7-9-12 email

Buenas Tardes!
          Hey Guys, well, this was a pretty good week! It's been crazy because Elder Schnell now only has one more week on his mission before he goes home to Oregon, so we set some awesome goals and we have been working really hard and having a lot of fun! This is actually probably the happiest I have been on my mission so far. It's amazing to see how closely connected hard work and happiness are. We were able to set two really solid baptismal dates this week. Alex and Jose are both actually about my age, so it has been really great to get to teach them about the gospel! They are both progressing quite well. We were also able to see Tobias at church again this week! It's funny because he still doesn't want to meet with us, but he has been coming to church, reading the Book of Mormon, and asking us lots of really intelligent questions. I think his only problem is that he is too smart! he wants to learn everything on his own.
          Well, some sad news now. Alberto Rosales passed away this last week. We are going to try to go to his funeral tomorrow to wish the family well. Its even more sad because we have tried to go see his wife to see if there is anything we can do for her family, but she wont see us anymore. So we are just going to give her some space and just be as nice as we can.
          Anyways, last night I got a cool call from President and Sister Miller saying that they met Grandpa Sant at church last week! How cool! They said that they really liked him, and a lot of people in the ward there already knew him. It's really interesting to hear how they are doing! Shout out for my Albuquerque Grandparents! I love you guys! I hope you are doing well.
          That's pretty funny to hear about the pepper spray in sacrament meeting. Who on earth accidentally sprays pepper spray in a chapel?? I hope it all turned out ok. It definitely makes a funny story though. Now you know mom that you are just more vulnerable to pepper spray. Try not to get sprayed by it again!
          So another fun story, Elder Schnell and I saved up our allowance all this last month so that we could celebrate before he went home, so a couple days ago we went downtown and had a 40 dollar sushi meal! It was really really tasty. Definitely worth all that dinero. My fourth of July was good. We actually forgot that it was a holiday until we got to our dinner appointment and started hearing fireworks... Hno. Zamora made us an amazing salmon dinner though, and later we were able to watch some fireworks from our porch in the apartment. Overall it was a good day! It was especially nice this week because it actually rained all week! Yay water! Oh, I also met two different Nathans this week! One was nine and the other was eight. I thought that was kind of funny. So thanks for the pictures! I love them! And you look very tan Miranda! I will try to include a couple from me too! Que tengan una buena semana! Hasta luego!


Our sushi dinner

knocking doors

rainy El Paso

super old LDS chapel downtown

a lizard

Elder Schnell on a tree

me and Brian allen



At Lee's baptism



more photos of us hiking