Toucans in Argentina

First of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Dad and Emily

I finally got Grandma’s package! It is awesome! I love all the stuff! Very delicious peanut butter balls! The awesome missionary stockings, butter mints, good deodorant, pictures of Christ and the temple, etc but ya saben what is in it! Thank you so much! I have been slowly enjoying the peanut butter balls because they don`t have anything like that here. I was just saying the other day how I wanted Reese’s but this is just as good or better!

We have had a crazy week with investigators! Well the good news is right now our new investigator is doing good, haha. So here is the story. This week we went over to Hna Loli`s house to ask her daughter to go with us to a lesson. When we got there we found out that Silvia was there and the home teachers as well. So we decided to stay instead and teach Silvia. We taught her about prophets, obedience, reading the scriptures, and praying. After that she asked us for a blessing because she had been kind of sick. I ended up being the one to say the blessing part and right after I gave it she stood up and then fell back into her chair. My comp and I thought that she was just faking it and just stood there. Then she was just there passed out so we carried her to the bed and she there sat up for a moment and said she saw demons and passed out again. Then a nurse who was a neighbor came by and started attending to her. We left because it was time to go home and she was being taken care of. The next day when we went to Hna Loli`s house to see what happened she said that the nurse said that she was just faking it. At that point Hna Loli was saying that she doesn`t trust Silvia and doesn`t want her coming over all the time like she has been. Then we had a lesson with her at her house and she said she was all good just that she had low blood pressure. The good news is everything is good for her baptism and that will be this Saturday. She also told us that her niece wants to start taking the charlas!

Last week in my interviews with my Mission President I asked him why does Christ seem like he wants to kill everyone in the Old Testament and is totally different in the New Testament. He said that it is just a matter of view of the people writing the scriptures. In Old Testament times they lived like nomads, everything was life or death so that is how they viewed things, but Christ isn`t that simplistic life and death. Pte says that he likes to think of the Christ that appeared to the nephites. Who when he went to leave the people were sad and he said well I have to go to the father but I will stay a little longer. He healed the sick and afflicted. Then he took his little children and blessed and ministered unto them. That is the what I have been studying recently in 3 Nefi where Christ comes and talks to the people and I have learned a lot of interesting stuff. 

I have not eaten anything weird in my new area so far. We have had a couple occasions recently where we go to people`s houses and they give us a ton of food and we have to eat it hungry or not to not offend them, haha. Like this Saturday when we had just started our fast and we went to an investigators house and they started setting up this huge feast for us and it would have been really rude to say no so we accepted and we had just eaten a ton because we were about to fast but they just kept bringing more and more food to us. Pizza and asado, haha it was really good but I was stuffed. Also we have to Catholic family that lives by us that likes to give us lots of food all the time and it is awesome, haha sometimes a lot more than I need or want but what can you do? haha I`m definitely not getting underfed here. 


Here we walk a lot and ride the bus a lot. The area is giant. It is probably ten times that of my last area. It is already cut in half from what it was before, haha but we walk and rid the bus a ton. We have been mostly just working with the people who live near us to not rack up so many bus tickets and there is no need to go to the other side when there are people here. Love you all!

Miracles on Jdub Row

 Our toilet is fixed, haha we bought a plunger sometime last week and that fixed it. We figured out that the toilet here doesn`t allow us to put toilet paper in it and that was what was clogging it. So now we have to put it in a little baggie to the side.

Here in Resistencia (Fontana) there are more things to do on p days than in Formosa and there are even more things in centro. There are some restaurants that we might visit one week. We mostly have been doing shopping for the pensh and stuff like that so far. This week we are going to have to use going to do interviews with president because this transfer I didn`t have one because I was in formosa and he hadn`t done interviews yet and moved to chaco where he had already done them.
So one thing that was really cool. We were studying a little this week on how to biblically prove that our church is right, that Jesus is Jehovah and that the godhead are three different beings, and that the other churches doctrines are wrong. This way when we are forced to bash to keep investigators etc we can help them see the truth. I am sure that us studying about that this week was inspired of God and here is why. We were walking down the street the same day and saw a whole street of JW`s. We really wanted to try out our new scriptures but knew we shouldn`t start the bash, haha. Then as we were walking away we both felt like we should go back. Then as we walked down the street of JWs (Jdub row as we now call it) a woman sought us out and started to talk to us. She asked us if we were Mormons or one of them (pointing to the JWs). We told her we were indeed Mormons or since that is just a nickname we are from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She said she knew we were different our faces were brighter. She then wanted to talk to us and we had the first lesson with here and she accepted a baptismal date. This is where it gets crazy. A couple lessons latter she told us a story about how when she was younger she dreamed about a picture of a man burying some golden plates in a hill but none of her relatives knew what it was and just said she was crazy. When she opened the book of Mormon and saw the picture of Moroni burying the plates she knew that this was the true church, the one that she had been looking for, for twenty years. She also felt the emptiness that was in her filled. She has been fighting with her family who are all Evangelicos that don`t want her to go but she is 25 and can make her own decisions. She defended us as missionaries and the book of Mormon to her family, they would tell her lies about us and the book. She is very strong and super awesome! We are so excited for her baptism this thirtieth!
We have a new favorite family to visit but the only problem is that they live very far away from us. The family Gutiérrez. They are really nice and help us out a lot. They are kind of funny because they are ``training`` to have kids with three dogs. They treat those dogs like kids too, haha. Also the Family Barrios is really awesome. They live really close and always give us cold juice or food and wash our clothes.
I do truthfully miss the Family Puladas from Formosa. They are the best! We used to go over there all the time and Barbara always looked after the missionaries. That was the one family (besides the dueños familia Fleytas) that I said goodbye to. Oh wait and the family Samudio.

It is about 38 degrees C here now I`m not sure F. But the temperature isn`t what kills us, it is the humidity. When it is very humid the heat kills you. You feel like you are being baked in an oven.

I don`t think that there is anything like Thanksgiving here. We were asking about it and no one knew anything about it and there aren`t any holidays at that time. But it is a very American holiday because it was when the pilgrims came and had a feast with the Indians before killing almost all of them. What will be weird is Christmas and it is nuts that it is coming up in a month and a half. I can`t wait to Skype! I just hope that it works ok because in Cali it had some problems so I hope that here it will work...

I really like the branch here they are all really nice and helpful. The branch president always wants to help us with stuff. Even if it is out of his bounds sometimes, jaja.

Oh and we has the most pathetic rob attempt last night. Some guy told us to give him our cell phone or he would shoot us. We told him that we didn`t have one and showed him and we walked away, haha

I love you all so much and can`t wait to read what you wrote! I can`t wait to hear from you soon! Love you all!

Top Ten with Elder Pickle

1.       Is your pensh more equipped now?

 Well, kinda, right now we are borrowing a lot of stuff. We still don`t have desks, pans, and hot water, but we manage. We should be getting the money for all our stuff sometime this week.

2.       Tell us about your new area. I looked it up on google and it seems like a city in Resistencia, kind of like how Taylorsville is to Salt Lake City.

Yes, it is just like that. We are just outside of the city of Resistencia. It is nicer here and less poor. The roads sometimes have gravel here and there are a few more that are paved. The big thing that you have to keep in mind is that the richest of the rich here would only be equivalent of the lowest of the middle class in the states.

3.       Have you had any luck finding people to teach since you were left with none? The Elder’s in our area call that white washing.

Yes, that is what it is called whitewashing and also training so whitewash training. We were left with no one so we have been finding our own investigators to teach. During the last week we have had 20 nuevos but right now only eight of them still have a baptismal date. I think that two or three of them should get baptized!

4.       Tell us about your companion where he is from etc.

My comp is Elder Travis Clemons. He is from Highland Utah. He was serving for two transfers in the Carlsbad mission, haha He served in Escondido and his trainer there was the comp of Elder Fe in the CCM. That was pretty funny. He loved his mission in Carlsbad, and has a hard time letting go of things from there. He loves to work. Before his mission he worked and hung out with his girlfriend. He is cool but at times it is hard to find things to talk about but we usually find something.

5.       Do you eat with members every day?

Yes, well pretty much. It has been interesting trying to get the members to understand that there are two calendars and which days they need to fill out. The Branch president wants us to go to every single member in the ward and half of them live very far from us in the other Elder’s side of the branch. It takes a ton of time and we have to buy colectivo tickets both ways basically every day.

6.       Are there more places to shop or eat out?

Yes, there are a lot more especially in Resistencia Centro. There is even a Walmart there.

7.       Do you still see dogs everywhere?

Yes, haha there are dogs EVERYWHERE. I have heard that all places except the states has dogs everywhere because they don`t have dog catchers or pounds.

8.       So now you are part of a branch… did they give you callings or more assignments?

Umm, I don`t think we will here because it is a very large Branch. It is almost a ward now the only thing that it lacks is a few more active priesthood holders.

9.       Are you in a little nicer area or is it still really poor?

It is a little nicer. I don`t think you really could call any area here rich but it is definitely nicer than in Formosa. I think that Formosa is the poorest providence.

10. What has been happening this week?

This last week has been a little crazy with some of the things that have been happening. One thing that went down what that our toilet is retarded and doesn`t work. So what happens when a toilet doesn`t work and you have nowhere to do your business? Well you find out that plastic bags work rather well for a substitute, jaja. The only and big problem there is disposing of the waste. We also don`t have a basket in front of our pensh for garbage so we had to put the bags in other people`s baskets. We also didn`t want people to see that it was us putting bags of waste in there baskets so we did it sneakily, jaja.

I love you guys and can`t wait to hear from you soon! Have a great week!

Fontana Resistencia watch out here comes ELDER PICKLE

I am in a new area with a new comp! I am in Fontanergra II (Fontana,Resistencia) with Elder Clemons. I was hoping to see Elder Fiabane when I went to get my hijo but he still isn’t training I am sure that he will this week. I did get to see Elder Santoro however! He will be dying soon. He is down to the last two transfers. It is a huge area I am in now and it took me a couple of days to orient myself. The members are super awesome and give us a lot of references. The whole branch is very helpful and they all love the missionaries. We really weren`t left with investigators.... or anything but some unassembled beds and a table and dressers. We are still lacking just about everything and it won`t arrive for another week. It is a big change but awesome...

I don’t  know what will happen this transfer still. I could leave again after only being here one week but that won`t be very likely. Maybe just maybe President would have me train someone else because my newest hijo already has two months and was training in Carlsbad. His zone leader was Elder Fe. He also served with Elder Herrera.

I still haven`t got my package from grandma yet. I am hoping this week especially since I am here in Resistencia I should be able to get it faster... at least I think, jaja

Our new pensh ( I will have fotos next week) it is a little crazy. Our pensh is ok but it lacks a lot of furniture and I hate that the bathroom is on the outside. The bathroom also doesn`t have warm water for the shower, only freezing cold. The toilet is a piece of crap and doesn`t flush good and drips something red... I don’t know what. But our fridge should get here... well supposedly the day after we got here then yesterday, then today, but maybe tomorrow! Jaja

There really isn`t Halloween here... they have it but don`t do anything for it. They more celebrate dia de los muertos by putting flowers on graves that is nov 1 and 2

Oh and I wanted to say thanks for the letters and don`t worry all is good with Elder Mossman it just turns out he understood a lot less castellano than I thought and he understood almost everything that I said wrong and so that was what was causing just about everything. The last week was great he was a lot more fun and talkable. I wish we could have had more time like that. Now I just need to get my new hijo to be more talkable. The problem is he didn`t do anything before his mission but work and hang out with his girlfriend... He isn`t one for talking much I don`t quite know why. But we`ll see. I hope that you guys are having a great time! Winning polo tourneys and getting into fights with VW owners, ajaja. I love you guys so much and can`t wait to hear from you next week! Next time the letter should be longer, sorry! Crappiest keyboard ever takes forever to write...

Have I always been a missionary?

I was thinking about that the other day that in just a couple days it will be one year from when I opened my call on Halloween and it is nuts. It has been over a year since I have been out of high school... It is weird to think about. I remember the night that I opened my call like it was yesterday... or three lifetimes ago.. .I´m not sure which :P there is this time while I´m living here, there was a time when I lived in California and we had to try to find Spanish speakers among the gringos, and there was the MTC, then I think there was some other life before that... jaja It is weird almost to think that I haven´t always been a missionary. Honestly I don´t have the slightest idea what is going to happen... If there is a holiday or not... I basically forgot that Halloween was even there, jaja But I will find out this Thursday and I can write more about it next week!

I will find out tomorrow if I am getting transferred (it is possible there are 19 new elders coming in) and I have been here a long time. But there is no way to know until tomorrow. Then next week whether I get transferred or not there is another chance that I get transferred and there will be another 25 new missionaries coming in (don´t know how many will be elders or hermanas). So it is possible that I  could change or I could just stay here and finish training Elder Mossman. We will see. But I bet Elder Fiabane will be training. 

We have been having troubles finding people who want to listen to us. We can find people that will listen to us for como one lesson then they will never be there or not receive us anymore. So that makes it even more difficult because our zone leaders come to our area and find people and say, oh your area is great the people do receive us. But we do find people who will receive us just not keep taking the lessons and progressing.... I feel like I am doing something wrong or something because I am not meeting the expectations that I have and it is driving me crazy at times. I feel lost and don´t know what to change. We are trying to follow all the capacitaciones and everything but I don´t know. 

I don´t know if I have a favorite lesson to teach investigators per say. I would say that the best lessons are the ones when we really find the persons need and teach to it. You can feel the spirit testifying to the truthfulness and you can see the hope and peace it brings to them! Those are the best lessons. I wouldn´t say that we really have anything fun to teach our lessons... I should think about things that I could do to make the lessons more fun, maybe people would want us to come back more if it was like that... I don´t know. 

I love you guys a ton and can´t wait to hear from you next week! Love you all and miss you all a ton!!!