October 31, 2011   Tartagal   Argentina

Well here I am late again in the internet place... We are visiting this family (except the mom who has no interest yet)  who has been listening  and going to church almost the whole time. Anyways, The man can't get married because he has no papers here in Argentina and nothing in Bolivia where he used to live. It's an expensive process for him to get papers for him and his wife and he barely is putting food on the table for his 5 kids. He shared his testimony last time we were there and how the church has helped him in so many ways. It is so hard to see someone with such a strong desire to be baptized and not be able to yet. We have a baptism date for two of his kids in 2 weeks. They are the only ones over 8.

Isaac mentioned he went to the temple the other day. I would love to go to the temple again but I know that when someone else is feeling the spirit for the first time in a lesson and tells you how they feel, it's pretty close to being there. Then you picture them in the temple and it feels pretty amazing!

This Friday a less active (now active) and his girlfriend are getting married! They split up and are living in different homes so that she could be baptized sooner and it has really strengthened both of them! We visited with Adrian, the soon-to-be husband, yesterday and he was sharing with us some of his scripture study experiences and fasting experiences. It was so cool!  He also mentioned how the talks at church (district conference with our mission president, his counselor, and wife) helped him put a goal to go to the temple in one year after the marriage date! The people have to sacrifice alot to go to the temple here! I feel so blessed to have one so close to home.

We went to 3 different houses an hour before the meeting on Sunday to get them (people we are teaching) up and bring them for the first time but they didn't make it. When we got to church we were blessed to have other investigators sitting with members! It was really nice!

  

So I bought a sealed bag of oatmeal today and got home and noticed there were bugs crawling around in it. Not many just a couple little ones... Part of the Argentine experience! Ha ha

It was so hot the other day and then the wind started blowing really hard and we could barely see because of all the dirt and sand in the air! It was nice to shower after that. I was cleaning my eyes out for awhile! Still isn't raining much but it should start here soon.

I love you all very much.

Alex!

October 17, 2011   Tartagal  Argentina

Well I am waiting for my new companion right now. It was really sad to see my companion go. Another missionary from Columbia left from our apartment today to go home also. One other in our district left in the group too!

My new companion hasn’t arrived yet. They should be getting here in an hour or so. We are a companionship of three until they get here.  Anyways my new companion is named Elder Stevenson. That’s all I know. He was actually the comp of my companion who just went home. Sounds like he is really nice!

So about 4 months go I lost a plaque [name tag] and so I ordered a new one from the offices. They have to order them from Buenos Aires so it takes a while. It came in but I couldn’t figure out how to pronounce it... give it a try! They spelled it Oczkktnicz!!! They had my name in the office so I don’t know where it went wrong. haha. Guess I might get one spelled right before I go home!

So on Friday we had a zone conference with Elder Aidukaitis (a seventy from Brazil) and it was really good! They changed a few things that will take a little getting used to but I am sure they are inspired to make these changes. Oh, he has a really funny but cool accent too! Part of it is his voice but now I want to hear other Brazilians talk Spanish! Haha.
So right now we have lunch, depending on the family, at like 12 or 12:30 and we have 1 1/2 to 2 hours for lunch since we don’t have a dinner break. Now they are saying 1 hour for lunch (which is how long we wait for it to be ready sometimes) and we are to have a snack or dinner while planning at 9:30 or 10. I never liked eating at that time since I can’t sleep well but they also suggested grabbing a snack while working in the evening.
We study at 3 till 5:30 and between lunch and study we can’t tract because of the siesta here. Most would be eating lunch at that time. We are to go back to the apartment and use the time to clean and if we can get appointments for 4:30 or 5 then we will study sooner. That’s about the time the siesta is over. It’s also the hottest time of the day so it will be nice to be able to be inside during that time! I will have to get a sombrero soon. It’s required during the summer here in this part of the mission.

 We are working with a few people who have family in the church right now. Between them and references we have the best success here. We were walking out of the church the other night after a lesson there and a guy stopped us and wants to talk to us about how he can stop using drugs. It’s so cool when people contact us instead of the other way around! Haha. He didn’t come to church and we didn’t make it to his house yesterday so we are going to try and find him tonight if it’s not too far out of town.

Well I have to write the mission president and go to the bus stop! I love you all!

Love,  Alex!

October 10, 2011  Tartagal   Argentina

Hola Familia! ¿Como andan?

They use that alot here instead of como estan. They actually use them both about half and half.

I will be excited to keep speaking Spanish with everyone that wants to when I get home! I was reading the German Ensign magazine and I have forgotten how to pronounce things... I really don't want that happening with my Spanish!

I would say in learning Spanish you need to listen to it as much as possible so just start throwing in the cd's even if you don't know what they mean. Listen, listen, and listen, to get the sounds in your head. Learn how to read Spanish because that will help you pick out words.

So this week was really cool! As in great, not cold... ha ha. It was so hot out! It hit 45 C  (113 F!!!) which I think is up there anyways! Yesterday it was actually too cold for a short sleeve shirt and now today it’s back in the mid to upper 30s! On Saturday we had a baptismal service for two of our investigators and 5 from the area next to us that use the same church building! The two that got baptized were Norma and Melina.  It was so nice! We had an investigator there who is really excited! The only thing is she works Sundays. She goes by Cele because her name is really long and I forgot it... oh here it is, Seledonia. Getting used to hearing all new names is hard but I always try to write them down and that helps alot! 

Well today is another vacation day for everyone here so alot of the internet places were closed and the ones that were open were packed... had to come back later to get in and so I just got a few pictures ready to send and the email will have to be short. Next week!  

Oh, so we were walking and some random kid threw a rock a little bigger than a golf ball at us and we didn't see him throw it so it passed my face and hit my companion in the belt! The Lord is definitely protecting us! We had passed them and were almost through the intersection (dirt road of course) and it came out of nowhere. It didn't hurt my comp and he didn't even really realize what happened because the belt just took the brunt of the hit. I guess when Argentina lost against Germany in soccer a year ago my companion got hit in the butt from a slingshot but his notebook was in his pocket so it didn't hurt. His companion at the time got hit in the belt right after! They thought we were Germans. But we aren't sure why they threw the rock at us the other day. The nice thing is that I have never been afraid of anything happening because I know that we are on the Lord's side! 

My companion goes home in one week!  

I love you all and thank you for the emails! I will read them this week and respond next week! 

Love you all!!!

Alex

October 3, 2011   Tartagal   Argentina

This week we had a baptism for Patricia! It was really great! She didn’t think she would be ready for it this date when we first met her. But, as we motivated her to keep reading and praying she came to know it was true and wanted to get baptized. So she had asked her parents what they thought about her getting baptized. Her mom thought it was really quick so Patricia didn’t go any farther with her about it. She’s 18, so she just wanted to do it and tell them later. Her friends at church tried to get her to talk to them beforehand and invite them but she didn’t want to. Anyways her dad came right in the middle of it and didn’t seem mad but didn’t stay to watch it. He just came because they were wondering why she was there so long with conference and the baptism. I think it’s all good but we’ll see. She still came the next day for conference and loved it. We have a couple people we are trying to get ready for next weekend too! Anyways I love you all so much and hope everything is going well there at home! I love you! Take care!

Love, Alex

Sept 26, 2011    Tartagal   Argentina

It’s been pretty nice weather wise. Meaning, cooler. Today it got kind of hot while we were playing soccer with some members then we went to eat lunch at their house and all got a good soaking with the hose! Felt pretty refreshing.

So about some of the people we are teaching; Patricia is going to be baptized this weekend between conferences! She is 19 and works at her family’s taxi business. I think they have two cars and she is always sitting outside during the time she isn’t in school. Just so happens that my companion and his companion before always walked by there and she always said hi and so did they. Eventually she stopped them and asked about what they believe. That happened the Friday before I got to the area. They visited with her once and she came to church. I got here the Monday right after and we taught her three times that week. She had a few doubts but started reading and we always have members with us so they became friends. She makes friends very easily with everyone so she has come to church every Sunday since (4 total) and will be baptized this weekend. She said that she used to argue more and fight more but in the short time that she has been listening to us and reading the Book of Mormon she is amazed at her desire to change for the better and not argue and fight! She is really talkative with everyone and when she came into church right at nine, everyone was sitting waiting for sacrament meeting to start and she said HOLA BUEN DIA! I am sure everyone heard her but we were all smiling because it’s just her personality. haha. I don’t think she will do it again but it didn’t hurt anything.

Franco is 11 years old and is going to a special school to become a police man. He is the nicest boy I have ever met! He is the oldest of three and his sister who is 8 or 9 has a talking disability or something. She is always happy and smiling and walks and plays like everyone else but she can’t talk. She tries but it’s just things nobody understands. I am not sure what it is but Franco is always praying for her to be able to learn to talk. Franco’s dad is a member but inactive. He won’t come to church and it sounds like part of his family is JW and he seems to be leaning towards their church. He said Franco can be baptized but the mom says no for now. She didn’t mind them teaching him and when it came time for the interview she decided that he needed to wait a year. We haven’t talked to her again yet but Franco always comes to church and it’s about a 30 minute walk! His family invited him to go to the JW church and he said, “No, I know the true church is the Church of Jesus Christ!” I would have to say he remembers everything we teach him better than any investigator I have ever had! He is just so sharp! We have him praying in all their family prayers that he can be baptized and to ask his mom when he feels prompted to. I think he asks every week. He has been coming to church for a couple months I think.

We have about 8 others who are good but sometimes don’t make it to our appointments and what not. They are reading and progressing but slower. They will make it though. 

The other missionaries told me Saturday at 10:30 right before bed that I had a talk the next day! I figured out what I was going to do and woke up a few minutes early and put it together. It turned out really good, I thought, for that short of notice. That was my first talk in the mission besides the MTC and sharing my testimony. 

Last week we saw some thunder clouds coming and sure enough it poured right after we got home! We then had about a 30 minute lightning show and it was non-stop! All over the sky you could see bolts! One of the missionaries in our house got some good pictures with a feature on his camera. 

  

Well I better get going! I love you all very much and I will send some pictures next week! We got here a little late today.

Love, Alex!   

Sept 12, 2011 Tartagal   Argentina

Hola!

So my new area is about as big as my last one and about 40 minutes from the border of Bolivia. There are missionaries closer to the border in Salvador Mazza (a town) who we played soccer with today up there. Not really much of a difference except it's hot here and the streets are mostly dirt. It’s a branch I am in [smaller than a ward] and there are 4 missionaries for the branch (including us).. There are no boundaries for us or the other missionaries so we sometimes pass each other during the day. We live with them right outside our area. I guess three years ago a flood came through and washed out the old missionaries’ apartment and the missionaries were house hopping away from the flood! Pretty crazy! It will be a perfectly clear day and just start pouring they said. I am pretty excited! The river nearby the missionaries’ old house is now alot bigger to hold the water so we shouldn't have any problems with it. We do live pretty close to it though. The part through town near where we live is all cement so that it doesn't wash away anything unless it goes over the walls. 

My new companion is from Arizona and is going home after this transfer so yes I will be ¨killing¨ someone else. ha ha. He has been here for 5 months and has loved it and says that I will love it here too. I really do love it so far! The people are great - just like my last area. But I think there are a few less people attending church here even though there are the same amount in the register.... meaning lots of reactivation work to do. This one family we visit with (who aren't all members) have about 13 kids and there are about 100 cousins! They aren't members and aren't the closest to their cousins but we’ll see what we can do! I am really excited to go visit with them all! We have some great investigators right now but not too many so we found some more this week who seemed really interested but they didn't make it to church. There are alot more people here who aren't married but are living together so we might have some more weddings!

  

I have to go now but I love you all and hope everything is going great!

Love, Alex

Sept 5, 2011   Last email from Salta Argentina

Hello!

We had a baptism this last Saturday! It was really nice! There was a kid's day (holiday) party at the church right before it which brought in a  few people who might not have come to a baptism otherwise, and they really liked it! The next day we had 7 of our investigators at church and there were still alot that didn't make it. It happens.... these last few weeks have been so crazy here! Like I said before, our area is big for 2 missionaries and no bus system. At least it never helps us at all.  Every day we are running or walking as fast as we can between appointments. I think that might be why the sole on one shoe cracked on the inside. I have to get it fixed... there are cheap shoe repairs here because it's normal still to fix things here and not always buy new. Missionaries get new soles and repairs done alot and it's always good and fairly cheap!

Anyways we are still finding new people who are really interested! It's so exciting when the spirit guides us to people. Sometimes we knock on a door and the people are never there except that one time and then we know it was not just luck. It’s happened alot with members who haven't gone to church for a long time who aren't on our records or who are but haven't been contacted forever! Our ward is doing alot better now!

   

  I should have known that I was going to get transferred... I am going to miss everyone so much here in the area but I am sure it will be the same in every area. My companion is going home tomorrow so that means two new people are coming into the area. The area will have a fresh person and a good leader so it should continue to get better. Last night as we were running to a few of our investigators to teach the last few things we had planned and visit a little I found out I was going to a new area too. I hadn't packed or done anything to prepare to leave, so when we got home right at 10 I threw everything in my bags and was almost ready before bedtime. We were supposed to get a call early in the morning to know what time I had to get to the bus station so I finished packing expecting it to be an early bus trip. I heard Tartagal (my new area)(province of Salta but almost on the border of Bolivia) is between 5 and 8 hours away. At 8:50 we hadn't heard anything yet so I called while my companion was in the shower and they said to get there in 15 minutes! We hustled and didn't make it there in time so now I have to wait until 2 pm for the bus ride... won't get to work tonight in my new area but I got a little time to write you and relax.

I have a couple more things than when I got here so every bag is topped off. I bought a water filter from a missionary (who was leaving) to be used in areas where the water doesn't come out clear. Some areas, I have heard, the water comes out tainted and so having the filter should be nice. It’s a pretty big thing that I will pass on to someone when I leave the mission field so when I come home the bags shouldn't be a problem.

I heard that in the Tartagal area there are groups of natives who speak different languages so I might learn some other words! 

There are these trees here that don't have any leaves but are filled with yellow or pink flowers that are almost exactly like a daffodil! They are so pretty but are only out for a little while before they all fall off. It looks like more will come out after they fall off but I'm not sure. I happened to have my camera yesterday to get pictures with some of the people after church so I snapped a picture. I forgot to bring my camera to the internet place though so I will send it next time.

It's not summer yet but I hear it rains 3  to 4 days out of the week in alot of the areas in the summer! My companion said you will be in ankle deep water and soaked to the bone more than once for sure!

The new president thinks it's better if we are in areas for a little longer so the norm might be 5 transfers in each area. I can't believe I have been in this area for 24 weeks!!!! It feels like a month or two that I have been here!

We are starting to eat more salad here now! I am so excited! They eat soups - usually vegetable - during the colder season and salad in the hotter times. It’s good soup but I have been craving fresh veggies for a while now! ha ha. I almost didn't fit into the baptism pants (I bought at the MTC) the other day... they are 33 so they fit perfectly with no room to grow when I got them... I guess I have grown a little in the other direction. I have been a little more firm with members recently in that I don't want any more after I am full. I just never feel good working right after lunch when I am stuffed. ha ha! You never know how much is coming. Sometimes you have a three or four course meal and the next time you have one. It’s different but really good! Lately I haven't been eating anything at night when I get back and have been sleeping like a rock even though I am a little hungry.

I have to go now but I love you all so very much and am excited for all that is going on! (new members of the family) =)

Love Alex