It's starting to get hot...HELP!!

This week of my life in the mission has been pretty good. We had a bunch of lessons and found a few good people and now have a bunch of stuff to do this coming week. 

Wednesday.

In the morning, we didn’t have anything planned, so I thought we would go to an area that I haven’t really worked too much in and do some contacting to find a few people. And we did find a few people. So we talked to them and got to know them a little bit and then we told them a little about who we are and what we do as missionaries. Then we set up some citas. One of the contacts was really good. She was a girl with about 13 years that we stopped to talk to on the street. Her name is Ariana. So we talked to her and set up a cita with her and her family for the following night. I’ll write more about that later. Then we went looking for a reference, but couldn’t find him, so that’s all that happened in the morning. During lunch in the pench, I listen to a really cool conversion story of a Catholic priest that was super crazy and I actually learned a lot from. Amazing stories and experiences. During the Siesta, we had our first District Meeting of the transfer, and first one for me as District Leader. It went pretty well. We read together in 3 Nephi 27 and we all got something pretty good from it. Then, as part of the meeting, we reviewed the Mission Goals that Presidente wants us to be completing every day, which are to have two lessons with a member, 2 other lessons, and 10 contacts a day. We talked about that, and then changed one thing, to make it so that we do 15 contacts a day instead of 10. That way we can start to find more people and have more opportunities to find people who are prepared. After the siesta, we went to teach Jonathan and that was all pretty okay. We reviewed lesson one and the word of wisdom and he told us that sometimes he still drinks with friends. So we told him that blessings come from keeping the commandments completely. It was a pretty good lesson, but still kind of hard. But, in the end, we gave him a priesthood blessing that he would be able to remember the commandment in all times and to also have the strength to avoid and deny any opportunities to not keep the commandment. It was a good experience. Then, when we left, we went to another lesson with Fabian, a kid who has been talking to the missionaries on and off for about a year now. Elder Loveridge and I have gone by a few times, but this time we were actually let in and sat down and talked with him and had a real lesson. We got to know him a little better and he is a super cool kid. Super into anime and video games, so I can relate to him a little bit. But he and Elder Grandon get along really well. Then we started to talk to him about some questions he has for us, questions about religion and basic life questions. He had a few questions that could be answered really well with the Plan of Salvation, so we taught him about that. He really liked it! He’s obviously already heard it before from all of the other missionaries that have talked to him, but he was really into the lesson and had a lot of comments. Then, in the end, when we were talking about the Celestial Kingdom and all of that, we talked about the things that we have to do during our lives to earn and deserve our spot in the highest kingdom of glory. So, we talked about baptism and ended up extending the baptismal invitation to him. And he accepted!! Which was awesome. So that was pretty sweet. After that, we went to the FML Amarilla and introduced Elder Grandon to them and set up some service for later in the week. Then, we went to the FML Varino too and introduced Elder Grandon to them too and gave a blessing to one of the boys too. It was a really good day overall. 

Thursday

In the morning, we went to pull out our money for the transfer and then after had a choque de fuerza in the area of the other Elders. It was a pretty good time. We talked to a bunch of people and got a few contacts, but didn’t have any lessons. But that’s okay, We found a lot of potential and the other Elders should keep pretty busy with the contacts that we got. In the afternoon, we had the lesson with the girl named Ariana and her family. When we showed up, Ariana wasn’t home from school yet, so we just talked to her parents and younger brother until we were able to teach the whole family all together. They are so cool!! The dad is super chill and likes listening. Mostly because his wife doesn’t enough talking for the two of them combined. The mom is super nice and friendly, and used to be a Jehovah’s Witness. So she is super into religion and beliefs and things like that. But it was really cool, because we are the first Mormon missionaries to talk to them before. And just the other day, they say a few missionaries in the street, if it was us or others, and said to each other that they thought it was weird that they had never talked to the Mormons before. And now, only a few days later, we are talking to them! Super cool. But the lesson went really well. They all understood a lot and didn’t really have too many questions, which is pretty good. They were really attentive and paid attention well. So, in the end of the lesson when we were talking about priesthood authority to baptize and the Book of Mormon, they accepted our invitation to baptism! We set the date for the 20th of October and then set up another lesson for Monday after Pday ended. It was amazing!! Such a good lesson. After that, we went to visit a menos activo lady that hasn’t been going to church for a few years now and is actually attending a different church. It all happened because of a big conflict between her and her ex-husband. It was pretty sad to hear, but in the end, we only invited her to Read the Book of Mormon and then bore our testimonies of the Church of Jesus Christ and how we know that it is the real,, true church on the earth today. After that, we visited the older Marani couple to introduce my companion to them and to share with them the news of our Menos activo hermana who we had just met. The Marani’s are so old and sweet and funny. I love them. 

Friday

Friday wasn’t too eventful of a day. We didn’t have any real citas, but it was a good day non the less. In the morning, we went to see our friend Nazareno and we were able to talk to him for a while. We asked him how his reading and praying has been, but he hasn’t been doing any of that. He also doesn’t remember anything from the Word of Wisdom, so that was a little tough. So we re-explained to him the word of wisdom and re-invited him to pray and read the Book of Mormon, but we are thinking that for now we aren’t going to be passing by him as often, which is pretty lame and hard to do. Then we contacted for a little bit and didn’t have too much success, but had a good lunch with the FML Leonelo. They are super cool. I’ll get a picture or something soon. In the afternoon, we went and did some service for HNO Amarillo around his house. We helped him take apart and fix up a broken fan and also cleaned out the gutters of his house. We ended up spending most of the afternoon there and we weren’t able to make it to English Class, but we had already gotten a call from Dante telling us that he wasn’t going to be able to come to class. After service, we went back to the pench and changed, then went back out and contacted for a little bit longer. 

Saturday

Saturday was yet again a pretty good day. In the morning, we went to some of the citas that we had set up, but all of them fell through super quickly, so we weren’t able to do that. Super lame, but we took the opportunity to go and get haircuts. It was pretty cool. I’ve gotten to the point that when I’m talking to people and they ask where I’m from, I ask them where they think I’m from and they don’t think I’m from the USA. Pretty cool and funny. My Spanish is pretty dang good now. During the siesta, I had some really good studies in Mosiah about Abinadi and how he just completely destroys people and their wicked practices. Ha. Eat that wicked people! In the afternoon, we went to our normal cita with Jonathan and taught him more about the 10 Commandments. It was a pretty alright lesson. We cleared up some questions that he had about saints and prayer and things like that. After that lesson, we went to teach Fabian again and again had a pretty good lesson with him. This time, we taught him and discussed the Restoration. It went super smoothly and he understood a lot. He’s already heard this lesson a bunch of times, but it’s always good to review and cover any questions or doubts he might have. He took all the information really well. In the end, I asked him why, out of all the time that he has been talking to the missionaries, does he want to be baptized so badly now. Or, why hasn’t he been baptized before. He told us that he has always wanted to be baptized, but the problem is that his mom hasn’t let him do so. But, now he thinks that she will be more open to it and willing to allow him to be baptized. It was a good lesson and we ended on a super good prayer by Fabian. After that, we went contacting again. At this point in the day, I was super freaking tired. The entire day had been super hot and humid and I was just ready to go home and sleep. But, I took the opportunity to really try to listen for the Spirit and find at least one person that would be willing to listen to us. So, we contacted a house that I was feeling good about, and it turned out to be awesome. Her name is Ariadna and she is super great! She and her boyfriend are living alone and expecting a baby in a few months. Her boyfriend wasn’t home, but she was super nice and pretty interested in what we had to say and share. We set up a cita for the coming week and I think that its going to be an amazing lesson when we come to it. As we were walking home, an old drunk guy yelled at us and said HEY! You guys want a drink? And I said A drink of what? He said Beer! and I replied I don’t drink beer, but let’s go! So we walked with him to a kiosco nearby and he bought us an apple juice. Then he sat down and told us to "Preach to him" So we talked to him very briefly about what we do as missionaries and then got him address and name. The man was fantastically drunk. He also invited us to eat asado with him, so we now we are planning to visit him on Tuesday and maybe have asado with him, if he can even remember a darned thing that happened. 

Sunday

It was a pretty good Sunday too!! In the morning, we went to look for Fabian and take him to church with us, but when we got there, his mom told us that he hadn’t woken up yet. So that was a bit lame. We ended up going to church all alone because Jonathan didn’t come either. So that was kind of tough. During church, Gonzalo, one of Elder Loveridge’s converts, shared his experience of going to the temple and holy cow, that was amazing. The Spirit was so strong, especially as he shared how he felt as he was doing the baptism for his father. It was the best part of church this week, without a doubt. After church meetings, we had a short meeting with our Mission Leader and talked to him about our investigadores and how we can work together to set up a kind of activity for the ward that we can invite investigadores and members to. I think it’s going to be great. We are going to have to plan better in near future, but it was a good time. Afterwards, he and his wife invited us to their home for lunch. It was great. They are super fun and their daughter is cute and full of energy. After lunch, we went to Las Vegas and visited a few people and set up a few citas. One is with a contact that we are actually super excited for. She is super interested in what we have to say and seems to be open to our messages too. She also has quite a few questions. We talked with her for a little bit about how Jesus only established one church during his life and that there must be only one true church today. So we are super happy about that and can’t wait to go by her again this coming week. After her, we went by Dante at his house for the first time and we were able to meet his wife and one of his sons. They are a really nice family, but I can definitely feel that he really needs the Gospel light in his life. He is such a great person, he just doesn’t really have too much LIGHT in his life. So we talked to him about the restoration and how God wants us to be happy and that is why he has given us prophets and a way to feel closer to him and Jesus. He was super interested and in the end, we left him with a Book of Mormon and I made sure to promise him that he could know for himself that the book is true. I made sure to point  out that he does feel different when he is in our church building and also when reading the pamphlet that we gave him and, now, he can feel it as he reads the Book of Mormon. He is super excited to read the book! Yeah!! Then we stopped by Fabian and talked to him about coming to seminary with us on Tuesday. He said that he has already gone once and that he really liked it. SO we are going to go with him and then afterwards, we hope to talk to him more and maybe teach him about the gospel of Jesus Christ and give him a tour of the church building. I’m so excited!!

So yeah. that’s been the week. Like the title says, it’s starting to get hot here, which is super lame because technically we are only in spring so if it gets hot now, it’s going to be so much hotter in summer. But, it’s still going to be a great week! We have Zone Conference on Thursday and that is going to be great. I can’t wait to see everyone in the Zone, especially my good friend and old comp, Elder Loveridge. 

Mom told me about all of the fundraisers and support for the family at home and all over.  It is amazing and makes me feel so comforted and happy. I love it!! I legit almost cry every time that I read about these types of things. I know I say it a lot, but I just want to give a huge hug to everyone that helps!! Thank you for everything that is being done on behalf of my family.  Every single action is an action of love.

So yeah. Thank you all for the love and support that you show for me and my family. Love you all!!

Chau

Elder Haley

My first District Meeting as District Leader

My typical breakfast: oatmeal with peaches and a protein shake

At a family party lunch on Sunday

Pday pizza with Geranimo

What a week....Transfers!!!

Well, it’s been a bit of a crazy week, but like always, It’s been good. We had some really good things happen and we are going to have a bunch of work to do this coming week to cover all that we got done this last week. Alright, my week...

Tuesday.

In the morning, we went to have a cita with a kid named Fabian, but he wasn’t home, so we went to stop by Mari, the lady that let us in her house when Elder Loveridge was dying from Fasting. When we stopped by, she honestly was trying to get us to leave kind of quickly, like she was busy or something. But then I asked her about the little card that we had given her of the 13 Articles of Faith. She said that she absolutely loved it. It was awesome. She said that she had been carrying it with her just about everywhere she goes and she loves to read it. So that was awesome. We started talking about that for a little bit, and then she invited us inside again. So we went inside and she offered us some milanesa sandwiches and we weren’t going to say no, so we talked and ate and it was awesome. We talked about the card and then later, we showed her pictures of our families and she absolutely loved that. I had shown her my picture book of my family, the ones that we fill with our family history. She was literally blown away that we do things like that. She loved it so much, and asked if she could have one or two of the little booklets. We were happy to say yes. Also, while we were talking, her sons came in and talked with us too. They are both really cool too. The older one, Facundo, has 18 years and the younger, Rodrigo, is 12. They are really funny and we just had a really good time with all of them. Then, in the end, we just left them with the pamphlet of the Plan of Salvation. We explained it briefly, but didn’t go into too much depth because we knew that she would read it. After that, we had our Reunion de Distrito that when pretty well. The other Elders were on divisions with the ZLs, so Elder Walker was there with us. He is a super great guy from Idaho and is going home, well, tomorrow. So he was a little trucky during the meeting, but that’s understandable. After the meeting, we went to Las Vegas and had a lesson with Jonathan. Well really, it was more of a counseling session for him. We just talked to him and listened and helped him. We read a chapter in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi 11 and it was pretty good to see just how much he is starting to understand all that we read. We asked him about baptism, and he told us that he is still planning to be baptized, but that he understands that he has to be completing in line with the commandment of the Law of Chastity. So, he told us that he is planning to propose to his girlfriend, but is trying to make it a huge surprise for her. So that’s fantastic! After that, we went to visit a few members and just talk with them for a while and share a few scriptures. Pretty good day.

Wednesday.

It was yet another super good day in the life of yours truly. In the morning, we went to do some service for an older couple, Hermano y Hermana Marani. They are the sweetest, funniest, old people I’ve seen in a while. For service, we were breaking some dirt and turning the soil in their back yard so they could start planting a garden. It was pretty fun. They could just talk and talk and talk and talk your ears off. It’s not bad at all, but it is just funny to listen to. In the end of service, we had told them that we can drink Mate in the pench, and they were so happy to hear that, so they gave us a few little branches of some plants that they grow callen Burrito and Menta. They both are kind of wild weeds that grow in random places, but if you dry out the leaves and put them in your Mate, you get a different flavor in your Mate. So, if you get tired of the normal taste of grass water, you can throw in another type of grass and get a different flavor of grass. Yummy!! They also made a little pot of dirt and put one of the plants into it and gave the plant to Elder Loveridge so he can make his own little plant of Burrito. After that, we went to have lunch with the Familia Sanchez, a really cool family. The lunch was super good and it’s nice to be able to just talk to members and get to know them better. After studies, we went to Las Vegas and had a pretty busy, successful afternoon. We talked and taught a little kid named Dylan. He’s about 8 years old and we found him when once we were just walking in the streets and he asked us if we were from the church and if we wanted to go by his house and teach him. He’s a really good kid, but it was actually a little hard for me to teach simply enough that he would understand, and at the same time, speaking to him in Vos form. In Spanish, we usually speak in Usted, but with some little kids, they don’t understand Usted, so we have to talk in Vos, which is a more informal form of speaking in Spanish. The problem is that I almost never speak in Vos, so it was a little hard for me to do that. But he still seemed to love it. After that, we visited a few of Elder Loveridge’s old investigadors. They are named Aixa and Kime. They are sisters that have about 16 years and 13 years I think. They have a lot of stuff going on in their lives, so we are planning to go by more and help them the best that we can. Then! We went by Mari to drop off the booklets that she asked for, and ended up staying for a few hours. It was awesome!! She let us in so we could talk to her husband and get to know him. His name is Luis. So, we met him and then just started talking to them for a really long time and getting to know them better. They asked us a few questions about our church and why we are called Mormons and everything and it was pretty good. We explained that to them the story of the Book of Mormon and about the Word of Wisdom and about being missionaries and our families and a whole bunch of awesome stuff. Then, we offered us dinner and we weren’t going to say no, so we had dinner with them and talked some more. They are super awesome. They love us and we love them. I have some big hopes and plans for them. But yeah, that was the day.

Thursday.

In the morning, we went looking for a less active member named Ernesto. We had talk to him on the street earlier in the week and he asked us to come by and talk to him about the Church and spend time with him. So, we went to where he told us his house would be and looked for his red car, but couldn’t find it. We went up and down a few of the streets that were near where we thought his house was, but didn’t have too much luck. So, we stopped and said a small prayer that we could be lead to his house and talk to him because he honestly really needed a visit. And then we went looking. And guess what... We didn’t find it. Nah! Just kidding. But that would have been an interesting way to end the story. We actually DID find his house. And it was awesome. He opened the door and was just beaming to see that we had actually made it. He was so nice to us and treated us like honored guests. We talked to him about all sorts of stuff. We told him where we are from and about our families and about the Book of Mormon and all sorts of stuff. He told us about his life and the things that he has been through, most of which were really, really tough. He has been married twice, divorced in the first and his wife died in the second, When he talked about that, he just started completely bawling. It was so sad to see. But, we also were able to brighten him up by talking to him about the church, now families CAN be together forever and General Conference coming up and everything. It was amazing. Then, we ended by giving him a blessing. In the blessing, I was really directed by the Spirit in the words that I should say and the love and admiration that God has of Ernesto. During the blessing, Ernesto was just crying and crying. It was a great experience. I was so happy to be able to share it with him. Then, we had a really good lunch with the FML Pasqual and after, studies. In the afternoon, we had another lesson with Jonathan. It was pretty good, like always. He asked some pretty good questions, one of which was "Why do you keep the commandments? Because you want blessings or because you’re meant to?" It was great question and honestly, I was taken a little back by it. I explained to him that honestly, I used to keep the commandments because I wanted more blessings or maybe just because of the way I was raised, but that now, I know, that keeping the commandments is the best way to show God that I love him. He really liked that. After our kind of long lesson with Jonathan, we went by Fabian to see what happened the other morning, and he said that he actually got really sick and had to go to the hospital, but that now he was a lot better. So that was good to hear and then we set up another appointment.

Friday.

Holy crazy day. I mean, crazy. In the morning, we did the Limpieza of our pench. We clean the pench every Pday, but at the end of the transfer, we always have a morning set apart to do a thorough cleaning of the pench. After that, is when we get our transfers and find out if we are staying in our same areas or leaving or if we change our companions. Elder Loveridge and I were actually pretty sure that we were both going to stay. But we were wrong. Elder Loveridge is leaving and I’m staying. The crazy thing is that Elder Loveridge is going to be a freaking ZONE LEADER People!! Did you hear that?? My companion is a ZL! But, it does kind of stink because we were only together for 6 weeks. But, my new companion is Elder Grandon, from Buenos Aires. And, drum roll please.............. I’m District Leader! Yippee! Honestly it’s not that big of news, but hey, it’s something. It will be a great experience. So we learned about transfers then went out to visit a few people. We went to see a few people, and had an English Class. Dante came again, but he was a bit sad to find out that Elder Loveridge was leaving. But, we are still planning to go over to his house and have lunch with him and his family and teach them a bit of the Restoration. It’s going to be a good time, but we just have to set something up when he actually can. We’ll get it soon. After English Class, we went to the FML Amarilla to say goodbyes to them and talk about when we were going to do more service. It turned into us helping and learning how to make some really good food. I can’t remember what they are called, but they are a Jewish food with potatoes and onions rolled into a kind of dough. It’s pretty good.  Then, we went back to the pench and that’s that

Sabado.

Basically all day Saturday, we were out visiting members and other people so that Elder Loveridge could say his goodbyes. In the morning, we went by our mission leaders house, Hermano Calderon, and talked with him and his wife and just had a good ole time. We were able to get them a little better and eat a little and laugh a lot. Then, we went to have lunch with the FML Angulo, and that was really good. The food here is always amazing, but getting to know members better is fun. They have a few kids and two of them are already back from their missions. So we talked quite a bit about all of that and shared a few funny stories and had a good time as always. After the siesta, we went to talk to Jonathan and have a short lesson, but he wasn’t home, so we walked all the way across town to visit Gianfranco, Elder Loveridge’s amazing convert. We had a good time talking to him and helping him understand a few more things about the church and all that good stuff. Then we went to the church to wait for Gonzalo, Elder Loveridge’s other convert and hung out there while waiting. But, sadly, he wasn’t able to make it. so, we went to the FML Varino, so Elder Loveridge could say his goodbyes to them. It was a really good time. They are always super fun and the kids are crazy but fun to mess around with. But we went back to the pench so Elder Loveridge could pack everything up. It was a bit of a long night. 

Sunday

In the morning, we went to the church and texted Jonathan to see if he could make it, especially since it was Elder Loveridge’s last Sunday. And he made it!! Jonathan finally made it to church baby!! Woo Hoo! And, he loved it! So that’s freaking amazing. We had some good classes that he participated in, and then Sacrament Meeting was just as good as you could expect so he had a good time. After all the meetings, we took a bunch of pictures and made sure that Elder Loveridge got pictures with everyone. It was good stuff. Then, we had a super great lunch with the FML Casafus. They are a younger couple that just got married about a year ago, or a little less. They are super fun and have some of the best stories because both of them went on missions. So we did that. We ate some stroganoff (I think that’s how you spell it) And it was amazing. It’s like a kind of Brazilian dish, that Hermano Casafus learned on his mission, and it was amazing. It reminded me a lot of Moms Red curry. So good. Then we went out and visited a bunch of people. Elder Loveridge was able to say goodbye to everyone that he wanted and we took a bunch of pictures. Good times. Then, we had to go to Santa Fe so Elder Loveridge could stay the night in his new pench with his new companion so that the following morning, they could get up on time and got to the terminal and make sure all the other missionaries go where they are meant to go. So I dropped him off there, and left with the old ZL, Elder Walker, to a different pench and spent the night there. It was a good night. 

Monday.

We got up and headed to the terminal. It’s kind of funny because when we get to the terminal, there are just a bunch of missionaries all in a big group and it’s a bit crazy because is telling funny and crazy stories and taking pictures and all that junk. So I stayed there for a few hours waiting for my new comp and to take him back to good ole Santoto. While I was waiting, I was surprised to see my good friend and “uncle” Adrian in the terminal from my last area in Rafaela. We talked for a little bit and then he had to go, but it was amazing to be able to see him for a little bit and talk to him. He was in Santa Fe for a job interview, so that is super good news!! When Elder Grandon got there, we said bye to all the people and headed to the pench in a Remis. During the siesta, we just hung out in the pench so Elder Grandon could unpack a bit and then we went out to visit a few people so we could introduce Elder Grandon to a few members and also visit a few people. It was a good afternoon. Elder Grandon is pretty cool. Super chill and a little quite, but we are getting along just fine. He has been on his mission for about 14 months. Then, we went to Amelia’s to have a dinner with all of the missionaries in the district and get to know each other a bit more. The new district is me, Elder Grandon, Elder Delgado, Elder Cortez, Hermana Galbraith, and Hermana Rosas. We are going to have a pretty good time this transfer!!

For Pday, we have been taking it pretty slow. We got up and got ready then kind of just walked around in Centro then had lunch in the Church with the other Elders and played some Ping Pong. Pretty chill.

But yeah, that’s the week. Pretty good stuff happened, but even better things will happen this next week, for sure. Thank you all for reading, even if it’s just skimming through. I hope you get something out of my experiences too, that’s why I write so many of them!!

Also, my brother Drew gets to go HOME from the hospital today after 18 days! I just know he is going to do amazing and not let this injury stop him from doing all that he wants to in his life. 

Love you all

Elder Haley

Chau

Jonathan

Service!

Walking every day

Facundo!

Ernesto

Dante

Food with familia Amarilla

Familia Amarilla

Jonathan at church

District-nice smiles

District-funny!

Stroganoff

Marani and Gonzalo

Surprise seeing Adrian at the terminal!!

New companion, Elder Grandon

Super good week!

Whoooooii it sure was a pretty dang good week if I do say so myself. Lets just say we got some freaking stuff done and had a real good time as Missionaries of the Lord, baby!!

Woo. Alright, lets jump into what happened this last week of my life. 

Tuesday. So, after Sunday when Jonathan didn’t come to church yet again, we were hoping to catch him at his house for our normal Tuesday morning lesson. But, when we got there, his girlfriend answered the door and we were relieved to hear that he still had work and that he said we could go by to see him in the afternoon. So, instead of doing that, we had time to go and talk to a few other contacts and people that we have been wanting to visit so we could teach them. It was a good time in Las Vegas and we set up a few good citas for the rest of the week. Then, on the way back to the pench, we stopped by Nazareno to talk to him for a little bit. We didn’t really have time to have a full out lesson, but we verified if he had been reading and praying, which he had been, and then left him with a pamphlet of the Word of Wisdom because he has problems with drugs and we wanted to teach him that doing drugs is bad and makes Jesus sad every time we do that. Then we made a pretty good lunch and went to the church for our District Meeting during the Siesta. It was a pretty good meeting. We were able to counsel about our investigadores and talk to each other about what we can do to help them better. Then, in the end, I shared with them all the details of what was happening with Drew and they were more than willing to join in and help pray for him and the rest of the family. So that was really nice. Then, we went out to Las Vegas to have our lesson with Jonathan. When we got there, he told us that he had been reading in one of the folletos that he had given him earlier and came upon some stuff about Adam and Eve, so he used the scripture references to get to 2 Nephi 2 and learn more about that. The only problem is that he didn’t really understand most of it, so we read it with him and answered any questions that he had. It was a good time because this lesson was more of a discussion and not just us leading a lesson. It was nice to see just how interested he is and how he actually thinks about what we have been teaching him. Then, after that, we were walking around, getting some errands done. We had to go to centro in Santo Tome to take out some more money and then go to cyber so I could-with permission from President Westover-talk to the Fam for a little bit by email. Basically, they are all holding up well and Drew is being a total boss, but don’t tell him I said that. Oh and Drew, if your reading this, you’ll still never beat me on the court. But yeah, that was basically the rest of the night, but we had a pretty good day over all.

Wednesday.

In the morning, we did some service for the FML Varino in our ward. They are a really cool family and I’m sure I’ve mentioned them before. It was pretty good and fun. We cleared out a bit of their backyard that was a little messy and full of different moto parts and metal sheets and all sorts of stuff. The kids of the family helped quite a bit and we had a good time helping them. Then, we had a good lunch with them and shared a little bit more time together. In the afternoon, we went on Divisions with the other Elders in the District and I was with Elder Mario. We went looking for the hours and the times that the Colectivos (trains) pass through Santo Tome on their way to Galvez and then got the information on where we can catch the buses. Then, we went to pass by a few people that we had contacted before and didn’t have too much luck, but then we had to run all the way across town to a cita that I had kind forgotten about. So we got there a little late, but it was still really good. It was a lesson with Gianfranco, one of Elder Loveridge’s converts who was baptized about 2 months ago. He’s a really cool 23 year old kid who is super into the church and is doing all sorts of stuff like attending Institute and reading a chapter of the Book of Mormon every day. He is a really good guy. We went by to teach him more about the Priesthood to help him prepare to receive it and then help in the Church. He is actually really excited and wants to study everything he can so he can get it as soon as possible. We talked to him and reviewed the basic principles of the Priesthood and answered a few questions for him but then left him a bit of stuff to read and study. We gave him D&C 20 and about half of 84 for him to study. He was pretty excited to finally have the opportunity to learn more. We also told him to look in his copy of Gospel Principles to help him understand even better. Then we set up another appointment to follow up with him on Monday. After that, we went to go see Nazareno and teach him about the Word of Wisdom. It was a pretty good lesson and he learned quite a bit. It was nice to be able to explain to him that yes, things like Alcohol and Drugs hurt you and God doesn’t want you to destroy your body with them and to explain that God doesn’t give us commandments that we aren’t able to follow. God won’t mess with us and command us to do something impossible. So that was good to do and even better to see that we understood all of it and committed to live the commandment. But yeah. It was a good way to end the night. 

Thursday. 

In the morning, we were planning on doing some service for another older couple in the ward, but they had to cancel on us. But it was okay because it gave us more time to go out and work and talk to people. Sadly, we weren’t exactly able to do that because we had to go to pick up some medicine for Elder Delgado and buy some other things. So we ended up not having too much time to go out and actually visit anyone. But we used the little time we had left to go and contact a few people. Sadly, we didn’t have too much success. But, hey, we tried. Then, in the afternoon, we went out to Las Vegas and had another lesson with Jonathan. This time, we were finally able to teach him about the Sabbath Day. We read together in Mosiah 13 and explained to him that Sunday is a day that we should use as a day of rest and worship. So, most importantly, we go to church and participate in the Sacrament. That is most important. Then we go to classes and lessons and learn more about the church and the scriptures and gospel stuff. Then, we can go home and spend the rest of the day with our family to just kind of relax for a little bit and talk about what we learned in church and just have fun together. It was nice because he totally understood all of it, even the part that we should try our hardest to not work on the Sabbath Day. He’s such a boss. He also commented on how easy it is for him to understand the things that we read together, but when he is reading alone when we aren’t there, it’s always harder for him to understand and register all that is happening. So, we explained to him that that is because we bring the Holy Ghost with us when we teach him. But, if he wants to understand for himself the things that he is reading, all he has to do is pray and ask. He said that he had never thought about it that way, but that he would give it a try. And then we made him promise that he would come to church on Sunday. Gosh dang I sure do love the guy. Then, as we were on our way to another lesson, we stopped by the FML Amarilla because they are awesome and we want to have a kind of Noche de Hogar with them and invite some investigators. So, we stopped by, and the HNO was having some trouble doing some yard work because he still isn’t too recovered from his accident and surgeries. So, we helped him pound in a few fence posts and move some dirt. They also told us that having a Noche de Hogar with them would be amazing, so that was super awesome to hear. Then, we made the kind of long trip all the way out to visit another one of Elder Loveridge’s converts, Gonzalo. He is the one that has been baptized for a few months now and is teaching the Gospel Principles class on Sundays. He’s a really good guy, and like Gianfranco, is super active in the church and loves to learn more about the Gospel. So we passed by and chatted with him for a while then helped explain a few gospel things to him and even teach him a little bit of English. It was a good time. Then, he walked with us for a while when we left and told us that he is thinking about if he should leave to Spain and work there to send money back home to his wife and kids because the Argentine economy is kind of taking a hit lately. We just explained to him that he can pray about it and even ask for a blessing of comfort to know what he should do. But that was the end of the night.

Friday

Friday was a pretty long day, not going to lie. It was a little tough to get through it, but we did it and did it well. I will say one thing, trials bring blessings. In the morning, we went to Las Vegas again and were meant to have a lesson with a contact, but when we got there she asked if we couldn’t come back in 10 minutes or so. So we left and went contacting for 10 minutes. We ended up finding a lady and a kid who we talked to for a while. They are super Evangelico and she told us about how a few years ago, she supposedly was dead for a good 4 months, but then she came back and when she did she cried because she didn’t want to come back because she only wanted to stay in heaven because it was so much better. So that was kind of nuts. But the kid was asking us all sorts of questions about what we believe and most of it we could answer pretty easily with a bit of info from the Plan of Salvation. So that was pretty crazy, but it was fun at the same time. But, we ended up talking to them for a good 30-40 minutes, so when we went back to talk to the actual appointment that we had, we were disappointed to see that she had already left. But, her mom was home and answered the door. So we talked to her for a while and she asked us if we were really spies from the USA, but she figured that we weren’t because she didn’t think there was anything in Argentina that people would waste their time spying on. She was super fun to talk to. Then, she asked us when we were going to come back so we could talk to her again. We were glad to hear that. So we set up an appointment with her for Sunday. She told us that she has a few doubts and questions about us crazy Mormons that she wants to talk to us about. Awesome lady. We love to talk to her. During the siesta, we got some haircuts and that was cool. I wasn’t feeling too trusting of Elder Loveridge’s haircutting skills and he wanted to see how professional haircutters do it so he can learn how to do it better. Then, in the afternoon, we had a Choque de Fuerza in the area of the hermanas. It was alright. We split the time we had in their area in two halves because we had to teach English Class too. Honestly, the first half was kind of lame. We talked to a few people, but most of them weren’t interested at all and it was a bit of a struggle. But the second half, after English Class, was a whole lot better. We ended up finding a bunch of cool people and two or three families that seem to have some potential. And! They were already married! So it’s that much better. Pretty awesome actually. We didn’t teach anyone all afternoon, but we found a few good contacts with a lot of potential for the HNAs. But, during English Class, we taught Dante, our only student for the night, about the different ingredients for a Cheeseburger. You know. Something he would actually use in real life. Practical English, as Elder Sandler would call it. It was pretty good and fun. I’ll have to get a picture with Dante this coming week, but he is a total boss and still wants us to come by and have us lunch with him and to teach him and his family afterward. 

Saturday

Well, Saturday sure was a crazy day. And by crazy, I mean crazy long. In the morning, we went to Las Vegas again. It seems that we are spending a lot of time out there. Well, it hasn’t been bad. Las Vegas is awesome. So we went there and went to our appointment with Maxi Emiliano and Guadalupe, but they weren’t home, so we went to visit a few other people and came back in about 20 minutes. When we got back, Maxi Emiliano was just getting home. So we got let inside and started talking to him. He started to say sorts of stuff that was kind of suggesting and hinting that he didn’t really want us coming by anymore. He was saying stuff about how he and his family already had a church and they just were really comfortable and stuff like that. So we started to talk to him about the Restoration and asked him things like "Why do you think there are so many different churches if there is only one, perfect God and Jesus established only one, true church¿" He seemed a little lost in the questions, so we started talking to him about the Restoration and taught him more about how God uses prophets and how the Great Apostasy brought about so many different churches and all that stuff. He was super interested and had a lot to say about how there are so many churches. But, he got even more interested when we started to talk to him about the Book of Mormon and how it came to be. Then, we read with him the part of the Introduction that talks about our invitation to all people and he was super interested in that and even let out a little "Wow.." in the end of reading. It was pretty awesome to see. So, we ended the lesson by inviting him to read and pray and then he prayed to end it all. It was a pretty good lesson. Then, in the afternoon, we finally made the trip out to Galvez to get the feel if that place. We took the colectivo and got there in about an hour and a half to two hours. Pretty good timing. We had also received a reference from a sister missionary who had talked to a guy in Santa Fe who was actually from Galvez. So that was cool. We had called him before getting on the colectivo and asked him for his address and everything. When we got to Galvez, we went to visit him and when we got there, he was sitting at the door reading the Book of Mormon. We started to talk to him and he was a really cool guy. His name is Alberto and he has talked to the missionaries for a really long time, but wasn’t baptized before they closed the area a while back. So he’s just been waiting. Also, the guy loves to talk. I swear, we probably could have listened to him talk for a few hours without ever saying a word. But, we got some good info from him and learned where the terminal is and a few members who lived close by that we could visit. So, we went looking for the members he had told us about and didn’t have too much luck. But, because we thought the colectivo that left from Galvez to go to Santo Tome left at 8:15, we had to leave kind of early. Sadly, the colectivo actually didn’t leave at 8:15. Somehow, the info on the website is wrong. So when we got there, we were a little bummed to find out that the colectivo didn’t leave until 9:30. So sat and waited, then walked around, and then sat and waited a little longer. Pretty fun. Yep, pretty fun. But, for the most part, Galvez seems to be pretty awesome. It reminds me a lot of a miniature Rafaela. It was pretty cool to spend a few hours there. So, we ended up getting home a little late. And, on the colectivo on the way home, we got a text from the Assistants telling us that President doesn’t want us to go to Galvez anymore. Not for any reason in particular, but just for now, we aren’t going there anymore. So that kind of stinks, but it’s what President thinks is best, so we'll do it. 

Sunday

Well, we woke up and got ready and went to look for Nazareno again for church. Earlier in the week, I had made Nazareno sign a small contract that said "I, Nazareno will go with the missionaries to church on Sunday" But, when we showed up, he wasn’t even home. That crazy kid. So, we went to church all alone, yet again. We were also calling Jonathan but he didn’t pick up or come to church, so that was super dumb and pretty lame. But, like always, church was really good. The classes were good stuff and I learned and felt the Spirit. And of course, Sacrament Meeting was super good too. I love partaking of the Sacrament. It’s so great. Afterward, we had a great lunch with the FML Zorzi. It was delicious, but also super fun because the husband really likes fishing, so Elder Loveridge and I were able to talk a lot about that kind of stuff. Then, in the afternoon, we had a pretty good time working. First, we went to a cita pretty far away, but the lady wasn’t home. So we went to a different cita in Laz Vegas. It was with the lady that asked if we were Spies or not. It was a really good time. Basically we answered any questions that she had about us. It was good because she ended up being a lot more comfortable with us and learned that we really aren’t all that weird of people. We explained to her the Book of Mormon and a little about our church meetings and things like that, but other than that, not too much as far as a set lesson. But it was actually really fun. Then, we got our dirty cloths and took them to one of the member families that is nice enough to do that stuff for us, and then ended the Night at HNA Amelia’s house. She is, like I’ve said, the HNA Palota of Santoto. We went there and watched the Face to Face of Elder Cook. It was super good and I actually learned a lot. I can’t wait to read the Book Saints when I get home. It looks like an amazing book full of things to learn and ponder about. But yeah, that was basically it for Sunday.

So, that’s the week. We found a bunch of cool people and can’t wait to get back at it and start spreading some blessings! We’re going to go out and do what servants of the Lord are called to do baby!!

But, other news, Drew is still hanging in pretty well. From what I’ve been told, the surgery went well and everyone is still in good spirits. It turns out that one of his calf muscles was actually still alive, so the amputation was lower than what everyone first thought. So that’s great! Thank you all for the prayers and thoughts and all sorts of support! And about all of the help from people from church and the community, I honestly don’t have to worry about anything. Thank you so much!! Ughhh I just want to give a huge hug to everyone!!!

Love you all!!

Chau

Elder Haley

Our District is praying for you Drew!

Chicken heart I ate from a whole chicken we bought

Tacos made by us Yankees

Late night train right home from Galvez

Walmart in Argentina!

Yet another crazy week plus I hit 9 months

Well, this week sure was a crazy one. Let’s just jump right into it.

On Tuesday, we had our normal visit and lesson with Jonathan. During this lesson, we came in with the idea of finishing lesson 3 with him, but we ended up talking about something else entirely. He told us that over the weekend he had had an encounter with some Evangelico Priests and he told them that he was talking with us. So they showed him some videos about the Mormons from YouTube and had a few things to say about us, but it turned out okay because he ended up not doubting us or anything, he just had some questions that he wanted up to answer. So he asked us some stuff and we answered his questions. But by the time we were done with that, we didn’t really have time enough to run through the lesson with him. So we just left him the invitation to read through the pamphlet and then we would talk more about it on Friday. Then, in the afternoon, we started our divisions with the ZLs. I was with Elder Christensen. He is a super good missionary and Ex Assistant, so he had a lot of good tips for me. In the afternoon, we went to Las Vegas and talked to quite a few really good people, one of which was a lady named Guadalupe, who I’ll tell you more about later. So, we talked to all of them and set up a few citas for the next day. Then, when we were leaving Las Vegas, we were passing a house and Elder Christensen stopped and said he felt like we should stop and talk to the family that lived there. So we did, and after talking to them on their door step for a few minutes, they let us in. So we had a prayer and pulled out the Restoration Pamphlets and started teaching and discussing with them, but the father of the family was being pretty crazy with us. Alright, first, the "Family" was the dad, a daughter, and her baby son. So we were trying to teach, but the Dad kept asking us all sorts of crazy questions that didn’t really have anything to do with the lesson. So that was getting a little frustrating and was starting to test my patience. I can say that in the mission, I have really developed patience a lot more, but this was really starting to get to me. So, when it was apparent that he didn’t really want to hear anything from us, we just ended by saying thanks for letting us in and that if they needed anything, they could just ask us. So we left, feeling a little irritated, but it was a good lesson for us on how to avoid bashing people when it would make a bad situation. For the rest of the night, we had been invited to have dinner with the familia Amarilla, and that was actually really good. We helped make empanadas and had some pizza too. It was some really good food, and at the same time, they told us even more about their conversion story. I love hearing those kinds of happy stories!

Wednesday. Hey! I hit 9 Months!! Woo Hoo! In the morning, we had a lesson with  Nazareno and his brother that went really well. We showed up with the idea of only teaching Nazareno, but when we sat down, we asked his older brother, Cristofer if he wanted to listen to us too. He did and sat down. It was a really cool because before we had left the pench that morning, I had the idea of grabbing my Plan of Salvation outline thing. It was really awesome because when we started the lesson, we taught Plan of Salvation and the outline thing with all the little pieces and with my face on the little guys worked really well. Nazareno and Cristofer both really like it, so that was great. They had a few really good questions, but they understood everything too. After the lesson, we had a bit of time to contact and look for a few of the futuros that we have. We didn’t have too much luck, but we did talk to a really nice Panadero for a while and that we cool. We made lunch and had some really good studies together during the Siesta. Companionship Studies together with Elder Christensen was really cool because we both had a bit to share form our personal studies and then we talked about our strengths and weaknesses as missionaries. Then we went to Santa Fe to pick Elder Loveridge up from divisions withe the other ZL Elder Walker. When we got back to the pench to drop Elder Loveridge’s stuff off, he was actually pretty sick and I was starting to get that way too. So we ended up staying in for the afternoon. We basically slept the entire time, but we ended up making some of Elder Loveridge’s Brownies too, to celebrate our 9 Months in the mission, which was really cool because we have the exact same time in the mission and everything. But staying in was actually really hard to do because we had a few really good people to visit out in Las Vegas, one of which was with the really cool Guadalupe lady. But we figured that if we went out into the cold, windy, rainy storm while we were sick, it would just make things worse and we would end up even more sick that we already were. 

Thursday was just a lame sick day in the pench. it turns out that over the night, I got worse and ended up having to stay inside the whole day. The weather this week was really crazy. While on divisions with the ZLs, it was super sunny and hot. But then on Thursday and Friday, the weather was super cool and rainy, so the change in the temperature, especially with the humidity here made things really bad. So all day Thursday we were in the pench trying to rest and get feeling better. 

Friday morning we went to Las Vegas and taught Jonathan again. It was a really good lesson and we finally were able to finish up the rest of the lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was really cool to see how Jonathan we understanding everything and how when we explained it all to him, he could piece things together before we were teaching him everything. We talked a lot and explained more about baptism. So, when we were finishing up the lesson, we asked him again about the baptism invitation that we had given him a long time ago during our very first lesson together. He was very excited to accept the invitation again and completely understood when we explained that he would have to attend the church at least three times so he can get used to the church and learn more about the gospel. After the siesta, we went contacting for a little bit and found a few good people but we weren’t able teach any of them. Then we taught English Class in the church and it was a really good time. Every week, we have a guy named Dante come in. He is a super chill 50 year old guy who is a lawyer and basketball coach in one. The lesson was okay, we answered a few questions that he had. But, a while ago, Elder Loveridge had given him a pamphlet of the Restoration. Apparently, he has been reading it every day for a few weeks and wants to learn more. So, we talked to him about when we could by to teach him and his family. So that’s super cool and we are excited to get to do that. After English class, we went by a few of Elder Loveridge’s old investigadors, and one of them was really interesting. The guy is super poor and may have some kind of mental disorder. But that’s not what was interesting. When I told him that I’m from Nebraska, he was super surprised and amazed. He told us that he absolutely loves Nebraska and really wants to go there someday. It’s crazy because back in the USA, if you talk about Nebraska, nobody understands what you are talking about. But here, everyone knows about Nebraska. Super crazy. Then, at the end of the day, we visited the FML Varino. They are a really awesome family and have been members for a few years now. It’s always fun to visit them because the husband is super funny and the kids are always a little crazy. But we like to visit them and share a scripture because they are passing through a really big tough time in their lives and we always love to help them as much as possible. 

Saturday. In the morning, because Elder Delgado was sick, I went with Elder Mario and did some visits in the morning. We went to Las Vegas and looked for a few of the contacts that Elder Christensen and I had made. But we also went by Jonathan’s house. When we passed by, Jonathan didn’t answer, but for good reason. He finally found some work!! Yeah! But his girlfriend answered and when we asked if he was still planning to come to church, she told us yes and that she was probably going to come with him too. So that was awesome! The rest of the morning we were looking for people, but without much luck. During the siesta, we had our district meeting for the week, a little later in the week than normal, but only because basically the whole district was sick the entire week. After the meeting, the young men were having a small activity and they invited us to join them for a little bit, So we ate some torta asada and played ping pong, but then the Young Men’s leader helped us. He challenged us to find some people on the street and to bring them into the church building to teach them a little bit about the Book of Mormon. So elder Delgado and Elder Mario went out into the rain and found two teenagers to come in and talk to us for a little bit. So, Elder Loveridge and I sat down with them and taught them a super simple message on the  Book of Mormon that took probably less than 10 minutes. They took the book and we got their address and names to pass the reference to the Hermanas. It was a short cool little experience. After that, we had to go out into the rain and walk around looking for people because we didn’t really have any lessons or citas set up. But it was a good time anyways. Let’s just say it was nice to get back to the pench that night. 

Sunday

Well, Sunday was a pretty cool day all around. We had a good time. In the morning, we went looking for Nazareno to take him to church with us, but he answered an said that he wouldn’t be able to go because he was too tired. So that was a bit lame. We went to the church all alone and when we got there, we were a little disheartened to see that Jonathan wasn’t there either. So that was super lame. But, church was still really good. We had a good lesson in Pricipios. We didn’t have any investigadores, so we helped the Teacher, one of Elder Loveridges recent converts learn more about the temples because he is preparing to go soon. In sacrament meeting, I had a really good experience. Basically I just at complete peace. It was super amazing to feel that. After church, we went back to the pench and I just studied for a while and did a few small projects to keep myself busy. When we left again, we went to Las Vegas and had a really good lesson with a guy named Maxi Emiliano. This is where that Guadalupe lady comes in. So, Elder Christensen and I contacted this lady and set up a cita for the day that we had to stay in because we were sick. Super lame because she seemed to be super interested. So, the rest of the week I was really trying to get out to talk to her again, but different things were happening like the Rain and meetings out of nowhere. So, we didn’t get the opportunity to see her until yesterday. Sadly, she wasn’t home when we went by, but her husband, yes husband. They are married. Well he was home. His name is Maxi Emiliano and he is a total boss. We got into the house and taught him about the Plan of Salvation. It was a super good lesson and he learned a lot and had a lot of cool questions and was super interested the whole time. In the very end, Guadalupe came in, so we told him that he could explain the lesson to his wife and then the next time we come by, we can clarify anything for them.  So that was really good. Basically the only other thing that happened was us talking to a lady named Mari. We had walked passed her as she was standing outside her house on our way to visit one guy, but when the guy wasn’t home, we went back the same way and ended up talking to her on the way back. It was super good. At first, she didn’t want anything, but then she warmed up to us and we ended up talking for a while. Then, after we had been talking to her for a while, Elder Loveridge just sat down on the ground. So both Mari and I were super confused about what he was doing. So we asked him and he told us that he just didn’t feel too good. So she kind of freaked out a bit and let us inside and told us that she would bring us some food or water or something. So basically, we were both pretty weak form the fast that we were doing, but Elder Loveridge was taking it a little worse than I was. So we ended the fast really quickly while she was in the other room and then shared some Mate Cocido and tarta with her. It was a little nuts, but pretty funny and good because now we have a pretty good relationship with her.  After that, we visited an older member couple and they told us a lot about Galvez because he used to be the Branch President for a while out there. So now we know a lot more about the members there and how to work and some funny experiences that they had there. I’m actually super excited to get out there this week and finally see what it’s like. We are planning on going Wednesday.

We bought 10 kilos of potatoes for 150 pesos!  We had fun playing ping pong on pday today. We also made some German pancakes. They really aren’t the same at all but still were good.

So yeah that was the week. But that’s not even the craziest part. 

Saturday night after we had already made it to the pench and everything, I was just kind of hanging out and the phone rang. Elder Loveridge answered the call and seemed kinda confused until he handed it to me. I answered and it was Dad. He told me all about what has been happening with the family lately, specifically about a big accident that Drew was in. So for those that don’t know, (MOM CAN YOU TYPE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. I HAVE TO LEAVE AND CANT TYPE IT ALL OUT RIGHT NOW THANKS AND LOVE YOU!!!!) I have attached a document with all the details about Drew’s accident so you know what Morley is referring to. 

I just want to testify of the great Plan of Salvation and that it really is real. I want to testify that as we go through life’s trials, we can always find comfort and peace in and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that these things are true and testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

During my fast yesterday, I honestly was just at peace the entire time about Drew. I didn’t really feel scared or stressed or anything about the accident. I thought it meant that he would keep the leg and everything would be fine, but now I understand that it just meant everything was going to work out for the best and that God was taking care of everything. Well, crazy, but yes, everything is going to be okay.

 Love ya all!

Gotta run

Chau

Elder Haley