¡¿Un Año ya!?

Note from Elder Alley's mom: This picture was sent to me from the
sister who hosted them for dinner. I LOVE unexpected pics of
my missionaries. They are just the best.

The zone and my mandated Camel Hat pic.
(Note from Elder Alley's mom: I sent him a camel themed package to
celebrate his Hump Day aka his One Year in the Mission Mark.)

Mom, notice any additions to my study desk?
(Hint: It's from your Hump Day package.)

The Zone Post Egging (see the PS at bottom of email)

Elder Quintanilla before he headed off to Brazil Fortaleza Mission

July 20, 2015

Man, from now on every time I think about where I was a year ago, it will now be of me on a mission! I really do feel like I've hit this point were this is more my life than being home. Being a missionary is who I am now. There's really just no other way to put it. The schedule, the work, the language, it's all just so much more natural. It's worked its way into the very essence of who I am and what I do. Funny how a mission will do that to ya!

In response to our frustrations of the week before, we tried to make up some ground. We gained several good lessons and we wrote a note and bought a candy bar for the member we had disappointed and brought it to her to try and make up for the miscommunication. We hope it worked! At the very least it is the thought that counts right? 

We had lots of SUPER good lessons with our investigators and especially our less actives this last week. We testified that the answer to the struggles they're having with money, or family, or marriage, or whatever will all be solved if they will just put God first and come back to church and live the commandments. Of course, that made it all the more frustrating when all but 1 of the families didn't come to church.... ugh. But we must notice the blessings always and that 1 family that did come as a huge miracle.

The story behind this miracle is this. Basically, Elder Martinez and I went to visit this family when we were companions and we ended up showing up at their place the very night they were moving, so helped them move. They ended up staying within our area, so we tried later to stop by again but could never find them at home. Much later, Elder Sefcik and I (on exchanges) tried to see them, and the hermana answered the door and told us about how her husband had basically just left her. We shared stuff with her then, but eventually Elder Walker and I returned to see her with a member of our ward named Hermano Villatoro (from Guatemala) and we had a really good lesson with her about how the gospel of Jesus Christ promises us always that good things will come in the future if we are faithful...and she came to church yesterday! So there is the miracle of the week. :)

Lastly we had a sad send off as Elder Quintanilla got his visa to Brazil and left today. I really am going to miss that kid. We got along super well and he even taught me some Portuguese! I know he's going to do good things for the people of Brazil, though!

That's pretty much it for the week as far as I can think of. I mean, obviously more happened....but I'm too lazy to write it all. I've just come to grips with the fact that no one is ever truly going to understand what my mission was like except for me. haha

Tonight is looking fun, though, as we are having a Noche de Hogar del Barrio (Ward Family Home Evening) and we are going to watch "Meet the Mormons" together! Should be fun. Pics to come of that next week. Love y'all and talk to ya later!

-Elder Alley

PS Egging Story: 

Mom, you're going to think I'm really dumb for coming up with this, and you're right. Every week we come up with a weekly Finding Challenge for the zone and the winner gets a prize. This last week was "How Many People Can You Contact and Get a Return Appointment with Using The Book of Mormon?" If another companionship won they would get to throw eggs at us, and if we won, we got to choose a companionship to throw eggs at. So... Elder Walker and I wrecked everyone with 6 (second place got 3), but because we are charitable leaders and don't want to put ourselves above anyone else, we said they could still throw eggs at us....they hurt a lot more than I thought they would! Hahaha! Oh my goodness such a bad idea.... I'm sorry mom