:D 10.26.2009 (Email)

Mi Familia,

Hola! ¿Cómo andan? Espero que todos estén bien. Estoy bien acá. :o) Thanks for your letters always. It´s good to hear about what´s happening there at home.

Well, where to start out with this week. Last Monday we went to see some waterfalls here in Bariloche. I brought my camara and everything to send pictures, but it turns out I can´t here. Maybe next week. Sorry!Anyway, it was very pretty and it was a very nice day.

Oh, this was a bummer... Hna. Porter realized last Monday that she didn´t know where her ¨wallet¨was with her credit cards (from home and from the mission). Nowhere to be found. She only had 150 pesos left in cash, that she had taken out before. She stuck her money in her pocket as we went to the waterfalls. When we got back from the waterfalls, her money that was once in her pocket was nowhere to be found either. :o( Poor girl. But I still have a little bit of money, so we should be able to get by for the week. :D

Yesterday as we walked into church, I was very surprised to walk in and see several blondes sitting there on the church benches! It turns out that this family lived here like 37 years ago. He came here for work, and ended up being branch president. One of the sons was born here, so he wanted to come and see what it´s like. So anyway, it was pretty fun to talk to them a little bit. They want to eat lunch with us today, so hopefully we´ll be able to contact eachother. They asked us for our phone number yesterday, and we kind of just laughed. We never give our number to people. We ask for theirs, and call them. Therefore, we didn´t know our number! We gave them what we think is our number, as well as our neighbors phone number, but we haven´t heard a thing from them. So we´ll see what happens.

But it was pretty fun. The parents live in Meridian, and their kids are all spread out. It was kind of funny, because I couldn´t decide how I should greet the ladies. The mom gave me her hand to shake, and that just seemed really weird. But we don´t give ¨besos¨to everyone there in the U.S., or hugs, so I didn´t know what to do with myself! A funny situation that made me giggle, and a little nervous about coming home. :D So if someone wants to write me, and remind me what´s normal to do at home, it would be great. jaja

Well, we were able to find 7 new investigators this week, so that´s nice. In our district meeting this last week, a brother from the stake, Hno. Tapia, who is actually one of the mission counselors, came. He talked to us about his mission, and during his short mission of 2 years, he baptized 562 people. 562!!! Can you really imagine. Anyway, we talked about a couple of things that we can do, to help people enter into the waters of baptism. He talked about the importance of finding and teaching married men. Very interesting. So this week we were able to find a couple of married men that we should be able to start teaching soon. :D

We had a great lesson with Ester this week. We took her to Hna. Guacolda´s house. I don´t know if you all remember her. She is like 80, and is so great. Her testimony is SO STRONG. She reminds me of Irene from Allen. :D Anyway, we took Ester to her house, and Hna. Guacolda shared with her her conversion story, and the importance of kneeling down to pray, to ask if the Book of Mormon is true. Only through receiving an answer, through the Holy Ghost, can we really know. I thoroughly enjoyed the lesson, and the Spirit was definitely there. It´s hard, because I really feel like Ester has a testimony. I feel like we need to give her a little space, and let her make her own decisions. I don´t want her to do anything because Hna. Porter and I want her to do it - whether it be go to church, read the Book of Mormon, or even be baptized - but because SHE FEELS the desire deep down in her heart. I don´t want to convince or obligate anyone into doing anything. It doesn´t work that way. So we´ll see what happens.

Angélica and her daughter Pamela went to church yesterday! Yay! It was a good step for them. We taught Angélica Saturday the parable of the sower, and the difference between the four seeds. She decided that she would like to be like the fourth seed, that grows up, has strong roots, and gives forth good fruit. She understood well, and started giving more ¨fruit¨yesterday when she went to church.

We have transfers in a week. :o( I can´t believe this transfer has passed by so quickly. We´ll see what happens. I´m guessing I´ll be able to write like normal, but if not, you´ll know why...

Oh, a normal zone conference. We have interviews with the president first thing in the morning. at 8:30 we start. For like 45 minutes we have a little activity, or time to practice, with the assistants to the president. Afterwards we all go into the chapel. First one of the assistants speaks, and then two missionaries have the opportunity to go up and speak for like 5 minutes, about an assigned talk. This is always a surprise. You find out when they say your name. Then Hna. Peterson talks for a little. She´s giving her talks in spanish, even though it´s super hard for her, and I really admire her for it. Then Pres. Peterson talks for a good while, until lunch. We all eat together. After lunch the zone leaders are in charge of teaching something, which we then practice. Then the assistants teach something else, which we then have to practice as well. Then we head back to the chapel. Oh, we usually have a musical number in the morning as well. Anyway, back in the chapel, we have a short testimony meeting. Then Pres. Peterson talks again for a litle bit, and we end with that. So it goes from like 8:30 in the morning, to 5 or 5:30. They´re always very good conferences.

Well, I think this will have to be it for today. Oh, Happy Halloween everybody! I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. I love the Book of Mormon, as well as the Bible. I also love the book ¨Jesus the Christ¨. I have been reading it a lot lately, and I feel like I can learn so much about Jesus, and how I can become more like Him, through reading and studying this book. I am enjoying my time as a missionary, and I´ll try to improve even more as a representative of Jesus Christ. I love you!

Love Always,
Hermana Jana Banana Pincock