Saturday, October 22, 2011

Aug 22, 2011  Salta Argentina

Hola Familia y Amigos!

This week was a huge party here because this weekend was the Virgin Mary's birthday (the Bolivian one). There are a ton of different Virgins for the different countries. It’s pretty crazy in September I guess cause there is a celebration most of the weekends. It just so happened that right across the street when we got home Saturday night the people where setting up these huge speakers and a table all decorated with the Virgin Mary doll on it. At 10:55 the music started... our bed time is 11. This mariachi band started playing in the street then after that a Bolivian dance group did a performance. I could see it from my bed and since I couldn't sleep I enjoyed it. It lasted about an hour and then they all went in since it was really cold out. Up in the hill there was a little snow this weekend! It was freezing. Last night the neighbors had another party too... it’s been quite the weekend. We also saw a pickup truck with a Virgin Mary statue in it and a huge group of people dancing and following it down the street before we got back to our house. The Book of Mormon really comes to life after seeing all of these parties for the Virgins here. One lady said when we knocked on the door that she is "Catholic and believes in the trinity, the Father, Son and the Virgin... oh, and the Holy Ghost" There is so much tradition of the grandparents and so on here and it talks alot about traditions of the fathers of the Lamanites in the Book of Mormon. 
It’s pretty interesting! There are also a ton of fireworks for all of these celebrations! Almost more than on the Indian reservation back home for the 4th of July. My companion said that at Christmas the whole city will be filled with smoke because every family goes out and lights off a bunch! 

Anyways, for a more spiritual side of things, we have been teaching a guy once a week (since that's the only time he had), and he has a page (at least) of questions for us every week! It's great! He came to church the other day and is pretty interested and excited. He has alot of good questions! He is learning German and English on his own too! He is quite an interesting guy! We have a General Authority (church leader) coming this weekend to talk to south America and it will be right here in Salta! Marcelo, who I just told you about, might be going with us! A couple other investigators might be also! 

Recently we were trying to find someone and they weren't there so we knocked on a door nearby. The guy who answered just got home from work and said 3 or 4 times that we could come back another time but not now. He finally went and asked his wife. I might have told you this before but we found out that the wife had told her husband the night before that she wanted to go back to church. I think Heavenly Father heard her say that too because we just happened to knock on their door. They aren't on our papers for this ward because they moved here from pretty far away. Their son isn't a member so we are teaching him and have to be there in 15 minutes. So I’ve got to go! I love you all very much and hope things are going great!
  
I love you all! 
  
Love, Alex 

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