Something to be Excited For and Something to Miss

This week has been awesome. Alejandra continues to progress well, and we discovered that her 10 year old son Ramyro (who is suuuuper shy) has been kind of listening to the charlas from his room, and meanwhile Alejandra has been teaching him everything we are teaching her. And now Ramyro is starting to sit in on the charlas. We did a few little visual demonstrations as part of the lessons, and now Alejandra says that he talks about us all day at home and to his friends haha. Now that we know him, he isn`t shy with us at all, so that is sweet. We taught them the Word of Wisdom this week, and Alejandra who really likes coffee dropped it without a second thought after she learned about it. She is so prepared, and is really excited for her baptism the 10th!

Elder Layton, Fabricio and Elder Weed

This week we also recieved a brief visit from Preisident Olsen who was here in Artigas and he came with us to a lesson with Fabricio, who also is doing AWESOME! His baptism is planned for the 25th as well. It was nice having President in the lesson because he uses really good examples. Also. Fabricio has been having some awesome inspired questions each lesson, and now after we talked about baptisms for the dead, he set a goal to make it to to temple to do baptisms with the ward in September!! Such a stud!

Elder Layton, President Olsen, Fabricio, Elder Weed

I cannot really express in words how grateful I am to have served these last two years. I have learned to love the mission,love these Uruguayans, and to love the Lord. I know I will never regret these two years. They are the best two years!! 

Elder Weed, Fabricio, Elder Layton

I am grateful for all of the many tender mercies I have been given from Heavenly Father, and I know that the service that I have given will change the rest of my life. I am excited for what lies ahead, but I am definitely going to miss being a missionary. It is a blessing. BUT- I still have got a week to enjoy it! 

President Olsen with Investigators and in Artigas

I love you guys, thanks to everyone who has helped me make it to the point. This is the true church of Jesus Christ, and it is so important that we cling to what the old and modern day prophets have taught us. What a privilege to be a member of this church! Don`t forget it! I was studying this week in Helaman 5, and found it of great importance how many times Helaman tells his son Nephi ( o Nefi) to remember. It really is!!

Elder Layton

Daylight in Artigas

Well, Artigas is totally AWESOME! Opening an area here is super fun. I don`t know how many members have already played jokes on us though, acting like they were investigators hahaha. Good ol`Uruguayians haha. Anyways, Alejandra is doing awesome. She is reading and praying about the BOM, and feels it is true! She came to a ward activity this week, and loved it. She also accepted a baptismal invitation for July 28th, and committed to coming to church, but she didn`t actually make it, so we have to see what happened there. Also, this week we found a guy named Jorge who was apparently listening to the missionaries 7 years ago, going to church and was going to be baptized, but then his job moved him to Montevideo and he lost contact. Well, since then he has moved back to Artigas, and said he wants to get baptized! He was out of town this weekend, but is going to try to make it for this next weekend.

This week we were contacting late at night and some guy named Bruno let us in. He has apparently listened to the missionaries before but told us that he wasn`t interesting in going to any church. But at the end of the charla, I complemented the awesome rocks he had on the shelf, and so he just said, `yeah, you want one? Just take the one you want.` Well, I kinda felt bad because I didn`t want him to think I was asking for one, but then he just turns around and grabs of the other shelp, the biggest rock he has, and just gives it to me!!!!! Like what? Hahaha, this thing is so cool though. 

This week we had a capilla abierta over in Barrio 3. Elder Weed and I had the baptismal section, and there were about 5-6 people who accepted the invitation to be batpiszed! Super awesome.

Elder Layton

Elder Saylors, Elder Veizaga and Layton 

Archers Uruguay Visit

Elders Peterson Olsen (Presidents son) and Layton

When Uruguay Wins, The Town Goes Wild

Hey everyone!

It has been a super awesome first week here in Artigas!! I`m lovin` the area. It is funny because our are is super tiny, AND we share is with sister missionaries. Our area is the border area with Brazil, and in fact, we can see the border from our apartment building! Also, we pretty much live in front of the church building again haha. Artigas is a really pretty place too, and is is cool, because they have all the super cool crystal rocks here. I`ll have to send pictures later.

Uruguay played Portugal in the world cup on Saturday and it was so funny. Elder Weed and I were just in the street and there was NOBODY to be found. And on a couple of ocasions, the city in one accord just erupted, so we could tell when Uruguay scored a goal haha. And yeah, when Uruguay scored there were fireworks and gunshots involved hahahaha. Close to the end of the game, we Heard people starting to slam doors, and yelling, so we thought that Portugal was winning, but then at the end there was one last eruption, and we were just walking past one of our new investigators this week named Alejandra, so we swung by to ask what happened. She looked at us screaming `GANAMOS, GANAMOS!!!`. Haha, I guess Uruguay was the underdog. So next, they wil play France in the cuarterfinals :D The whole rest of the day, the city was crazy. People didn`t stop celebrating the whole day.... Or all night.

Anyways, Alejandra, who I mentioned is doing really well! We found her on our first day, and she is progressing nicely! We will update you all next week!

Elder Layton

Uruguay Won!

Well, the world cup started this week! So, that has made things interesting this week :) It was funny because Uruguay had their first game on Friday morning, and we were doing our weekly planning that day. A joven in the ward sent us an update when there was only 10 mintues left, saying it was still 0-0 haha. About ten minutes later, all of our neighbors started going balistic, screaming and shooting of fireworks. Elder Bowler and I just looked at eachother, smiled and said, ´Well, it looks like Uruguay won!´ And yeah apprently an Uruguay defensman made a goal in the very last minute orf the game and the won 1-0. Take THAT Egypt!! We´re TOTALLY going all the way. Just you wait and see :) Anyways the futbol world cup will be going on for my last month and a half of the mission :) So we are going to need to get creative in these last few weeks!!

The highlight of this week would be a 19-year old joven we found in the street at 9:20 at night upon returning to the house. His name is Marcelo and he gave us his address to come by another day. We came by this week, had an AWESOME charla, and he accepted a baptismal date for July 14th! He also came to church on Sunday, and said he was coming next week too. So that was a big blessing. Apart from Marcelo, we have been really struggling in finding new people to teach this week though. Gabriel is doing awesome though and is set to be baptized this week!

Funny story that happened this week. Somebody broke into our church building at night from a side window. Well the window they broke into was to the baptismal font, which is locked on the inside, and I guess they couldn´t get back out! So the alarm went off, and the police came to get them hahaha. Pretty funny story though. I just think thyey wanted to get baptized REALLY bad!

Love you guys! Cuidense!

Elder Layton

Time's Flying By Now

This week has gone by in a whizz. Magela has helped us quite a bit with her dad, Jesus, and Valeria, his partner. She comes with us the charlas with them now. They are starting to read the BOM, pray about it, and are looking for an answer.

They are doing well, but they aren't married yet, so can`t quite get baptized. Anyways, Magela is an awesome missionary. She also brought her husband, Geronimo to church with her on Sunday! I gave her the challenge to finish the BOM before I finish my mission, and she is reading a ton each day. Richard and Ramon also got the Priesthood on Sunday. They are doing great! They always ask us like a million questions when we come over haha. Now their little brother decided he wants to get baptized too, and he has been to church 5 times already, and so we should plan his baptism in a few weeks to go with Gabriel`s!

We have started teaching a new family, la familia DeMora. They seem pretty interested, so we are trying to help them now with the BOM as well. Both times we have been over they pulled out a ton of homemade biscochos out of the oven! The mom, Marcela, used to work at a bakery. After a lesson last night, before we left they dumped like 20 biscochos in a bag just for us! Uruguayan biscochos are super good :)

I stayed in Ceibal on Friday on divisions with Elder Shawkey from California. It rained all day, but we still had a few good lessons. We took a picture with flia Echague though for lunch because they love the missionaries haha. and they have pictures of the missionaries all over their house. So we wanted to join the club :) Also they are Italian, so they could basically be my grandparents haha. Love you guys. Have a wonderful week!!

Elder Layton

Baptisms of Ramon, Richard, Augustin and Araseli / Elder Holland Visit

Lets just say I could sum up this week with an edited John 21:25, but regarding the miracles and things that have happened this week. But, I will try to write a few of the miracles and things that have happened....

I will start with the visit  of Elder Holland. It was such a spiritual experience!! We all got to shake Elder Holland`s hand yesterday when we went to Montevideo. We had a few seconds each. After he finished shaking everyone`s hand, he got up and told us that he just got done having a personal interview with EACH ONE OF US!! He said that he interviewed us just when he looked into our eyes. Like whaaaaat...... Haha when I shook his hand, he smiled and gave me a couple of chest pounds with his fist. What a privilege it was just to see a prophet of the Lord up close for a few seconds. He taught us many things in his visit. He said we are involved in the most important thing in the entire universe- The saving of a human soul. Really that man has a talent for speaking. I testify that he really is an Apostle ordained of Jesus Christ. I could feel his love as he spoke, and I know that the mission is the greatest privilege, I have yet had. As he finished he blessed us physically with strength to go on and told us that he were blessing us in the same way as if he had blessed us with consecrated oil each one. Wow. Without words what we felt.

This week Ramon, Richard, Augustin and Araseli were all baptized! President Olsen asked us to make goals back at Christmas for this year, and one that I made was to help ten people be baptized before I finished my mission. Well, with this weekend, the Lord has blessed me with that goal! On Sunday I cannot describe what I felt when I saw all ten of those people there, still going strong, some with callings, others with desires to go on a mission and passing the sacrament, and others inviting and bringing their own family members to church! Wow.


The mission is such a blessing. Also, Mario approached us this week and asked to leave with us to visit people! So this week he will be helping us! Magela and Eduardo are already halfway done with the BOM. Also, this weekend we received nine references from members!!! It is hard to keep up with everything we have to do! I love this work and i know it is true. I wish I could write more this week really, but there just isn't time. Miracles are happening every day!

Elder Layton

The Mission is Changing My Life

Sooooo.... We got our changes today and there were a few surprises haha. Elder Veizaga and I supposed that I would be leaving and he would be staying, but it will be opposite. Elder Veizaga is actually leaving to open an area as the new AP! Actually there are four APs now I guess haha.It has been so awesome being with him though, and he will do an awesome job! Such a stud :)I am staying here in Salto, and am going to be getting yet another missionary from my same group haha! Elder Bowler is coming here, and he is from California.

This week we found some really great new investigators. We found someone named Yamila who was really grateful to here the Planof Salvation, because she has had a lot of trials recently. We came back the next day to share a little more with her but we instead found her mother in law named Blanca,who was really amazing! She understood really clearly the mesage of the Restoration, was really set on seeking out her answer. She was very grateful to be given a BOM,which is cool because she knows a lot about the Bible, but wasn`t closed off to that there can memore scripture. We invited her to read the book and after ask God if it is true. She told us that she would instead ask God before and after reading. She is someone with true intent,and I am excited to do follow-up this week!

Love you guys. I am grateful for the chance to stay here in Salto. Itwas a blessing to be able to talk to my amazing family this week! Thanks for all you do and have done to help me be here. The mission is changing my life. Havea great week!!

Elder Layton