La Gran Aventura Argentina

December 13, 2021

Last night in the ABQ

Said bye to the Santa, Medrano, y Liz. 

They are all so awesome, so generous, loaded us up on food one last time and really it just humbles me so much to have been able to meet these people. So many special people here in ABQ as well as EP. 

Bed at 2:45am, repacked the bag probably 10 times but finally got it all just about 49 pounds each bag. Then wrote a bunch of letters, it was hard to not write a lot and it got to be wayyy too late but it felt good to write them.

Quote from Ebenezer Scrooge came to my mind that I feel sums up how I feel 

 "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve to be this happy." 

 

Travel Day

Last workout! Finished getting all my last things together and ate my last bowl of Oatmeal. Up to the office to finish the paper work and then just hung out. Helping ladies in the office. Waiting around. Sad to say bye to Elder Woodhouse, pretty sad. He's been like a brother 

President took us to the airport, he had woken up at 3:15 to drop off E Klingonsmith and then had been going all day since, transfer planning and other meetings. Got to drive over with him, expressed his gratitude to us, talked about the importance of obedience, then asked us if there is anything we would change in the mission. So humble, so loving. Talked about possibly changing up District councils to have more unity in teaching w the ZLs. Then talked about Conversion and working with members. It didn't really feel real until we got to the airport. It was dead and so slick. President definitely knew what he was doing. Told us to love our next mission presidents but never forget the first. Gave us his email. Got to the gate with plenty of time. Traveling w Elder Goodman, from Orem, we sat next to each other on the flight to ABQ, kind of crazy. He was a ZL as well, really solid mission and nice guy. We just talked the whole flight about the mission. I've never felt that calm on a flight. 

Tons of missionaries in Dallas. Super cool people. Literally giddy. I love the accent, it makes my soul happy to hear it used. Someone asked me de donde sos. All the signs are in vos. 

10 hour flight from Dallas to Buenos Aires. Middle seat, between two Argentines. Super nice lady and suoer nice dude. Ended up giving him a folleto. Basically taught the first half of the resto, it was dope!!! Trying to use the accent, feel like an Italian haha. I love the Spanish and the people already. Slept more than I thought I would on the flight, probably a 4 or 5 hours in and out. Customs was super smooth, all they checked was my passport and vaccine card. About 80 missionaries here in BA, waited until this dude showed up and was like Córdoba people follow me. We are taking a bus haha. Not what I was expecting at all but cool to see the country! Super green!  Looks like Texas kind of. Flat, tons of trees, fields, cows and horses for hours. 23 missionaries going to Córdoba, some really good dudes. So cool to talk to people about their reassignments. I'm so lucky to have been able to speak Spanish, especially for as long as I have. Quite a few who haven't spoken at all or very little. Elder Thorpe is such a nice dude. Took a nap for the first time in 15 months! It does not feel like Christmas even remotely. Stopped at a gas station at midnight in Villa Mara, 2 hours outside of Córdoba. They had a little buffet thing which was cool to see a bunch of food. Paid by weight for the food. White pepper instead of black. First Argentina  Empanada was solid!!! Really good chicken.  Such a long bus ride, we finally got in at 2:30. Absolutely a dream to get to Córdoba and see the temple. Mission home/office literally are on the grounds. Presidente y Hermana Hintze are so kind and personable. I felt like I already knew them. We stayed the night at this hotel that is just a few houses down, owned by this super nice member family. Hotel is a loose term tho haha it was basically just a little house with a bunch of bunk beds. It was nice tho, I was able to shower and brush my teeth and finally get in bed around 3:30 probably. And then had the fastest sleep of my life and woke up at 6. We ate some sweet bread and I had some mate cocido for breakfast. Then we went over and had some trainings from President and as well went down to the policies station to establish residency and start the actual visa process. Normally it takes a few months but Presidente y Hermana Hintze still don't have one after 2.5 years haha. They said it makes things complicated without one. Although when I got here they literally didn't even check my Visa stuff, just my passport and my vaccination card we were like aight next. But hopefully I can get that. The trainings from President were awesome. He talked about being a disciple at first. We used to be JAS, or YSA, but now we are Disciples. We are different than we were and the world, it all we do. Time is so precious, really only proselyte 9 months of the 24. Sleep 8 months. Also the schedule is 7-11 here. And they eat a big lunch and don't eat dinner until 10 so we don't really even eat dinner President said. Maybe a quick 30 minute snack or something quick. But back the the trainings. The APs then gave a training on the KICS or numbers. The goal is to baptize weekly here. In Abq the goal was monthly. Pretty cool to know that's the goal bc that means the Lord knows we can do it. And I really feel like we can. Or well, I know I can't but I know He can. Also Presidente talked about having the eye of faith. Planning with truly believing. Hermano de Jared, planned with the idea that the Lord would provide the miracle. He had the eye of faith as he made the plans. Same with us. Put names to each week that the people will be baptized. Later Presidente talked about Revelación and it was incredible. I felt like he was saying exactly what I have felt, come to the conclusion of as I've pondered so much about revelation throughout my mission. Read 2Nefi4:15, which I actually read the day before. Nefi talked about the things of his soul. Talked about the importance of writing revelation. How it shows the Spirit we are ready to learn and as well allows us to receive more. If we don't act by writing the first impressions, we can't get more. I have really seen this to be true since I've been keeping a good study journal for the past month or so. Also talked about other patterns or revelation, through thoughts that come or like strong, heavy feelings. Constantly receiving revelation en verdad. Quoted President Nelson from the Abril 2018 conferencia, which I have listened to  like 5 times now in the last 2 weeks. He talks about growing in the principle of Revelation, such a cool line and President really hit on that. Some that takes time and work. Really is how I feel I've been growing lately in relegation. This is the best time to learn, most ideal atmosphere to learn and live. Anyways thats exactly what I've felt and seen and it was awesome. I feel like I know him intimately, like I'm looking at myself or something it's a strange feeling. 

After that we ate lunch and it was these massive sandwiches. Lomitos. Like French bread w ham and cheese and hamburger patty, mayo, lettuce, tomato. It was way good! Definitely not the best thing for you haha. Then we had these ice cream bars which were way good wow. It was awesome bc I remember Elder Pratt telling me about them, Gridos ice cream. He said he pounded it while he was here. Also we had gatana which reminded me of the Jackson's haha. So basically i Don't think it's going to be possible to continue my basically completely fat free diet from ABQ but idk if that was even the healthiest thing honestly either. I lost a ton of weight. But I don't really want to gain a bunch of weight either. So I'm not sure what's happen haha. Although we aren't allowed to eat with members though bc Presidente said it is just too big of a waste of time, it's impossible to get out within 2 hours he said. 

Bueno, then we got our assignments of companions. I was kinda hoping to stay in Córdoba where it's pretty and in the city and not crazy hot and as well to be with a native companion. Haha well I got the exact opposite of that. But honestly it was all just selfishly motivated I wanted those things and I know this is the Lord's will and that this is exactly where I need to be even though it's going to stretch me for sure. 

But here's the run down on my area. I'm 8 hours away from the mission home in the province of La Rioja (with their loving unique accent) La "Shrioja", about an hour from the capital city and the closest set of missionaries that hadn't had missionaries there for over a year and a half. Oh and apparently it's like hot hot. The city itself has a group that is like part of a branch. But apparently the members there are insanely good. They had 4 or 5 baptisms throughout all of covid just through the members and missionaries working remotely. I guess they meet in a little casa capilla thing. It started originally as a group of 15 before the pandemic, grew to about 30 and is stil pretty solid. President told me this crazy story of how since they don't really have a capilla, there's so baptismal font. So one baptism they did in a river. And then the other the members dug a trench. Absolutely incredible. But yes I am writing this all as we sit on the bus that left Córdoba at 11:30pm and is supposed to get to La Rioja at 5:30am. And then from there there is a member who is supposed to pick us up and drive us another hour or so to Aimogasta. Oh and they don't think our apartment is going to be ready for a few days so we will probably be staying in a hotel. Hahah. Honestly it is all nuts. But I'm not really stressed or worried about the living conditions or travel or safety or anything like that. I am kind of anxious to get to the area though. I really feel like there are people who are waiting for us. Friends or family of the members that need to receive the gospel. ¿Hay alguien más? Andrea Gonzalez Ramirez. Name that randomly popped into my head during my interview with President, never has happened before but I knew I had to write it down. OH and also my companion. Also not what I was hoping for as far as the fact that he isn't an Argentino. But again, putting my own selfish motives aside, I know he is a great dude and we are supposed to be together. He came in with me the same day to Argentina, his name is Elder Monday. He is from Rochester Michigan and was serving in the Syracuse New York mission. He had 6 months in a spanish area so he is pretty solid w the spanish. He is also the DL which is cool. He isn't like the "coolest" guy ever, like I will definitely hang out with E Woodhouse after the mission. This is maybe a little different but he is super nice, ran cross country in HS, is exactly obedient, and wants to work so those are some massive miracles. Also though we are getting like 40 new missionaries in 4 weeks so their might be a lot more changes then. But President said they were trying to pair up the new missionaries who are solid but don't speak with a native but they ran out of natives and he knew I could speak and he trusts us to open up this area since he said it's super solid. So I'm honestly really excited. Still a little anxious but I trust in the Lord. I just pray I can be the humble and diligent servant He needs so He can use me according to His miraculous power. 

Last absolutely insane experience that I wanna record before i try to actually sleep on this bus. First off the streets of Córdoba were packed at 10:45 and the drivers are crazy. And there are dudes who try to clean your windshield when you're at the light so you will pay them. And some crazy motocicletas también. But we pull up the bus station and we have to get all of our bags out super fast bc there are other taxis and guys that get mad. So we hop out, and thank you mom for only giving me 2 bags, the others w 3 don't have enough hands. Although another backpack or sack or something might be good at some point to carrying like bedding and stuff. But anyway we hop out and wait for our bus. Another Elder has to go alone on one bus for like 7 hours. Crazy. Then we get to ours and we are the last people to give them our bags and the dudes are like they're way too heavy we can't take them, read the fine print, you're way over the limit. You're going to have to pay a bunch of money, we can't take them, all this stuff. The bus driver starts pointing at his watch and my ZL who is traveling w us is like freaking out haha. He starts to call President, which by the way we all use our phones and have our own number on Whatsapp which is so weird to me. Way different. But I start talking to the bag dude and he was actually pretty cool but he was like aight fine give me 1000 pesos. Which at the time I thought was like 100 bucks. Haha. But I was like here I have dollars, and my ZL takes it and is like here and the bag guy is like uh ok deal and then tosses our bags in and we barely make it on the bus before it leaves haha. Such a different experience than the traslados in New Mexico haha. A just completely different way of everything I feel like haha. 

So many new words. I started a note on my phone and it quickly has grown un montón. They told me I speak really good but bien Mexicano jaja. So I'm working hard on the Argentina accent. But apparently I use a lot of Mexican words. But I probably asked more questions than these natives even thought possible bc I'm trying to learn all I can haha. I think Argentinos have more fun with their spanish. The vos, the vocab/terms, the sing song accent, it's all awesome. Not trying to like trash the mexicans though, I still love them. I guess I just I'm just trying to be a Argentino at the moment though haha. 

Also Elder Thorpe, our friend from the Timp Temple, went to AF, is such a good dude!! He is legit. Like humble, kind, straight arrow. Dare I even say he is an Ethan caliber type dude. But yeah I hung out with him a lot. And the APs are both so funny, super nice super solid guys. Teaching us all about mate and Rgentina words and Argentina soccer. But yeah I think it would be awesome to live with him. I kinda feel like all the foreign missionaries are suoer solid. 

Entrevista 

Both Presidente and Hermana Hintze. So kind, personal. I felt like I already knew them. Remind me so much of grandpa and grandma Jackson actually. Suoer different than President Weathersby. Both fantastic, President Hintze is way more laid back I feel like. I felt nervous, especially at first around President Weathersby. I also felt loved but still a little nervous at first. Just the nature of the unfamiliarity of having 200+ missionaries vs having 50. As well President Weathersby was super powerful as a speaker, would have so many phrases and lines he would say at the time but were really good and really powerful. Also would talk about "don't look side to side, look up" "see them in temple white" "the heavens will shake for your good" "exact obedience" "don't be a grass licker". Bueno back to President Hintze though. I talked with them for probably a good 20 or 30 minutes and they are just so kind and personable. I don't really want to say the word casual, because i don't really think they are. I just feel more comfortable around them. But I'm not saying that detracts at all from President Weathersby. It really is just so interesting to see two men, undoubtedly called of God to do the same job. And, interestingly enough he talked about when I'm going home and he said  it'll be the next President probably who has final say but he thought there would be some leeway to get me home for school. I asked him if extending was a possibility though and he said no. 

Cantidad de sueño 

Lunes - 11:30-6:15am

Martes - 1am-6:15am

Miércoles - 3am-6:15am

Jueves - 4/5 horas en vuelo, 2 horas en autobús 

Viernes- 3am-6am hotel

Sábado - 2am-5:30am, autobús 

I left my area in ABQ at 9:30 on Thursday morning, I got to my area in Aimogasta, La Rijoa, Argentina at 8am on Sunday morning. 

Sleeping in a suit is surprising comfy 

Aimogasta

Wow. I can honestly say I don't think I've ever felt this overwhelmed. Basically it is group with like 15 active people. In preisthood for the second hour it was us two missionaries, two recent convert of like a couple months, the group leader hno Ramos who's been a member for like 3 years and his 15 year old son. It was so weird bc I have wayyyý more experience and time in the church than any other them 

This is HARD. But I know it is the right place. I know there are people waiting. I know I have to humble myself, focus on the Lord, work my hardest, and then he will guide me. He will place me in the path of those ready. I really felt a lot of peace in my personal study about that this morning