Letter #88-"I know you think about jumping ship before it sinks...‏"

but we are all in this together."

Monday I seriously had a Ben Lee moment, because I was on the bus thinking about how my mission was passing by and how I am "entering into the last quarter mile" as dad would say and I looked around at everyone and the words to Ben Lee just crept into my head "We are all in this together." And then I thought of Eric Whitlock because he would always write me and say,  "I´m on a mission, and you´re on a mission and we´re all in this together." And it really is true. We are all in this together. Even at the beginning of life, at the end of life, beginning of the mission, at the middle, at the end, an old man, young man, baby, we are all in this together to go back to Heavenly Father and live in his presence forever and because we are all in this we serve missions to help those who "Think about jumping ship before it sinks" as Ben Lee wrote. That it my little thought for the beginning.

Well, I really enjoyed talking with you all on Sunday. It was the best Christmas present I have ever received in my entire life. I really loved it. It was so great to hear all of your voices and chat about everything. It was wonderful to hear Chad too. He has been my best friend since forever and can you believe that I haven´t really talked with him for 3 years!? That is why I got emotional talking to him. It´s been a long time. hah I can´t believe I got emotional. Thanks for having him pass by. He sounds great and so... Chaddish. hahaha. I love him and I love you all so much. I was so grateful for the opportunity to bear my testimony to you all one last time by phone while still on the mission. 

So Christmas was great. We tried working hard on Christmas Eve and on Christmas. We thought, "This is gonna be so tough and all of our investigators are going to be so annoyed with us. But Elder Schmidt had the idea to buy little presents for our investigators. WOW! What a wonderful idea. We visited almost all of our investigators at the beginning they were really annoyed, answering the door thinking we wanted to waste their time, then we said, "We got your family a present for Christmas!!" Everyone got exited and let us in. It was nice because they could feel our love that we have for them because sometimes people think that we are robots that are programed to think lessons contacts baptisms, lessons, contacts, baptisms... but we love these people. We wouldn´t pass by if we didn´t love them.

So Marcos is doing wonderful!!!!! I AM SO HAPPY!!!!! We worked hard. The 2nd of January, we are marking their wedding!!!! Awesome!!!! The branch said that they would pay for the wedding (they are young, he is turning 22 and I think she is 19 or 20) that is so awesome. He was able to get Sunday off and came to church. It was awesome because he and his family needed a ride to church and he called a member of the branch presidency who wasn´t planning on going to church. He said "Hey Irmão! Are you going to church today? We need a ride." The brother looked and said "Now I am" and they went! It was awesome. Marcos used one of my ties. He is a stud. So we are shooting for a wedding/baptism on the 1st of February. Isn´t that just awesome!! I am smelling a big BBQ!!! My birthday, a wedding, AND a baptism! What could be better??!! I feel like Jack Sparrow because I LOVE WEDDINGS AND BAPTISMS!!! YES!!!!

We also are teaching Joana still! Her faith is amazing. She is the Adventist. I don´t know if I told you, we taught her the plan of salvation first then the restoration. In the restoration she said, "Wait, you believe in a prophet as well? So we both believe in prophets but different ones. So one has to be right and the other one wrong. I am going to find out which is the true prophet." I smiled and said "Well, here is the Book of Mormon....." and so she is reading it now. Awesome. We are having a blast and working really well. 


Today we played soccer with some Bolivians (we also taught them the gift of tongues! We taught in Spanish.) The whole lesson I was thinking MAN! I need President Cordon here with me. Hah because he speaks Spanish and Portuguese but they understood. They will be going back to Bolivia soon. All with Books of Mormon.

Oh! and at district meeting on Monday, after, one of my friends came in his name is Elder Hann. He is from VAL VISTA LAKES!!! So we chat about Zion, I mean Arizona all the time. He is going home in a week.  He is the coolest and one of the best missionaries ever. Can you spell BEST FRIENDS FOREVER! We are gonna walk around talking about everyone in Portguese after the mission. HAH! but so he came in and said "Elder Askins, I have to show you something." He pulled out his photo album and showed me a picture of Dana park.  You know the plaza that has Pei Wei and that pizza place and the worst restaurant in the world (Paradise Bakery- it´s been 2 years and I am still bitter about how they lied to me!!! Audrey you know how much I hate that place!!!!) but I hugged him and started jumping up and down with him. hhahahah We got so excited together.  


I have been thinking about Dana Park a lot like the past 3 months because on my 19th birthday Allie and I went there to eat at Pei Wei and walked up and down the sidewalk looking at stores and listening to Rocket Summer! hahaha and that is where we all ate together after I passed through the temple (the fam, Don, Nancy, Gina and John) that was a blast! So he showed me those pics and then of the Clubhouse (Do you remember the club house?) Yeah. So it was great! 

Well family, I love you so much. I am well and I am so happy. This is so wonderful to be a missionary and I am so grateful for what the Lord did for me through the mission. I love this so much and I can´t wait to see you all and tell you all these stories face to face. I love you family. Katie, if you could forward this to Elder Whitlock and to Ben Reeves that would be awesome? I love you all so much! Don´t stop believing and don´t forget that we are all in this together like Ben Lee said.
com amor,
i love yous
Elder Nathan Askins