2016.12.26 Week 29 - We brought gingerbread cookies

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and could remember Christ a little bit. Not much happened here, but I got to talk to my family and that was super great. Sort of. There are a few more people taller than me now so I don't know if I'm ever gonna go home. But they are really great. 

This week was spent with us trying to find a pension (apartment) to rent for the new elders that are going to be in our area. We just pretended we were on HGTV with a really small budget and really ugly furniture.

For Christmas Eve we went and ate with our favorite Italians. He cooked a trout he caught for us. It was a three course meal all with homemade noodles. It couldn't have really been more delicious. 

They also almost cried when we they saw that we brought gingerbread cookies. They took a million pictures of them and told us how they have only ever seen them in the movies. It made us feel like we were on food channel, real deal chefs or something great like that. 

Sunday we had church for an hour and were surprised to see someone from the area presidency there, he gave a great talk. Also, we are super excited because Elder Nelsen is going to come to our mission in April. I can´t wait to meet that guy!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

~Sent from my Internet Cafe~

This is what it looks like when you are dying of frio (cold) in your pension (apartment).

Here is some other picture that was to small for me to see what it was but I hope it was really great.

Here's us with some food.

2016.12.24 Week 29 - Bariloche Zone Conference

Be sure and notice Rachel's shoes! This is what they looked like when she left.

Feliz Navidad!

2016.12.19 Week 28 - I have a huge sunburn under this snowsuit

So this week was just great. 

We had the funnest slash funniest tea party ever. We get this call from a woman named Nancy to come over and have tea with her and her Aunt during the week. And of course we say yes because she is an investigator and her Aunt is a member. So then the day for tea comes and we go. We get there and it's her, her Aunt and 2 other women. All in their late 80's. But these aren't just cualquier (any) 80-year-olds. THEY ARE KILLING IT. It was pretty much just hilarious. They are all just yelling the whole time because nobody can hear, and we're all drinking "tea". And eating panettone. It was hilarious. 

But then it just got better. Guacalda starts telling everyone she's sick of living because she's just bored. So they all convince her that she should just start a bread business. They tell her to buy a new stove. Bake bread every day. And sell it in the streets. But we can't forget the last part. She lives in a little house on the property of her son and he can't know about any of this. So really the plan is that she is going to do all this without him knowing. She's just gonna hide the bread under the bed. Then she realized she can't actually walk super well. So the other woman gives her, her cane. It was just great. And super funny. And super fun. The plan is to baptize them all.

Basically, Argentina is getting along just fine, and I'm wondering if summer is ever going to come. The weather here is crazier than Utah. I have a huge sunburn under this snowsuit. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!! 

2016.12.12 Week 28 - I found this sweater in the street

BOCA beat RIVER (soccer teams based in Buenos Aires) this week which actually just meant walking through the streets we could hear people in their houses watching the game and screaming. And then running out of their houses decked out in all blue forming into a parade. Whipping out the trumpets (literally) and beating a ton of drums while they chanted the BOCA theme song. I still don´t know if I support BOCA or RIVER but I did choose to leave my red clothes home for safety. 

In other news, my companion is a walking spaz attack and exploded a whole bidon of agua (large water bottle) on the floor this week as she told me "she was an expert" at lifting with her legs and not her back because she did cheer in high school. She started squat waddling across the floor with the whole water bottle and then just spazzed. The water fell and was just dumping everywhere. I screamed and jumped up, cutting my leg on my chair just to add blood to the situation. She picked up the water so it would stop spilling and then we noticed that the bidon actually just broke so it was still shooting water everywhere. Add to this situation the fact that we got new neighbors and they were moving in right as we are screaming. We open the door, throw out the bidon shooting water and then proceed to mop out a ton of water into the outside hall and all over the stairs. I would definitely say it was a great first impression.

I bought my dream crocs this week. They're not even name brand because I was reading in the scriptures about "expensive clothing, and tinkling things" or something like that and decided that I would be able to survive with fake crocs. 

We also found some super awesome investigators this week! One time we got to this neighborhood really early for lunch so that we could contact a little bit. We contact this house and this woman comes out who isn´t really that interested, but then she says she will go ask if her husband is interested. We just assume we will never see either of them ever again because it's kind of a classic go-hide-in-my-house move. But then her husband did come out. We started talking and he is actually from Italy. In the end, they invited us in right then and there to eat lunch with them. It was awesome and horrible since we were on the way to lunch right then. But now we are just waiting to receive a Book of Mormon in Italian so that he can understand a little better. Por lo menos (at least) I feel great about my Spanish now because his Spanish is completely horrible.

I just want you to all remember why we celebrate Christmas and all the things that Christ has done for you, its really just incredible.

Oh also, we met this tourist this week who was a missionary in this area in 1969. When he was here there wasn't even one member. It was just him and his companion. And now he came back to find a whole stake and 14 missionaries. I loved being able to talk to him and see that the work of God really is progressing quickly!

Oh yeah, I also decided to make a Christmas tree. I decorated it with flowers and trash I found in the street.

This is us as true Argentines. Crocs. Hand Knit socks. Piel de Mono (literally translates to "monkey skin" Weird.) sweaters. And scrunchies. Also, I found this sweater in the street.

2016.12.5 Week 27 - Pretty much the best

No letter came this week. Here are some excerpts from her letters to mom and dad:

This whole leadership thing just really isn't that great. It just got about a million times worse after I wrote you last week. We ended up getting to a pension (apartment) and the hermanas didn't have anything. Not even toilet paper. It's a lot of work for us to go and visit other hermanas and it really hurts our own area, so its pretty annoying when we get there and they are just horrible. Last Wednesday was pretty much the worst of my life/mission. We were in these hermana's apartment without food, water, beds, toilet paper, etc. HORRIBLE. They also purposely did not plan any lessons that day so that when we got there we just contacted with them all day. They went to lunch with a member but told us we were not invited. We slept on the tile kitchen floor. HORRIBLE. Then Thursday we had intercambios (exchanges) with other hermanas and they were just AWESOME. The only problem is that we got there and I was sick. I'm pretty sure from lack of all the things the day before. But these hermanas were the opposite. They bought a ton of extra food so we could eat. Gave us their beds. Planned millions of lessons, and HAD TOILET PAPER. They were so awesome that when I got there I just started crying because I was sick and it was such a change from the other scenario. YIKES. 

I always wondered why hermana liders (Sister Trainer Leaders) were necessary until we went and did intercambios (exchanges) and realized that these people just have no idea what they are doing, and really do need a lot of help. I'm just pretty sure I am completely unqualified to help them. They think the same, since all of them have more time than me, and are fluent in Spanish. I think that is part of the problem. Oh well, I am just trying to put my confidence in "God qualifies who He calls".

I love "Ilumina el Mundo" (Light the World). It's the best thing to invite people in the street to do because it's something fun they can do with their family. AWESOME

As I explained to a girl in the ward here about missions, I really felt the spirit and realized just how awesome they are. I want to tell every single person to go, because I have learned so many things here that I never would have learned otherwise. It's pretty much the best. But it is definitely the hardest thing I have done in my entire life and sometimes I just wish I could be trucho (fake, false) and sleep all day.

I'm really excited to talk to you in Spanish in a few weeks. But you are definitely going to laugh because Castellano (Argentine Spanish) has an accent that is a little different. A lot of the other countries in South America hate it. I love it, I like it better than the other accent.

I always try to be perfectly obedient. Lots of times it is hard. But if you really think about it this is one of the most stress free times of your life. Your full time job is to be obedient, and it's really not that hard. When we are obedient we can know that we deserve the help of God and we have stronger faith that he will come through for us.

I am super excited to have hit 6 months! I always thought that once I hit 6 months it was basically like it was over. It's not. There's still a lot left. But I can't believe that I can say now that next year at this time I will be home. Yikes. Real life is super scary. 

2016.11.29 Week 26 - A million degrees here

As I sit here in this cyber (internet cafe) I am just laughing because:

1. I smell like armpit.

2. I am on intercambios (exchanges) right now and forgot my toothbrush.

3. I can´t decide if I have a fever or it's just a million degrees here.

4. My companion looks like a gypsy but is really happy cuz her skirt was 15 pesos.

5. I want Crocs for Christmas. Seriously. But not just any. Platform Crocs, black, with a racing stripe. They are pretty much just super awesome and the most Argentine thing EVER. Everyone here wears Crocs ALL THE TIME. To church. In the park. Qualquier momento. (At any time.) Yep. I used to hate them. But things change. Please donate to my fund. 

Anyway, life is great here. I love my mission SO MUCH. I just realized this week how great it really is. There is no better opportunity that you could ever take in your life. When else am I going to learn all the things I am learning. NEVER. Basically, just all of you prepare now to serve a mission because it is the best thing you could ever do. 

Well, I can´t really think of anything else. Please pray for me as I try to do intercambios (exchanges) with people that are sure they know way more than me and don´t want to listen to anything I say. Literally, this one chick wouldn´t even look at me and my companion as we tried to talk to her. She better just watch out because I am about to shower her in love. WE EVEN BOUGHT HER PIZZA. I'll let you all know how it goes. 

Have a great life and remember that God loves you. He has a plan for you. And if you pray and ask him he will show you what you need to do.

In other news that I just remembered. ILUMINA EL MUNDO (Light the World). It's this awesome movement that the church is doing for Christmas. DO IT PEOPLE.

Bueno, ciao.

2016.11.21 Week 25 - Lots of miracles this week

I have no time left. But it was a great week. The comp and I are homies now. And we saw lots of miracles this week.

Here are 2:

We say hi to a woman outside of her house and start talking to her. Turns out she "Has a Mormon Bible" and has been reading it for 30 years. She loves it and knows it's true.

We contact a random house. The woman comes out. Hi, we are the missionaries. Oh hi, me and my husband were just eating lunch and wondering who we have to pay to get into that church on Elflein y Frey. Oh that's our church, it's free. Awesome. Can we teach you? SICK MAN.

Hope you all have a fantastic week and remember that God loves you!

2016.11.14 Week 24 - I have been here forever

I am still alive. All is well. Donald is Trump. And the only thing anyone wants to talk about here is Trump. Oh well. He cray.

Transfers happened and my companion left me. It was pretty much the saddest thing ever and was really shocking. She´s only been here one transfer and I have been here forever so I am not really sure how that happened. 

Anyway, I'm an Hermana Lider (leader) now. I'm in charge of all the Hermanas in the South of our mission and will be doing intercambios (exchanges) with all of them. It should be fun. I was really hoping I could have more time as a normal missionary before I had all these other responsibilities, pero todobien (but all is well). 

My new comp is probably a great person but I haven´t found out yet. All I know is that she brought enough suitcases and things to last her 10,000 years.  We´ll see how it goes. Please pray for me.

Funny Moment of the Week: 

I can´t think of one, sorry.

Spiritual Moment of the Week:

God prepares us for anything we have to do. Even if it seems hard. WE GOT THIS.

 A lady in our ward knit us these sweaters. She cried when I told her I might be leaving this area.

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2016.11.7 Week 23 - I can't wait to help him in his life goal

Not much happened this week.

THATS A LIE.

I´m engaged. 

A really great drug dealer in the street invited me to get married to him 4 times yesterday. I'm really excited for our wedding that will probably be tomorrow and I can't wait to help him in his life goal to have "millions of Canadian children"

But in reality I told him about thirty times I wasn't from Canada. And he was just absolutely sure that we needed to get married. HANNAH (BYU friend) I accomplished that thing on your bucket list that was, "Get someone to fall in love with you, propose, SAY NO" Never thought that would happen but I am really glad you can cross it off the list. 

Besides that, the week was a little normal, but I am loving serving the Lord and interested to see what translados (transfers) bring this Friday. There is a good chance I will be leaving Bariloche because I have been here so long. I'm really sad about that, but we will see. Love you all!

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!