We look cool in our jackets:)

Hey everyone, glad to hear that you are all keeping busy now that school out for you boys...;) That is so crazy that dad "found" KJ! How was that even possible? Super crazy! Luckily dad doesnt ever have to travel to Uruguay so that he doesnt "run into" us here in Montevideo:) Haha but for reals though that is sweet and funny that he waited till the last month of Elder Patterson, couldnt have waited? Nah but we are doing super good here, today we are just doing the normal, trying to stay out of the cold. It is now freezing cold, inside and outside. I had a cold on Saturday because it dropped so fast, but I'm doing a lot better now. Like it never even happened. 

This week was great though! We had interviews with Pte. Smith, which felt kinda wierd because it was my last one until I leave. It was nice to be talk with him and receive some last council. We also had divisions with the APs this week, I went to their ward in Downtown Deo with Elder Trucolo (Argentino) and had a great day! I learned a lot from him and we taught really well together, it was different for me because I have never had an area in this part of Montevideo. I felt like I was a tourist the whole time. I probably sounded like an idiot the whole time making comments about how nice everything was and such. It would be wierd for me to have an area like that, so I'm glad to be out in Cerro.  

We also finally got back in touch with Juan, and true to his word, he is all set and ready to go! He has quit smoking, he is reading the book of mormon, and is getting ready to be baptized next week! He brought his whole family to church this week and is just doing great!! 

Then on Saturday we had the baptism of Edrian that was awesome! The whole family went and a bunch of people from the ward went to support them. Like always there has to be something that goes wrong, this time it was the water-heater. Didnt want to run for a long time, by the time we got it going there wasnt enough time to fill it with just hot water, so the water was just a little-lot colder than enjoyable, but he was a trooper and got it done! It was great for the family because the brother did the baptism and the dad did the confirmation. They have a daughter that lives with the boyfriend and now they are going to church and he is really interested and doing a lot to learn about the church. I've got a really good feeling about him, he is a great guy and really open to learn more.

Needless to say, we are really excited now for this week and to see how everything pans out! Thanks for everything, I love you guys so much!! 

Love,

Elder Degn

ps. Somos de Peñarol!!

and I did recieve the package that dad sent before mothers day, thanks for the protien!!

Justice & Mercy--June 1, 2015

Hey everyone thanks for all the good wishes. Sounds like everyone is doing good getting ready for school to get out. Hard to believe that it is that time of year already...Time really flies by! This week has been great and today was really fun, we headed out early to the centro for probably the last pass through for Elder Gonzalez. We might get out there one more time before he leaves, but we kinda just treated itlike it was going to be the last one, so we spoiled ourselves a litle bit:) You know, nice gifts and a subway lunch, doesnt get much better:) Gonzalez and I have been getting really well and we have a great time with each other. I am learning a ton from him and I feel like he is my brother. Just the other day there was a moment where I said something and it was one of those things where right as I said it I knew it came out wrong and because we know each other so well I knew he didnt take it right either, and we talked about it and fixed it all not allowing it to grow and become something big in between us that is really something super little. It is awesome to have a comp that you get along with well enough to recognize those little things and avoid little problems. I jsut felt like I was talking with a super good friend avoided a unwanted problem. The little things you learn in the mission....;) 

This week was really a great week though! We visited the family of Juan that is still really tied up looking out for his grandpa in the hospital, but he was operated on this past week and should soon be released and is going to stay in the house of Juan´s family and so we will be able to get back to teaching him and getting him back on the track to baptism! He is super excited though and doing great!

We are also working with a family that is recently re-activating themselves and they have a son that was married to a girl that is also a member, and now they are really active as well and getting things set up so they can be sealed together in the temple which is really exciting! They also have a nine year old son that we are teaching, just helping him get ready so he can be baptized as well, which they are all super excited about! They are a great family and are really excited to be back on track. They have just about every cool thing ahead of them in the church, and their excitement is obvious and  just shines off of them. We are excited to help them out as well, and they are  really just doing great, families are so happy when they are progressing in the gospel. 

We had a lesson this week with a young couple named Rocina and Christian. We had a lesson with her about a month ago which went really well but then it got complicated and we couldnt get a hold of her again until just barely and her and her husband (they arent married, even though it seems like it...) were both really excited to have a lesson with us, and they came out to the church to do it. We taught them about the restauration and answered a bunch of questions they had, which always makes for a good lesson. During the part of the first vision there was a very strong spirit and it was one of the few times that you see in the eyes of the  other person that they understood, and that they felt it. I dont know how this will all turn out, but Rocina has a special spirit, we felt it and saw it. She is really smart and has a strong catholic backround, but we could feel the desire she had to know more. I have high hopes with them and the future!! 

Well folks, I sure love you all and love so much what I  am doing! This gospel is amazing, Elder Gonzalez and I have been studying a lot together about the Justice and Mercy God and the role and conditions of the atonement...something so profound, yet so simple. Alma 42 amongst many. Great stuff. I know the plan is real and perfect and true! And that we all need the atonement to make it back. We are on His conditions, not ours. Thank you for everything you do for me everyday! I love you all so much!

Con todo mi amor,

Elder Degn

ps. The great city of Montevideo!

 I finally got my scripture covers!!  I love them!

 The great city of Montevideo!

 It is getting colder...

Still got the throwing arm...skipping rocks

Eloy! I love this man...

Hey my dear family!! With a full heart I send you my love and especially to my boy Mafatu. I had a sharp feeling of deja vu...it is impossible to forget the sweetness of victory or the bitterness of defeat. I'm grateful to have experienced both. Defeat makes us work harder and be better. There will be more games to be played. #traditionofexellence 

This has been a great and very, very, very, busy week. It was the week of changes and all the ZLs of Montevideo spend the day in the bus terminal sending and receiving missionaries to and from all over the country. It was very exciting seeing all of the missionaries ending the mission arrive early in the morning and head to the mission home and then later see all the new missionaries arrive with their companions to head out to their new area, mixed with all the friends I saw in between and it was a crazy mix of emotions the whole day! Thankfully everything worked out very smoothly, and we were able to sleep all night;) 

We were running around like crazy after that trying to get to all of the people that we needed to visit. We gave Katy her first triple (Book of Mormon, D&C, Pearl of great price) and she was so excited and we explained it and read some together and she understands so well and wants to just keep learning! We visited the mother of Juan, he is still in the hospital taking care of his grandpa, so we have only been able to talk with him over the phone, but he was so disapointed to not be able to be baptized on the day we had set up, but he is reading the Book of Mormon still and has completely quit smoking! His mom was telling us how she can't believe that he just up and quit. She offered him the other day a cigarette and he told her that he doesn't want to smoke and doesn't feel the need to anymore. So he quit!! It was awesome for us to hear and we are really excited to see him again and help him get to his baptism! 

Speaking of victory and defeat, I recieved a call on Saturday from the missionaries in Cerro 1, my old ward, and they were with the bishop who told them to call me because my good friend Eloy that was baptized while I was there was killed in an accident while he was  riding his bike. It was very unexpected news, and I felt that sudden surge of mixed emotions thinking about my old friend, and I felt peace. Grateful for the knowledge I have and for the privilege that was mine to get to know Eloy and help him learn about the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel that allows us to find peace and comfort in this hectic world in which we live, and to have faith and hope for something more glorious than we can presently imagine, the eternal life. Eloy was one of the most simple and practical person I have ever met. He was so humble but had a large heart, always helping people without being asked. I was looking forward to seeing him again before I headed home, but now I will be waiting a little bit more to see him again. But I know that I will! I love this gospel and I know that this is the true church of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ. In his name, Amen.

I love you guys tons and am so grateful to be in this family!!
Todo mi amor,

Elder Degn

ps. I sent Elder Bentley off to Brazil this week, most likely the last time I will see him in the mission. I love this guy so much! Brothers for life!!   

 My friend and awesome missionary, Hermana Dow.

Elder Bentley!!

My sweet friend, Eloy.

Cerro 8!!!

 GLad to hear that everyone is still doing well and super busy, VAM´ ARRIBA BINGHAM BASEBALL! GO get em Matt! Im pulling for you guys down here, I hope everything goes well! Today has been super crazy, it is the last pday of the change and all the Montevideo zones have permision to go to the temple. So we went!! It was amazing! I havent been in six months and it makes such a big difference! The only problem is that we are the farthest away,  litterally on the opposite extreme of Montevideo, so we got up early and rode on a city bus for a hour and a half to get there. Then we just got back a little bit ago. I don't want to ride buses again for a long time....but it was totally worth it!! 

This week has been great though, the big highlight is changes......I am going to be Elder Gonzalez´s last comp! We are staying together! We are both super excited but both feel kinda goofy thinking that he ends this change and that I'm not that far behind him. It really doesn't feel real because it goes by so fast and every change goes by faster! But we are super pumped to keep working in Cerro 8! This week was great, we had the confirmation of Graciela who is soooo happy! It has been amazing to see the change in her before and after, she is so much happier and I dont really know why! (Alright I do know why but it has been such a drastic change that it has been a shock to us too) Her dad never let us go to her house but he wanted us to come by to meet him this week and so we went kinda nervous, she lives is a pretty rough spot of the nighborhood, and we got there and there was a sketchy group of guys on the corner, and the dad came out and yelled all the rules that he was going to put for us to go, but he will let us go to there house now which is progress! (But we did get out of there at marching speed;) We had awesome visits with Juan this week, he is basically quit smoking which has been a miracle in and off istelf, and has full-heartedly accepted all the other commandments, and is progressing soo well! The only thing was that this week his grandma was hospitalized in a emergency and he had to spend the night and Sunday morning watching her so he couldn't go to church but we talked with him and everything is good, we are just going to have to push his baptism back a little bit, but it is all going to work out. I love this guy so much! Also, update on Katy, she is doing sooo good!! She reads and studies so much and everytime we go to her house she has more questions and is learning so much! She just wants more, she is progressing so well still, I love it! 

We are doing great here and are sooo excited for this next change, I know that the work is being hastened and that we need to be the instruments in His hands!! I love you guys so much, thank you for everything!!
Love,

Elder Degn

Baptism!! (May 11, 2015)

Hey kids it was sooo awesome to see you all yesterday!! I love you guys so much! The truth is that I kinda felt weird thinking that it was the last time, I think my mind has accepted the fact that I will always be in Uruguay. It doesn't make sense going home, it's weird I know, but we will just see what happens I guess. This week was really amazing! Our area is really pumping super well right now, the highlight of this week was the baptism of Graciela! It was awesome to see her happy and content to be able to take this step that she has wanted to take for a long time. The program went well and it was great to have the family of Elder Toledo present as well. 

We also are super excited for Juan who is progresing soo well right now! He has been reading a ton in the Book of Mormon and has gone to everything for the past three weeks. He is excited for his baptism in two weeks and we are just working on teaching him everything that he needs to know to be baptized. We are also trying to help his mom, she is there but isn't quite convinced yet. (Its because she doesn't read the Book of Mormon) but she supports him and everything, so that helps a ton! 

Honestly, I don't really have anything more to say, we covered it all yesterday...that would be so efficiant every week right? Haha joking, just joking;) For reals though, I love you guys soooooo much and loved seeing you! I love what I do and I KNOW that this church is true and that the Book of Mormon is the true word of God. Thank you for everything that you do for me!!
Con todo mi amor

Elder Degn

ps. Graciela!!

Bowling Champ!!!

Hey guys whats up!? Happy almost Mothers day!!! Alright jk but I am also really excited to talk to you guys too this sunday! Today we headed out again to the centro with Elder Toledo because it is his last Pday so we went around as he wanted, buying goodies and playing bowling! Im sooo excited to go and play bowling again! I had to break a little of the rust off in the beginning but I ended up coming out on top! Gonzalez surprized me by playing very well and it was really close but I came through in the clutch in the last frame. It is so weird being with Toledo in his last week, he was suposed to end last change but he extended so he ends right now. His family is coming to get him from Chile, and we are going to be having a little bit of a ward hoedown with them all on Thursday, then he leaves to go visit his other areas with his family. Im really excited to get to meet them, and then say by...haha but it will be awesome for them, everyone loves Toledo. 

This week was SOOOO awesome!!!! We are working with a a couple of really awesome families that are progressing super good, but this week we had some aweosome charlas!! Our number one investigator is Juan who I told you about last week I think, he came to all the activies last week and we visited them this week and he absolutely blew our minds. We drilled them pretty good to read the book of mormon and he said that he started, read a couple pages, felt dumb for reading a book, set it down, and then he said it happened. He said that he had the craziest feeling that he could not describe that entered in his body and told him to keep reading. He read half of first nephi that night and when we got there he explained so well the first thirteen chapters to us and we were both sitting there with our jaws hanging open...the spirit is the best teacher there is!! We invited him to be baptized and he answered ´¨ What do I need to do?" He was ready to do anything and everything! He came to church again and is helping out his mom a ton as well! I am soo excited for him!! He is such a boss! 

We also got back into contact with our other investigator Graciela that we lost contact of the other week and had a really good charla as well. She was getting all ready to be baptized before we lost her, and so we talked and she is all set, she is going to get baptized this thursday by Elder Toledo, the missionary that found her a year ago when he was in this ward for the first time. Awesome right? They are both pretty excited! Us too, she understands the gospel and commandments so well for someone that is getting to know the church. Her life is really tough, but she does a really big effort to be obedient to all of the commandments and to read the book of mormon, which she has almost finished. Above everything she is a big example to me for the effort she makes to do what she does. Thursday is going to be a awesome day!

There are a lot of people that we are working with to help them progress and that in this moment have a lot of potential and we are so excited to see where this next week takes them!! I love where I am and I love what I do! I know the Book of Mormon is the WORD OF GOD and that it was written for our day. IT IS THE KEY!!! 

I love you all so much and am so grateful for all that you do for me!! 

Love you guys! See you on Sunday!!!
Elder Degn

April 27, 2015

Hey guys whats up!? Two things, first off, that is the biggest trophy I have ever seen Bella!! Its bigger than you guys!! Congrats Bells! Also Congrats to Mafatu, the big 16! Super crazy that he is already 16! Everyone is growing up way to fast! Just keep his hands off the car keys is my only advice for now:) Today was super fun because we went to Downtown Montevideo to go walk around, and it was awesome but really nastalgic all at the same time. I was like ´ooh this place, and oh I remember that and this..´   yeah it was really fun. Downtown is such a crazy place, first time in the big city for almost a year, and it really is so much diferent than all the other places in the country. It was awesome to go look around again though. 

But this week was absolutely awesome!!! The conference with Elder Oaks was SOO GOOD!! We all got to go shake his hand which was so cool! It was funny because I was sitting next to Elder Toledo (my old comp whom I live with) waiting for the conference to start and we were talking about the mission and life, and how he has super mixed emotions about going home and what to do and all that fun stuff, and then when Elder Oaks started talking he started right off the bat talking about the importance of life after the mission especially marriage! HAHAHAHA it was so funny to give Elder Toledo a little shoulder shrug and we both laughed, ah it was awesome though. He also focused on being a instrument in the lords hands. He used a example of a pen, that does nothing for itselft, only the work of whose hands it is in. Also that the pen doesn't decide when to write and when not to write, the writer expects the pen to be ready 24/7, hence, full-time missionaries. We are here to do His work when He wants, not our work when we want. (Even Pday;) Really a awesome conference and a awesome lesson. I was decently close to the stand, and Elder Oaks voice is just like conference, funny, but still awesome for me to see and hear in person!!!

This week we also had a huge ward activity where we showed the movie ´Meet the Mormons´ We invited a ton of people and we had a really good turnout, and everyone loved the movie! It is so good and a great way to get to know the church.  I was sitting by a couple where he is member and she isn't, and after the movie (especially the part about the missionary mom) she was teary eyed and looked at me and said, ´now I understand so much, thank you for doing what you do.´ Fa that hit me like a wall. I love what I do and as much as I miss my family there is nothing that I would give to be anywhere else in the world. Also we are teaching a awesome family right now, named Juan his mom Reina, and his daughter milagros. The came to the church for the activity, the baptism, and the sunday services!! They are soo boss and so excited! They are such great people and have been progressing so fast, I am so pumped to see where this week goes for us!
And the best for last, we had the baptism of Katy!!! She is so awesome and is a huge example for me because she has been working so hard to learn as much as she can. She studies a full and has learned so much! She was baptized by the son of her friend that introduced her to the gospel. He is 20 but is slightly challenged mentally, but has the priesthood and was autorized to do it, but wanted someone to help him, so I suited up and helped him in the font. It was really fun to be a part of, helping him get the prayer right and getting her whole body in the water. Took a couple of tries{7}, but worked out great in the end! She brought a bunch of family and friends to her baptism, and it was really just a great day. I love what I do and where I am. There is nothing better!! 

I love you guys so much and am so grateful to be a part of this great family!! Keep on keeping on!!
Con todo mi amor,

Elder Degn

 Sweet baptism of Katy!

 How to cut down trees...