10-03-2011

Hola hola!
¿Como estan todo?  I am now in my 4th week here in Argentina!  Holy moly!! Loco, no? That means that I have hit 3 months in the mission (this Wednesday), which means I am 1/6th of the way done!  So weird... it feels like I have been here forever but at the same the weeks go by so fast.  Time is flying!  How has the weather been in Utah?  Cold or warm still?  We had a good rain storm the other day, but other than that it has been pretty hot!  Last week it was 36 grados (I have heard that is around 96 ish in Farhenheit but really I have no idea haha) and the humidity is crazy!  I have decided I will just be content with constantly being wet, haha.  It constantly feels like when you have just gotten out of the shower and you are still wet and the humidity is in the bathroom and everything... haha, it´s great!  Also great that our pension doesn´t have air conditioning and we have 2 fans but only one plug in our room so we have to share one during the night.  It´s really not too bad though!  In January I have heard it is unbearable though... so vamos a ver!  I´m sure I can handle it!  Ohala que si.  Anyway... here are my highlights for the week!

AWKWARDS, INCOMODOS, Y CHISTES

• having to ask to use people´s bathrooms all the time.  The other day I used a member´s bathroom but the light didn´t work... so I had to use my camera as a light to find where the toilet was, toilet paper, and trash can.  Also great is when the toilets don´t flush, or it looks like they should flush but you can´t find anywhere to flush it so you just leave it... bahaha
• the owner or whatever of our pension lives right by us and he is so sweet he always checks on us and stuff.  But the people here are just so funny about health!  If they have the tiniest cold, they can´t go out or do anything.  And they are always like ´oh you have to drink so much water!´ etc. and they go on and on about how we need to be healthy, as they use their bathrooms without toilet paper and sinks and walk around bare foot on the dirt... hahah.  Anyway... the owner guy came up to give us the bill or whatever for the month and he asked us if we have been getting up and exercising in the morning.  Every morning we usually go over to the church and go inside and exercise in the gym, but I guess other missionaries have ran around the basketball court before and he hadn´t seen us do that so he was concerned.  He then went on to tell me specifically that I need to be running and exercising everyday, and then he asked me how much I weighed. Bahaha! LOVE how honest the people are here in Argentina... love it.
• as usual, we had many great experiences with people talking this week.  The other day we clapped at the fence of a part-member family just to say hi and keep walking, but the non-member dad who is super friendly insisted on us coming in.  He showed us this painting he did (which was really good!) and then he went on and on and on and on for I think 30 or 40 minutes, without us getting a word in. Hahaha!  Talking about painting and what he was doing to fix up his house and his job and how we need to be healthy and drink water and wear sombreros in the summer and then about drumline and all the things his kids do that they have to keep up with and everything... haha.  We walked away just shaking our heads and laughing.  Some people here are just so great.  They are such great people, they are so so nice and friendly.... but BOY do they know how to talk
• a few random/fun facts about Argentina/my area: 
• the people here are obsessed with snow white.  I have no idea why!  I haven´t seen any other princesses... it is so random, but tons of people have like these little creepy figurines of snow white and the seven dwarfs in their yards.  It is so random!
• to sell cars here they don´t put for sell signs on them, they just park them somewhere and put a jug of water on top and that means that they are for sell
• basically no one here is married... but most of them have been together for 10 years plus and they have kids together... many of them have full families with 5 or 7 kids but still aren´t married, and refuse to get married still, even though they know they will never part or anything
• also everyone here is either Catholic or Evangelist.  The Evangelists are very very dedicated to their congregations and their preachers and are very active, and then none of the Catholics are active or ever go to church but they are catholic through and through and will never change.  It´s funny though because we talk about the Bible and basic Christian beliefs and they don´t really know anything... when we ask who Christ is for them they all say ´mi salvador´ and we say ´but specifically for you, what is the meaning of Christ in your life´ and then they end up saying I don´t know.. haha.  It is pretty funny and crazy how strong the Catholic tradition is, but how far from religion so many of the people are
• another funny thing... how they are so funny about health, but their teeth... oh boy!  I think I have only seen a couple people with a full set of teeth.  Most people are missing 4 or 5 or more teeth.  Of course we love them nonetheless :) and we know to not judge them by their looks.  They are the sweetest people in the world!

AWESOMES

• well, clearly the most awesome thing of the week was CONFERENCIA GENERAL!! Ah... I am so sad it´s over! We got to watch all 4 sessions in our stake center, and in English which was even better! We planned on having about 10 investigators there, but of course all of them fell through last minute and we only had 3.  It´s ok though... one of them is a lady named Ramona who we found this week.  When we first started talking to her she broke down in tears about how much she misses her dad and how it´s been really rough for her family because her husband drinks a lot a lot.  Her 16 year old daughter also broke down in tears.  They are really interested and we are working with them a lot.  Her oldest daughter is 16 and she is only 30... you can do the math!  Anyway... so conference.  I loved all of the talks, but my favorites were Uchtdorf´s, Carl B. Cook´s, Hales´, and Randall K. Bennett´s.  The first 3 talked a lot about trials and pushing through them... how the Lord is always watching out for us and is always aware of us.  I have such a testimony of this and of walking forward in faith, or ´waiting on the Lord´ like Elder Hales talked about.  So many times we don´t feel the connection with our Father in Heaven, even if we are trying.  Sometimes we want to change but we don´t have the desire to do the work with a positive attitude.  Sometimes all we can do is walk forward in faith and continue to do what´s right until we feel that connection again or until the trial has passed.  I loved the story Elder Cook told about seeing President Monson in the elevator and he said to him ´Remember... it´s better to look up!´ we can´t forget that we always have a loving Heavenly Father watching out for us and a loving Savior who is always there to help us out of our trials.  I also really loved Randall K. Bennett´s talk about choices and how much they affect us.  I am learning more and more the importance of obedience and how really it is black and white... we can either choose eternal life, or the world.  There is no way to successfully choose both.  My companion and I have talked a lot about choices in little things, like what music to listen to or movies to watch or activities to do or whatever, and how it is much easier to make the decision ahead of time to always choose ´eternal life´in those situations, instead of thinking about them over and over in indecision.  If we make the decision ahead of time, we can make the choice without even thinking about it and then move on.  It is black and white, and all of our little decisions determine which side we are on.

Well well, that is it for this week!  How awesome is it that we having a living Prophet today? Wow... I have sure gained a testimony of how important it is to have a prophet, and that President Monson truly is a prophet of God.  We are so lucky, and should cherish his words and the words of the apostles, because they are the words of God just like the scriptures.  We have modern day revelation, and we are so blessed to have it!  I hope we can take advantage of it and not take it for granted.  Thanks for all of your constant prayers and support!  Feel free to write anytime! :)  Have a fabulous semana!

--Hermana Hunt

P.s. ok I keep forgetting to put my address here!  I am finally going to put it.  Haha.  There´s a different one that I gave out to a couple of people that is wrong... you can still send stuff there but I think this one is more correct and letters will arrive quicker with this one.  The address is:

Hermana Linsey Hunt
Mision Argentina Resistencia

Entre Rios 435
3500 Resistencia
Chaco - Argentina
(I don´t know if you have to put Argentina Resistencia Mission but por que no?  Also... I believe it is 98 cents to send a letter...?  So like 3 stamps?  And it takes about 2-3 weeks to get to me and 2-3 weeks for a letter to reach the US from here)