Dogs and Gratitud

Hola Everybody!!!
Things here in Tocornal have been going great, with the exception of Fi Fi, one of favorite family´s dog, who died yesterday. We came over and dug a whole and buried her. We sang God be with you til we meet again and I said a dedicatory prayer. It was nice, but very strange. We buried her behind the house, but there was still music blasting, kids running around everywhere, and it seemed almost impossible in that moment to give that dog a moment of solace.
Our other favorite family, Omar and Veronica, threw us a party. Unbenownst to me, it was a suprise birthday party. I felt so grateful for the effort and time they put in just for me! Me, a 20 year old gringo that struggles with spanish and just about everything else. I felt love that day. Love is getting over the faults someone may have, and caring for them anyway. That was something that I learned before the mission, and then had reinforced during.
I have been reflecting these past few weeks about my mission, and the progress everyone is making. There are a lot of people now that are younger than me in the mission but are now my district and zone leaders. Although we shouldnt worry ourselves about it, it is still something that is expected as you get older in the mission. I am used to be in a leadership position and I have the personality that will take a situation and command it, but here in the mission, all I have done is train. I felt for a while that my talents and abilities were being wasted a bit, but as I thought about it more, and especially after I read Mom's email, I realized that God puts us in the place where we will grow. I didnt realize how prideful I was until I got onto the mission and saw just how arrogant and puffed up I had been. I realized that God put me in a position to grow, as he does with everybody. Lift where you stand. Its good advice. Taking off the complicated vocabulary and fancy dialect and we can see a person for what he really is. I hope that down inside something is growing. Something that will help to shape me as a man and as a missionary. I have come to realize that true happiness lies in the simpliest of things. So why complicate it so? I realized how grateful I needed to be for my situation, my parents, and for everything else inbetween. I am so grateful for Grandma and Grandpa's consistancy with their writing and for always giving me the updates on the Utah weather. I love you guys and love to read your letters! Im grateful for Aunt Polly who even though its not a lot, she at least expresses her sincere feelings and really helps me out. I feel your prayers helping me keep my feet forward and my chin up. Thanks for everything guys!
Elder Westover