Spies Like Us

We should have a baptism this coming Saturday if all goes well with Ana. She is the cousin of one of the members here and wants to get baptized and went to church this week! That has been our biggest struggle is getting people to actually go to church. Right now our investigators are doing well in everything but that. The spirit is critical and without it we couldn´t do anything. We couldn´t find those who are ready, we couldn´t teach them, and we definitely couldn´t help them to know baptism is what they should do without the help of the spirit.

I have been studying the life of Christ lately. It is really interesting how much I didn´t know even though I had a general idea of all of what he did. Think about this, Christ while the son of God grew up and was a normal person like us. All his wisdom and learning he had to learn on his own through studying the scriptures, prayer, and things like that. Those things weren´t just given to him. I never had thought about that and I think I just assumed that those things were just given to him. Also a weird thought, he owned a house here on this earth... weird huh?

We were at the bishop’s house and he said his camera was broken so he got it out and the lens was stuck. It was in a position that was halfway in and didn´t go either direction. I then turned it on and it tried to open the lens all the way but was jammed so I turned it off and turned it on and swung the camera so the lens would extend and it works perfectly now. It is a camera similar to my canon but an off brand I don´t remember. I also tried to fix Hno Fleytas computer but the motherboard is fried.

The souvenirs I hope to buy before I leave this area are Matte cups, Argentina jersey, Jacare (alligator) and other material like that in a really cool wallet, and some covers for my scriptures that they make out of leather.

This last week has been cold and I have been wearing both of my jackets at the same time, haha but it should be warming back up soon.



I have shared lots of stuff from my package with my companion. It is kind of the rule that you have to share stuff you get in packages with your companion. If it is something special no but thing like little candies and stuff yes and we have been using the delicious seasonings on lots of stuff! If you end up sending another package make sure and include the chick fil a sauce it was delicious! Now my companion wants to try chick fil a because of how highly I talked of it, ha ha also dr pepper, things like Cholula sauce, peanut butter, more of those delicious seasonings, ha ha I don´t know how easy it would be to fit things like that but all those things are things that I miss. Ooh and I really have been craving rumbies with the peanut sauce but I don´t think that would send very well, haha

To answer Aunt Tammy´s questions

We shop at el Galpon (the warehouse) and things are pretty much similar to in the states but everything here comes in plastic bags not in plastic bottles from milk, to mayo. For the full animals you buy from the people who hunt them in the feild. That is another popular way of buying here.

People here wear normal clothes but there aren´t any trends or name brands like in the states.

To answer your question about the house I will answer with this:

You might be an Argentine if your little house with two rooms and dirt floors has the biggest and most expensive stereo system available.

Here they don´t buy big TVs but huge stereo systems, haha

For the dirty shoes I have just had to develop a new standard for cleanliness for my time here

We don´t ever have time to play with the kids but they all play futbol and marbles. Those are the two common things

I probably stick out considering everyone else here is short, dark hair, dark skinned, and wears normal clothes, haha

The people here think that we are spies. This is more than anything because their loca president said that we are. So people ask if Obama sent me or if I have come to steal their food recipes... haha yep and now I know the secret just add oil and it´s Argentine, haha

Tell Devin that yes I did find a snake and it sleeps in my bed with me every night! haha

 I swear you guys waited to do lots of crazy and fun thing until I left :P Pickle mutinies, mini car tracks, new boats, lots of vacationing, Emily and Nathan really getting into polo! I can´t wait until I can do those things with you guys again!

 I love you guys so much and I can´t wait to hear from you again next week!

 Disclaimer! I want Dad to read the last of this email before you do mom! Please trust me and have him read it first! Promise me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember you promised!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To read this next part you have to promise not to worry about me because nothing bad happened. Someone robbed our cell phone and no one got hurt and anything so don´t worry.

On the more crazy side of things, haha we were robbed yesterday. As we were going to gather our investigators for church we were waiting for one to change and come with us and a man passed by and went into a house across from where we were. A little while later he walks back up and heads straight for us with his bottle of beer in hand. I knew this would be trouble so I was looking for ways to go around him but with no avail. He then started asking us for money and had none and told him that. He then told us to give him our cell phone or he was going to kill us both with his pistol. So at that point there was nothing to do but give him the phone and as I gave it to him I took out the sim card and battery. Unfortunately he wasn´t quite drunk enough to not realize he needed the battery but he left with that and I still have the sim card, haha

I am only sending this because you said before I left you wouldn´t worry and wanted to hear about things like this and nothing happened so don´t worry!

There was a member that lived close by so we got him and he saw who it was and is going to get the phone back for us. So I guess we both with be catching the thieves this week, haha

Love you guys so much!!



My 1/4 of the way ice cream

I finished the whole thing

 

1/4 of the way done and eating the ice cream to prove it!?!

Yes!!! I was going to say something about being a ¼ of the way done in my letter but you beat me to it, jaja There is a tradition that every quarter of your mission you go to gridos and eat a half kilo of ice cream for every quarter that has passed. One kilo is 2.2lbs, jaja so tomorrow I have to eat 1.1lbs of ice cream, jaja. It will be delicious.

I am enjoying my new hijo! It is different to be the one who is making all the decisions and deciding where to go and what to do, jaja We get along great, he is probably the best and easiest to train hijo ever! He is always looking for things to improve on, he already knew a ton about everything when he got here, he truly loves everyone(including the drunks on the street). The easy things about training are that mi hijo is the best and super easy going. The hardest part is trying to console him when there are drunks on the street that he feels bad for and I don`t always know what to say... he is a lot more loving than I am and I don`t feel very bad for them like he does...

 I am not tired every day anymore. It was more than anything at the beginning of my time here, I am wondering if it was just getting accustomed to it here.

The food pictures in dropbox last week…  one was a flan cheesecake desert that the bishop’s wife made for us after I fixed their camera, It was really good! The pizza is a pizza we made in our apartment. I put some more this week that is food we have made this week, cheesy rice, fideos, more pizza. and to answer Grandma`s question from a few weeks ago that I forgot to answer bon bons are a crème center with a wafer shell that is covered in chocolate.

 

Right now we are facing a lot of troubles with different investigators. Diego is ready to be baptized but doesn`t want to, Juan wants to be baptized but the lady he is with is married to someone else who she wants to divorce but he doesn`t want to divorce her. And even when both people want to divorce it is a really long many year process. But we have Estefana and Agustin who have dates for the 27th of this month that I think will be baptized then! Estefana I think for sure! She is really interested and has several children who are members!

I am trying to set up fishing with Hno Fleytas (owns the house we live in) for P-day and we were supposed to go this week but there was rain, so hopefully next week!

I received my package it is awesome!!! I love the seasonings they are rico! One of the Chick fi la sauces made it!! I was really excited to eat that with my dinner one night! And the magic trick the kids are going to love!!

 




A few crazy things happened this week. This week was the first time that someone started breastfeeding during a lesson, I am surprised it didn`t happen earlier, jaja We had a lesson with a couple of boratchos this week and I wish that I had a video of it! It was funny and ridiculous. They kept complaining to us about how one of their houses is flooded and the government isn`t fixing it and the whole time they aren`t doing anything about it they are just sitting there drinking and smoking. My poor companion felt bad for them and was crying a little because he wanted to help them. I need to figure out how to help him with the drunk people… He is always trying to give people stuff or buy things for everyone.

I love you all so much and I can`t wait to hear from you all next week! Hasta luego!

Muddy Formosa

Beautiful Sunny Formosa

My new clothes dryer!

 

We Baptizen Everyone Out Here Antoine Dodson style :)

My new companion Elder Fiabane

I have big news! I received my first hijo!!! I was super surprised when we got the call Tuesday night and they told Elder Santoro that he was leaving then I was sad because I didn´t want him to go and to have another trainer. Then he said that I was going not to be trained but training! So Wednesday I went to Resistencia to pick up my hijo! His name is Elder Fiabane, he is an awesome missionary! He is from Baiha Blanca Argentina (cera de Buenos Aires). He only has two weeks in the mission and just has got out of the Buenos Aires ccm. We have been working here in our area for the last few days now! It is really weird to be M1 (senior companion). I am used to my companion deciding where we are going and just following him there but it is a nice change. I am sad that Elder Santoro had to leave and I miss him but I am glad to have my hijo and we will have a great time as well! I am the only gringo from my group that is training, even the others that completed doce semana in their other missions. All the others are still finishing their doce semanas. There are some Latinos that are from my group that are training as well but they like me completed the doce semana in another mission.

For zone conference this week Elder Zeballos came. He is the area seventy. He talked about the importance of learning another language specifically English because it is the language of the restoration and the language of the world. He told us that if you can speak both English and Spanish you can talk to 80% of the members of the church and if you add Portuguese you can talk to 90%. His wife also talked and talked about the importance of having love for those around us specifically our investigators. It was a really good conference and I learned a lot. It also answered the question that I was wondering of is the Book of Mormon more true in English, yes because it was translated by the power of god to English then by man to Spanish.

I did not get transferred am still here in Circunvalación II and Elder Santoro went to mipu (my poo, yes that is how it is said) Corrientes.

Things that I do every day. We wake up at 6:30 every morning and have a half hour of exercise. (That usually consists of rolling over in my bed and sleeping another half hour because no one wants to exercise when you walk everywhere all day. Then we take turns showering. We then have an hour of personal study, then one hour of companionship study, then one hour of doce semana, then an hour of language study. Then we depending on the day have lunch with a member or in the pensh. After that we leave and work until about 8 then we try to find some dinner or go to a member’s home. We go back to the pensh 9 to 9:30. We then have our nightly planning. After that we update the area book and if I have time write in my journal. The zone leaders call every night for their verifications. And that is a normal day in the life.

When we were walking down the street headed to an investigator a woman on the street started talking to us. She said that some time ago there were some missionaries like us who used to stop by and teach here but for some unknown reason they stopped going. So we asked her if we could stop by and teach her and she said yes and we set up an appointment for the next day. When talking to her we found out that she had gone to church several times in the past but stop going a while after the missionaries stopped coming by. She told us that most of her kids are Mormons and married in the temple. We then talked to her about the book of Mormon and about getting baptized. She agreed to work towards the date of the 20th to be baptized! She wants to be baptized and her granddaughter and husband. It was so awesome to have met this very prepared family!

Right now we have a few investigators who are getting close to baptism. Diego is ready we just need to get his papers signed by his mom tonight for him to get baptized this Saturday, hopefully all goes well. Estefana and her family are getting close (that was the story that I shared in the last one). We also have an investigator named Johana that we have recently have started teaching and she accepted a baptismal date for the 27th!

Unfortunately I have to go now but I can´t wait to hear from you guys next week! Love you soo much! Hasta luego!

 

"How dare you assume? I'm Black and he isTan" -Shaun Spencer

That is a lot of pesos!

 

I have plenty of money not to worry. We just got our monthly allowance of $900 pesos but I was fine on money anyway. I just have wanted to withdraw some to buy souvenirs.

This week there has been a lot less rain. It only rained twice and now the mud is starting to dry up and we have dry ground, which means no more boots!! My feet were getting sore and putting on regular shoes was amazing!

This week has gone pretty good for the most part. The best things have probably been that there is starting to be dry ground, 3 investigators at church, end of the transfer is coming up, Elder Santoro and I had fun making a plan on how to make me a secretary/AP for the mission and have been working on that, haha. I want to because I think it would be fun and he always wanted to be one but never was so he wants to help me become one almost as a dream never quite realized that he wants his son to accomplish. Some annoying things have been that I got sick this week. I had some stomach pain but I called Hermana Heyman and she told me the medicine to get and everything is better now. Also we didn´t get our baptism this week :(

I promised to tell you more about Formosa. Formosa is the capital city of the providence of Formosa. Our zone is one of the two highest baptizing zones in the mission. Formosa is the newest providence in Argentina. Lots of the inhabitants come here from Paraguay looking for work. Here at the very border where we are that is especially true and the problem is that they aren´t finding the work that they are looking for. With that in mind the living conditions here are the lowest in Argentina. The very poorest people usually are the poor people that cross the border from Paraguay and they only speak a language called guatani. It sounds really weird and I don´t understand it at all. Since we are in the city there are several large roads running through our area. We have a decent sized river that runs through our area as well called the Vermejo river. Our area is possibly the very smallest in the mission. The common foods of the area are milonesa, fideos, empanadas, and variations of those with pasta or rice. All the food here has a very similar flavor. Lots of people live in houses called viviendas which are government bought houses that they give to the poor people to live in for free. Because of that the houses all look the same. All the neighborhood houses have sanja (exposed sewer) on either side of the street and the road is dirt. 

 I have wanted to do some fun things on P-day but there isn´t anything in our area because it is really small. Also Elder Santoro only likes to sleep on P-day if we have extra time.

Ricardo the father of a member here was listening in on one of our lessons that we had at their house. After we had shared the lesson and prayed he said that he was interested in learning more about our church and why his kids want to and actually go to it. So he is going to try to go next week! We have also set up a family home evening with his family and the bishop´s tonight! Right now we are struggling trying to get a hold of Diego. Either no one has been home for two weeks or they all of the sudden have decided to stop seeing us because this is week two of not finding him. We really want to because he is ready to be baptized! Besides that we are working on all new investigators and hopefully some of them will start progressing!

I love you guy’s soo much!!                                                                                   

P.S. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding

Shaun (as Black) ´´How dare you assume? I´m Black and he´s Tan!´´

What do you think did I relate it to the scripture?