Week 93

This week was incredible!  First things first. Uruguay beat Russia today 3-0 in the World Cup! It has been an experience of a lifetime to live in South America during the World Cup! Sometimes we are studying and then we hear gun shots and yelling like, "GOOOOOAAAAAAALLL!" or "URUGUAY NO MAAA!"  Since the USA isn`t the best at soccer I am really glad to have Uruguay as my team as well so I can root for a somewhat decent team haha! 

This week we also went to Montevideo on Friday to have a special conference with Elder Mark A Bragg from the Seventy. It was great! We almost never get to come all together as a mission and it was super cool to see all my old friends! The conference was awesome and I learned a TON from Elder Bragg! 

Then we stayed the night with the assistants while the rest of our zone went home. We worked with the assistants in their area and it was really cool to work with Elder Merino again. We worked together a little when he was in my zone there. It was great to see just how far we have come as missionaries over these last few months. I learned that after I had left Maldonado, three
people that I had found and started teaching got baptized! When I was there they were wonderful people, but just weren`t ready for the Gospel. I am super excited that they were able to eventually be baptized! 

Then on Saturday I got to go to the temple with Hugo Diaz, my convert from a year ago when I was in Treinta y Tres, as he received his endowment! It has been a year since I have seen him and it was an amazing experience! I can`t even start to describe it! Really I was overcome with emotion! I can`t help, but thank the Lord for allowing me to be His servant in this time of my life and letting me get to know and love Hugo Diaz! 

We have had a lot of ups and downs this week, but all the "ups" make the "downs" worth it! I have come to know my Savior more everyday as I see Him work in my life and the lives of those I have the privilege to serve. From these super special experiences I have had this week, I remember the scripture in D&C 18:15-16, 

"Y si acontece que trabajáis todos vuestros días proclamando el arrepentimiento a este pueblo y me traéis aun cuando fuere una sola alma, ¡cuán grande será vuestro gozo con ella en el reino de mi Padre! Y ahora, si vuestro gozo será grande con un alma que me hayáis traído al reino de mi Padre, ¡cuán grande no será vuestro gozo si me trajereis muchas almas!" 

This week I have felt the fulfillment of this scripture and I testify that some of the greatest joy I have felt and that we can ever feel comes from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I hope you all have the chance to feel the truthfulness of this scripture someday!  Love y'all!

Love,

Elder Cole

Part from the family email:

This week was incredible! My convert Hugo Diaz that I baptized in Treinta y Tres a year ago went to the temple this week end to get endowed and I got to go! It was one of the best experiences of my life! I got to be the first to hug him when he came through the veil. It was a wonderful experience! I got to see a ton of members from Treinta y Tres as well! It was great to see everyone!

1. Elder Barrios, Hugo and I after the temple

2. Part of my old ward in Treinta y Tres while we were at the temple