds!! I´ll attach a photo of us together and you will hardly recognize him as the missionary that I was in the MTC with. He was the only missionary from my MTC group that I hadn´t seen yet and it was a very special day for me. When I was home from my mission I dreamed of the day I´d see those Elders again.. we became so close but by returning home I did not get to enter the mission field with them. Tears filled my eyes many times that day and as I type just because I am so grateful to be here.. to be worthy... to be ready. It is hard to think that I´d be going home with them in April of next year and when they leave I will still have 10 more months but that´s okay.. I have had so many experiences so far that have spoken to me that this is where I need to be right now.

 

The work here in Tupungato is going well. I will find out on Sunday what happens to me since this is the last week of the transfer. Hope all is going well, my prayers and gratitude goes to all of you.

 

- Elder Rainock