It's Warm in Neuquen! 11.23.2009 (Email)

Hola mi familia! How are you all doing? Well, first things first... Dad, Happy Birthday! I have been thinking about you today, and I hope you have a fantastic day. Birthdays are good, aren´t they? Funny thing, there´s an hermano in Bariloche who was actually born the exact same day as you. The same year and everything. We jokingly said that maybe you´re twins. :D

Mom and Dad, thanks for the letter and pictures. So fun!

Well, transfer news! I spent Tuesday and Wednesday trying to get one last appt. in with investigators and members. It was good, but sad as well. Man how I loved my time in Bariloche. There are a lot of amazing people there. It was good to reflect on all the good things that happened there. Very enjoyable - stressful at times as well - but very good.

Wednesday night Hna. Makelani and I left together to Neuquen. She had to go to Neuquen as well to get her new companion. So I found out a while back that there are actually two sisters already serving in the Limay ward here in Neuquen, it´s just that there are four of us now! So when Hna. Makelani got here to Neuquen Thursday at 5:00 (yes, 5 :D) we went straight to the sister´s apt. A few hours later Hna. Schafer got here as well.

So, there are four of us living in our apt! Hna.Schafer and I, as well as Hna. Johnson from California, and Hna. Passas, who is from Santa fe, Argentina. They´re all really great. Hna. Johnson is actually a speech pathologist. She already got her degree and everything. Anyway, that´s just a side note. So it´s basically a party at night in the morning when we´re all together. ;o)

We weren´t really sure how to do it... split the area up or what. Because we have never shared an area before! But we decided to split it up, and then we´ll basically have divisions once a week or so, so they can get to know our investigators that we´re finding in our area. I think Hna. Johnson will be the only one that will stay here after this transfer, because Hna. Passas will be finishing six months here. Anyway, we´ll see how it goes. Hna. Schafer and I are basically working from scratch. There´s one investigator in our ¨area¨ but it´s going well.

Oh, Hna. Schafer was here before, so she remembers pretty well the streets. So it´s working out just fine.

It has been good to be with Hna. Schafer again. It´s fun to see the progress we have made since the MTC - especially with the language and teaching. I´m grateful for all the improvement we have both made. It´s true - progress is often sure but slow. But it happens.

Here´s a tender mercy... we ran into Hna. Makelani and her new companion on Thursday here in Neuquén. She was born in Mexico, but has been living in Las Vegas for like 14 years. But she speaks perfect spanish! So I feel good about the transfer - a little more at peace about leaving Bariloche.

Oh, and it´s warm here! I´m about in shock to tell you the truth. The first day I got here from Bariloche I thought, no, it can´t be! I´m walking around with a short sleeve shirt! It has been a while. It´s really beautiful here in Neuquén. No mountains, but very pretty. I had forgotten. :D

Happy Thanksgiving on Thursday! We are actually going to get together with the missionary couple and have a Thanksgiving lunch on Thursday since they´re here in the office in Neuquén. It should be fun.

So, I wrote last week asking about flight plans, because I really didn´t know how it all works. Then on Tuesday I was talking with an Elder who used to be serving in the office, and he said that they write to the families, telling you not to tell us about the flight plans. Oops! So I feel a little guilty now, but what can you do. I didn´t know!

So here´s a good story for you all... when I heard about transfers, and that I would be leaving Bariloche with just part of a transfer left, I wondered a little bit about how it would be. I had thought I would finish in Bariloche, so was a little sad. But thought it must be for the best. When I thought about this change, I realized that I might not have a final zone conference because of the mid-transfer change. So when I got here to Neuquén it came up with the other Hna´s, and sure enough, they already had their zone conference here. Neuquén is always like the first place, and then they move south.

So to tell the truth, I felt kind of bad that I wouldn´t have a final zone conference, but decided to not think about it. Then Saturday morning Pres. Peterson called, and he talked to Hna. Johnson and Hna. Passas, and then I talked to him. He asked me how I was doing, how I was doing with the transfer at this point, and to apologize, because he realized that I was the only missionary who wouldn´t have a final zone conference. He feels really bad about it. But I assured him that it´s just fine. I´m just fine. I had lots of other ones! But he assured me that this is where Heavenly Father wants me to be. So anyway, I really appreciated his phone call. I appreciate that he cared enough to call, and see how I was doing. I´m grateful for the Spirit who prompts people, to know how to help others. The church is true!

So last night we were able to go to a fireside that was by Elder Bednar and his wife, and Steven Snow and his wife. It was for all the members in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. It was very interesting. Really good. They did a question - answer session, for two hours! Elder Bednar got up first, explained what would happen, and they even put a phone number up on the screen so people from all over Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay could participate. It was pretty amazing. He talked a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for the Atonment of Jesus Christ. He emphasized a lot the strengthening - uplifting power of the Atonement. I think I almost always think of the Atonement as a way to be cleansed from sin, but forget that there is a great strengthening power available through the Atonement as well.

He said that as members of the church we often say that it´s hard to live the Gospel. He said that it´s hard to live the Gospel if we try to do it alone. But we don´t have to do it alone! Jesus Christ is here to help us, and lift us through our trials.

Well, I had better be going. Thanks for everything. I love you all very much!

Love Always,
Hermana Jana Banana Pincock

P.S. I hope you´re all practicing your spanish! :D