From Elder Griffin: This Week Was Amazing!

Woaahhhh.... weird email haha.

Hermana missionaries in the basement... good luck! Haha.  Just kidding, that'll be a great experience haha. Let me know where they are from and stuff, the mission is so different for them than for us, I'm sure.. being in Utah with a car and everything... But awesome!  Thanks for helping them that's cool:)  Haha, I want to know more about how it goes.. all the elders here are going to get a kick out of this one.  Okay.. I'm done teasing.  I'm excited for you all!  It'll be an awesome experience:) They're so lucky to live with you guys!

This week was amazing.  We went to the temple on Wednesday to go through a session and to see a family get sealed, which was thee coolest thing ever!  Ah, such an awesome experience.  It helped my testimony grow a lot about the purpose of the temple and the perfectness of the ordinances that are done in it.  So cool!  We didn't get back to Melo until 3 in the morning the next day so it was a little crazy but sooo worth it. We even found a Subway and I couldn't resist... haha.  Super good!  It's actually exactly like at home,  you just have to order in Spanish.  
This Thursday we have to go back to Montevideo again for the zone council, and the next week on Tuesday for changes.  Time is flying!  So we are going to be doing a lot of traveling these next couple weeks.  


I'm glad you all had fun in Escalante! I want to go!!  I always wanted to hike up to the falls haha, I've never been.  Thanks for sending all the pics: )  I'm gonna save them on my flash drive and show em to my comp.  I hope all goes well with the surgery dad!  I'll be praying for you.  I'm super happy haha.  I love the mission.  I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to go.  It's by far the hardest thing I've ever done in my life mentally and physically but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I can't believe in a couple months I get the phone call to ask about my plane departure to go home. Insane. Time flies so fast!  I'm so grateful for all the support from you all, it helps so much to know that I have the best family in the entire world to come home to, and I mean it!  I've still got a lot to do while I'm out here and I know that the Lord puts us where we need to be!  I love you all and I hope your testimonies strengthen every day.

Sigan no más. Les quiero mucho!!!  

From Elder Griffin: Miracle!

*Note from mom:  I did send an email last night.  Maybe I was so tired I 
clicked save instead of send??  Who knows, but I feel really bad.  He'll get
two emails next week, I guess!!  I sure love this missionary of mine! :)



Hey everyone, so I didn't get an email this week. Idk if i'ts cause it
didn't come or cause nobody wrote me haha but anyway.  We had a baptism
this week!  Miracle . Maura Romero got baptized this week.  She was a
referral from a member in the ward.  She quit smoking and changed a ton
to get baptized.  Since the beginning of the month we've had her
baptismal date for July  22, and she was progressing so much that my
comp and I always said that there is nothing that can stop her, haha.
We said the only thing that would stop her from getting baptized is if
she got sick and physically couldn't come to church to get baptized.
Well, we should have kept our mouths shut!  


On Wednesday of this week her baby boy got super sick, and was put 
into the hospital.  We had no idea what to do cause she doesn't have a 
phone.. we still had things to
teach before her baptism, and she still needed the interview.  For all
day Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we had no idea what was going on
with her, and we were getting super worried, so my comp and I walked
to the other side of the city to go to the hospital to find her to see
how her son was.  We went in and found them and she said that her son
had to stay in the hospital at least until Monday, and that she had to
stay with him, meaning she wouldn't able to get baptized on her
baptismal date. Her husband works in the army so he was traveling back
home to go to the hospital, and she couldn't leave, and doesn't have a
phone!  So we were left without knowing what was going to happen.  A
couple more days passed without any contact with her, and my comp and
I prayed sooo much that she would be able to get baptized if it was
meant to happen. 


Sunday morning we knelt to pray before leaving to
church, and as a last effort I said.. ''please let Maura leave the
hospital to come to the church  today so she can get baptized if it is
your will, the font already is full of water  (from the other ward's
baptism) and we've done all we can!''  So, we went to church not
knowing what was going to happen.  We got there and the bishop asked if
we had our baptism.  I said that we hope so, but explained the
situation to him.  He said that there was no way she was going to come
if her son was in the hospita,. but we kept hoping anyway!  We went
outside to the entrance of the church right as it was starting, to
greet the people and stand in the warm sun haha, and believe it or
not, Maura, all alone, came walking around the corner freezing cold
with the Book of Mormon in her hand (which she can't even read cause
she's illiterate like a lot of people here), and said ''I made it!!''.
She had walked all across the city alone early in the morning from
the hospital to make it to church in time to get baptized. My comp and
I couldn't believe it. We were sooo happy, haha.  Just then her husband
returned and stayed with the baby in the hospital.  My fast typing can't
explain even a tenth of the miracle this experience was for us, but
wow.  I can't tell you how grateful I am. What an amazing experience!!!
I love the mission. 


 Anyway I've already got to go. Oh, my package
came!!!  Thanks so much!  We made cake last night haha.  The peanut
butter is a beautiful thing. An awesome package:)  Also, this Wednesday
my comp and I get to go to Montevideo to the temple to see one of his
converts get sealed!!  We are super excited haha, perks of having a
stud companion:)  Anyway.  I love you all, thanks for everything.  CHAU!

From Elder Griffin: I LOVE BAPTISM!

Hey whats up?

Crazy week.

On Monday my comp was playing soccer and totally twisted his ankle super bad, so for three days he could hardly walk, haha it was sad.  Don't laugh.  We had to get him crutches but he didn't even really use them.  Anyway he's better now, which is a blessing cause we need to be able to walk to get to our investigators for the lessons.  It was a good week though!  We are still teaching that family, the Pereira family, they are awesome.  Last night we had a lesson with them all sitting next to the fireplace all warm haha it was the best, the spirit was so strong, they all have such strong desires to get baptized- it sure strengthens my testimony!  They already want to go to the temple to get sealed as a family, so we are really happy and excited for them to progress.  We have a baptism planned for this Saturday!  Her name is Maura, she's in her mid 20s and was a referral from a member, she has also been progressing a ton.  She stopped smoking and has a really strong testimony of the gospel already. It's awesome!!  We are super excited.  I LOVE BAPTISM.  


This week is going to be a good week, we have interviews with the president/zone conference on Wednesday here in Melo.  We have to order a bunch of catering now after we email.  We're excited!  The new president is really really good:)  Then on Friday we are going to have a movie night in the church for all the members, we're going to watch some church movie and make a whole bunch of popcorn haha and invite investigators.  It's going to be spectacular.  It sounds like all is well at home!  I cant believe you're already going to Escalante again, seems like yesterday you just went.  Last year!  I want to go!!  I miss it haha.  It's okay, next year.  Tell everyone hi for me.  It's been coooollllld here.  I've got a cold and can barely talk, but it's all good.  I feel fine, and have medicine so don't worry haha. My package hasn't gotten to me yet, but it'll come soon:)  Sorry it's a short email today, but know that I love you all and pray for you often!  Thanks for everything:) 

Love, Tyson.

Ty with his companion, Elder Villar, and Elder Gardanier, his friend from our old neighborhood.  They are having fun being in the same mission and zone!

From Elder Griffin: I Love Being A Missionary!!!

Heyyy Family!

First of all.. the new president has a blog spot for the mission, and there are pics from our zone leader council on there haha so go look, it's fun:)  http://missionuruguaymontevideo.blogspot.com.  There is a picture of me at the council table and it looks like I'm sleeping haha.  I'M NOT!  The son of the mission president thought it was funny to put it up.  I was sleepy after a 6 hour bus ride, but I was awake I promise haha.

Anyway so this week was a good week!  We were able to go to Montevideo on Tuesday at midnight, to get to Montevideo on time for the zone council and meet the new president and his family!  It was awesome!  They are great haha we are all super excited for the future of the mission and for all the new ideas he has.  They are super nice, a TON different from the DaSilvas, but awesome and chosen by the Lord to be here.  It's been a crazy week.  We had to travel to a town called Rio Branco on Friday for a baptismal interview for one of our district leaders, and it's an hour and a half each way, so we have been on the bus a lot lately haha.  

Remember last week when I said that a cold front was coming?  It came. Haha we are freeeeezziiinggg.  I'm so grateful I have my sleeping bag or I would die.  Brrrrrrrrr.  It's good though:)  It frosted again the other day haha, that never happens.  It's fine when the sun is out though so vamos arriba.  So, yesterday we had 5 investigators in church!!  Woo hoooo!  That is a huge achievement here in this area haha.  We are super excited.  We've got a lot of baptisms planned that are coming up, so we are pumped.  We are teaching a family that is super cool, they are called the Pereira family.  The mom got baptized years ago and went inactive, and we found them knocking doors about a month ago, but recently we finally got a couple lessons with them.  They are golden.  The dad (Johnny), the daughter (Virginia,) the son (Alejandro,) and the brother of the mom, (Ramon) all have baptismal dates!!!  They all accepted to get baptized!  The lessons with them are so spiritual.  Every time we go we are more surprised with how amazing they are.  Guhh, I love being a missionary!!!  Pray for them, they need the gospel so much!  I love families. 

I totally had forgotten that the 4th of July passed.  My favorite holiday, and I totally forgot haha geez.  Better, I guess.  It sounds like you all had fun!  I'll be there for the next one!  I get so caught up in the mission and stuff that I totally forget about home (no offense).  That is so cool that you are going to the temple with Josh once a week, what a great goal!  I love that.  I want to go!!  So my comp is a stud.  We get along well.  It's good to be with different comps . Forces you to grow! Anyway I'm sending a few pics, one of them is the family of Kevin Antony, the other two are converts of Elder Burnett and I here in Castagnet. They are awesome haha I love em. I wish I could go pick apricots at grandmas!  I miss that haha.  My brain is all messed up with the seasons now.. but it's all good.  If I had a nickel for every time somebody asked if I was German, or if I play basketball, or if the weather is colder "up there",  I'd have enough money to send you all to Punta del Este for a week haha.  Random fact of the day.  Enjoy it.

I love you all, live the Gospel, and be happy!

Con amor,
Elder Griffin

Looks like Ty is a little too tall to stand up in this room :)

From Elder Griffin: Vamo Arriba Melo!

Buenos Días mis queridos,

Vamo´Arriba Melo! We had an awesome week! We had a baptism here in

Castagñet (our area). Kevin Antony got baptized and confirmed this

weekend! It was a really awesome baptism. His older hermano lo

bautizó. He is such a special kid. In his baptismal interview, he was

saying about how he has a bunch of goals to stay active in the church,

and that he's already planning to serve a mission haha. He only has 9

years! He is the best. The mom also came to sacrament meeting and

everything, but still won't commit! One day she'll get baptized. She

knows it's true. So now I'm with my new comp from Chile, Elder Villar.

We are super excited for this change in Melo, and we have seen a lot

of progress so we are pumped! Haha...with the zone leaders there

aren't senior or junior comp, which is a good thing because then both

of us have to work haha.. jk. Our new mission president got here and

president DaSilva is gone. President Armstrong, he has a family he

brought with him which is going to be a change haha. Tomorrow we go to

Montevideo for the Zone leader council, and we'll get to meet them

there. We're super excited! We have had a weird hot spurt here in

Melo, we've been out with just short sleeves and stuff. I don't know

what's wrong with the weather here, less predictable than Utah! But

they say it's going to have a freeze over in a couple days and it's

supposed to be pretty crazy haha so we'll see what happens. I'm glad

Zack got out of his surgery alright. Sounds like its just a normal

summer! Busy and fun haha..I miss it..Huh? I didn't say anything:) I

love the mission. That's awesome that you are going to start going to

the temple once a week with Josh before his mission, that's one thing I

regret, is not going more often before I left. I'd kill to go now! Haha

it's interesting how the mission makes you realize what you need to

change when you get home, I'm grateful for that! The package hasn't

gotten here yet, maybe tomorrow when we go to Montevideo it'll be

there.

I love you all, and I hope you know I'm grateful for all the support

from everyone! It helps a lot. Time is ticking down... crazy.

Que pasen bien y no se vayan a quemar con el fuego en todos lados!

Quiero que sepan que les quiero mucho. Chauuu!!!