Birthday Thanks

30 Jun 2009

Dear Family,

First of all, I need to thank you for the package. I absolutely loved it. It reminded me a lot of Christmas (for one, it is cold here now). Thank you for the letters, the socks, and the ton of ties. I was expecting one or two. I was surprised. Also, thank you very much for the Snickers. There is nothing as delicious as Snickers bars here. The big snack here are Alfajores, which are…hard to describe, round brownies with Dulce de Leche (creamy caramel) inside. They are good, but nothing like the candy bars we have. The snickers as well reminded me of Christmas because we often eat them Christmas morning. Thank you for the Mission Journal. I´m nearing the end of my first one.

And thank you especially for the music. That was an absolute surprise to me. I was getting really tired of listening to the same 6-7 CD´s that I have on my iPod. The rest of the Elders in my apartment don´t have music, so we´ve been listening to mine the entire 6 months. I have been tempted to break the rules and listen to some of the other “good” classical music I have, but which isn´t from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir nor hymns. So, I was extremely happy to have more legal music to listen to. I didn´t even know that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir had 300 songs on CD´s. Where did you find it all? Already, we are picking out some of our favourite songs. My companion loves “American Salute (Johnny Boy)” or as I know it “The ants go marching one by one.” So do I because it is the exact arrangement that I played in the YPAS band. It is a difficult piece and the Orchestra of Temple Square blows us out of the water. Elder Lloyd absolutely loves the song “The battle of Jericho.” I´ve never heard that piece, but it is excellent. He sang such pieces in his high school choir. I also think he likes it because it says “The battle of Joshua” a lot and that is his name.

I passed a really good birthday. I´ve decided I want to have my birthday in a different country ever ten years. (I think I already told you that). I had a good lunch with Sara Dumos and afterwards we went to the house of Roxana to celebrate with Karen and Florencia. I definitely received demasiado (too much) cake that day. Veronica gave me an Argentina hat (they know how much I miss wearing caps) and by shear happenchance, Sara and Viviana gave me a matching white sweat shirt and sweat pants which I can wear under my missionary clothes to keep me warm. (Don´t worry mom, I have been kept warm with the sweat pants, sweaters, coats, ear muffs, and gloves that I have. And it hasn´t ever gone below freezing, so it doesn´t bother me too much).

How do I feel about being 20? Well, my definition of old has been incremented. I used to think 30 was old. Now I think that is really young because I´m still a kid. I don´t think old comes until 60-70, if anyone can be defined as old because in our time on Earth, we will always be lacking in experience and knowledge compared with our Heavenly Father. But I´m realizing more and more that I am now taking upon me the full responsibilities to fulfil the goals that the Lord has established for me. I will never again have the comforts and lack of worries as I did during my teenage years. It will be 10 times, if not 100 times more difficult, but that is what will push my eternal growth.

Here in Castillo we´ve hit a few roadblocks. We will have a baptism this Saturday and we are planning others for the next week, but there seems to be big problems with each one of our other investigators. One smokes, one is not married and leaving for Peru in two weeks, one is gay, one had a baby recently and can´t go out in the cold with him, one doesn´t have permission from his parents to be baptized… But I have faith and hope that each one can overcome these dramatic differences and be united in the true faith of Christ.

Oh, a few questions. I´ve always wondered, Mom and Dad, what were the reasons exactly that you couldn´t have children and if you know the reason, why did I suddenly appear after 9 years. I´ve had the question a long time, but never got around to asking it. Also, what is the history of our ancestors first entering the gospel, especially that of Alexander Ranquist, or was it Lars Ranquist?

I wish I could write more, but the time is gone. Have a good week all of you.

With love,
Elder Drake Ranquist