"It's My Half-Birthday"

March 2, 2009 - "Guess what today is?...Today is my Half-Birthday. I am exactly 19 and a half today. All the kids down here are starting their school year today. They go to school from March to the end of November and then they get out for Summer break. It is a different world down here, but I love it!
In almost every prayer that we share with a family or an investigator, the person always asks to have food on the table every day. This is a huge concern in their lives because there have been many times when they haven't had anything to eat...Honestly, the prayers of these people are so humble and sweet. I love listening to their prayers. They always thank Heavenly Father for life and for one more day of life. A lot of our investigators are having financial problems. One of our investigators that had a baptismal date set, it fell through because she was about to lose her house and had to go to work. It's a hard life down here...I feel really bad for the wives and especially the kids down here, because they never really get to spend time with their dads. Their Dads get up and leave at 4 in the morning and don't get home until 11 at night. They eat a quick meal and then they have to sleep because they have to get up and get to work. They do this every day which does not allow anytime for family. Dad, thank you so much for working so hard and for providing for our family. You are so great. Thank you also for all the time that you give to our family. We are the amazing family that we are because you have been blessed with a great job, where you work hard, but then have the ability to come home and spend time with the family."