Monday June 6, 2001

Hola Familia!!

well i will cut to the chase and tell you that my eye is doing much better. my ulcer is getting smaller and it looks as if it will heal completely. thank you priesthood and your amazing power. the doctor said i might have cataracts from it but i figure we can cross that bridge when we come to it.

i have one question that has been on my mind all week. are you still doing family home evening with Buckners? me stuck in my house for the past few weeks i have been able to participate in FHE here and i thought last week that i have not heard much about the buckners lately. how are you all doing how is gram how is jess oh how i miss painting and the laughs.

yes i got the JERKY!!!!!!!!! and the COOKIES!!!!! and it was almost as good as heaven will be. but peruanos do not like jerky. i gave them a little bit to try and only one was able to down it. mmmmm more for me haha. :)

i am not sure when you are sending the next package and even if it is not for a while that is fine but in the next package you send can you please send me some multi vitamins. i am almost out and no matter where i look i cannot find any here.

Elder Guerrero is the Senior Companion (he is also the DL i do not know why but that calling is always following me, i was the DL in the MTC TWICE, my companion in arizona was the DL and now my companion here is DL CRAZY). because he is a native. he was only in the MTC for 3 weeks so really he has been in the ´´field´´ for 3 months where i have only been here for 2.

being stuck in your house is not fun especially as a missionary. but i just want you to know that i have had a lot of time to study these past few weeks and i have learned alot. one day i was reading a talk by Bruce R. McConkie, he was a great speaker and one of my favorites, about our measure of decipleship. he said that ´´we can mesure our decipleship by how diligently and sincerely, how often and seriously, we study the words given by heavenly father through joseph smith.´´ i know he was a prophet and he, through the gift and power of god, gave us the things that we need to eventually have a happy life here and in the here after. i love that man and his incredible sacrifice to bring about this work. and also as Elder McConkie said ´´You cannot testify about Joseph Smith the REVEALER without testifying of who he revealed.´´ I KNOW christ lives. and i know that day by day he is walking next to me. I KNOW that he really is involved with everything that happens in this gospel and in particular this work. i love being a missionary. i am so happy to be here and even though in this moment i cannot work i know that soon i will be back out there working my hardest in a work that has no end.

I love you all ALWAYS remember that.

Elder Landon R. Welch

p.s. i tried to attach pictures but this internet is really slow so i will try again next week :)