Elder Morley Haley Santa Fe Argentina Mission: It was a humbling week

Well, after the success and work we got done last week, I was feeling pretty good. But by the end of this week, I can safely say, that I was humbled. I’m going to be honest, we weren’t the most obedient and diligent companionship this week, and I know that had a big part in why we didn’t have much success this week.

For the rest of Pday last week, we had two lessons that went pretty well and ended the night with some good success.

Tuesday was when the humbling started. We had a few lessons planned for the day, but they all fell through. So, we went to our backup plans, to meet with some of the other people in the area or visit a member family. But none of them were home either. So we contacted, which is basically tracting, but only trying to set appointments or get the contact info of the people. We didn’t have any success. So by the end of the day, we hadn’t taught any lessons. So, pretty bad

Wednesday was basically the same. Except we had a short service project with a couple that was recently baptized, before I was here. The rest of the day, we tried finding people to teach through contacting or from a list of members that we have in our branch. Nothing. It got so bad this week, that when we would contact people, they wouldn’t even give us a reason for not wanting to meet with us. I remember one guy who, when he answered the door and saw it was us, just waved his hand at us and shut his door without saying a single word.

Thursday was the same, also. We had some appointments set, but they all fell through and we ended up contacting some more. With the exception of maybe one or two people, we didn’t get past "hola, somos misionarios de la Iglesia de Jesucristo" before people were saying no and shutting the doors.

For Friday, we loaded our schedules with plans, backup plans, and backup plans for our backups plans. I was hoping to not have to contact at all that day, but of course, we ended up doing so. And yet again, no success at all. Okay, let me say here that I know that we succeed when we try, but I’m talking about success as in getting contacts or setting appointments. And I will also say here, that I know we weren’t having success because of our disobedience. I’m not saying that we were totally breaking rules and completely disregarding our roles as missionaries, but my companion and I were not very diligent in our studies, waking up on time, praying as a companionship, or going to bed on time. I can absolutely confess to this. But I can also tell you this: I’m done with that. I want to be better, and will be better.

Saturday was the same also. we had an investigator with a Baptismal date for this Saturday, but we didn’t have a single lesson with her this week, so there was no way that we were going to be able to baptize her. We ended up having one lesson that day, but it wasn’t very good. I know that if we would have been more obedient during the week, we would have had more of a spirit present during the lesson and my Spanish would have been better.

Sunday was tough. We fasted, and usually when I fast, I can do pretty well and not have any problems. But yesterday, I was just weak and tired. Luckily, we had a dinner appointment with the Fernandez family. Alma (who was baptized last week) and her mom have invited the mom's boyfriend to take lessons from us. We taught him the first lesson last Monday and shared a short message on the importance of church attendance last night after dinner. He is a really nice guy and wants to be baptized, especially after attending Alma´s baptism last week, but with his work schedule, it is kind of hard to set a date that he would be able to.

Well, I know this week was tough, but if we work harder to be obedient and follow all the rules, guidelines, and standards that we have been given, we will be blessed with success in our work.

In my personal studies this week, I finally got to the Alma chapters with Ammon and his brothers doing missionary work. I can definitely learn from their examples, especially Ammon. I need to work hard to be obedient and find ways to serve other. I know that if I do this, I can have success and God will help me in the work I am here to do.

Also, a few things about Argentina.

First, there aren’t dumpsters here. Or trash cans on the streets. There are poles with a kind of basket on the top that people put their trash bags on. I’m pretty sure they need to be high off the ground because if they weren’t, the perros would get into the trash and make huge messes.

Second, people here eat every part of the cow or pig. I hadn’t had any weird kind of food until the Asado last night.

I finally had Asado and it was magical.

We had:

Potatoes

Salad, which here, is just vegetables thrown together and its always warm and salty, but still good

Bread

Chorizo, which is basically like brats back home.

Ribs, both pork and beef. Trust me, it was good.

Some other kind of meat that was really flipping good too.

And my favorite part of the meal, Riñon, which is cow kidneys. I saw it and it just looked weird and I knew that it was going to be some kind of weird part of the animal. But it was actually really good! But I mostly liked it because now I can say that I had something weird. Really salty and kind of chewy, but good!

Answers to some questions:

*How much walking do you do? I think this week we averaged about 6 miles a day, walking. Maybe longer for some of the days.

*The members feed us, but sometimes not very willingly. Elder Mamani says that the members in other areas are a lot better about feeding us. But when they do, it is usually milanesas, which is basically country fried chicken but without the mashed potatoes and gravy. They have potatoes here, but it is more of a potato salad most of the time. Other meals are ñuquies which is like a pasta, meat, potato mash thing. Our other meals that are pretty normal.

*Dang, my favorite part is hard. Probably just actually being here in Argentina. I waited so long for my mission to actually happen, and now I can finally be here, working to help others.

*The hardest part: The way people look at us sometimes. They know who we are and just kind of avoid us. A few times this week, I’m pretty sure people actually crossed the street and walked on the opposite side of the road of us because we are Mormons. And there are some people that like to yell at us, especially me, because I’m white. I kind of think it is funny actually, but they always ask "como se dice _______ en ingles?" and I never know what they are saying so they laugh and stuff. Mostly, I think it is funny, but it gets old having people look at and treat you like weirdos.

*Does it rain a lot? There was one really big rainstorm like my first week, and I didn’t have my camera. About 10 days ago there was a really big one too, but we were preparing for the baptism so I couldn’t go and get pictures of the streets being flooded.

*It has also been really, really hot here. One guy said that it was about 40 Celsius. So, by my calculation, it was freaking hot.

Well, I will have a better report for next week, I promise

Con amor,

Elder Haley