2-06-2012

Flagging the bus

Tati's Baptism

Poor Shoes!

Making Pastelitos, a pastry with a sweet potatoe filling

Finished Product

Meditating in the Ruins of San Ignacio

Buenas!

How is everyone? Well.. it´s been an emotional couple of weeks! But all is well.  I´m especially happy to hear today that Grandma Meyer is still with us and has improved at least a little bit.  I have been fasting and praying a lot for her.  It´s really hard being here and not being able to be there with her and the family right now, and also not knowing any updates besides once a week.  But I know there really isn´t anything else I can do so I´m trying to keep my mind on the work and just work hard.  Anyway... after a rough week, we had a really good weekend!  I haven´t done my little list in awhile so I thought I might as well catch you up on the happenings here in good old Argentina! :)

AWKWARDS INCOMODOS Y CHISTOSOS

• we´re teaching this guy named Mario who is either just really weird or has some mental problems.  He is really sweet and interested in religion, and really awkward.  The other day we were teaching him and he told us he wanted to hear a silent prayer... so we all just kinda sat there, and then he was like ´no I want to hear your voice´ so I gave the prayer.  Then he told us he wanted a bracelet from our church, haha so I pulled out one of the last ctr rings I had and said well hey we have these rings and you can have one!  He then stuck out his hand and said I want you to put it on me..... so, I put the ring on his hand, very awkwardly, haha, and then he kept asking us ´is it blessed? is the ring blessed?´ we didn´t want to tell him no so we just kept responding with ´it´s to help you remember to follow Christ and do what´s right´. Ohh goodness, it was such a great lesson. Haha
• it´s always awkward when you meet someone new who´s not accustomed to missionaries and they go in to give you besos and you stick your hand out to shake it.  This happened twice with this guy who we happen to see everywhere.  He speaks a little bit of english and we can never seem to understand him.  We had a great awkward conversation with him, complete with an awkward beso/handshake goodbye
• the other day we made french toast with Mirta and Miguel´s family.  Mirta made us lunch as well so we were eating that first and they started eating the french toast.  We tried to explain that we eat it on a plate with forks, but I don´t think they really understood.. they just grabbed the piece of bread, put butter on it and sprinkled syrup on it and then folded it and ate it like a sandwich hahaha. It was so hard for them to understand that you actually cut the bread into pieces and eat it with a fork until they actually saw us eat it. It was great
• I have been staying after church for an extra 30 minutes to teach people how to lead music.  I thought it would be pretty simple.. I mean, leading music isn´t that hard right? Well... all I gotta say is that I LOVE argentina and I LOVE the people here, but I´m not going to lie and say that the musical talent is just flowing here like it is in the states.  Because it really doesn´t exist here... hahah. We spent a whole 45 minutes the first time just trying to get everyone to stay on beat with the song. So awesome. :)

AWESOMES

• we had a baptism this week!! Her name is Tatiana and it was seriously the easiest baptism ever!  She worked with the missionaries for 3 months in Paraguay and then came back to Argentina and showed up at church one day and basically told us she was ready to be baptized, haha.  So we worked with her for a few weeks first and then she got baptized.  She is 14 and is the only daughter of an inactive.  Now we are working on helping her mom reactivate.  They are both super awesome!
• One of the best feelings in the world is showing up at a family´s house Sunday morning and seeing that they are all dressed and ready to go to church.  We are working with this family Rosana and Enzo and their 4 kids and they are so awesome!  Rosana told us the other day before even going to church that she just felt sure.. she doesn´t know why but she just felt sure.  They are really smart and really interested in learning, and they are very good people... very honest and funny and sincere.  They came to church for the first time this week and it was really great!
• ok.... we had a miracle this week. Best. Miracle. Ever.  Lucas, the marido of Ramona.... he came to church this week. HE CAME TO CHURCH!!! After 4 months of working with their family, he finally came to church! All on his own free will too, without any pressure.  We didn´t go and pick him and Ramona didn´t pressure him, he just woke up and said ´let´s go!´.  It was seriously a miracle.  He really liked it too.. he told us that he didn´t just feel good, but he felt something really special.  There was a time that he felt chills up and down his arms like someone was touching his arms.  He is gaining a testimony and is changing so much.. he doesn´t drink anymore and is progressing super well.  Also turns out that Rosana is his cousin. Haha!  AND, the bishop works with him! Small world!
• today for p-day we went to the Ruins of San Ignacio! It was super awesome!  San Ignacio was such a cute little town and we really liked it there, and the ruins were awesome! I´ll send some pictures

Bueno, sorry for the super long email!  But I hope you all have a fabulous week!  If you still haven´t had a chance to do the gratitude activity, it´s not too late!! Do it and send it to me when you have time! :) Please keep my grandma in your prayers.

Thanks so much for all your support! LES AMO! Besitos!!

--Hermanita Hunt