Young Women's Camp 2009

How can one week be so amazing? Our theme this year was "Because I Believe". Each day we tried to have a daily theme that built on the day before. Tuesday it was Strengthen Home and Family, Wednesday was Stand with the Savior, Thursday was Live Temple Worthy, Friday was The Light of the Gospel shines through Me, and Saturday was Be an Example. The food was organized, cooked, and served by ladies who can do it all. The kitchen at camp is one of my favorite places to hang out. They get it all done all while laughing and building up everyone around them. I worked with ladies who this year all roped our husbands into coming and helping out. We truly relied on their support for so much of camp. I am overwhelmed by the number of people who take time off work and family responsibilities to share all their wonderful talents for a week at Big Meadow. We had almost 200 girls in 6 different groups this year and each group had leaders that went above and beyond in every way. Thank you, thank you for all you do. It was another year filled with the spirit, fun and work.
In one of Jordan's letter he commented on how work was fun and I truly will have to agree that doing the Lord's work is fun. I just wanted to post and tell anyone who reads this thanks for whatever part you played in helping to pull together camp this year. I truly feel that the Lord was pleased with the hearts that were touched and the testimonies that were strengthened this year.

Pictures of the Missionary

He said the buses are crammed full with up to 200 people.

Here is a picture with an investigator who makes bricks.

Another great week in Paraguay

(His greeting must be in Guarani, or he was just having fun on the typewriter? We still are amazed at the happy spirit that this boy has and are so grateful for his service to the Lord and especially the fact that the Lord blessed our family by sending him to us!)

Mba`e tekopio familia porá.

Hey family, whats up. So another loco week with amazing milagros and blessing with out end. starting with the 8 investigators that came to church that was awesome. Thats really like the final grade that your teacher would post on the wall fridays bofore the weekend. And if it wasnt high enough that meant that it woud be a crappy weekend or for missionaries, P Day, but having 8 people in church just tickles my fancy (who says that?!?) the only problem is the 3 familias that are suppose to be baptized this week didnt show up meaning they have to come church next week, si o si if they want to get baptized the 31 de julio. the all had decent excuses but i just dont like excuses, i just want the world to come to church.

Sad Moment of the week_ went to go pick up javier to take to church, who is the 20 year old who is supposed to get baptized within 2 weeks, and the man couldnt even stand up cause he was so drunk. he saw me walk up and started crying, he came over and hugged me and i really didnt want to touch him cause i was so mad and dissappointed in him, but his girlfriend who he wanted to married left him the night before and moved to a different city with another man. I felt really bad for him but it jsut made me sick to my stomach that that is his only solution. And it is the only solution for many people when life doesnt go as planned. before the mish i didnt really care if you drank i just didnt want to see it or be around it. but now i have 0 respect for the people that get wasted every weekend and just waste their lifes and ruin their families. seeing Javier like that made me want to cry but it will just make it that much better seeing him get baptized.

k enough with sad stuff. Big Blessing aka the big double B of the week would have to be the Call that we got from an X-missionary slash branch prsident out in Guasuquá. Which is a small pueblo that is in our area. its about an hour away on Bus on a dirt road, and i guess every Sunday they have sacrament meeting out there. well this good man called and said that there are 3 familias that have been coming on and off for the past 2 years and they want to be baptized. so all we need to do is get out there teach a couple lessons and then marry two of them and then baptize all three of them. its going to be great. Im still in awe ( i dont know how to write that but amazed demasiado) how blessed we have been lately as a district.
The four campanionships in the district combined had 37 investigators in chuch which is amazing.

Sometimes it doesnt make since how blessed we are as missionaries. but im not going to complain. i love you all and hope you have a great week. One of the most important things that i have learned to this point in the mission is that all blessings are given through sacrifice and obedience. so be obedient and be greatful for your sacrifices.

I love you all and pray for you always

Picture Day

Italics are comments from the MADRE
que suerte para ustedes!! i love the beach!!! i hope you have fun and make sure you take a lot of pictures. tell everyone i say hi and i love them all. Brain Blast (I think that means he has an idea)have them write me letters one night. Like we used to have to do at Aunt Daynas and were always punks about it. ha that be sweet if not dont worry.

well another successful week down in Paraguay. thanks everyone for letters they always brighten my day. And make sure someone gives chelsea a fat hug for me cause she sent me two. i also got a killer B'day package and it reminded me that i miss skittles. they are the bomba. but even more importantly we were able to maintain those numbers that we had from last week. Which i was way pumped about, we missed one day of contacts which is kinda sad but ill get over it. k over it. Best part of the week was the two baptisms that we had on Sunday. they both passed their interviews with flying colors and were both super excited for Sunday. Everything with Diego went perfect except he was a little upset we didn't have white socks or a tie for him. but i gave him my socks and he was ok. he was smiling the whole time and was so nice to everyone there. Its amazing to see the change in these peoples lives as they start to accept and understand the Gospel. Now the day with jessica didnt go as smoothly as planned. for the past two weeks she has been waiting for her dad to get back from Argentina to ask for his permission to get Baptized, but he never come home so he wasnt really sure what she wanted to do. She had full support from her mom and other faimly members, but she was still worried about her dad. So she came to church and towards the end she started crying she said she wants to get baptized today (Sunday) but doesnt want her dad to be mad at her. We told her we can call and see what he says, she says no; we said we can do it with out calling him, and she started crying again. well we prayed together with President Armoa and his wife in his office and she said she felt better. we walked her home and she was still way nervous. We asked what we can do to help her and she said Fast and Pray. Which was amazing to me that she had a testimony that that would help her. So we didnt eat lunch that day and prayed like crazy until her Baptism. We got to the chapel at 2 an hour before it started to heat up some water to add to the font (note didnt help it was freezing!!) And the whole time i was there waiting i was so nervous i felt like i was going to throw up. I felt exactly how i felt before every swim meet but like a really big one. Like state times 10. i was hurting. But just kept praying that she would show up, and at 240 she walked in, still not completely emotionally ready but she was there, and that was good enough for me to know that she wanted to get baptized. the first 10 mins she was there she didnt say one word she just walked straight over to the baptismal font leaned her forearms against the railing and just looked at the water, thinking, about what i dont know. but after a few pep talks from my comp, PRez and myself, and then the one that probably help the most, from her mom. She got ready we took pics and she got baptized. and when she came out of the water she had the biggest smile i have ever seen on her. it made it all worth it. After words she was very content with her decision and loving life. Definitely top 5 greatest days of my life. now we just Pray that her dad will be ok with her decision if not it will just give her another trial and another opportunity to use her faith and receive more blessings.
(I had read a blog where the mom said her son had told her serving a mission in Paraguay was like camping in a suit for two years. I'm sure many of you who served missions in foreign countries felt those sentiments at times. I am so grateful when I read his letters at the joy he feels as her serves the Lord. It is humbling and amazing to watch the Lord guide this sweet missionary of ours through this experience.)

MOM QUESTION- do i feel like im camping in a suit for two years

the answer would be... somewhat. like some of times i feel like im camping since everyone cooks with charquel (carbon in spanish i dont know how to spell it in English) and we wash our clothes by hand also the inconsistent shower temperature definitely reminds me of Leo Carrillo, and i do walk a dirt trail all day. But then again we have a very nice restaurant up the street from our house, and some pretty descent size houses on the other side of the town. But now that i think of it you could say that it does feel like im camping. but in a really nice camp ground with maybe a trailer. Not a motor home thats to comfortable, like a fold out trailer. so i guess you could say we are camping "comfortable" for two years but i only wear my suit Sunday for 3 hours so change it to
"camping comfortable in white shirts for two years".
and i can testify for you.

well im out of here love you all

Con todo mi amor,
Elder Camba (means darkness in guarani) me and my comp picked guarani names last week. his is cambú´he´ë it means sweet milk or rubio aka white boy. ha Paraguayians find it hilarious. and so do i

Teacher of the Year

Well, the school year is over and for Miss Urmston, teacher extrodinaire, the accolades were many. Due to the budget cuts in California's educational system - Candice was sent from Liberty to teach at Frontier High School. She adjusted quite well and not only was named as Newcomer of the Year but was awarded the title of Teacher of the Year as well.
It was fun listening to her tell about her students and all the things she was able to teach them. She jumped in full force and worked as a class advisor creating floats, listening to students, counseling students, and fashioned an Alice in Wonderland prom.
Teaching is a noble profession that gives great rewards back to those who dedicate their best efforts to the calling I am grateful that not only does she teach but that she has a passion for it. SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good work Miss Urmston

Bleeding Purple

para: la mejor familia en todo el mundo what up fam. thats for all the bomb letters and emails this past week. i felt so loved i should have a birthday everyweek. but i would like to give some shout outs out. (esto anda?) thanks Courtney for the life update keep working hard and loving life. big Paraguay shout out to Melaie thanks for the email im excited summer has come so you can have more time to write me. and Yes High School musical has taken over down here as well. i dont understand the songs are in english but they still love it. come to think of it probably makes it better if you cant understand those ridiculous lyrics. thanks mason for being so cool keep the body growth updates coming so i can know what to expect when i get home. Y para que sepas, soy gordo como Re gordo, me hace triste.
thank you Nicole for the play by play weekend. i ended up reading half of it out loud to my district casue i would laugh and they would ask me to read the funny parts and that was basically the whole thing. thanks dad for the update on life and my main boys down in L-A (rolling on dubs). and blake i would write you back defending my boys but i cant email you sorry but just know i will always bleed purple. And im expecting emails from Logan and Mason on the missionary experience this past weekend. A big shout out to the coolest Grandparents in the world (Pues definitely Top 2). for the killer package. i love the tie it has become my new District metting tie. which you both probably know is very important. the sticker is awesome and the pens are my favorites. once you go Bic you can never switch. Just know im sending a letter home this week so my family will have it when you get back. Ikatu. Also a delayed shout out to the Peter Urmston family for the dropped line. good to hear from ya`all. (ps i say weird things now i blame it on my comp and Idaho) Also thank you Jennifer Heward, my cousin in law i guess if that exsist. for the missionary story and FOTO. i love FOTOS if anyone ever was thinking of things that wanted to good in this world one (insert from Mom- this didn't make sense to me either- I think his Enlish is in the tank)would be to send FOTOS to elder Urmston. I can receive them through email so do it. (por favor) Bueno hope i got everyone if not... pues lo siento. so this week was amazing, in a lot of ways. Primeramente it was amazingly cold we were down in the low 50s this week with about a grip of rain. it was bad as in mal. but it was alright, a wise man once told me every hour a missionary sents tracting in the rain his future wife spents an hour in the gym. i dont know who she is yet, but shes probably got some sore legs right now.
My Branch was way nice this past week they even threw me a party. it was actually a group party with one of our investigators. Beatriz. it was way fun my comp and i played slash sang 1000 miles and then we both played heat and soul and they loved it. i have it on video it is quit funny. the best part of the party was our investigator brought 5 friend and she was telling them all about the church and even told them about baptism and showed them the baptismal font. and then later on we taught the entire 1st lesson with them. it was great. were going by this week to visit their families. then this past wednesday aka my B-day, we had our final conference with President and Hermana Bradley they head out at the end of the month. Our zone went to their house and ate with them and played games and watched a video of the mission. we had bbqed pinapple chicken and i almost died it was so good. but before i eat i got to use their bathroom and did not want to leave casue it was so nice. they had hot water and scented hand soaps and this really chuchi towel to dry your hand off with. i miss american luxyers (sp -ite). after that we all got to bear our testimonies. it was amazing! of course i was bawling like always. but i love feeling the spirit so ill take it in any form. after we got to go eat at Burger King. YES!!! and then took the 4 hour bus ride back home. next day all the missionaries were in San Ignacio waiting for Colectivos so we went on divisions and Elder Laughter aka the coolest kid in the mission and i found this joven, Nester waiting for his bus we talked to him for a little bit and said he would love coming by church on Sunday but he lives kinda far away. Pero sabe que pasò eyer. Nester came to church and he is even more of a stud then i thought before. were going by his house tomorrow to talk to the whole fam. Diego also came to church and so did Jessica and she brought her friend Anna. then in the afternoon they all come to Seminary. (menos Nester porque vive lejos) But they were loving life and particapating and what not. i was loving it. My comp and i put a goal of 5 baptisms this month so your prayers would definitely help us with that goal. i love you all and if you have any questions about anything... pregunteme. k well gotta blast, lifes great and only getting better. try to stay happy in that heat. ¡¡¡¡Mammones!!! missionaries were in (inserted note from mom- it just ended here no idea what was next but we sure love getting these crazy letters from our Spanish son!)

No habla english?

Okay it will take some open minds to get everything he is trying to say. When he called on Mother's Day his accent was pretty evident. He writes his letters so fast his Spanish brain is overtaking his English. Amazing in only 7 months.
> hey family hows life. so i dont forget, just wanted to get my shout out to nicole and also talia and tristan for posing for all those shots. but really thanks nicole for the package. it felt like Christmas opening that up. And thanks Talia for that beautiful picture of those dolphins and crabs and me. Loved It!! im also trying to save those rolos as long as possible hoping to eat them on my birthday as celebration, but pretty sure ill eat them all tonight. ps almost peed my pants at that hallmark card.
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> Dang thats so sad slash exciting that swimmings already over. 5th place cant complain about that. how'd mason end up doing. either way your a stud mason. Logan i guess your pretty cool too. except you scarced the poop out of me when i heard your voice on the phone. You taking pills or something bro? whats going on? i still havent seen a picture of you seen i left. i saw mason and his Zach Efron hair in those powder puff shots but still havent seen any of you. Send me 1 on the internet. thanks dad for the Laker update and words of wisdom. both helped out a lot. 2nd one a lot more but both appreciated.
> Sabe qué? this past week i had a crazy dream and you (dad) were down here in Paraguay and we went on splits. and we went and visited a couple investigators and the waitress at Rokitos (best resaurant in san ignacio) and you were tearing it up in Spanish with the waitress who we have been trying to put a lesson with for a while now. listened to every word you said and accepted a baptismal invitation. it was crazy. One cause i had a dream in Spanish and two cause you were the one speaking in it. it was cool maybe you should practice it this next year and algo and you can come pick me up and we can go out and teach. that be killer. think about it let me know. also happy late birthday sorry i forgot to tell you last week but whatever. happy Birthday and Felizitaciones for another bomb swim season.
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> other news its freezing cold down here and ive shivered myself to sleep for the past three nights. you probably dont have much pity for me since your toasting like bacon cheese up there with your triple digits. i dont think i would trade you. its actually not that bad its about 60 most of the day and it gets a little lower at night. the problem is we have no source of heat at night menos my blanket which isnt meant for warmth, mainly just for keeping the bugs off you. But my comp lent me his thermals (i think thats how you spell it i cant spell in english anymore perdoneme)
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> other big news Diego came to church again, that makes three in a row for him technequily he can be baptized this week. spiritually he need another 2 or 3 weeks. But i have a lot of faith that he will get baptized this june. (his fecha is the 13 of june but he said if he feels like its right hell be baptized before. But your prayers would definitely help him with that decision. if i havent told you about him antes he is the older brother of Rafa, who has 16 years and comes with us to teach a lot. he also blessed the sacrement for the First time this week which was way awesome cause he had been scared to do it before. i was way proud of him. He says he wants to serve a mission and love to speak english with us the problem is he doesnt know how and he usually says the same 5 phrases that he knows over and over again everyday. But hes loving the English classes that we teach on Wednesdays at Noche de Rama.
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> Beatriz (bea) also came to church this past week. it was her first time ever at sacrement. he had been to a noche de Rama before and a Baptism as well but she said she loved it and well be visiting her tomorrow night so hopefully we can make some progress with her. the main problem we have with her is her dad is Re Catholico and doesnt really want her getting baptized. but her step-mother loves the church and loves having us over. We havent been able to sit down with either one of them becasue they own the biggest supermarket in the town. and are always working. Which also means theyre way chuchi and are loaded. and there house is absolutelly amazing. it reminds me of America with hardword and that white stuff that goes along the top part of the wall that dad put in our house, what is that called again? anyways they have that as well. so well be working with them this week as well.
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> this past Sunday we also found this really bomb family that all accepted baptismal invitiones with gran animo. it was sweet. the only problem is they live a good 40 min walk from the church so its going to be a sacrifice for them to get to church on Sunday. significa mas bendiciones pero tambien significa tienen que demostrar su fé y asistir a la iglesia. im excited to see what happens with them this week. pray for them as well please, se llama Familia Encina.
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> K funny story from this week. we went out to Tañarandy to visit this familia menos activa and we played a game of futból before the lesson. game got a little intense and their oldest girl who is about 15 was playing goalie and she blocked one of my shots (i got fouled ha) anyways she went to kick the ball down field and me, making an amatuer mistake stood in front of her to block it. she didnt care and Ronaldinho power punted the ball directly into my factory. causing me to go directly to the ground calling for tiempo and medico. couldnt get up for a good 10 mins. and the 40 min walk home did not feel good. beside that episode it was a solid week. i love you all and cant wait to hear from ya next week. i love being a missionary
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