Letter from Salto

Taylor Family and Friends,
 Well hey there. How ya´ll doin this beautiful day? Things are going well
here in Uruguay. It´s about 10:30 in the morning and I´ve already been up
for about 5 1/2 hours. Pretty intense, eh? We woke up this morning and
hopped on a bus to come down and hang out with some of the zone today.
We´re going to go play GOLF! I´m WAY excited. Can you believe that? I,
Elder Taylor, am crazy excited to play GOLF. Haha. The things that change
on the mission. This is probably the one and only time we will come down
here on a Preparation Day, because it takes up our day and money, but it´s
all good. We got special permission to do divisions here tonight, so we
won´t have to head back to Bella Union for our three hours of proselyting
tonight. We have interviews with President Peterson tomorrow morning and
then tomorrow about noonish we have our district meetings like every week;
then we´ll head back to Bella Union.
 So that´s what´s going on today. Sounds like fun, eh? I sure thought
so. Last week was a pretty long week, but it was great at the same time. A
couple of years ago, Elder Ballard gave a challenge, or better said, a
commandment for the missionaries to do at least 10 contacts a day; that
means 70 per week. Over the last year in the mission, the average has been
39.8 per missionary, per week. That´s barely over 50%. Wow. The President
really pushed this topic in our Zone Conference that we had like two weeks
ago, so Elder Marroquín and I decided last week that we were going to quit
being dumb as I put it. Haha. We both got our contacts last week. I
ended up with 73 and he got 71. We were both really happy and felt good.
Ten contacts a day doesn´t sound like a lot, and it´s not, but sometimes
it´s not as easy as it sounds. Especially when it rains for three days
STRAIGHT like it did last week, and no one is in the street. But when the
Lord gives a commandment, He provides the way. Even if it means we have to
walk into corner stores and invite His children, He will provide the way:
we just have to be willing to do what is required! So Elder Marroquín and
I decided we were going to do what is required. I´m not going to say that
we saw any AMAZING miracles last week for being obedient, but I can
honestly say that we feel a lot better and we are VERY optimistic for this
week. As Brother Matt Sellers told me this week, the Lord will bless us as
fast as we are able to receive it. I believe we showed the Lord that we
really do want to invite His children to learn more about Him this last
week, and we are willing to do what it takes! It´s going to be a great
week.
 Got my first dog bite this last weekend. Saturday night, I think. No
worries, it was just a quick grab-and-release on the ankle. Only bled a
little bit. But it was kinda funny. :o)
 My cold´s pretty much gone. I haven´t checked my tonsils in the last
couple of days, but I´m feeling ok. I told the Hermana Peterson at the
Zone Conference and she gave me a paper that said the medicine I needed, but I haven´t stopped by to get it yet. Up ´til now, I´ve
been ok. Haha.
 Investigators are doing well. The hard part of the work in Bella Union
is different than the hard part in Artigas. In Artigas, it was hard for us
to find people to teach, but once we found them, they usually progressed.
In Bella Union, it is easy to find people, but they don´t progress:
mostly because they don´t go to church on Sunday. We are really focusing
in on that area. Ricardo was working like 12 hours yesterday, so he didn´t
go to church, but his wife and 3-year old daughter went. It was GREAT to
see them there. She is the returned-missionary that went inactive. But it
can be seen she has the desires to come back. We were talking with her, and
she said that Ricardo has been asking a lot more questions about the
church, the temple, and the priesthood in this last week. We are pretty
excited about that! Questions are always good. We are having lunch with
them on Wednesday, so that´ll be fun.
 Things with Elder Marroquín are going really well. He is a lot different
than Elder Huaman, but at the same time, they are very similar. It is just
a lot different to be with a Latin. Not better or worse, just different.
Out of my 5 companions in the field, 3 of them have been Latins, and 2 of
those 3 have been Peruvians. I think that I´m supposed to head to Peru at
some point in my life. Elder Marroquín says that I´m going to have each
one of the Peruvians in the mission as a companion. Oh boy. I think that
would mean a Peruvian for the rest of my mission. I think I would go crazy.
Haha. He is a great Elder and he knows why he is here. It is very easy to
work with him. His birthday is December 16th. What a coincidence, eh? The
day after mine. I doubt I´ll still be here for our birthdays, but who
knows?
 People always comment on how young we are, right? And usually they ask us
how old we are, so we ask them to guess first. With Elder Marroquín they
always say 19 or 20, but with me it´s always 23 or 24. Yesterday, one guy
said 29! I almost died. I don´t mind looking older at all, but 29?!
Sheesh. I guess need to do some more intense exercises in the morning.
Anybody have some kind of age remedy? Haha.
 Mom, you noticed his tie, too?! Haha. That´s awesome! I was in the room
all by myself, right? Oh, but don´t worry, I still commented on the tie
OUT LOUD. Haha. After I realized what I had just done, I couldn´t help but
laugh at myself. That´s what happens when you´re with a Latin for 3
straight months, I guess!
 As for things I need in a package, I´m not sure. Those Pilot gel pens
that you sent last time work REALLY well for contacts, because I can click
them open and shut quickly. Dumb little thing, but hey. Haha. I don´t know
if I have told you yet, but I have officially put a hole in my Ecco´s,
too. Just in the left foot. I have no idea what happened, to be competely
honest. I´m thinking about buying another pair of shoes from Brazil like
the ones I bought a couple of months ago. I like them a lot, and they only
cost like 700 pesos. I think that´s like 30 bucks. Not too bad. I don´t
know-what do you think? I think shoes are too risky to send in a package. I
don´t know if I´m really going to buy new shoes yet, but the thought has
crossed my mind. What else do I need in a package, or want? I don´t know.
Give me some ideas, and if it sparks any ideas, I´ll let you know. Oh, one
thing. Tell my best friend to write me! Haha. I know I wasn´t the best
writer to him while he was gone, but that´s because he told me NOT to
write emails! He can write me emails, at the mission address. C´mon
Skyler, I know you´re not stock full of dates...nice try! :o)
 If you can´t tell, I´m just trying to buy a little bit of time. Haha. I
wrote quickly today. Maybe I´ll try and send some pics. Good idea, Elder
Taylor.
 Ok, know that I love you all. Take care of yourselves and do your
scripture studies! The scriptures really have helped me have the desires
and motivation to do this work even on the hardest of days. There really is
a power to be found there. Look for it! And I would love to hear insights
and thoughts from all of you. Thanks Bro. Sellers for your thoughts-I
REALLY enjoyed it! ¡Cuídense y pórtense bien!
Elder Taylor