First a few excerpts from his most recent letter:
¡¡¡Querida familia!!!
Primero, Quiero decir... ¡¡Feliz Cumpleaños Megaroo!! 12, que loco, ¡¡No lo puedo creer!! Y ¡¡ Feliz cumpleaños Abuelo!! 74 y trabajando todavía... ¡Felicitaciones a los dos!
¡¡¡Les Amo!!! ¡Y estoy muy animado para saber que tantos cosas están cambiando por lo mejor allá!
Change is a wonderful thing. I, myself have been pondering change a lot here in Argentina. Pride to humility, selfishness to charity, fear to faith, corruption to incorruption, sadness to joy, lust to love, stained to spotless, lost to found, mortality to immortality... These are all of the changes that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can work within us. Jesus Christ paid a special price with his sacrifice, the price of love, of virtue, of knowledge, of cleanliness, of faith, of all things good, and of eternity... Of change... With His payment, we can overcome all. We can become what God expects of us, and we can be joyful! What a wonderful thing. I hope that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can work sufficiently in my life to change me.
This past week has been filled with ups and downs. I had my first really disappointing day, but we also had many successes.
From his most recent letters it appears his Spanish is improving greatly. Not that I am an expert in Spanish, I can read it through the Italian part of my brain, but his English is changing enough that I am sure he is quite comfortable with Spanish now.
Debbie in WA provided me with more photos! Thanks, thanks, thanks to Debbie!
Alright, so now I am going to say something that is such a typical "mom" thing to say...Nathan is just so cute, isn't he?! Really, look at him in that 1st photo. What a good-looking kid.
What makes me most happy though is how happy and tranquil he seems. He seems radiant to me (is that okay to say about a young man?).
This next photo is NOT of Nathan. (wink!)
The family he lives by cooked a celebratory dinner for a birthday. Fun!
He looks great! Thank you Debbie from Washington!
Posted by: Jonathan | February 11, 2010 at 09:13 PM
Actually, I had the same thought about Nathan. What a good looking young man he is! And he just looks so old! (Maybe I'm reading too much into the photos, but I think his eyes look a little wiser. And he's only been out for a few months!)
I hope his disappointment turns around, or that something good comes of it.
Awesome update! Love it.
Posted by: Karen | February 11, 2010 at 10:12 PM
Great pictures! He looks radiant and good looking to me too, and I'm not even related. Or maybe I am. :)
Posted by: Jill Shellety | February 12, 2010 at 09:57 AM
Ah, it's so great to "hear and see" Nathan. He looks great and sounds wise! I know he's an awesome missionary.
(I hope Nathan's "changes" don't include a new companion. What would you do with out mom Debbie from Washington? Really love that mom!)
Posted by: shelley | February 13, 2010 at 02:52 PM