April 15, 2013 (Tax Day)

Dear Mom and Dad,

I stayed here in Quillota! This last week was changes, and I was almost sure I was going to leave. But, I´m still here, which I am very grateful for.

First big piece of news--the First Presidency changed the missionary email policy, and now, I can write friends, and not just family. Now, the only thing that didn´t change is my internet time, and as it is I hardly manage to answer all the letters to my family, so I´m still kind of limited. But here is what I thought of: I would love to receive emails (and would greatly appreciate them) from whoever feels like sending them (my mission mail is jason.ray.@myldsmail.net).Due to lack of time I won´t be able to send a long response to each one, but I will write and say hi, I got the email. I also do love getting hand-written letters, and will probably reply more quickly (with a letter) to handwritten letters than I will to emails (even though yes, I´m pretty behind in hand-written letters, as well). So... yeah, that´s it! Yay for First Presidency email changes!

Just a few other things. This week was stake conference. I got to sing in the choir--we had matching ties--and that was a pretty great experience for me, it had been a while since I had sung in a large group and I had almost forgotten how much I enjoy it. There was also a really fantastic talk on the plan of salvation, I felt enlightened.

We saw JC, L, and V last night, after two weeks in which JC was so busy with work that he didn´t have time for us to come by. They had been thinking about moving their marriage date back a little bit, but after talking it out for a while, we´ll probably end up with a compromise--they will leave their marriage date where it is, but we will have a ring exchange ceremony in the church a few weeks later so that the family can be there.

The biggest news this week is R, L, B, and H. Al and A, converts of about a year, had been talking with their neighbor, R, about how happy the church has made them. R asked if we could come meet them, because they felt like they didn´t have very much peace or happiness in their house. She received a testimony of the restored gospel during our first visit, then a strong confirmation the day after when she prayed to know if the Book of Mormon is true. She also attended the stake conference, and is very excited for her baptism--with her children--at the end of April.

Viviendo el sueño,
And on the wave´s crest,

Elder Jason Ray