Week 32 - El Bolsón

How's the Spanish? 

Bien! 

Are there any parts you still struggle with?

A lot! but I'm learning more each day! 

Do you think in Spanish?

Yes and no. Sometimes I talk spanglish without realizing that people cant understand my words that I dont know in spanish. But thats like very rarely and only with my companion.
 

I know you talked a bit about your Comp last week but now you know her better.  Does your current Comp speak English? No, but I'm teaching her because she wants to learn:) She's awesome!  What's her personality like? Shes a little quiet but is happy and fun! She likes the horoscope stuff like cancer and pices and stuff haha
 

Any awful bugs or rodents now that it's warming up?

Not too badly yet! There are little bugs here and there, but Bolson is like utah. 

Do you sweat like a pig tracting?

Depends on the day. Sometimes, YES. 

Are you sun burned?

YES. The back of my neck got super burned this week because I put my hair in a bun.
 

How are you?! 

Good! 

How was your Argentinian Thanksgiving? 

On Thanksgiving we didn't really eat anything special, but a member had us over for a bbq yesterday and it was a TON of meat. You'll see the pictures on facebook because my computer doesn't work with my pendrive today. 

How is your companion doing?

I think shes doing good! Shes happy and this week was hard because our investigators are deciding not to progress so its hard. 

How goes the training? 

It's good. 

How's the weather? 

Hot.

Your investigators? 

Our investigators are all going down the toilet. We can't find them, they don't show for our appointments, didn't go to church this week, aren't repenting, a lot. But I'm happy and we're still teaching like 8 people every day. 

Your ward?

They're good! This week was the primary program and it was awesome! I love watching them sing! 

I don't know why but my mind is blank every time I sit down to write! I love you guys! 

Today we are in Bariloche for a big zone activity because today is a holiday.  We are using the computers at the family history center and they don't read my thumb drive so no pictures.  Also, here in Bariloche, there's a little lady member that can knit incredibly cool sweaters! She's like a chinese child with her skills! It's so cool! 

This week was super spiritual. We learned a lot and were very bold with our investigators about the commandments of God. They didn't like the commandments of God, so they aren't following them. It's sad to see, but we're gonna work harder! 

Also, there are lots of gypsies here and there's a ton of stereotypes about them! They're known to be car robbers, woman buyers, and dangerous. The elders were walking by a gypsy house (you know which ones they are because the women are always outside in their big skirts and they always have TONS of cars) and a car came spinning out of nowhere and they left the car with a gun and they walked super fast and didn't look but they heard screaming and gun shots. So... we don't cross the line between our area and the elders now! 

That's it! 

Love, Hermana Sant

Week 31- El Bolsón

 

Okay, so I followed hermana Jarvis to Bariloche ... weirdest thing ever. Nothing like taking your companion to meet her new companion and staying for two days haha then I left at almost midnight for Neuquen on Tuesday night and got to Neuquen at like 5 in the morning. I slept for a half hour in the pension of the Hermanas on the floor and then met all of the new hermanas. Then we went to the mission home, proselyted for a bit in the street, and then had lunch and found out who our companions are and had some meetings with information.

As I watched the gringo elder fall asleep on the couch, I realized, I don't remember any of my orientation because I didn't understand it!!! haha Then we stayed with the hermanas for the night and left for Bolson the next morning!

Who is your companion?  Her name?
Hermana Banuera
Her major?
I didnt really understand it. Its something with legal stuff.
Where's she from? 
Cordoba Argentina!
What MTC did she go to?
Buenos Aires

Is Bolson getting ready for Christmas?
Nope! not that I can see! But us missionaries are!
Is anyone going to attempt a Thanksgiving dinner for the Gringa (you)?  Yep! An awesome recent convert- Viviana!

Is it hot enough to need A/C?  Yes..... I am starting to have a hard time to sleep at night.

Does anyone there have A/C?  Not in Bolson. There is one pension in the north of the mission that has AC.

What's new with your investigators?  Norma has now decided to get married to her boyfriend in AUGUST. and live with him until then...

What's new with you?   I'm really really happy!

Anything funny?   Hermana Banuera has a hard time with the keys in our doors... I don't remember much of this week either!  I'm gonna start reading my journal before I write y'all!

Sad?   Norma.

Challenging?  Norma.


Happy?   LIFE!

Sorry those were boring answers! Haha today is the birthday of my comp so one of the pictures is of me last night making a cake for her... its not really a cake its just cookies and whipped cream and dulce de leche...

Love, Hermana Sant

Week 30 - El Bolsón

Mayra got baptized!!!! She has been an investigator for like a year and she decided that she wanted to be baptized:) Shes passed the baptismal interview with flying colors several times and she is fabulous with a new little baby and everything! I am so happy for her!

Do you know what is happening with transfers? 
Yep! Hermana Jarvis is going to Bariloche (hence why I'm here in Bariloche today) and she will be the hermana leader with Hermana Farr (also hermana leader) and I'm going to Neuquen in a few days to pick up my new greenie! I'm staying in Bolson!

How's the weather?
It's raining and cold today:) I love it! I'm drinking in these cold days before it gets hot!

How are the dogs?
Good! They occasionally bite me but thats fine! They've yet to break skin

What's your favorite food?
CHIIIIIPA! I love chipa! Its cheese bread balls

What's your favorite thing to wear?
My pink skirt with my blue flowery shirt as shown in the pictures. Its so comfy

What do you love the most right now?
What? ummmm investigators! I love the work!

Tell me what you see if you look out the window right now?
Im in Bariloche so I see a city bus and tons of little colorful buildings with cobblestone sidewalks and its all soaking wet.

Do people in town recognize you because you've been there so long?
Yes. Luckily, I recognize them too so I can now stop people on the steet by their names and talk to them!

How big is Bolsón?
I dont know haha Pretty big but also really small. Can you look up the miles in a map?

(Yes, I can):

How are you investigators?
Good! Norma wants to be baptized the fastest possible! Mili is doing great! Claudia is still going to church but we have yet to teach her more than about Joseph Smith so she's really confused. The other people aren't progressing much, but we are finding new ones every day!

Sleep?
Good! I didn't sleep the night I found out I was training, but I'm fine now!

Eat?
I like to do it.

Hair?
I've now transitioned to a middle part to follow the foot steps of my roll model: Rachel Cromwell.

Happy thing?
LIFE!

Sad thing?
Gloria, one of our favorite members is less active now! Where did we go wrong?

Funny thing?
I don't remember this week very well.

Challenging thing?
This week was easy. Which makes me fear the following week haha

Ooooo! In church yesterday,  the stake presidency was there and them and the bishop talked and their talks were awesome  Sacrament was 2 hours long! We just skipped the second hour of classes. They talked about marriage and that the statistics here are 75% of marriages end in divorce. They told us to be careful what we say and how we treat our families. It was awesome! because there are a few members we are trying to help that are going through divorces or splits right now and they need help.

Week 29 - El Bolsón

 

Well, this week we had exchanges with the sisters in Tevelin (a little town south of Esquel). The hermanas are Hermana Brown and Hermana Ventura! Turns out, Hermana Brown was the FHE brother of my friend at BYU-I! Crazy how there are so many connections! They came here to Bolsòn and we had 29 lessons in one day:) Its always so nice to have someone in your area to help us do more work in less time!

 We are having tons of success here! The lord is working really hard and preparing a lot of people to hear about the gospel! Mayra finally decided she'll get baptized (again...) and Norma, Claudia and Mili were in church this Sunday and norma is asking her boyfriend today if we can teach him! And hes already read all of the pamphlets we gave her:) Its so great to see the little things that we can do in our lives to get HUGE blessings.

Also, Mayra's baby, Maximo, was blessed yesterday! I like the culture here because after the baby blessings, the preisthood holders kiss the head of the baby one by one. Its very Pope-like haha

Thats pretty much it this week! I love you guys!