Yes I am almost a true Resistencia missionary now

Yes mom I am almost a true Resistencia missionary haha only one thing left that I will try to avoid…falling in the sanja. The dog bite really isn`t bad. It has healed just fine no problems. Luckily it didn`t penetrate through the pants, I think that would have made it bad. It hasn`t been infected or anything.

This week we have been contacting in full. It has been a very long week. We basically are at a point where we don`t have many investigators. The good thing is that the ones we do have are awesome! We have Vilma, Rocio, and two granddaughters that all went to church this last week and they are all awesome. Vilma has a fecha for the 8th of February and so do Rocia and the granddaughters should be the same day or maybe following week! We have Delia and her son. Delia is very emotional and asks crazy questions that she thinks are impossible to answer like what is a Christian. (Her son says he wants to be Christian not catholic). What I told her was that her son doesn`t mean that he wants to be Christian but that he wants to be a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They also have a fecha for the 8th. We also have Claris that we picked up last week and she is awesome and has a fecha for the 15th. It is funny because this week we had 5 in the church and in the zone we had a total attendance of 8 investigators. I guess this week everyone was slow. Luckily five of our investigators were there.

Recently I have been studying a lot about the Holy Ghost. I have been trying to see how I can work to have his influence more in my life. I want to be able to feel like I should be knocking a door not just knocking to knock. I know that it will also greatly improve lessons because I will be able to discern what they need and what to share. Really everything will be better. It is really the most important part of the work I would say is to have to guidance of the Holy Ghost.

  

What I am trying to do before I take out money is I want to find an atm where I can take out American dollars because you can trade them in the street for basically double what you can take out of a bank. Argentina lies and says that peso is worth a lot more than it actually is.

Elder Caliister said that he got Emily’s email this week and that he answered all her questions and can`t wait to see what she says back. Haha

Oh! and I keep forgetting to say that the videos have been hilarious that you have been putting on Dropbox! What does to fox say, haha both me and my comp were laughing over them.

I love you guys so very much and I can`t wait to hear from you next week! I will let you know what happens with transfers too, haha

DOG BITES AND ARMED ROBBERIES WHAT A WEEK!!!

I ate my half way ice cream this week, it was very delicious! It wasn`t hard ether... that is a little sad that I ate two pounds of ice cream like it was nothing.

Ok, so dang. This week  is a long story. This Wednesday we had planned that all of our investigators would go and have their baptism interviews right? Well we went to meet Sergio and he didn`t show up. So we went to the house he is living in (with his drunk friend Raul) to try to find him. When we got there luckily we did run into him his son and he told us that Sergio left for central (he goes there pretty much every day to try to get is half of his inheritance from his sister. Then we went to the interviews for Rosa and her family but when we got there she didn`t answer. We then called her and she said that she was at the other side of Resistencia with a cousin of hers that she didn`t know was a member`s. So with our defeat we went to go get ice cream and rescheduled the interviews for the following day since there was no other option. The following day luckily it all worked out and they had their interviews. The next day we had their baptisms and when we got to the stake center the font wasn`t filled (sigh...) so we had to wait an hour and a half to let it fill. Then we had the baptisms. The next day we got a call from a member saying that Rosa had an accident on her moto. We quickly went over to her house to see how she was. Luckily she had only burnt her leg and injured/broken a small part of her foot. What was even more of a relief was that she was telling us how that was just a trial of the devil and she didn`t attribute what happened to her baptism. Her sister had told her it was because she got baptized but Rosa chastised her and told her she had found the truth and that he protected her daughters and she was only minimally injured. It was a huge testimony builder to see her have such a strong testimony and so soon. She has only been investigating for three weeks. Then later that night as we were visiting the last person before going back to the pensh and their stupid dog bit me. Luckily it didn`t penetrate my pants but it did my skin. There is a picture in dropbox. 

The next morning, the morning of the confirmations. We left our pensh to go gather investigators and Rosa, her daughters, and Sergio. We were walking down a street and two guys on moto go speeding down the street like always but then come to a sliding stop next to us. The one on the back jumped off and pulled out a gun and told us to give him our phone and bags. So now we are once again without a phone and he stole my new bag that I had bought. It was smaller so that it fit only scriptures and flyers. So they ended up with ties (that a member had just given us, flyers, Elder Clemons triple, my small bible, my small camera, cell phone, our lunch calendar list, and baptismal papers). For the most part they will be very disappointed with their loot. Also if the police would have come in a reasonable time they could have caught them too. We were robbed then some of the neighbors gave us seats and told us that they called to cops. While we were waiting (10 min later) the guy passed buy again without his accomplice and gave us a peace sign. The cops didn’t show up for another twenty minutes. So after that we made it to church only fifteen minutes late. But we missed the confirmations and Sergio wasn’t there. That afternoon we went and found Sergio and brought him to the Branch president`s house and we confirmed him. So long story short, yes four baptisms and four confirmations!!! Making a total of 12 converts in 12 months. I have a goal to have at least 24 converts by the end of my mission. Don’t worry about me everything is great. I love you so much and can’t wait to talk to you next week!

Four baptisms on Friday!!!

We have four people preparing to be baptized on Friday. All of them will be ready too! We have Sergio, Rosa and her daughters Karen and Juli who are getting ready! We also have Vilma who is starting to get close as well! You asked about what are biggest obstacles are in teaching people and if they aren't prepared they just won`t accept from the beginning. If not that, it is the commandment that they are breaking and having a hard time changing, or if not that then it is that they don`t keep the commitments and just aren't prepared at this time.

We always wear our sombreros to try and stay cool and that helps a little bit. We also buy a lot of these things called jugitos. It is basically a Popsicle. Not really much more than that. Sometimes if it is really hot at night then I will just rinse down and go to bed wet. We are still trying to get a AC for our pensh because we only have a fan. I don`t know if we will get it before the summer is over though.

There is a missionary who wants Emily`s email so that he can write her, haha I promised that I would see if I could get it for him. I will let her decided if she wants to give it to him though. He also sent me pictures so I will forward those too. haha He also said she can look him up on Facebook. He is really cool and likes to go boating, doing things outdoors, and every sport. So yeah, haha He wanted me to see if she would write him. 


This week nothing has happened too much out of the ordinary. We did have divisions and that was why E Callister wants to write Emily because he was looking at family pictures. We also found a really huge pensh that we want but we have to wait a month until it opens because the owner wants the mold problem gone before anyone goes in because wants it to be perfect. I don`t know if I will still be here when that comes around. I am really curious what is going to happen this next transfer. I will end training E Clemons and probably one of us will leave. Also Elder Santoro and one of the secretaries are going home this transfer and the following the other secretary is going home. So we will have very new secretaries soon. Also we found out that the new mission president that will be coming in in July is named Rodolfo C. Franco. He lives in South Jordan and both he and his wife are from Buenos Aires. So they both speak both English and Castellano perfectly. It is crazy that it is getting to the end of the time for President Heyman. 

Sweating Profusely

Pension hunting this week was horrible. We didn´t find anything. We wasted a whole afternoon looking and didn´t even find one potential option. Luckily our water is back on so we will probably just be staying where we are.

Something awesome recently and that is we met Sergio. We were walking down a street one day and we hear someone yell to us in English, hey where your hat the sun is too hot here your head will explode. I was thinking about ignoring it because there are every now and then people who speak a little English and want to talk to us because of it. But I decided we had better talk to him. It turns out he lived in the states for ten years because his dad was an ambassador. We set an appointment to go back but I didn´t give much credit to it because I thought he just wanted to speak English but you never know. When we went back it turns out that he is really awesome and that he not only speaks English but really wants to change his life. He came to church that first week without problem and now a second week. His baptism is set for the eighteenth but it might change to this week, we will see.
This Sunday in church Silvia our recent convert had an epilepsy attack. She started convulsing and foaming from the mouth. It was really nuts. We gave her a priesthood blessing while members called the ambulance. It really helped out but she still did have another attack. She had a total of four attacks, it was all really crazy. We went to visit her that night and she was fine. The only problem was that she was too nervous to stand up during sacrament meeting to go get water to take her pill so by the time it was over it was too late.
The other elders that are here in Fontana just got transferred out today. Elder Guajardo´s comp got switched for an Emergency Transfer. So Elder Guajardo went to Formosa. Now we have half of Fontana again and the sisters have the other half.
We were a little sad became a part of our area, bueno at least what should be our area was stolen from us. The sisters from Barrio cuatro claimed it as theirs and they don´t even work it. The sad thing is that we had three people with fetchas there and one was golden... The one good thing is we inherited the elders fecha who came to church this last week since their area is now closed. But I know it will all work out.
Our area is doing really quite good right now. We have four or five people that all should be baptized before the end of this month and transfer. That is pretty exciting. More than that we are doing a lot of looking for prepared people. And that is our story for right now.
The first half of our pday today was spent at the other elders pensh taking stuff for our own since they are clearing theirs out. They are both already gone.
My clothes are all holding up really well. My shoes are starting to get a little old but I still have my other pair. I am holding out on my replacement clothes until after the summer because the summer is very damaging and wearing. After it I will open all of my replacements and start using those. But really everything is holding out really good.
I have heard it is very cold right now in the states.. Colder than previous years or something?  Here it is hotter than I have ever been in my life.... but I would still take that over extreme cold, haha It can get miserable especially during study’s when the power is out due to extreme heat and you sweat profusely but yeah, haha It really started to pick up in heat after Christmas but we are told this is still nothing and wait until the end of this month and February..... I can´t imagine it hotter but we will see. I feel like I walk around in a steam room all day pretty much.

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

Gotta have their TV ja ja

In my Christmas package (Thanks Uncle Ray for the card and money you sent!!) all the items were still wrapped but the Christmas tree which I set up when I got the package. The rest I opened on Christmas! I have folded a couple of the LDS origami like the Nephite temple and Mosiah´s tower. I haven´t given it to anyone though... haha I also read the Be Attitudes by Pres Hinkley. It is a really good book I liked it a lot! I have also been doing the crosswords and such. Now I just need to upload the music from the cds onto my Ipod so I can listen to it. I´ll do that next week when I have a little more time. Thanks for the package I loved it!

Notice all the satellite dishes on the houses ha ha

This week was pretty good. We had four people in the church! That was great! We have some investigators again but not very many so we still have a lot of looking to do. I don´t really like contacting but it has to be done... 
We haven´t had water in our bathroom for fourteen days now and have been using a pot to flush and shower and it is a huge pain. But these last two days we haven´t had any water at all so we have been using some of our emergency water to drink, shower, cook, etc. Also sometimes the plastic bags are back in because flushing uses up a lot of our precious water. The problem is with the city and we can´t do anything to fix it.... We are however going pension hunting this afternoon with the branch president so hopefully we will find something good! We want to move in above the church but the branch president was saying something about how he wants us to move in with the other elders all of us to a new pench. We will see what ones he has found. We really want to go above the church because the church now has AC and so we could go down and do our studies and on pdays also we could have it so that one person writes and the other sleeps or whatever and then switch because it is cooler in the church and the internet is better and the computer is nicer, haha. Also on pdays we would be able to play some ping pong.

Yesterday I didn´t get to write because I went to the new missionary training meeting (I thought I was a little old for that... jaja). Well really I went to translate. Translating is a lot harder than it seems. You have to listen and talk at the same time. Also you have to make sure that ALL the words are coming out in English and that it makes sense because you can´t just directly translate the words, it wouldn´t make sense. Also if you miss a word or two that the speaker said it can ruin the sentence. So we think that our branch president had a few choice words with Pres Heyman. We saw him there at the new missionary training meeting and he said that he had an appointment with Pres Hayman. He has been getting mad because he doesn´t like our penshes and we still haven´t had a phone for a transfer and a half. (We finally got a phone!! at the meeting) So we still don´t know what went down in that meeting but we know that president likes to yell and debate and Pres Heyman was a really good lawyer and doesn´t take crap from anyone. I would have liked to see it go down, haha
I don´t know if I already said this but recently when we had the missionary’s in a trio with us one of them named Elder Carrera had received this really cool training on the folletos (flyers) about how to teach with them. The folletos were made by Pres Hinkley and are really awesome. The training has to do with we ask inspired questions and they answer and teach themselves. Then in the end learn by speaking truths to themselves. They tell us that the apostles are giving Joseph Smith the authority and that it is important because with that he could restore the church and baptize. It is really awesome! It doesn´t work quite so well with the evangelicos (who I found out are called evangelists in english)

I don´t know if you plan on sending any more padded envelopes but a couple things that would be nice if you do is the really nice plantillas (I can´t remember the name in english I think it is soul) for shoes. The gel ones because they make all the difference. I have some right now but they are starting to get old and I would like another set for the last year of the mish. Also I have heard there are these electronic dog whistles that make them go running. It would be really funny to have one especially because there are dogs everywhere, haha. 
I love you guys very much and I can´t wait to hear from you next week! 

Christmas Skyping

Well, we didn`t get to write yesterday because the power went out in all of Fontana. So as far as skyping or calling I will let you guys decided. What they have told me is that if we skype we get 45min and if we call we get an hour. Why I don`t know... Also that we will be able to do this any time on the 24 but we are four hours difference from you guys so pick an hour and it will be that time. I can`t wait to call/skype! It will also help to know where I am going to be for this next transfer, whether here or not. I will find out tonight but that doesn`t help very much, jaja. 

Honestly I don`t know what the Christmas schedule will be like. I have heard lots of things that have happened in other missions but I don`t know what we will do here. I think it will just be a normal day for us... but I`m not sure. I`m sure they will tell us more the 23rd when we have the mission Christmas party. That will be a lot of fun! I will be able to see all the people that I have met throughout the mission. I have wanted to see elder Fiabane a lot so that will be fun! The only thing that I know we are doing for sure is a white elephant gift exchange. More than that I don`t know. 

 The only plan that we have for Christmas is for lunch that day we will be going to the Flores family’s house for lunch and she has bought us presents! I am excited for that!  A few houses have a strand of lights and a couple have had some small Christmas trees. I think that they celebrate more the holiday with the three wise men that come like January 6th but I`m not sure. 

As far as I am aware there haven`t been any more problems with striking. We did have to come back to our pensh at 7 every day this week just to be sure and for this week we have to been back by 8. I have heard there might be another riot on the 20th but I don`t know if it is true or not. Either way they will keep us updated. 
We have had some really cool people that we have been teaching lately but just this last Sunday they basically all fell through... They had to go to church for their baptismal dates to keep but we had zero. So now begins the very fun phase of looking for new people. Lots of knocking doors etc. I am not very excited about that. Finding people is my least favorite part of the work. 


Up to now I haven`t received any of my packages... I don`t know why. Elder Clemons has his. I hope that one comes soon or that they just overlooked it in the office or something. LOVE YOU GUYS!!