Clapping Houses

For the conference last week we had the trainings that we received the first day that we arrived. President did that because the first day can be really overwhelming and there were missionaries that that were new from the MTC and some that had two transfers already like me. So he decided to have a new conference for all the missionaries that arrived in the last three months. We went over things like the lista MLS, working with members, mission culture, coping with stress, area book, and some other things.

We are not having much luck getting our investigators to attend church. We have 20 people scheduled for baptisms but they will all fall through if we can’t get them to church. We did have one investigator at church this week. Even the people who signed the chest of Christ saying that they were promising with him that they would go didn`t... I am not quite sure what to do to get them to go... We are trying to work more closely with members in our area but it is really difficult because we only have two or three active families in our area and they aren`t available a lot of the time. We are also trying to work with the members on the side of the Hermanas but we don`t have a lot of their numbers, don`t know where they live, don`t know their schedules, or anything, haha We are trying to set up a tour this week to actually get the investigators in the church so that they will know what it is like and then go on Sunday! Maybe we will just have to share Exodus 11 with them that says they will die if they don`t keep the Sabbath day holy, haha. This week we were clapping houses and we felt that we needed to go to a house that we had passed a block ago. When we went and clapped a kid answered and we started to teach him. I was a little reluctant thinking why are we teaching a little kid and a little impatient because we weren’t finding a lot of prepared people but soon two more of this kids brothers joined him and we shared the first lesson with the three of them. They were all really interested and now have baptismal dates! The only problem we have is that their parents are catholic and don´t want them to change religion but we are going to talk to them this week and see if we can change their mind and more than anything share the gospel with them too and help them also to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ!

My companion is an Argentine; he is from the providence de Buenos Aires from the city of Bahia Blanca. He is third in his family. He has 21 years. He really likes basketball and kickboxing and sports. No one can remember how to say his name right, haha Oh and I forgot to tell you guys but he doesn`t have sympathy for drunks anymore, haha

Yes!!! Jack jack’s video was hilarious! I thought I had said something about it already, haha but you guys should put more pictures and videos of you guys! I want to see more of what is going on! And the white tiger sticker is awesome, haha!

My favorite food is Asado sì o sì! But besides that it is all good just I feel like I am drinking oil every day, haha everything is fried or coated in oil. If it doesn`t have oil it isn`t Argentine, haha or at least Formoseñen I`m not sure if all of Argentina eats like this, haha but we eat things like fried milonesas, fideos (noodles/spaghetti) coated with oil of course, fried empanadas, pizza, gizo (rice with carne or pollo), carne and fried eggs and fried potatoes, tarta (fried quesadilla). The worst thing that I have eaten was pig head/brain. YUCK! The face part was all fat and really chewy and the brain I couldn`t even handle and didn`t eat, haha that was in my first week here too! I haven`t bought any bottled water... I always have used my water bottle with a filter. I haven`t had any problems with the water and sometimes I drink it straight from the tap if I don`t have my water bottle with a filter and I don`t think that I have had any problems because of the water. I have from the food a couple times.

Do I still have problems with the language? It depends on the person, haha I have a harder time the more slang that they speak. Also if they are cordoban because they speak with a really weird patter of speech as some people say it sounds like they are singing everything they say. Lately I have been learning the slang from Elder Fiabane and that has helped me understand a lot more. Also I am getting a little more accustomed to the other accents from other parts of Argentina como Ariel Rivas a member in our ward who speaks all in slang and cordoban I used to have the hardest time understanding anything that he said but now I understand most of what he says. Also the people here all speak really fast and quiet. Elder Fiabane said in the south it isn`t like that they speak a lot slower and more clearly. Here is fast and mushed together but I almost have the hang of it.

We went to a wedding this week because Elder Fiabane had to be a witness because the missionaries couldn`t get a witness for a couple getting baptized in their ward.

Today we are going to go with the owners of our house and help them pick out a new computer (too bad we can`t use it!).

Transfers are coming up; they will be in a week and two days... We are wondering what is going to happen because everything has been crazy here and you can`t expect anything! Normally Elder Fiabane and I will stay together another transfer but we don`t know if it will happen for sure because of the crazy amount of new missionaries!

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

It`s weird to think that next week could be my last pday in Circunvalaciòn II! I love you so much and can`t wait to hear from you next week!