Week 15

Elder Auger:

im going to answer a lot of your questions in my email, so don't worry!

first off this week was a big success as farf as food and cooking goes, i managed to make a bunch of different food for us for breakfast, i cooked pancakes, french toast, eggs and tast, cereal,  and i am going to use your recipes this week if i can mom :) i got your letters, super awesome and inspiring, i used the parable about happiness for one of our menos activos in the ward, really awesome stuff, thanks a bunch! :)

we had a temple trip and took some less actives and some investigators to the temple with us.

one of which was familia Santana, the husband is active but the wife fell away from the church about 15 years ago and we are working with her, she is amazing, the sweetest lady ever, every time we go over there, we dont leaving with out eating or drinking something, always treats us to home made juice which is our favorite, the juice here is outstanding, im gonna miss that most about the DR! really though, they are like my grandparents here, they baught us pizza this week and fed us cookies that tasted just like grandpa augers christmas cookie spritzers, it was scary how much it tasted like them really!"

then we also went with jesus and kateryn, a couple that we have been teaching ever since i got here, and they are like our best friends, a young couple of 20 and 23 i believe, seriously awesome, they are waiting to move so they can get married and be baptized, but we had an awesome lesson with them in front of the temple, talked about eternal families, and the temples. amazing time, so fun. another thing, i told kateryn about my song that i wrote, she looked up my mission video, and downloaded the song gone for 2, and now she is learning how to sing it!!! how cool is that! hahahahaha she also loves celine dion, and so when we went to the temple we went inside the ccm and played the piano in the music room and she and i sang my heart will go on! so much fun, then when we came back, it was passed 8 so we went to thier house and made empanadas, so fun! and spiritually uplifting of course ;)

the language is coming along really well, im starting to really enjoy relationships with the members and our investigators cuz i can actually talk with them now! couldnt be better! the new elders are cool, we alwaqys joke around, i tickle them, as punishment for teasing me, calling me americano, gringo, and it is a good time!

i gave a little lecture during this weeks district meeting about setting goals and using time wisely, that went well, i feel confident teaching in spanish now, sometimes stumble with the grammar, actually a lot i think, but i get the point across i think ;)

all is well we should have another baptism next week, so i will let you know how that goes! im praying for you all, love you tons!

ELDER AUGER

, this is jesus and kateryn at the temple

Week 14

Elder Auger:

This week was a great one, a lot of cool things happened, one of which, a little crazy, we hit the 3 month mark! wow that went fast, one eighth of the way done, interesting...

but it was a good week.

I really am picking up the spanish now, really am thankful for this opportunity of living with 3 other missionaries that don´t speak english, it really has been a blessing, we are learning a lot together elder areas and I, both in the languages, and in the gospel, we study really well together now, better than before, for a couple reasons.

we talked more about our lives before the mission, which we never really did in depth, i guess main because i didnt speak spanish before ;) but really it has been good getting to know eachother better, we get along better than before now, i learned that he was a stud before the mission

he served as the young mens president in his ward, his counselors were two return missionaries that were pretty unhelpful, so he had a lot on his plate, then he was called as the ward mission leader at the same time, then he was assigned to be the teacher of preach my gospel class, so im telling you dad, you, Kenny Carson, and Zach Burton, have it easy with only that one calling ;) hahahaha tell them that for me please!

i also learned more about his difficulties of getting on a mission, his family had some really tough challenges, Elder areas basically kept the family active, his older brother was going to serve a mission but ended up getting married last minute, so he had to be the example for his little bro, he always told himself he would serve a mission, and i am so grateful for his faith and example, because he is here now, serving the lord with all his heart might mind and strength... and im trying to speak spanish ;) haha but really its been great!

We had a great training session from our zone leaders on how we can have a stronger impact on investigators using the SPIRIT. we made a list of things we can change to be better, fasted for our investigators, and saw results in a matter of days. we ended up having 15 investigators come to church this week, which is one of our highs I believe, a couple family member were absent that we wanted there, but we are working with them. i am really feeling like our change in the little things is helping us in the work. we found 2 new families this week as well which was awesome, we are going to start working with them right away. we have 3 baptismal dates, i believe all of them will go through, the 31st of this month should be a big day for paraiso oriental! :) yeah!

also we went shopping today, and the christmas stuff was all decked out in the ´´sirena´´ or domincan walmart, and the christmas radio was on, and i was seriously on the edge of tears... its gonna be wierd having christmas in 80 degree weather, but im looking forward to trying new things i guess ;)

all is well here in paraiso (paradise) i miss you guys tons, but honestly am starting to get lost in the work, which helps me keep the home sickness away, except for sundays and any time we sing families can be together forever... that one always gets me, but its so true, familes are eternal, and im more than happy to share that message for 2 years, its a product that no one can say no to :) i made that up on my own thanks ;) hehe

i love you all, i pray for you everyday, stay hot, it will be harder for you than it will for me ;) hehe

CON MUCHO AMOR!

ELDER AUGER

learning to cook DR food during FHE on monday night

also endulged myself with some more greenie package candy :) thanks again mom

elder auger and elder areas ´´tienen flow´´ or they have swag ;) haha our zone shirts, pretty rad indeed ;) hahahaha

Picture and letter from Colton's Mission Pres:

Dear Brother and Sister Auger:

We are pleased to welcome your son to the Santo Domingo East Mission.  Attached is a picture we took with him after the first day of training and an interview with President Corbitt.

We look forward to a deep and abiding association with your son.  He will have many opportunities to teach, serve, lead and train as he obediently and diligently acts in the privileged capacity of a missionary in the Lord’s church.

We are grateful for the support you give to him.  It is very important to his peace and emotional well being.

In our mission we strive for unity in developing the attributes of our Savior so that we may humbly represent Him and have His spirit.  We look forward with an eye of faith as we follow President Nelson’s counsel to begin with the end in mind* for each missionary as well as for those they teach and serve.

Warmest regards,

President and Sister Ahmad S. Corbitt

*Church News June 24, 2014 Begin Missionary Work with the End in Mind.