2016.10.31 Week 22 - Apparently, big cheeks are a good thing

It was a really boring and annoying week because we were in Neuquén. We were doing trámites (Passport procedures) for the whole week. This involved going to the police station one day, signing some papers. Wasting a day waiting for the papers to be passed to another office. Going to Immigrations for a day and signing three other papers. THE WORST. Oh well. I guess we are just trying to be legal. The mission president and his wife aren't even legal. No one here is legal. No importa (It doesn't matter). 

Today is Halloween and I am dressed as an American. I don't have many options, but I have to dress up for Halloween. I have to.

Interesante Momento del Semana: (Interesting moment of the week)

We eat lunch with the bishop of another ward every other Saturday. It's a really annoying situation where the best family that lives in our ward IS THE BISHOP OF THE OTHER WARD. Anyway. Here's the conversation.

Obispo: Usted está engordando? ---Bishop: Are you getting fat?

Yo: Si, claro. ---Me: Yes, of course.

30 minutos después ---30 minutes later

Obispo: Yo puedo ver que usted esta engordando. Sus mejillas son mucho mas grande ahora. Creo que tal vez esta mas saludable. Ha dicho a su Mama? ---Bishop: I can see that you're getting fat. Your cheeks are much bigger now. I believe that perhaps you are more healthy. Have you told your mom?

Yo: No ---Me: No.

Obispo: Necesita decirla. ---Bishop: You need to tell her.

Yo: No creo que es necesaria, ella puede ver en mis fotos. ---Me: I don't believe it's necessary, she can see me in the photos.

Thanks Obispo (Bishop). Thanks.

Apparently, I am getting fatter. Apparently, it's healthy. Apparently, big cheeks are a good thing. Apparently, I won't be able to use the slacks that I brought. Apparently, I should probably start exercising. Ya fue. (Nothing I can do about it now.)

I hope you all will like the fat version of me that will be returning to America en algunas meses (a few months).

Good luck out there in the world of people who aren't getting fatter every day because all you eat is bread and pasta.

Remember that God is real and is helping us every second.

2016.10.24 Week 21 - Apparently I screamed

It was a pretty long week in the beginning. The hermana leaders called us Monday night and said they would be here for the week. Just kill me. We don´t really get along and I was really annoyed that they would call so late without giving us time to buy food or anything, but oh well. They are pretty much the most pesada (heavy) people I know. But by the end of the week, we became friends and all is well. But I did write one journal entry in all caps and just scribble all over one page to try and relieve my anger with them. 

This week we found a super awesome investigator named Vicky. She is trying to learn English and I think she will be baptized very soon. She just needs to get permission from her Mom because she is only 16.

Funny Moments of the Week:

I went to walk off of a bus and the cole changed speeds really quickly so I tried to grab hold of something and failed. So then I was just falling and reaching to grab on to anything. Then I made eye contact with this man sitting there and he grabbed my arm and basically saved my life. But it was HILARIOUS. I'm sure all the people were just like, "I already knew gringos were idiots and now I know for sure." It was quite a scene and apparently I screamed. At least I screamed in Spanish.

We left early for church to try and bring anyone we could in the street. We talk to this old weird man for a while on the corner and then he goes to leave. Before I could do anything he kissed me. HAHAHAHA. I have been kissed by some weird old man in Argentina. My companion had a little more time and was able to avoid it. But for me it just happened way to fast. SO FUNNY AND ALSO THE WORST. In the end, no one from the street went to church, but I know God blessed us for our efforts because two of our investigators showed up halfway through sacrament meeting. Victor was one of them and I almost started crying because I didn´t know if he would ever make it. God really does bless us for our efforts.

Spiritual Thought of the Week:

This week I have been thinking a lot about faith because we always say that we can do anything with faith, but sometimes it doesn´t seem like it. But I realized more this week that we need to have confidence in our faith. Satan has way more confidence in our faith than we do. That is why he is always trying to fill our heads with doubts. It's sad but I think that Satan understands faith a lot more than we do. So this week I am trying to have confidence in faith. We always have doubts thanks to Satan because he knows how much power we would have with faith. JUST HAVE FAITH LIKE SATAN KNOWS YOU CAN. It's exactly what he doesn't want you to do, because he knows that we really can do anything with faith in God.

Anyway, rambling. Hope you all have an amazing week. Ciao!

2016.10.17 Week 20- How awesome God is

It was another great week on the mission. This week we spent a lot of time searching for people to teach. We have a lot of investigators that are not progressing like we are hoping so we are trying to find new ones. This search is pretty hard but we are super excited about the three kids that we are teaching. This week is when I have started to understand the rule in the handbook about how we can't adopt. THESE KIDS ARE SO CUTE. Their Mom left them when they were both little and their Dad is a boracho (drunk). I love them so much and I really want them to be able to turn their lives around. It's hard to be on a mission and love people so much and see that they still aren't going to do anything to better their lives. Sometimes I just want to take away people's agency because I know that their life would be better if they would just listen.

This week Carolina sent us a message saying she doesn't want to hear from us more. So that was super sad and pretty hard. She was progressing so much before and then it just stopped. HORRIBLE. 

My companion is super awesome. Her Castellano is already super good and we are excited to work more. LOVE YOU ALL!! Remember how awesome God is and that he can really help you with anything.

Funny Story: My companion already can't speak English. Some people asked her to do a prayer in English and she couldn't. Also, I can´t really speak English. I am always doing weird things like saying English words but using Spanish grammar and it doesn´t make any sense. Oh well.

Argentina Fact: Everyone here wears crocs. And platform shoes. Also, everyone smokes. And drinks mate. They don't usually have teeth. And girls by 14 have a kid. But every time you enter their house, they put every single food item they have on their table for you to eat. Super awesome.

(video)

Translation: "Hello family, this is Argentina. It's a little hard to baptize because there are only trees, and people don't exist. But all the same, it's very pretty. This is my district, my companion, and......water."

2016.10.11 Week 19- Pt. II - It's like a sin to not play soccer here

Good news, we are still alive. Argentina is still awesome and all is well.

Somehow I ended up with the best companion EVER. She is super awesome. She was born in Canada but her family lives in Ohio. She went to BYU and we actually met each other at a bonfire once and joked about being companions, then we both apparently forgot about it because it took us about a week to figure out.  We have a ton of friends in common because we were at Helaman at the same time.

When I met all the people that were a possibility to train I got super scared because none of them were latina. There was no possibility of me getting someone that would know Spanish. But all is well, I guess I know more Castellano than I thought. Now that I am forced to use it, everything is going well. Somehow we are always able to communicate with everyone. It's fun to visit the members and hear them tell my companion that she doesn't need to worry about the language because Hermana Farr just barely got here and she already knows Castellano. 

I don't have much time, but it was a great week. A little different because the drunk men are even more interested now that we are both gringas, but I have confidence that God is protecting us!

This week we started teaching this group of boys that are always playing soccer in the street. They are super cute and I really hope we can baptize them. The oldest is 11 and the youngest is 9. The oldest reminds me a lot of Harry (my brother). We originally started talking to them because my companion is super good at soccer and wowed them with her juggling skillzzz. Now I am trying to learn how to soccer. As of right now, I can juggle 8 times in a row. I know it's horrible but give me a break Argentines. Soccer is like the one sport I never played. It's like a sin to not play soccer here. I hope that I will be able to juggle officially when I get home. 

I'm pretty much sick of my clothes. I found some clothes in a garbage bag kind of ripped and ruined and sewed them back together. Lots of missionaries leave all of their clothes here, lucky for me!

YOU'RE ALL AWESOME; HAVE  A FANTASTIC WEEK!!!!!

2016.10.03 Week 19 - Pt. I

The internet is down in Bariloche today so no e-mail. 

Hopefully tomorrow!

However, we have had a few Hermana Farr sightings this week.

The friend of a friend, picking up his daughter, sent this picture.

Mission FB page pictures:

New missionaries and their trainers.

Bariloche Stake conference:

(video)

2016.10.03 Week 18 - I am super scared to do this

As usual, conference was the best.  It was pretty much like Christmas. I was happy because I could watch it in English and was really happy with the focus on member missionary work. We are about a million times more effective when we are teaching with members and teaching the friends of members! DO IT PEOPLE.

I made cinnamon rolls for general conference and was really proud of myself. They were hardcore with yeast and everything! People didn't hate them so that's good news.

This week was kind of crazy with my companion getting ready to leave the country and packing but all is well. Right now we are Neuquen so that she can leave for home tomorrow.

I am super sad about her leaving, she is THE BEST. I am also really sad that a large chunk of our district is leaving this transfer. Somehow we got lucky and were all together for two transfers so we are all really good friends, it's sad to see a lot of them go, but I know they can help other areas.

I'm feeling really prideful right now because we heard from the president that we are the only area baptizing right now. YES! Obviously better if everyone is baptizing, but I am proud of my district.

Oh, yeah, I'm staying in Bariloche this transfer and I am super excited about this, Bariloche is super pretty and I love it there. I got kind of shocking news during transfers, I will be training this translado (transfer). So as of right now I don't know who my new companion is. I am super scared to do this considering I actually haven't even finished my training. WHYYYY?

Other random fact... There is no toilet paper in public bathroom stalls here. There is toilet paper outside of the bathroom and you just have to carry a ton in with you. Sometimes it's free, sometimes no. LOCOS (crazy).

The final miracle of the week: Ricardo. Ricardo is our investigator who is a drunk living in the street. When we first saw him, me and my companion thought that he had a lot of potential so we talked to him. He told us in the first lesson that he would NEVER PRAY. And then he moved. But this week he moved back. He told us he has been praying EVERY DAY. And he stopped drinking. MILAGROS (Miracles). He literally looks different and I am so excited to see how this gospel will change and bless his life.