February  20, 2012     Tucuman    Argentina

Hi!

So... I got transferred. I am in my new area right now. After we got home Sunday night I had to pack up and leave in 2 hours. It wasn't very fun and was pretty sad but I feel good about how the area was going when I left. Definitely better than when I got there - thanks to the members' help and all that I was learning from my companion. I will really miss him alot. We had our times but worked them out. I think we worked really well together. I am now in Tucuman. I got here at 1 this afternoon so it was about 12 hours in the bus. I was very blessed and woke up very few times and it seemed like a very short ride. I was so tired from this last week. On Sunday I was studying and was talking to my companion when we both went out like light bulbs. I thought it was a few minutes but it was an hour! We couldn't believe it but there was nothing we could do about it after it happened. It was very hot and we had just eaten. I guess I’ll go get my head wet with cold water when I feel it's about to happen again. 

I am just outside of Central from what I understand but I’ll let you know as I learn the area. The interesting thing is that I came from a branch that had 4 missionaries and there was alot of work. Now the area I am in we are in charge of 2 branches. One meets at 9:30 Sunday and the other is at 5 in the evening. I am really excited but I can see there being alot of work working with 2 different leaderships and confusing them all until I have been here for a while! We are really close to the college here in Tucuman, if that helps you find out where I am on the map. It’s a pretty small area and there are about 30 people going to each of the branches with lots of less actives. The ward close to us has fewer members assisting but they will grow. It’s just a matter of getting the members we have excited and getting inactive people excited through teaching friends and kids who aren't baptized.

Tartagal had a couple lower assistants this last 2 weeks because of all the carnival stuff going on. This last week was an awesome week in that area though! We had 6 or more people receive the Aaronic priesthood and we had 3 more baptisms. My comp and I had the mom of one of our recent converts and the little brother of the kid we baptized last. The other missionaries had the mom of the two boys that just got baptized and now the dad decided he will do it this next weekend! It’s really blowing up in that area!

Some of the kids who got baptized recently have been waking up early to go out with us every day of the week and a couple have already given talks in the other baptisms. They have amazingly strong testimonies and all want to serve missions so badly. One is 19 so he will prepare right now. The others are 14 and 12 so they have a while but they are getting to church early to greet people and get them to seats. They also have an amazing influence on their friends with the activities they have been having. A few of their friends want to have Book of Mormons and listen to us. Before they weren't excited about it but they all came to a couple baptisms and came to church and have much excitement to learn more.

With the reactivated 16 year old and the recently baptized 19 year old we have been able to do divisions a couple times during the week and it has been working wonderfully.

We also were talking to the family of the kid that has been doing really hard drugs and they have been reading a lot in the Book of Mormon and feel that it is true. They have to work on their own tobacco and drinking issues but they seem excited and confident that they can get rid of those problems. I am excited to see them on the list of weekly baptisms in the future. They do have to get married first though. The work is really moving forward in that area and I am confident that it can be the same here!

 Well I have to go.

Love,  Alex!