Monday, January 30, 2012

January 16, 2012    Tartagal   Argentina
Hola  familia!
Este semana tuvimos algunas muy buenas experiencias!
We couldn’t find a computer place that was empty until late because all the kids are on vacation and spend every bit of time in it!  Haha Anyways it will be short today.
But I first want to tell about our Monday last week. We had a plan but we doubted that it was going to work because the kid we were going to meet left town to go work in the mountains with his dad. Anyways my comp was thinking about going a totally different direction but didn’t say anything so we stuck with our plan to go to the boy’s house anyway so we could let her know a few things on Maxi´s progress and how we can help him more with her help. When we got there, there were two people outside with her who didn’t seem too happy but we greeted them. Then the sister asked if we were the missionaries she called a few minutes before. I said no but we were planning to stop in to ask a few things. She said “WOW!” (yes in English) “I just asked the missionaries (the other two in our branch) if they could come and they said maybe later because they had an appointment.” Anyways she took us back and we got to know them a little( they are Rocia (nephew of the sister) and Jorge her soon to be husband. She came down on the bus from Chaco, Santa Victoria (5 hours away) (dirt roads with big pot holes)(close to or on the border of Bolivia) because there is no hospital there and she lost her 3rd baby.
This one was the longest she was able to keep but still only made it 4 months old (prebirth). They were both devastated but when we talked to them and promised them that they have the opportunity to raise their kids and to live with them forever they both said they felt so much better. Everyone else had been saying that it was chastisement because of something they had done. But we told them that it was only part of God’s plan and sometimes we don’t understand all of it. Then sister Riveros (great testimony but less active) told them that it was probably because they needed to hear the gospel, that they really don’t have to worry about where the babies are because they go straight to heaven like we had just read in Moroni 7 in the Book of Mormon. They felt so much better and we left them with a Book of Mormon and the plan of salvation folder. Rocia said the closing prayer and it was wonderful! When we saw her the next day she was very happy and smiley along with her husband (soon to be). They had read part of Moroni 7 and said prayers and then we talked about the restoration and where the Book of Mormon came from. 
That was the last lesson we could have before they left to their little town where there is no church. It is so small and they all have farms and animals there. It would be so cool to go there but sadly I don’t think we can. They both said to Sister Riveros that they want to be baptized! We aren’t sure how it will work but we are hoping for the president’s permission to go up the river to their town and baptize them but the smarter thing is that they can come here. We are sending all the lessons and a couple Liahona magazines with  the sister when she goes up for their wedding this Wednesday.
One of the Liahonas has a story about the Galapagos Islands and how the gospel started there with just one family. They now have a church building and 120 people, and it’s growing there. We are praying that maybe they can help alot more come to know the gospel there and start church meetings there in the future. The closest now is about 4 hours from them but they will come here to be baptized with their family.
If you want to read the story on the Galapagos Islands it was in the August 2011 issue and is called in Spanish - Islas de Fuego y Fe: Las Galapagos. So in English it might be called (Islands of Fire and Faith: the Galapagos). Check it out! It was so cool and I read it about 6 months ago so when I thought of sending them with a Liahona magazine, this one came to mind! Might have remembered cause it looked like a place I would love to go to! haha boats and ocean :)
The number in church here is growing and growing! It was about 80 when I got here then it went up to about 90 average and now we just had 108 and 114 (this last Sunday) we all have the goal to make this a stake center. It’s a goal within the branch right now and the members are pretty excited. Our goal was 120 this week but now it’s up to 150 for the next week. The leap of faith! We need 130 people (at least) for 3 months and at least 15 priesthood holders paying tithing to make it a stake. It is so much more exciting to do missionary work when the whole ward has this goal on their minds. It’s also amazing the difference that it makes!
We played soccer and ping pong (in the church) today and had 25 people there. Only a few were members so we invited them all to the Family Home Evening in the church and they all want to come. The less active kids are excited for it because they see their friends wanting to go.
The truth cannot be kept from being spread. Even though sometimes the lies seem to spread faster, they never will win in the end! Heavenly Father has told us how it will be and all we have to do is do everything we can to help carry the work forward faster so that more people can receive the blessings  from it.
I love you all so very much and thank you for the letters and pictures.
Now I’m a little late! Hasta luego!
Alex
January 9, 2012  Tartagal   Argentina

Hola familia!
Well I escaped another transfer!!! I have some unfinished business to finish here before I leave. I am looking forward to continue working with the investigators that we have right now. They are great. All of them have their doubts and issues in progression but we are working with them. Or should I say, the Book of Mormon is ;). This week we were trying to get 21 investigators in church and managed to get 7 of them there! It was a great feeling to have that many investigators there and we didn’t have to go get a single one of them! They pretty much all have family or friends who are members and we let them do the work. The others who didn’t make it we will have to talk to in order to find out what happened but we should be getting a few baptisms soon!

This week we had planned to go teach an investigator the plan of salvation or mainly where we are going after this life in order to motivate him to put in the batteries and go for it (that’s a saying here in Spanish haha). We got to his house and he came to the fence/gate and we were talking to him about coming in or setting up an appointment for later in the evening. His name is Fernando (the brother of Adrian, the person who just married Melina who we just baptized). Adrian and Melina are doing alot to help the work move forward or to share the gospel with others. They have been praying and fasting for their family members right now. Anyways we were talking to Adrian’s 21 year old brother and his sister walked by the room separate from the house where their dad stays cause he drinks alot. They are always trying to get him to quit drinking. This room or shack is directly behind the gate and she looked in and yelled that their dad was on the ground beside his bed. They thought he had gone to Bolivia to go buy stuff they needed but they didn’t know he came back early and went to his room. Anyways he had died and we went in to help them lift him back onto the bed... it was kind of weird. We stayed there to help with some stuff until the family came and the police came. The body was already cold and stiff so it had been there since the morning. It was about 2 in the afternoon when we stopped by. Things are a little more relaxed here when it comes to investigation and stuff cause they all knew it was because he drank so much. The ambulance came to see if he had a pulse. We left after an hour and a half. By then the family had calmed down a bit. It was really sad cause most of them were yelling and screaming at Heavenly Father saying "why now". We came back later and they had cleaned him up and put him in the casket for people to come see. They never took him out of the house until the next morning and Adrian said the body had started to smell... just a little different than in the states. He thinks it was a stroke or something and that he got up from the bed and then fell face first to the ground. Very sad but with the knowledge we have from the restored gospel we know  where he is and that They will be able to see him again. I think we will be able to talk to alot of the family now about it whereas before they weren’t very open. Having the knowledge of the plan of salvation is such a wonderful blessing. I took the time to read that part in the Book of Mormon and really was able to understand it even more. Adrian and Melina already had the goal of going to the temple in a year and so now they have some more work to do. Adrian has already had two siblings pass away but he seems to be content in knowing where they are. 

In a talk on Sunday one of the leaders talked about how so many divorces have been happening these days and how when the apostle D. Todd Christofferson came, he talked about how it all goes back to the little things. Satan tears apart the families by making the small important things seem so insignificant such as family and companion prayers, scripture study and family home evening. Which leaves us vulnerable to bigger and worse sins. It is really sad to see how many temple marriages have been split up here. I had someone ask me here what becomes of them?... I didn’t really know what to say except that if they repent and do all they can to fix things and keep going that the Lord would be the one to decide. It really made me start to wonder a bit about it. 

We are teaching a part member family who is inactive. The husband isn’t around much I don’t think but we are teaching their 9, 10, and 14 year old kids who aren’t members yet. The 20 year old daughter is really excited to come back to church and has come for sacrament the last two Sundays with her little sister (9 year old). Anyways we worked a bit with them and the 14 year old liked it and read all the way to the 4th chapter and was telling us his favorite parts and had marked up the book with colored pencils! It was so cool - he wanted to come to church in a tie and shirt but didn’t have one so we gave him one and he came and was there early with his sisters. It was so cool to see him there and he stayed the whole time and is really excited about coming back.

Franco who is the kid that is 11 and we just baptized in November bore his testimony and it was soo good! Everyone commented on how powerful it was! It was really cool to see him get up there all by himself. No one told him to except for when we invited him to during his baptism. He didn’t want to then but said he would in sacrament meeting. 

We have a new missionary in our house who is Latino so we should speak a little more Spanish! It’s so hard with companions who speak English. I am still with Elder Stevenson. 
  
I love you all! 

Alex
January 2, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!
This week on miercoles I had a stomach ache pretty bad and felt like throwing up so I stayed in bed for a bit. Then it got better and we went out but it was really hot and I didn’t feel right. Anyways Thursday I started having the runs and still do a little but I’m doing alot better. I ended up with a fever on top of the little cold I started getting Tuesday. I was taking all the stuff for that until I got the fever. Should be wrapped up here in a day. I was drinking alot so I am not sure what I got it from. Some say its cause I ate a mango and my stomach isn’t used to them. Some say it’s a chili pepper I ate that is Argentine and "extra hot" so that had to have made me sick. haha I have eaten both mango and chilies here before and nothing has happened so who knows. I thought it might have been the chicken I ate for lunch. Oh well haha I have never gone so many times in a day to the bathroom though and that is when I am REALLY grateful for the bidet! Much nicer than TP!

Anyways onto more spiritual stuff!
2 weeks ago we gave a blessing to a baby in an inactive family and then we stopped by to see how it was doing and they were really happy! The baby hadn’t been eating hardly anything but now we can even see a difference in his skin color and size! The mom (Elsa 20) was really happy and came to church this Sunday with her 9 year old sister who isn’t baptized. She has 2 more brothers who aren’t members but who are going to come next time and who we are going to be teaching! They are a really nice family who I feel are going to progress very well! 
Our main focus now is to try and find the inactive families and work with them and their friends. I feel like it will work really well because we are already having success and it just makes the most sense. We haven’t had to knock doors for a long time! Just a couple but it’s a waste of time if you can work through friends and family.

I have to get going but thank you so much for everything and I love you all so much!

Love Alex Happy New Year! I slept through it! :) yours and mine :) haha
December 26, 2011   Tartagal  Argentina

Here are some pictures. The ones that I am in a sweater are from my last area in the winter. Haven’t had to use one here yet.
Hope you enjoy them. I will try to take more pictures. It’s just that we don’t ever walk around with cameras because we never know when someone will try to take our stuff.
Christmas wasn’t too out of the norm here - just more food and not many people awake and on the streets. Monday is also a holiday so the activities continued through Sunday night.

Well I better get going. I love you all and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Love Alex

December 19, 2011   Tartagal  Argentina

Things are going pretty well and Christmas will be interesting here. I guess there are tons of fireworks and alcohol so we have to be in our house at sundown unless a member feeds us and brings us home. It will be fun. New Year’s is the exact same thing. haha

I love you all!
Alex
Dec. 12, 2011   Tartagal  Argentina

Hola! Este semana fue muy bien pero a vezes dificil como todos. 

I don’t think I told you and don’t know if I should but last Sunday morning before church we went to go get someone and we were at the door and talking to her when a drunk guy walked behind us (passing us) and started talking to a couple other drunk guys on a motorcycle and then they parted and the one walking pulled out a pistol and shot it in the air! He was laughing and still drinking the beer in his other hand... it was kinda weird. I wasn’t worried or afraid at all because we have to go out there and visit with these people. Like Proverbs 3:5-6 says - trust in the Lord!

Well the wind and sand storms are just a normal thing here. One hit today just after we got done cooking hamburgers on the grill outside! They were great! It’s nice to eat meat that is not fried!!! That’s how they cook almost everything here. Salad and more veggies are part of our diet now because of the time of year so that’s nice!

This week we had some pretty good experiences with the recent convert Franco and another family who has a friend who is getting ready to be baptized this weekend!
Franco’s uncle is 12 and has a bit of influence coming from all directions. He didn’t come to church again even though Franco went to look for him. The owner of the house he lives in is a good friend of the family and is there alot but she is from the universal church and does some sort of healing in her home certain days of the week. When we went there to go get him one evening he wasn’t there and the lady told us he escaped out the back right when we came cause he doesn’t want to listen to us. But Franco’s mom(non member) said that he does want to listen and that it’s a good path for him to take and seemed a little irritated for what the lady had done. She told us when we left what had happened. She had told Walter (Franco’s uncle) to run out the back cause the Mormons were coming and must have said some other stuff for him to really do it. Anyways we met with him a couple days this week and he is reading with Franco. When Franco went to get him this Sunday morning he wasn’t there so we will see what happened. The great thing was that he understood everything well and was reading and asked us when he could get baptized before we got to that point in the lesson! We told him he had to come to church and he was really excited to go but that’s where we are now.

Belen, who has listened to many missionaries, is 14 and didn’t have the desire or permission before but because of the example of one of the members who is her same age, changed both of those. Her mom is letting her go to church now with no problems and she has a desire to get baptized but she hasn’t been reading much in the Book of Mormon. We read with her a bit and left her with questions to answer in the first chapters. It’s a way for the investigators to apply themselves more to the book and get into it. Also to see if they read. She really liked it and now we have to go back today to see if she read and prayed.

In our studies we have been studying alot on commitment and inviting people to keep commitments like going to church, reading, and praying. We practice different situations and excuses for the commitments. We had to drop alot of the people we were visiting cause of time and because they weren’t progressing for a long time. We keep going back but every couple weeks. 

There is always so much going on in the mission it’s impossible to think about the things outside of the mission. 
I really don’t know where November went and it doesn’t seem like December one bit with this weather here. After it rains the humidity is horrible! But we keep on going!
   
I love you all very much! Les amo muchisimo y espero que todo esta bien!
Tu misionero Alex :)
December 5, 2011  Tartagal  Argentina

Hi!
This week was pretty crazy! We went out pretty far Monday night to talk to a family and we got there and there was lightning off in the distances and falling clouds too! It looked really nasty but we weren’t too worried cause it looked far away... you can see where this is going... anyways we left to go to another house and there was this weird black cloud that was on the ground that got thinner in the air! We had no idea what it was but now we know. When we got to a house 5 minutes later it looked way closer but there was still no wind... the family looked a little more worried but we told them we were fine and we could still come in. We teach them outside like almost every other family. During the first prayer the wind hit like nothing I have seen before! It was full of sand and dirt (that black cloud we saw!) and we decided to get out of there. We left running as fast as we could and we got about 6 blocks or so to the highway we had to cross and it started dumping rain like I have never seen before! We crossed and got under an overhang to put our books in a plastic bag and this guy invited us in. We had a nice conversation but he was not interested at all. When the rain slowed down he was anxious for us to leave. It was really nice of him anyways. It only rained for half the time it rained on Saturday but when we got to the main street again, it was completely covered! There were lots of kids swimming and floating down the street where we crossed ha-ha. It was about a foot deep and our feet were already wet from all the other streets so we just kept going. People were looking at us like we were crazy but it was kind of fun!

Wednesday we had to go to Aguaray to bring all of the stuff from the missionaries’ old house there to our house because they closed the area. We left here in an old pickup with a flatbed and sides on it at 2:30. It took us about 40 minutes to get there. We got right on it and took everything outside while the driver took the beds apart. He was really nice and willing to help. When he was done we had to put the stuff in and we could see another one of those dark weird clouds on the way... we got it all in quick and then left. We turned at the first block and got blasted with sand and wind. The windows didn’t go up on the truck so that was out of the question. The next block we stopped and the driver  got out and walked around the truck... we had a flat tire... we changed the tire but it took awhile because his jacks were tiny and he had to lift one then the other then the other and so on, ha-ha. 
We got it on and he said he wanted it fixed before leaving that town in case we got another one. I was all for it! That ended up taking a long time though. We were lucky enough to not have rain until we were on the highway and even then it was only a little bit. We got back, unloaded it all and got to the church for an appointment we had at 730. When I showered to leave for the appointment, my hair was full of sand! It was like I had been covered in sand at the beach. 

Last night on our way out after a meeting at the church we got hit again with rain. We got soaked again! It’s really kind of fun because it’s not as hot but it might get old after a while. Ha-ha One pair of shoes is always just getting dry for the next rainstorm ha-ha. 

The 11 year old boy (Franco) who we baptized recently keeps inviting friends to his house when we come and it’s really been great. It’s tricky to keep the attention of different personalities at the same time. It’s something we have been thinking about as a companionship a little and how we can do better. It’s tricky but do-able. This next week should be a little better without the extra distractions of coordinating the trip to Aguaray.


I have to get going though! Thank you for the emails! I love you all! Amazing that it’s already Christmas again!
Love Alex  
Nov 28, 2011  Tartagal  Argentina

Hi!
Monday when we were going to go to write, the other elders said there wasn’t internet in the city again and if they found it they were going to call us. They called the other missionaries who we live with but weren’t with them at the time. Anyways we found out that evening the internet had come back but we had appointments to go to. I meant to go during the week to let you know everything was fine but I felt like a chicken with my head cut off... I think you can relate.

The week before last, the zone leaders came to do weekly planning with us because it’s so important to do it well to have more success during the week. It really helped us but we still didn’t get it all done. We got a late start because I had to go to the bank and see if I could get my card back from the atm machine... that’s another story... anyways we had a good planning session and managed to improve it a bit this last week on our own. We plan and focus on the people who can be baptized first and see what we have to do. We made a plan and talked with the mom of the 11 year old kid (Franco) who has wanted to get baptized for a while now and she gave us the permission! So the only day he could do it this week so his parents could come was on Wednesday. His dad is an inactive member and his mom isn’t a member. It was a nice baptism and I think the dad liked it too because of some of his comments afterwards about how Franco’s uncle who is 12 years old wants to learn more about the church! He was at the baptism and liked it alot. We planned a time to go talk to him and it turned out great! His uncle’s name is Walter. He didn’t make it to church for the confirmation of Franco but next week we will get him there.

So I think I might have explained a bit of this before but anyways an area closed(they took the missionaries out) that’s about 25 minutes away in a car. The house the missionaries were renting still has all of our stuff in it and the person in charge of the housing asked me to go there in a pickup truck or something and bring everything to our house. I found a member who has one and planned a day to do it about 4 weeks ago. The day before, I talked to the missionary in charge and he gave me the list of things... it was everything but the curtains and air conditioning! I cancelled with the member cause it wasn’t big enough and it would have taken us 3 trips to bring it all. Not only that but the member said it would take us close to 45 minutes to drive it in his truck cause he goes slower. I got permission to look for a moving truck and another week went by¡. I found one and then the missionary in charge told me that I need to go there and pay her for one more month of rent so we can just get the keys and not worry about them selling our stuff that was in it. So he put the money in my account and a couple days later I could pull it out. I went to get it and go up in the bus which takes an hour both ways and the machine took my card.... I messed up my code a few times I guess and then it takes it. So the next week after working things out and finding out I can’t get my card back without my passport which they keep in the offices, I got the money out of my personal account which they will give me back. We had to do divisions the morning of the baptism for Franco’s interview and the district leader’s comp was sick so my comp had to stay in the house with him. We worked the whole morning and then we left for Pocitos which is about 1 and a half hours away passing the town where I had to go to pay the rent. So we did divisions with them and one came back with me so we could pay the rent and get the keys. The lady didn’t want to give us the keys until we paid for the repairs of the house which we went to look at and it was pretty ridiculous what the missionaries did to it over 8 years of renting it. This was the day of the baptism so after leaving the house late where we needed to pay the rent, we had to take a taxi to get to the baptism! It was a little expensive but we made it to find out that everyone including the members were way late for it... the branch president had organized with the counselor to be there and the counselor was moving so nobody was there except for the district president who just happened to be there for a meeting. He conducted the baptism and it turned out ok except he chose a song that NOBODY knew! Not any of us missionaries and none of the members. It was really really horrible! haha While Franco and I were changing, one of the elders started directing Christmas songs and that really brought the spirit there and everybody left with a great feeling. 
I was SOOO tired and ready to go to bed by the time we got back. The weather was about 100 and the busses didn’t have ac or windows to open! I didn’t bring any water with me either so that was pretty bad. I feel like my whole week was like that  cause in addition, the branch president didn’t make it to church and the counselor asked us to organize the sacrament meeting... we started a half an hour late! 

On Saturday we went to a neighborhood pretty far away with two of the ward missionaries and right when we got there it started raining realllllly hard and it didn’t let up. We had a really good lesson with Franco and his uncle and his uncle, like I said before, is really excited about learning more and coming to church. We sang Joseph Smiths First Prayer(?) to start the lesson out and it really brought the spirit in! Franco’s mom was listening on and off so we still have to see what her doubts are but otherwise it was really good! 

When we left to go to our other appointments nobody answered because it was raining so hard and a couple of the people were gone. We walked back to town for lunch and we were all soaked to the bone by the time we had to cross a road that had a river on both sides with just enough room in the middle for one car to drive with out touching the water. It was a long jump and since we were already wet we just walked through it! It was pretty fun cause it was still warm out through it all. We managed to save a lady’s flip flop that she was chasing down the river so that was cool! haha When it rains everything is so slippery and muddy and yes we had some close calls to falling in it but everybody managed to keep at least one foot on the ground! 

We had transfers today and nobody in my district got moved so I will be here in Tartagal for at least six more weeks! I was very excited to find that out last night! 
   
The conference in Salta was so great!!! I think I explained it in my last letter.  

This week when I was on divisions with the other elder I learned alot about how to teach more straight-forward and to the point which really helped the people we visited feel the need to do what we invited them to do. The problem we have here alot of times is that people say they will do something and never do it. So obviously, we aren’t teaching right. I am trying to work with my companion on that and how we can teach better. We have alot of improvements to make but I guess if we didn’t feel the need to change we wouldn’t be progressing at all.

I have to get going now but I love you all and hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! 

One thing I heard is does a judge, judge without looking at all the evidence? Then how can we judge something like the Book of Mormon without reading it first? The Book of Mormon is sacred and I know that anyone can draw closer to Christ by reading it and applying its teachings than by any other book.    

Love Alex!
November 14, 2011  Tartagal  Argentina

Hola!
Si quires, puedo escribir un poco en epaƱol ;) 
This week was really good!
We had to look for a moving truck type thing to use this week to go to an area an hour away from ours where the missionaries got taken out of. We have to bring all of the stuff to our place until they open up a new area soon near us. It is kind of hard to put off visits to do this because it seems so unproductive but I guess if they don’t get the stuff out the owners might steal and sell it... Anyways we will probably go do that Wednesday early morning.

We got a reference this week and most houses don’t have addresses on them so we have to do a bit of looking on the street and talk to other people to find them. We asked a little store/house since they usually know all the neighbors. She told us where the house was and when we went there nobody was there. We decided to knock beside it to see if it really was the house and to talk to the neighbor. A lot of times when we get references we knock on the doors around it and actually find the person who really needed us to come visit. This was partly the case this time. I said hi and asked if she knew the person we were looking for and she said "No hablo ingles..." I replied saying that I was speaking Spanish and she said "oh...Bueno, que necesitan?" It was pretty funny and I am not sure why she said that but I think she was just not listening well while being surprised to see two gringos outside. Ha-ha! Anyways she said she never accepts strangers and never listens to missionaries or goes to church because she didn’t see the need of a church. We asked if we could enter and explain the need for a church. Everyone has fences and most of the time we visit right outside the houses for safety reasons and so they can feel comfortable since people are passing by. She said "well, I guess it is about time I start listening to these things. She let us come in and talk and it was really good. She had a baby 15 days before and had alot of interest in the restoration of the church and how it was answering her questions. She also said her mother-in-law was down from Bolivia to see the baby and had been looking for the church since she was a member! Her mother-in-law was selling peach juice around the corner by the bus station so after visiting we went to find her. There were a bunch of people selling all sorts of foods and we were looking around when we heard " ELDERS! ELDERS!" We knew it was her. She asked and explained a bit about the family and gave us some really good juice! She said she would try to bring her daughter in-law Sunday. She came but her daughter-in-law didn’t make it so we have to go back now and visit her. She was so excited and a very nice old lady! The church is doing very well in Bolivia which is where she is from and you can just see why. She just showed love for everyone at church and was so happy to be there. 

This week we also had to go to Salta (the city) a few minutes out of my old area for a meeting with every missionary in the mission(250?). D Todd Christofferson, Elder Arnold(?)(president of the South America South area)who has giving some great talks at general conferences, Elder Jensen president of the seventies(?) and their wives were there. We got to ask questions and have them answer them for us! It was really cool. I never got to ask a question but the ones that did were really good and one of them I had asked the mission president a while back! So I got another answer! It was how we can improve our prayers and the missionary threw in - so we can pray like an apostle :). Basically he said to listen more and give more gratitude. Gratitude brings the spirit into our prayers so that we can receive more answers. He said to be very specific though in doing so. Not just “thank you for everything".

Another one was how we can have faith like the prophets. Elder Arnold mentioned the seed spoken of in Alma and how our studies are what makes that seed grow. Study, study, study, (the scriptures) to help our faith grow. 

We left for this conference at 1:30 in the morning Saturday and got there at 7:30. It started at 8:30 and we left Salta again at 12:30. We got back about 6:30 and went back out to work... it was a hot little bus ride of only missionaries with every seat filled for most of the trip so we only got a few winks of sleep. Before we left to go to Salta, we were getting ready polishing shoes and getting things ironed and showering so we didn’t get any sleep before leaving. I haven’t been so tired for along time! 

I taught the law of chastity in the class Sunday which was a little tricky since some of the investigators aren’t married and have kids. It went pretty well for the amount of preparation I had. The people seemed to like it. I am amazed that I am doing this now because I was always pretty nervous to teach a class. I am not very nervous at all now aside from the touchy topics :) ha-ha             

Anyways I love you all so much and hope things are going well at home! I have to get going.

 I lost my other plaque... so I am using the one I have that says Oczkktnicz. Ha-ha Waiting on some more now. We’ll see how they turn out! 

Love Alex!