22 months...!

Taylor Family and Friends,
Well, in the last line of Mary-Anne´s email, she let me know that today is my 22-month mark in the mission. That´s so crazy. There are days when it seems like I just got here. But I won´t lie, there are days when it seems like it´s been longer than 22 months, too. Haha. No worries, I´m making the most of the time I´ve got left. No regrets.
We´ve had some special visitors this weekend; Elder Davdison and his mom have been in town. They got here Saturday night and they´re leaving tomorrow morning. It´s been really fun talking to her and getting to know her a little better. I´ve heard about her for the last year and a half, and even more so in the last 2 months, so it´s been cool to actually get to meet her. Elder Davidson´s face has changed even in just the last week and a half. I think he just looks more relaxed and at-ease. He told me he´s just anxious to get home now. His mom arrived Saturday (the 4th) and they fly out on Wednesday afternoon.
Just to let you know, before I forget, I sent the DVD with the pictures on it this last week. They said it takes 7-10 days in order to get there. Let me know when you get it, so I can delete the pictures off my camera and thus have more room on my cards.
On Friday morning I received a call from the offices. Elder Bigham said, "Elder Taylor, I have a question. Do you think your family would mind if we sent you home a week "early"? Or in other words, a week before Christmas?" I laughed and I said, "Ya know, I´m pretty sure they wouldn´t mind." You all don´t mind, right? Haha. He told me that they don´t have the flight itinerary or anything yet, but the projected date is the 17th of December. Whether that is the date I fly from Montevideo or the day I arrive in Salt Lake, I am not sure. But yeah, just so ya´ll know!
Elder Hughes and I had a great week last week. We found quite a few new investigators and had progress with some of the older ones. I don´t know if you remember, but I believe I have commented on Daiana, who was baptized on Sept. 13. Anyway, she has a sister-in-law named Ingri who has come to church a couple of times. She went with us to General Conference last week, as well, and had a great time. We asked Daiana and Walter afterwards what Ingri had thought of it and they said that she had mentioned that she wanted to be baptized. The next afternoon we were at her house! Haha. We had a great lesson with her and her husband, Anivel. We found out that Anivel has heard a little from the missionaries (years ago) and that he was reading the Joseph Smith sunday school manual that we had given Ingri a few weeks ago. We invited them to get baptized at the end of the lesson, and Anivel said, "Well it depends on what day it is, because I work Monday-Saturday." We chuckled and said we could work around his schedule. The challenge will be getting him to church because he´s also a soccer fanatic and often plays on Sundays. Ingri could be baptized this weekend, but we are going to see if we can help Anivel catch the vision and start progressing.
On Thursday, we had a lesson with Élida Bravo, who the missionaries have been teaching for a while. She is Marcos´ mother, the man whose family was baptized a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, she´s fantastic, but couldn´t progress because she couldn´t get a divorce in order to get married with the guy she´s living with now, who comes and goes from Artigas because of work. To make a long story short, they decided that things weren´t going to work out, and he´s staying in Artigas to live his own life so she can live hers. She said she needs God in her life more than she needs any man. When she told us this new news, I almost didn´t know what to say, because it was so unexpected. After stammering for a second and looking at my comp, I asked her, "Well okay then, what day do you want to get baptized?!" Haha. She said, whenever you two think I am ready. The baptism is set for this Friday. The whole branch was excited when the baptism was announced yesterday and she handed out invitations after church. It has been 10 years since she first met the missionaries in Artigas, and after watching her son, daughter-in-law, and 3 grandchildren be baptized, it is finally her turn! When the Lord gives a commandment, He always prepares the way for it to be obeyed, even if it takes a while!
This weekend, we have Stake Conference in Rivera, with a special transmission from Salt Lake. I wonder what it´s gonna be about, or who it´s gonna be....interesante!
This morning we went and had lunch with Marcos, Paola and their family along with Elder Davidson and his mom. We killed two of their chickens and about an hour or so later, we ate them. I´ll send pictures. :o) It´s a pretty nasty day out; it´s been REALLY humid the last couple of days, and it started raining yesterday afternoon-hasn´t stopped since.
Yeah, Mom, we can go onto the Brazil side, because it´s just a street that separates it. We only go over on P-Days though, mostly to eat or maybe shop. I´ve been over once or twice is all, when we´ve gone into Rivera for changes or something.
I believe I know the Bueno family, from Artigas. Well, I know a couple of them. One of the families has been members for years, and the other one I met was baptized last year right after I went to Bella Unión. Maybe it was them. I don´t remember the names, because they were in a different ward.
Well, I believe that´s gonna do it for this week. Thanks for the letters, and for letting me know some of what´s going on. I love you all, and pray for you often! Take care and enjoy the week!
Elder Taylor