Howdy

Taylor Fam and Friends,
 So...I never know what to say to start these things. That´s probly the
hardest part about writing them. Haha. I remember it was always like that
with my essays in school, too. Well...when I wrote them! :o)
 I guess I´ll start by wishing my beautiful mother a Happy Birthday this
Wednesday! YAY! I´ll make sure to remember to sing to you! And just to let
you know, this last Saturday (the 16th) was my ´Guyean Mother´s birthday:
Hma. Cristina Martinez. She invited Diego and I over for cake, so we went
and had a piece in between lessons on Saturday. It was fun. And she said
we´re gonna put something together for your birthday...so be waiting
anxiously! Haha. And, just to prove I haven´t forgotten EVERYTHING,
Saturday was Shayla Troff´s birthday too. I don´t know if you are sending
these e-mails to her (I hope so) but if you are-Happy Birthday, Shay! We
sang happy birthday to you, too. Haha.
 And, Happy Father´s Day, Dad! I don´t even know if Father´s Day exists
down here, because no one said a word, but yesterday in Priesthood I had a
good opportunity to brag about my Dad. :o) So it´s all good. At least I
remembered, right? But I hope that you had a good day yesterday and that
you know that your favorite son is always thinking about you!
 What is this I read about trying to get rid of the brown chair?! Are you
crazy?! I have had dreams about the Sunday when I will be able to come home
from Church and talk a nap in that chair! I think I´m going to cry...!
Skyler has been slacking in his responsibility, I can see...but what else
is new? Haha.
 Melanie gets to go on Trek this week! How cool is that?! Mel, I am SO
excited for you! I wasn´t the most excited to go on Trek, but I am SO glad
that I did. It was such an awesome experience for me! Part of me wishes I
was home so I could go with you, but you will be in my thoughts and prayers
every minute! Just go without any worries or fears and be willing to have a
good time. You will make a GREAT memory!  I want to hear all about it in a
letter from YOU! :o)
 So Friday was ATK´s Lagoon Day. That´s cool. I remember stuff like
that. Haha. Melanie FINALLY went on the White Roller Coaster, Megan was
scared out of her mind (but laughing-what else is new?! haha), and Mom
almost didn´t make it to her birthday-sounds like one for the books! :o)
Mary-Anne said something about a Wicked roller coaster-what is that? I had
a dream about Wicked the other night...must be a sign that we need to go
again! Hmmm....okay!
 Mom, I asked Elder Talbot last week and Henry Talbot is his
great-great-great grandpa! YES! We´re related! We knew that we had to be,
because we´re so much alike! We were so excited. Haha. And then, last
Friday, he was the victim of a "special change" so he isn´t here with me
in Artigas anymore. Cruel irony, uh? Find a relative and then because of
someone else, you can´t expound on it. Oh well, maybe I´ll get bumped to
Tacuarembo with him next week....doubt it. Haha. But that was cool
nonetheless!
 Great news for the week...Eduardo has a baptismal date! FINALLY! Haha.
There has been a couple of bumps in the way, but we´re finally there!
He´s going to get baptized next Thursday, June 28th. That´s the day of
changes, so I´m actually praying that I don´t get moved, but only the
Lord knows, right? We invited him last night and he accepted without a
flinch! He´s so anxious. We talked a little more and then told him to
start thinking about who he wants to baptize him; he started to get tears
in his eyes and said, "Well if it´s ok, I´d like you to do it, Taylor.
After all, if it wasn´t for you, I wouldn´t know anything about the
Church." I had to hurry and ask him if we could end with a prayer so I
wouldn´t start crying. :o) But I´m really excited! This will be the first
baptism that I´ve been a part of from start to finish, so I´m stoked!
Make sure to keep him in your prayers, as he prays for all of you in every
single one of his prayers.
 What an amazing blessing it is to see the Gospel change people´s lives.
He has stopped smoking; he has stopped drinking; he has changed the way he
talks to and treats other people. A little over two weeks ago, he wasn´t
really reading in the Book of Mormon; we talked about how important it was
in a visit, and from that day forward, the second we sit down he has his
Book of Mormon out to show us what he has read and marked in that day.
There really is a power in the Book of Mormon! If I have learned nothing
else so far in my mission (which isn´t the case), I can testify that the
Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that if we not only read it, but
seek to apply the principals in our lives, we will be blessed in ways that
we can´t even comprehend! I love being a missionary and this opportunity
that I have to see the Lord work in the lives of His children! Let Him work
in yours!
 We´re getting close to the end of this change. It has been really
different, and hard-I´m not gonna lie. But I have grown and learned SO
much in this change, especially about myself and my relationship with my
Father in Heaven. The Lord knows each of our needs and is here to help us
if we just invite Him into our lives by doing the things He asks of us.
What a blessing it is to know that! Know that I love you all and that
you´re constantly in my prayers!
 Love Always,
Elder Taylor