Woah, so first email home in 2019 wooooooooo!! So, this year starts my first (and only) full year in the mission! Hehe, little overwhelming to think about, haha! But it's fine, I'm pumped. So, to honor the new year, I set real goals for the first time in my life haha. Some include "do push-up routine everyday" to help me lose the 15 lbs of dad bod I've already put on in the mission haha, "read all the standard works (all the scriptures) in 2019" and a goal of 13 baptisms for the year for me. We'll see what happens with all those but I'm hoping I can keep most of them!! So basically today I'm gonna catch y'all up on all the pictures I haven't sent these past 2 weeks. In the pictures we should have me in a sombrero haha it's so hot here right now that I had to buy a mission-approved sombrero haha. Tracking is lit in that. Then there's a couple pictures of me on the temple ground of Salta, where they're gonna start building here in a couple weeks!! It's a part of my area right now so that's super cool. I can't wait to come back to the temple after the mission when it's a finished!! It's gonna be so sweet!! Last picture is of the living nativity that my companion and I put together for our ward. It was a ton of work but so fun!! So we didn't do much this week. I got to go on a divisions with Elder Gueller, who is from the same stake as my aunt and uncle in Colorado haha small world. We had interviews with president this week, and yeah.Other than that,our mission is in a little bit of a bad way right now because a TON of missionaries are having to get sent home because of health problems :( Some of my best friends from the MTC and it just all stinks. They're gonna have to close a bunch of areas here in a couple weeks because we've lost soooo many missionaries. It's rough. Everyone is a little sad in the mission but we just gotta keep up the work. Thanks for your support, love, letters, emails, and everything!! You guys are the best!!------Elder Cooper Ashton
Fun Facts:1. He was sick again this week with stomach problems. He says that is just what happens with the gringos.2. The weather is warm in the 80's.3. His apartment is in the upstairs of a member's house.4. He is frustrated that he doesn't know where everything is in his new area.