Sunday, September 4, 2011

Small world


Josh baptized this woman's grandmother in San Pedro.

Josh's travel plans!!!

We are so excited we can hardly sleep around here. We will only have four days with Josh before he leaves for BYU-I, but we are going to pack it full of check-ups and shopping and talking until we drop! He is flying through Dallas and is planning on visiting with Matt and Janet and kids for a while. Then he will be in Salt Lake and hopefully will get to do the same with the Knowlton and Allen families! Then home to Cedar City after about 28 hours of travelling!

CHURCH TRAVEL CWT DATE 03JUNE11

50 EAST NORTH TEMPLE ST AGENT VH/JK BOOKING REF ZRCJ66

SALT LAKE CITY UT 84150

TELEPHONE: 801 240-5111 DUSTIN/JOSHUA ALTON 170695-R

FAX : 801-240-5115



MISSIONARY TRAVEL

ARGENTINA SALTA MISSION



SERVICE DATE FROM TO DEPART ARRIVE

_____________________ _____ ______________ ______________ _______ ______

LANARGENTINA 06SEP BUENOS AIRE BA MIAMI FL 1030P 700A

4M 4520 TUESDAY PISTARINI MIAMI INTL 07SEP

Q ECONOMY

NON SMOKING MEAL NON STOP

RESERVATION CONFIRMED 9:30 DURATION

AIRCRAFT: BOEING 767-300/300ER

SEAT 17H NO SMOKING CONFIRMED



AMERICAN AIRLINES 07SEP MIAMI FL DALLAS TX 930A 1135A

AA 1771 WEDNESDAY MIAMI INTL DALLAS FT WORT

Q ECONOMY

NON SMOKING FOOD FOR PURCHASE NON STOP

RESERVATION CONFIRMED 3:05 DURATION

AIRCRAFT: BOEING 737-800

SEAT 22F NO SMOKING CONFIRMED



AMERICAN AIRLINES 07SEP DALLAS TX SALT LAKE C UT 300P 440P

AA 2527 WEDNESDAY DALLAS FT WORT INTL

Q ECONOMY TERMINAL 1

NON SMOKING FOOD FOR PURCHASE NON STOP

RESERVATION CONFIRMED 2:40 DURATION

AIRCRAFT: BOEING (DOUGLAS) MD-80 ALL SERIES

SEAT 27A NO SMOKING CONFIRMED



DELTA AIR LINES 07SEP SALT LAKE C UT CEDAR CITY UT 800P 915P

DL 7755 WEDNESDAY INTL

Q ECONOMY TERMINAL 2

NON SMOKING NON STOP

RESERVATION CONFIRMED 1:15 DURATION

FLIGHT OPERATED BY SKYWEST DBA DELTA CONN

AIRCRAFT OWNER: OO SKYWEST AIRLINES

AIRCRAFT: EMBRAER EMB-120 BRASILIA

SEAT 05A NO SMOKING CONFIRMED



RESERVATION NUMBER(S) AA/DWYCRO DL/GRBKKK



DUSTIN/JOSHUA ALTON 170695-R

ETKT:4M/469 8640322964

ETKT:DL/006 8640322966

Josh's growth

As many of you know, I didn´t have very much confidence when I first started the mission. I feel that has changed. The Lord has helped me so much overcome this weakness. I sometimes still fail, but I feel the Lord has made me stronger. I have another secret! I also brought on my mission the lyrics to Go the Distance from Hercules! Hercules wanted to know who he could become and who he was. I feel I have gone the distance and I have gone to far off place. I have done things that I thought was possible all because the Lord decided to help me. I still lack, but I know I have changed into what the Lord wanted me to be. I love the Lord Jesus Christ and I am excited to still have his precence in my life when I return home

Dimas' baptism


The other elders in our branch had a baptism, but I feel like he is my convert because we taught him a few times. I guess he wanted me to baptize him, but he thought it had to be one of the elders who was teaching him. His name is Dimas and he is a stud. His girlfriend is a member of the Familia Galvez and a member of the church. They are going to get married in October. He told me how he met his girlfriend, which was interesting. He was drunk and he saw his future wife walking and told her that she was the most beautiful girl in the entire world! She kinda stared at him and told thanks for the compliment and I´ll see you later! Well, Dimas went over to the Familia Galvez´s house to drink with their son and his future wife, Deborah, was there! He went over to the table and once again told her that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen! She stared and told him once again, Thank you. Dimas gained courage this time and asked her on date. Deborah´s reply was, I don´t date drunk men, when you are sober I will go on a date with you.¨ The next week Dimas was walking home from work and who did he see in the plaza? He wasn´t drunk, so he went and asked Deborah on a date and that is where the story starts. He isn´t fat, but he´s bigger. There weren´t any pants to fit him so he had to wear a tunic.....but what is important is that he was baptized! He is such a good guy and he has grown to be a wonderful friend!

Time to Say Good-bye

When I came home from college I was nervous about the mission. I was about to leave my family and I was about to start a new adventure. I remebered a song that I enjoyed by Andrea Brochelli and Michelle Brightman and before I left I listened to it frequently. There are points at our life when we have to say goodbye because we just have to. God has different plans and we are in his hands. I enjoyed the song , ¨Time to Say Goodbye¨ so much I printed it off and brought it with me on the mission field! I brought to the Cyber today to write the lyrics. They are in English because I don´t know Italian! These are the lyrics.


When I'm alone I dream of the horizon and words fail me.
There is no light in a room where there is no sun
and there is no sun if you're not here with me, with me.
From every window unfurls my heart the heart that you have won.
Into me you've poured the light,
the light that you found by the side of the road.

Time to say goodbye.
Places that I've never seen or experienced with you.
Now I shall, I'll sail with you upon ships across the seas,
seas that exist no more,
it's time to say goodbye.

Andrea Bocelli
When you're far away I dream of the horizon and words fail me.
And of course I know that you're with me, with me.
You, my moon, you are with me.
My sun, you're here with me with me, with me, with me.

Time to say goodbye.
Places that I've never seen or experienced with you.
Now I shall, I'll sail with you upon ships across the seas,
seas that exist no more,

Both
I'll revive them with you.
I'll go with you upon ships across the seas,
seas that exist no more,
I'll revive them with you.
I'll go with you.
You and me.

know it´s romantic! But honestly I have grown to love these Argentines that robbed my camera. This week is a goodbye week and next week is seeing you. I am on the final countdown. My last 10 days. My two year adventure is finished and I am now about to start another adventure. The mission wasn´t a sacrifice, but a blessing. I didn´t serve my mission for my family or for myself, I served a mission for Jesus Christ. What a amazing I have had to be able to serve him. I truly do love him. When I was little I never thought that my mission would arrived and during my mission I never thought I would go home! haha. What a wonderful crazy life we have!



Josh's 8-29-11 E-mail

My beloved family! and my beloved friends! Can you believe I am coming home to your arms in a few days? I cannot believe it ether and I am so greatful to have been able to have your support the past two years of my life. I don´t feel like I have been gone for so long. Mabye for you it is a different story. I honestly feel I have changed, not for the worst, but for the better. This next week should be fun, exciting, weird, and sad. I believe only in the mission field, one can expirience all these different feelings at the same time. I cannot describe my feelings that I am able to see you in a few days and I cannot describe my feelings that I am leaving another family. I will do my best to stay in contact with them and with you!

Josh's 8-22-11 E-mail


We had interviews with President Levrino ( I will have one more!) It went well. He is such a nice man and I know I would have enjoyed more time with him, but I guess the Lord wanted two months. I decided to send pictures to families and converts during my entire mission. It was a semi-good idea. I wrote on all the pictures today and it brought back a waterfall of memories, from the begging of my mission! From the MTC until now! I was awestruck and couldn´t believe that two years had passed by! I honestly cannot believe it! I still feel like a little kid, not a ex-missionary! What a wonderful adventure it has been. Serving people for two years, what other greater blessing could one ask for? I cannot think of one! The mission has been the best desicion of my entire life!!!! I remember when I would sing in primary I hope they call me on a mission. Well I guess my hope got completed! My heart aches! Yesterday is the Sunday dedicated to missionaries. We have to assign people to talk or we have to talk. Well, I decided to talk since it would be my last time to give a talk in the branch. I decided to talk about the importance of a example. A example is how we express our testimony. More people have been converted through examples and not through knocking doors. Being a good example is not just important, but vital in our lives. If we live the gospel, we won´t even need to try to be a example, we will be one without trying. Moroni was a example because he stood alone when it was hard. He still stands alone, showing his example to the entire world on top of temples. I shared many other examples and stories, but at the end of the talk the time came to share my testimony. I was even planning on out, but I started to cry! I felt so foolish! haha. It wasn´t rain tears ether, but it was like a river! It just really hit me how much I have grown to love the people of Argentina. I have given my heart to them! and now my heart has to leave! I love you so much family and friend and I truly am excited to see you. I am so greatful I can live with everyone in heaven if we obey the commandments. I am not planning on it, but I imagine I will shed a few more tears before I leave. I guess that´s a good thing! hahaha