Elder Taliercio - the younger

Home!

2011-05-09T06:32:00.007-07:00

the last picture with my group, in bahia blanca. i will miss you!

it was a very weird moment once i saw all of them, but it was funny they all gave me 1,000,000 dollar bills, too bad they were fake.

my sobrinos grew so much over the past 2 years, but it's cool them talk.

oh taco bell how i love you...

this picture isn't my house, but i could say that i'm finally home... just cause i think this is the effect my mom wants you all to get from this picture..... lol... so i'm home... but it's been a great 2 years.

How the mssion has blessed me

2011-04-25T18:19:00.004-07:00

this week was pretty good. we worked hard, and found some people, and are working a lot with incomplete families...and they are going forward little by little... the cool thing is we found out that the father of a family we have been teaching all transfer was baptized like 30 years ago.... it was funny, cause we asked him why he never told us and he said nunca me preguntaron (you never asked)... and so, moral of the story, ask a lot of questions.... but it was funny cause then, after he told us, he really became a good help in telling his family to get baptized.... the bad thing is that the family went on vacation and don't get back till about 5 of May... so i wont be here but yeah... so that was a bummer.... but yeah, that's pretty much how things are going here this week... and the fact that everyone wants to give me food.... it's going to be cool... but yeah

so seeing how i don't know if this will be the last email i write in the mission field.... i figure i will just say how much the mission has blessed me..... and cause I'm like the reverse of the nephites... i don't express myself good, and so i write it down... and if nobody understands... oh well .lol....
for me the mission has been hard, cause it kind of goes against my nature..... for example i don't like when people get in my space or restrict me a lot.... I'm probably not alone... and if you don't believe me ask my parents.... but the mission has helped become more humbled, and realize that, when we do everything we can, God just does the rest. i saw that time and time again on my mission. it's actually way cool to see how God worked with me, a stubborn punk kid, with a lot of faults. and yet he used me and i had some success. just to make it short, the mission was truly nothing i thought i would have been but it was everything that i was promised it would be. Directed my life, helped me see what i can reach if i put my mind to it. helped me learn to trust in God. and all while i did it i had fun.. so yeah, i love the mission. and am grateful to everyone who helped me be able to come and be here. i love y'all and will see y'all latter...

peace out

oh ps. um thanks for all the letters... this week we beat last weeks letters amounts... lol... but don't answer back on this email, cause i think it might get deleted right away.... well, i have no idea... so yeah..

peace out again

so here are the answers to this week's questions, and very smart, make some essay so the letter gets longer...lol...

1. what movie won the Oscar for best film this year?
a. black swan
b. Toy Story 3
c. the king's speech
d. RM
Bryce: i know this one cause of all the signs they have for it here in mar del.... it's the discurso del rey.... or option c...

2. what would you like to do first
a. go to a movie
b. go to a game
c. go to the temple
d. go to a dance
Bryce: well i think the fact that we put the third option takes the fun away from the question, cause the temple is what i would like to do when i get home... but without the temple as an option i take, go to movie.....

3. what are your plans for the first month back?
Bryce: find a job, maybe work 2 jobs and make some money, just over summer until i have to go to school. but i honestly have no idea, how the first month is going to be... probably get used to it... but yeah, so if i told you a serious answer i would be lying....

4. how much do you think you will use your Spanish once you're back?
Bryce: i like talking in the language that people can understand me, so probably use it the same amount, i talk English here... maybe 60 percent English 45 percent Spanish..... i talk 105% of the time..... cause now i talk a lot... but i don't write a lot... so yeah....

but that's all i got to answers so yeah peace out

I was sick most of the week

2011-04-18T14:30:00.002-07:00

well, to be honest. the more time i have in the mission the less i want to actually write this email.... so it's going to be kind of short cause, first i was sick most of the week so we couldn't really get anything done, and then this Sunday, it rained way hard, and so nobody came to church... which was kind of bad luck cause it was conferencia de barrio. but it was a good week.

it's getting harder to stay focused. but i look at it as how I'm going to be when i have abuelos age.... worked so hard, did everything, i cant blow it off in the last stretch... but it's the gran lucha.. man's tiredness. vs. man that knows what he should do...

but yeah. it's been an alright week. but I'm a lot better now from my sickness also so that's good.... but yeah, thanks for the love... i actually think i got more letters today than i ever got in one day so thanks for that, i will try to get back to all y'all if not this week next week... but love y'all and will see y'all in about 14 days... peace out

PS... told you, y'all would find out when i get home before me....

This week's questions:

1. First thing you will do after being released
a. Go shopping
b. Go drive around
c. Watch a Suns game or some other sport
d. Play video games
e. Go on a date
Bryce: the first thing i will do after i get released will be drive around, listening to music.... video games are kind of a waste of time, so that no.... if the suns are playing i would want to watch a suns game but they won't be playing... date probably not... and i need to buy shoes... so shopping is an option... but i will be driving for like 2 hours straight....

2. what happened to Jeff Gordon
a. he retired
b. won the Daytona 500 this year
c. was in a serious accident
d. won the Winston cup in 2010
e. he won a race after 2 yrs.
Bryce: this i have no idea, i hope he is not hurt... i will say he won the daytona 500... but no idea...

3. What is the price of gas in Phoenix
a. $2.50/gallon
b. $3.00/gallon
c. $3.50/gallon
d. $4.00/gallon
e. $4.50/gallon
Bryce: well this might affect the answer to the first question. but i will say like 3 bucks.. any more and I'm walking every where i go...lol

4. What do you think will be harder to get used to once you’re back?
a- No comp
b- 4 hr. time difference
c- Heat
d- Driving / traffic
e- Speaking English
Bryce: to answer this question... time difference won't matter cause i wont sleep on the plane, and then i will sleep like at 10 at night the first day... and i will be used to it... that's what i did when i got here... so it will work again... heat. no i love Arizona..but maybe a little, i have had to winters in a row... but no problem... driving.no problem cause I'm the best in the family. and english, maybe but it will be harder not to use Spanish word in my English sentences.... but the answer will be no comp... i like having someone by my side all day it makes life more fun.

5. What do you think will be the first thing you’ll get once you get home
a- New pair of shoes
b- cell phone
c- car
d- computer
e- suit
Bryce: this one is between shoes and a phone... but i got no money... so it's whatever mom and dad want to spot. but a car, hope i still got the volvo, and computer, no reason, and a suit.... not going to wear one again for like 2 months....lol...

i liked these ones cause i cant be wrong...

Time is going by quickly

2011-04-11T18:58:00.002-07:00

ok this week was actually pretty good. yeah the questions y'all sent were kind of hard to answer but yeah.

but time is going by really quick now, it's kind of weird... but we found this awesome new family, and so it will be cool to see them progress a little. also we had some investigator in church so that was good. with some blessing, we will have a couple of baptisms, right before i go home...jejeje.... but yeah. aside with that, the investigators are good and we are finding a good amount of people.

but yeah, i guess the funny experience of the week was we were teaching this guy, his name is mario, and his drunk friend came and kick us out... it was funny cause he got mad and broke like his own plants and stuff. but yeah. so we will just have to teach him in a better place... the good thing is that he lives by a lot of members and so that's good... but yeah, aside from that, it was a normal week. not really anything out of the ordinary. but yeah, so that's that.

but about my travel info..... don't know so, like i said, y'all will probably know before me... but they stole an encomienda and so it could have been in there. i will have to try to find out. but yeah. so that that.

in newbery, we have had a lot of success with menos activos, and they are most like part families. but it's cool to see how the ward is progressing, just when everyone is on the same page, and has a good to reach... for our mission is to have at least 6 stakes in the mission, and with that comes the temple...but it's good just to see everyone go hard with that.

but yeah that's about all i got, so thanks for the love and the support i love y'all and will see y'all latter. peace out

Below are the questions and Bryce's answers for this week:

these ones i really have no idea... so yeah, i will give my reasoning...

1- what final fantasy game is on now
a- 12
b- 13
c- 14
d- 14b
Bryce: i know they did a 13 before i left, and so there has got to be a 14 but knowing squaresoft... they probably made a second of 14 so yeah, anserw d..

2- How many games did the branch win at the basketball stake tournament
a- 0
b- 1
c- 2
d- all
Bryce: the answer to this questions depends if or if not Dan played.... if Dan didn't play i will say 2 games.... if Dan does play i say zero....

3- what is the next big movie coming out
a- Pirates of the Caribbean – on stranger tides
b- Harry Potter – deadly hallows II
c- Twilight – breaking dawn I
d- Star wars – the hann solo saga
Bryce: I'm kind of bummed there is no new batman movie on this list...... just so y'all know... but i haven't heard of a new star wars movie, and so that's over.. but I'm going to say pirates of the Caribbean... cause its the only one i heard of... also cause i think they are over with the hairy pottter movies...

4- What’s happening in Libya
a- Internal war
b- Building a temple
c- Big earthquake
d- First democratic elections
Bryce: i guess it depend if you want the Argentine answer or if you want the real answer, but since I'm here in Argentina i will say America is attacking for oil....jeje..just playing

5- who is in dancing with the stars now
a- Jerry springer (talk host)
b- Donny Osmond (actor)
c- Jason Taylor (Miami Dolphins)
d- Ralph Macchio (actor – karate kid)
Bryce: i go with the last dude. cause the other 3 where already in dancing with the stars when i was at home like 2 or 3 years ago...

Conference week

2011-04-04T14:08:00.002-07:00

so this week was alright. kind of nice cause it was conference week. but we actually had pretty good success this week. so that was cool. the biggest let down is no one came to conference. that kind of sucked. but yeah.

so first to answer the questions of conference. we watched all of conference, but priesthood, we watched Sunday morning, cause it started at nine and it was too late. but yeah. but it was good. liked a lot of the talks, mainly the prophet. it's so cool, cause he talks and you can just tell he is a prophet.
kind of made me laugh all the talks had to do with family and marriage....lol... i got the hint.. nah, just playing.. but it was stressful, cause the members weren't so happy and blamed us for everything, they didn't want us watching in english, to the point where they would just make fun of us for watching english.. but it was alright. it was just stressful for them, cause there were a lot of technical difficulties. but my favorite talks were the one by the seventy... who talked about being... and doing... great talk... and Uchtdorft.. was a great talk....

but just to throw something funny. At the end of the Prophet's talk Sunday when he said, he wanted to announce another temple. we all were like Independence, or Jerusalem... it was funny, we all were freaking out. but yeah, it was a great weekend.

but with the people we have been teaching, they are alright, with the families... in most of them, the parents don't really want to change so much. but we are still trying with that. we found this lady called laura, she was way interested.. and we taught her.. so that was cool.

but yeah, aside from that, a pretty normal week. but yeah. i guess i have to say i was thinking about the mission. it's the best thing that i have ever done....and am still doing.. i love it . and i want to thank you all for your support... i love y'all and will see y'all latter.

peace out

We sent 5 questions that we asked Bryce to answer without checking the answers - this week they were family questions. Below are the questions and his answers.

1 - what is Emmit's middle name?
a- Scott
b- Walker
c- Bryce
d- James
Answer: his name is walker.... cause i think of Walker texas ranger... to remember his name... so that's easy...

2- which nephew or niece will be the next to be baptized
a- Sayge
b- Ian
c- Harrison
d- Alana
Answer: it's either Harrison, Sayge... i say Harrison cause he is older..... but i don't remember if he already got baptized... that's the only reason i say sayge.

3- How many times has Mati moved since your mission?
a- one
b- two
c- three
d- four
Answer: this question is impossible to answer... i just say mati and misty make up your mind... to be honest i don't even remember where they lived when i came on the mission I'm gonna say two times.

4- what sports are your niece/nephews practicing now
a- soccer
b- karate
c- baseball
d- basketball
Answer: considering that i have seen pictures of Luke and Harrison playing baseball soccer, and pretty much every other sport the only thing left if karate. so that's what i say.

5- how many car accidents has the family been involved since you left
a- 2
b- 3
c- 4
d- 5
e- 6
Answer: this question makes me laugh... i heard Paul crashed the car... don't know how many times. but if its more than 3, y'all are terrible drivers.so i will say 4 cause you all are bad drivers...lol.

questions are easy

2011-03-28T13:40:00.006-07:00

well, this week was kind of tranquilo cause it normally is the first week of the transfer.. but with the people we are teaching they are going good. we will get them all to go to conference, and that will be a great tool. so yeah, it will be cool. but aside from that it's been a normal week.

but to answer some of the question, i already answered the five my mom sent me and i didn't even cheat. so I hope they are right. but i still don't have any idea when i get home, i think you all will know before i know... so we will see.

but yeah in case y'all didn't know the States played Argentina, and so we watched a little of the game with a part family over dinner... it was funny cause we tied... and so they can no longer talk bad about us.... yeah....or at least in soccer....

but yeah... but this week in church we had part of the family we are working with, 3 girls and 2 were way afraid to go, that we had to sit with them during their classes... mainly cause they had a bad experience before with the other churches....

but yeah it was a good week. i got no complaints... but yeah. so I'm sorry for the short letter, but thank you for the love and the support... i love y'all and will see y'all latter

peace out

(So we thought it would be fun to ask Bryce 5 questions a week till he gets home. This week we asked 5 sport questions that Bryce would have answered without even thinking about it before his mission - actually Jason thought the questions cause i still have no idea about sports)

1- How many championships does Kobe have?
a. Four
b. Five
c. Three
d. Six
Bryce answer: obviously 3 with shaq and 2 with out... i think... so 5..

2. What team does shaq play for?
a. Miami
b. New York
c. Boston
d. Cleveland
Bryce answer: shaq plays in Cleveland with lebron... before he left...

3. Who won two superbowls during your mission?
a. Saints/ Steelers
b. Steelers/ Packers
c. Saints/ Packers
d. Patriots/Steelers
Bryce answer: i actually don't remember but I'm going to say saints and packers...
cause y'all told me the packers won last time... and the past time is over..

4. What superstar is playing with amare in new York?
a. Lebron James
b. Shaq
c. Carmelo Anthony
d. Derin Williams
Bryce answer: the team of thugs... carmelo... still love amare though

5. Who is the suns leading scorer this year and how many points per game?
a. Steve Nash- 15.6
b. Channing Frye- 18.7
c. Vince Carter-16.3
d. Grant Hill- 14.2
Bryce answer: i have no idea, but if its between these four no wonder why we suck... i will say frye, cause its the highest

Running to the finish

2011-03-21T14:07:00.001-07:00

so this week was actually kind of hard for me.... but still a good week. it was hard because it was the last week of transfer, and it actually hit me that soon I'm going home. but since i was in loberia i came up with a boxing analogy, my mission is 16 transfers, this is the last round, but from my little understanding of boxing, finishing isn't enough to win, so that's what i need to do better with, not just finish but finish good. but lucky, I'm in the best place in the mission.
funny how God always helps us out in ways like that.

but this week, we at least had members from each of the 2 big families we are really focusing on, come to church, and thye all said next week more will come. so that is great news. also with one, the familia sanchez, we watched "Jose smith prophet of the restauracion", and it worked wonders. they were way excited and would have all come to church but the dad woke up sick so that was a bummer. but hopefully in April we will be able to get both families. then aside from that it was kind of way tranquilo, i can't really think of any weird stuff that happened, it was actually a lot of walking around looking for part families that the bishop gave to us on a list. but yeah.

oh, and about transfers. i'm still here in newberry and elder seegrist is still my comp. I'm way excited, he's a good friend, and presidente likes the team we make... he says " ambos son re-vivos" ..... don't know if it's a good thing but we have fun, and manage to work so I'm excited to finish with him... really the only change that really affects me is the new elder in the ward with us. but he is a good kid. so it will be fun. but yeah.

and so, yeah, on kind of a trunky note to my family who is going to want a lot of stuff from Argentina, write me a list with everything you want and send me some money (give it to mom) and i will do my best to get it. the good thing is that I'm in mar del plata, and so i can pretty much get anything Argentina has to offer.... so let me know cause if you don't tell me I'm just coming home with independiente shirts for every one. and alfajores for me, but the cheap ones....lol... money talks to my mouth... but yeah, that's all i can remember...

so yeah, i guess i will write y'all next week, and be good. and now that i think what i always say is thanks for the prayers, support, and love..... but that's cliche, so i just leave it with this lovely phrase..... if you want to love me got to show me.....

alright peace out

Good Times

2011-03-14T16:26:00.002-07:00

hey every one, how's it all going.

this week was alright, we found a family of 6, so that's cool. we are teaching all big families. so that's awesome. the purpose of the gospel is to unite families, and hopefully that's what we are doing.

but it was also a funny week, I'm going to tell a funny story. this week was the first time in my mission where someone actually tried to rob me. it was funny. he was drugged out, cause the night before was carnival. but we had talked to him before, so he called us over, and we went to see what's up, and he asked us for 2 pesos, we said no, and then he pulled out a knife, and was trying to hide it but we saw it and, i asked him what he was doing with a knife, and he was like nothing, and tried to walk towards me, and i held him back a little, we told him we would pass by late, when he was a little more coherent so we could talk to him, cause he said he wanted to change. and so we left him there, and then we went to the cita across the street. they weren't there, and so we started walking back down the street, and he called us over.....(now i have a big problem that if someone calls us i go, and because i knew he was harmless, we went back)... my mom is probably mad by reading this.... but so when we got back, he was a lot madder, and said he wanted his 2 pesos, or he would shoot us. we started talking to him once again, i had to hold him back, and then his mom came out... this is the funny part, cause he really is a good kid, he is just a drug addict, but once his mom came out, he changed completely and we started talking to the mom, trying to help her out, we put a cita to go back and visit her and her son... but the son was saying how crazy it is in buenos aires, cause they kill people for like 10 pesos, and he was like the world is going downhill... but it made me laugh a little, cause he tried to rob us for 2... but yeah, then after that, everything was fine... we went to the cita, he was normal but the mom wasn't there. so we told him we would pass by when the mom is there. but that was the funny story of the week. but it was cool, cause the mom is way interested, so that worked out good. blessings.

but yeah, aside from that, the week was normal, we had entrevistas thursday, and it was nice to talk to presidente. but yeah. it's been good, the week. another funnny story is that we talked to a dude of another religion that gave us a weird compliment, he said that God would look at us with mercy when He comes even though we are wrong.... it made me laugh, i just told him thanks....( got to know when to pick the battles) but yeah.

over all this week was nice, the biggest miracle we saw was that we are going a lot better, a little more energy, and animo. and for that we found a family that's pretty good. but it's been fun, the mission. this week is transfers, so next Monday i will tell you if there are any changes, i doubt it. but we will see, i actually hope not. but yeah thanks for the love and all the support, and the prayers.... i love you all and the mission.....

peace out...

PS... don't freak out with the story of the dude who almost robbed us, you can tell the people who you can bend and you can tell the people who you can... so we were always good with him.......mainly for my mom and dad... love y'all

We had the baptisms, Yay!

2011-03-07T17:10:00.004-07:00

well, first things first, we got the baptisms, yeah....... it was cool and a fun experience. so that was way cool. then Sunday was good cause they got the Holy Ghost... well kind of... one of the guys did the blessing wrong and so we need to do that latter. but no problem.... but that was way cool. we baptized mariana and julieta... and we will start working on the mom and see if we have exito doing that.... also this week, i got in contact with somebody who i was teaching in caisamar, but i left and couldn't say goodbye to them... and now they live in jorge newberry..... it is way funny. they are a big family, 9 in total.... so we are starting back with them... the parents names are marcelo y alba.. they are way good....

also, we didn't have interviews with the president. that was this week but I'm excited igual (just the same)... but it was a big blessing to find marcelo y alba... cause we didn't really have more people to teach, aside from mariana and julieta, that want to really progress. but yeah, so that's were we are at with the area. this week we are going to focus on finding people we can baptize this month, and keep helping cumplir the meta...

but yeah, kind of on a funny note, every p-day we play a little bit of sports, and we play basket, ultimate frisbee, and in the end of doing this i have never lost... yeah, undefeated!... so that's cool.

and this week was full of weird... drunk, stoned people talking to us.. but it was good, we actually put some citas with some of them, but it's always funny when they stop you and talk cause they always bring up something interesting. but yeah, i guess at the same time kind of sad cause they can't control, themselves and use all their money on that...

but yeah. anyways...

yeah, um, I'm actually going to try to send some pictures so this time i have an excuse for the letter to be short (jeje)... but yeah, i want to thank you all for the support and the letters, today i got a lot of letters. but yeah i will try to get back to everyone.. but love y'all...

peace out

Things should become a lot easier

2011-03-01T03:39:00.001-07:00

well, this week was a good week... the mission is really getting a lot better than were it was before. WE HAVE BEEN working a lot with the menos activos, and ex investigators, but the area is way big, and I'm still lost about 90 percent of the time... the good thing is i know how to get home.... lol... but yeah, we have seen some exito from that. as far as the baptisms go, we put them back to this weekend, cause they didn't have the assistance needed yet. and i thought they did... but in the end it worked out good. we are working with some investigators, but they are going kind of slowly.. and so we will see what happens with all of that. but this week we found an ex investigator that want to get baptized, so that was cool... but she is always working, but hopefully will have more time now that the temporada (season) is over here in mar del plata.... but aside from that, it was a kind of normal week here.

but as far as the ward goes, the members are way nice, but there are a lot and it's hard to remember all their names, but they help us out a lot. but this Sunday we had some investigators in church but the attendance was like 100 maybe 120, something like that, it was a lot lower than normal... but probably had to do with the end of the temporada... but yeah...

also, Friday we had conference de zona, it was way cool to be able to talk to presidente, but we have interviews this Wednesday. but the conferencia was way cool, i like it a lot.. here in mar del plata are like all my friends from the mission now so it's cool. but yeah. that's about everything.

things should become a lot easier here to work in, cause the season is ending. so I'm excited for that... and yeah, this month, as a mission, we have the goal for 180 baptisms, or sea about 2 a companionship.. but it's going to be cool when we reach it.... but yeah..

that's all i can think about. but yeah, I'm thankful for the prayers, and the support and the examples you have all given me....

love you all peace out

Life here is good

2011-02-21T15:13:00.003-07:00

hey y'all... this week has been fun, the first half of the week we did divisions, with the other pair of missionaries in the ward, cause in my barrio there are 4 elders, 2 that work in the campo, and me and seegrist that work in the city. but i went to the campo to work a little, and met some members that are there. it was fun. we had success. then this week we found a big family of 6, it was cool. but the ward I'm in is way big, this week there were 170 people, that's a ton...it's way cool.... but way different from loberia. but yeah.

we didn't have baptisms last weekend but this one, yes. we are going to baptize 2. so that will be cool. then, we are working with a lot of other people, mainly that family we found cause they are married, but we will see when we talk a little bit about mandamientos (commandments). but I'm excited for that. so my comp, elder seegrist, has like 7 months to finish the mission, so yeah. it was a pretty good week. but all in all kind of normal....

but to answer some questions, my area is called jorge newberry, a ward of like 150 normal assistance, o sea (that's) way big...for here.. also, yes, the area is kind of dangerous, actually almost all of mar del plata is pretty dangerous, cause they rob us, cause they know we don't do anything.... but we only go with like 2 pesos, and a bus card so, hopefully, they'll realize we never have money. but until now all is good. and cause the area is so big, we have lunch almost everyday day, which is going to make me fat. but yeah, that's the area... my house is not in my area but it's on the street 180 y moreno... so that's if you want to find my house. but things have been going good. and we are being blessed with finding new people. so yeah.

but all in all, life here is way good, it's been fun here. also, me and seegrist, have fun and do what we need to do. so that's cool. but yeah, so that's all, i got for now, thanks for the love and the support. i will see y'all latter. and peace out.

Going to Buenos Aires to get a new passport

2011-02-14T18:18:00.001-07:00

hello everybody, this week was quite the week..... it was a lot of time on a collectivo getting to know a new area, but it was fun.....

first things first.... Jason and amanduh, congrats on the baby, Emmit Smith Taliercio.... good name...lol... (think about it) but that's cool, he actually looks cute from the photos mom sent me, so that's cool...... thanks for making me an uncle...

to start this week i went to buenos aires, to get a new passport. kids robbed the office in the mission and some passports were stolen, mine was among those, and so Tuesday we went to biahia blanca to get the papers, it was a 7 hour bus ride, then we got there and went on a 10 hours bus ride to buenos aires.... it was cool, i went to America for like an hour, but kind of a bummer cause the embassy didn't look anything like they do in the movies.... but we also got to know the area presidency, which was cool cause they took time to talk to us..... and they had us write like a 3 page essay, but it was cool the whole day in buenos aires, but we couldn't really do anything.... but no complaints... then it was like a 6 hour bus ride back to mar del plata and we got back on a Thursday..... but it was a fun trip, saw a lot of buenos aires... and it was way cool to meet some general authorities...

then once we got back to the area, we started to work, it's way different from loberia, cause there are a lot more people, but the area is just as big, so that's kind of funny. we found these 2 girls, who want to get baptized, so that is cool, we are shooting for the fecha, the 26, and then it was a lot of going around getting to know the members, and the area. but we are going to have a lot of exito here, which is way tight. in church there are like 140 people who go which is a bunch..so that's way cool. but aside from that nothing wierd happened, it was kind of tranquilo... I'm still kind of lost and follow my comp but it's cool, he's a cool dude.

but yeah, that's was about it. kind of normal weird, but i think when i get back I'm going to be a vegetarian for like a year.... here i eat like lunch and diner and it's always asado (BBQ)

but right now I'm excited to see what the Lord has for us in store here, in newberry. and so thanks for all the prayers, and the support. i love you all and will see y'all latter.... peace out

Back in Mar del Plata

2011-02-09T18:34:00.001-07:00

well, a lot of stuff have changed. this weekend we had transfers, and i got sent out of loberia, and got sent back to mar del plata norte..... area Jorge Newberry.... which means 2 things: first I'm going to get robbed. second, I'm going to get fatter, and have a lot of exito..... but yeah, my comp name is elder seegrist. i met him in bahia, he is a cool elder, so we're going to have some fun.... but as far as loberia, last sunday in church we confirmed mirta, it was cool. i got to do it, and she was so happy and started crying... so it was cool. but as far as roberto and andreas, they said they wanted to wait. and couldn't convince them cause they didn't want to pray about it but they will get baptized next week or in 2 weeks... we will see. but it will be cool. also, i was way bombed when they sent me away from loberia, just kind of when things started going a little better, but in church we had 27, and so it was good.

this last week, most was spent in necochea, and then the last half was spent in loberia, but like always when i leave an area i think if i actually did something to help the area... to be honest sometimes i don't feel like i did anything, but there, it was way cool, cause at the end of it all i could see it, the people were way more receptive, and the members were excited. so it was a great blessing to be able to see that.... i was way happy. how God blesses us if you just do what He would do and work.... it was cool.... I'm going to miss the area....

but change is a good thing, and just have to embrace it. mar del plata is way different, mainly in newberry. but I'm excited to see what the Lord has for me to do here.... but yeah...

so yeah, that's all i got for you all.... thanks for the love and the support, and i miss you all and will see y'all latter.... peace out

Baptism

2011-01-31T16:53:00.003-07:00

hey everybody....

well this last week was way cool. it was kind of tranquilo, but good. pretty much the whole purpose was to get mirta and roberto baptized... and well, Monday we had a cita with Roberto but he didn't go and then, at the end of the week, we taught him one time, so we pushed his baptism for this week.. so that's what happened with him. but we will see if he gets there, this week he came to church without us calling him or reminding him, but he doesn't really understand that much... but we will see what happens. but then mirta, got baptized last sunday... so that was cool. it was funny, to ensure that the members would stay, we ended sacrament meeting like 20 minutes early so they would stay but it worked... and mirta enjoyed it so that's the only thing that's important. in church we had Roberto and mirta... but aside from that it was a tranquilo week in loberia.... well, for us.. loberia was going crazy... celebrating 120 years since it was founded.. so there were a lot of concerts, and stuff. it was funny to actually see the city moving and going... but it was fun..

then it was kind of normal, don't know what more to say. but yeah, it's a short email but I'm sending lots of pictures so yeah...

but it was way cool to see how Mirta progressed and accepted the gospel, and embraced it... it was a miracle... down to the way we found her, cause we really found the house like 2 months ago with guzman, and she was living with a menos activo family... and we found the house cause a dude gave us the reference that they lived there... and we would go but weren't able to ever find them... then one day me and Garcia had nothing to do so we were like we will go to their house, and we found her and all the family.. but she was juntado... and then she separated... but it was way cool to see the hand of God, when we were teaching her.... and then they day of her baptism, she was so nervous... but she was also way giddy... like a little girl, it was funny... then after, she bore her testimony.... it was so cool. all the work vale la pena (it's worth it).... but yeah

so that's all i have, so thanks for the support and the love and all the prays... and i will see y'all latter

Things are starting to pick up

2011-01-24T14:49:00.001-07:00

so hey everybody... how's life going over there......

cause here things have been starting to pick up for us a little bit. this week we still helped presidente with his house, but it was to take out the supports of the roof. He has earned the service, cause he came to like 4 lessons week with us.. and his wife also came to 2 so yeah. that family is the best in the branch... but it was funny cause presidente would always kind of make fun of me... just pretty much playing around... but i got my payback with him this week cause he needed someone tall to be able to reach the supports... and i was like I'm not sure i feel like it...... it was kind of funny. but oh well...

aside from that, the people we are teaching are progressing very well, mirta went to church, and is pretty much ready for her baptism this week. so that's good. she said she likes the church a lot and said it was better than her church. so that's way good. then also, roberto and andreas went to church also.... and roberto is ready for his baptism this week, and his son andreas, we re going to run the fechas so that roberto can baptize him, cause we still have a lot to teach him... but we will see how it all goes down..... all in all, we were way blessed this week. lots of people came to church, 27, better than last weeks 17 so that's cool. but yeah... it's funny with mirta, cause she sometimes randomly shows up at the church thinking that someone will be there, and it's almost always empty.. but we always pass by when she gets there.... she is way lucky... lol... and we see roberto everywhere we go, in his car, and he always honks his horn.... so if all goes good with them they will get baptized this weekend...

but yeah, aside from that it was kind of normal week. pretty much it's always a boring day until like 6 to 9 then we have all our citas.... and now a lot people are going to necochea for summer and to go to the beach. and so the city is pretty empty right now... but yeah. it's been fun tying to find new people, but yeah... just keep at it....

now to answer questions... about a certain comment that my legs are way white, from a certain sister in law.... i just have to say... almost 2 years in nothing but pants....lol... and now another question, if i think will stay here... i think i will go, kind of because presidente told me that he will try to get me out of there, cause if i stay one more transfer then I'm finishing the mission here... in loberia.... but it wouldn't bug me too much. get along good with my comp, and it's always easier to work with new members, cause they are excited so we will see what goes down... now i really don't care.. i will go where they send me.... but yeah...

so that's what i can remember... i tried to make the letter longer for my mom, cause she always complains,
but
i figured out
the letter
is much longer
if i
put
a lot of
spaces
and so yeah i do that.
l
o
l
....
creative, huh... but yeah, thanks for the love the support. and all the prayers... i love y'all and will see y'all latter peace out...

PS... i had to give a talk, it was way cool, Jason would be proud i used the star wars thing... light vs. dark.. but not a lot of people got it... but if i give it there it would be a hit...lol..

alright peace out

Sorry dad, had to get on the roof

2011-01-17T16:59:00.004-07:00

well, i hope all is well with you all, and that there are no problems

this week was a good week. we were blessed in a big way, and it was fun.... first of all, dad I'm sorry for what i did, every week you tell me not to go on roofs, or do anything dangerous... but this week our presidente needed help taking down his roof. so we went to help him. it was funny cause i thought about what my dad always says, it was way fine. but the punishment was in the form of a way crazy sunburn that burned my legs to a crisp.... after a year and a half of pants... imaging that... lol...

but we did that, and have been working with pretty much 3 people, but have been with them about every day... roberto, and his son andreas... who kind of disappeared Friday, o we will see with him... and then mirta, our investigator de oro. she wasn't at first cause she isn't divorced and was en pareja, but she separated from him, cause they fought. and so now she can progress. which was like the miracle of the week cause she needs the gospel and it will help her a ton. so we were way excited. the only bad thing now is that she lives in a house where the dueño doesn't like us... so we aren't allowed to teach in her house... but that's why we have the church... so, no worries as of right now.... she also came to church. so that was way cool. but kind of a funny story... but if you all want to know ask me after the mission... cause now i wont tell. but yeah.

fun week... and we didn't find anybody new but the people we have been focusing on are progressing a lot so. that's the only thing that matters to me. as of right now. but we Will find more this week.

but yeah, that was pretty much the whole week in a nut shell.

also with the crazy weather here, were one day it's hot, the next it's cold, it rains then the sun comes out and it still rains.... it's weird stuff... but the other night we got soaked in the rain. it was way funny.... but it was our punishment for getting home late. but it was funny.

but yeah. that's all i can think about right now so we will see what happens. but yeah, this week.

sure it will be an awesome week of adventure, miracles, and changing lives..... so yeah, thank you for your support and for all the love y'all have shown me... i will see y'all later, peace out

More than one man has been saved by thinking of his family

2011-01-10T17:41:00.003-07:00

hey everybody. how life going over there.... hope everyone is starting the new year good.

this week we found this dude called roberto and his son, we have taught them a lot.... well, actually when i say we found him he was a reference of presidente, and so yeah, we have taught him a lot, the sad thing is that he couldn't go to the iglesia but yeah, it's been good. here things are starting to pick up a little, we are teaching people who are at their house when we put citas and so it looks as thought the Lord is blessing us right now. well, He always blesses us but it looks like we are doing something good. but yeah...

aside from that, it's been a normal week. this weekend it rained a lot and so yeah, it's been fun. Saturday night we were stuck in a house till like 10 at night because it was raining so strong, and here when it rains all the taxis turn off their phones.... not quite sure why, so we got wet going home. but also with the people we found last week, it's going good. they are always there and are progressing slowly but progressing... little by little. and so yeah

but to answer some questions.... this week in the branch asistencia was low but high considering it was raining.... we had 21, so without rain we would have had 30 easy, so that's an up side... but the cool thing is if we put our part God blesses us. and so thats kind of what's happening...

also, to answer another question that was if i am homesick... or trunky.... there is a quote by Elder Holland that says that he wants missionaries to be trunky, but that they use that for more motivation... to be honest something like that but don't quote me on that.... but yeah, I'm trunky but i have been that way since the mtc... but i use it for more motivation... more than one man has been save from sin by thinking of his family...... who said that... it was a conference talk... but yeah lol...

oh, something I'm doing is reading Doctrine and Covenants from the end to the beginning... to do a countdown,,, 1 section a day till i get to section 1. it's something i learned from one of my comps... good idea.

but yeah, can't really think of anything else to write. but hey, i did get the package and.... and thanks for the peanut butter and mainly the pictures... wow, everything i see, my sobrinos, i laugh... they are all so big now... it's way funny and kind of weird.... but hey, random thought about the pictures, why are in almost all the pictures every one is looking away from the camera... it's just something i noticed... but yeah, thanks for that...

i want to say that i love you all. really know that I'm loving my time here, its hard, even more so cause I'm kind of tired and old in the mission so i become kind of prideful. but the cool thing i have learned is the love that our Heavenly Father has for us when he knocks us on our butt... my favorite story in the Bible is Peter walking on the water. mainly cause... if you know the story, he was in the boat and sees Jesus walking on water, and they are afraid, Jesus tells them not to be afraid, and pedro asks if he could go on the water and get closer to the Lord... Jesus says come.... he gets out the boat and starts walking on the water... then come wind and he doubts. and starts sinking, like always, the Savior reaches out his hand to help us. and tells Peter, man of little faith why did you doubt... God has mainly things for us to do, He is like a great artist, and has in his mind what we can become if we let him move the brush. and I'm sure none of that made any sense cause i don't make to much sense when i talk about church stuff in English but don't make any sense in Spanish either..lol... but moral of the story is progress, little by little, all our life till we become the thing the Lord has for us to become.... if you don't know what that is, talk to your local Mormon missionary...lol...

i love y'all and know that the church is God only true church...but yeah... miss y'all peace out

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T16:15:00.002-07:00

Well, happy new years everybody. hope you all passed it good and enjoyed yourselves. I was with my comp and we passed it at home, it was like the first time i can remember that i didn't even intend to stay up and see the firecrackers, and stuff. but it was fun, we made some food..... that my comp got sick from eating... and we ate a lot. but it was a tranquilo day. and yeah, that's how we passed it, even though at 12 we woke up cause there were a bunch drunk dudes playing with fireworks in front of our house, it was way funny. but yeah.

aside from that, the week was good, even though me and Elder Garcia used to live with each other in Bahia, but it's always kind of hard to get used to a new person around you. but its been fun. this week we went by some menos activos, and they are an incomplete family. but we were teaching them and they were way interested and excited about the message. so we will see what goes down with them. they are 4 non members. but yeah. it was a good blessing. but this week we were blessed to find some people to teach, so it was pretty awesome.

but some people have asked what are my goals for 2011, after all a new year. new thing to do, and so yeah to answer that questions I'm going to give you a scripture reference.... DC 90:33... lol. you can look it up when you want. but to be honest i have the goals i want to reach, but just don't know how to reach them yet. but it will all come... first things first finish the mission, then worry about the other stuff.

but it has been a great year. to be honest my full year in the mission wasn't really what i thought it would be but i have never learned so much in my life... that's kind of a comment about the mission in general... but it was a hard year, but i guess that's one of the reasons things get hard, cause if it would have been easy i wouldn't have learned anything...lol... but yeah

i don't really know what more to write, but i promised my mom i would make this letter way long, or that i would send some pictures and i cant send pictures right now so i need to make it long. but yeah...

oh well i guess i just want to say thanks you all for your help and your prayers, and all the thing you all have taught me and given me. I'm way grateful for my family, friends, and mainly that i had the opportunity to be born in the church, mainly cause if it had been for my mom and dad finding the church i wouldn't have ever looked for it. to have the gospel has been one of the best things i have ever been given, and the good example of my mom and dad, by teaching me it. but not only by teaching but by living it given me the example..... with the rest of my family, and my other friends from the church and outside of it..... didn't want to leave y'all hanging...lol...

and congrats to Alana for getting baptized, i asked pres if i could go but he didn't write me back, i take it as a no. but i wish i could have been there. or if it's the 8th of January...... there is still hope...lol... but yeah, thanks, love y'all and peace out

PS.... wait, the branch has church at 9 in the morning now?.... bummer. whatever happened to the "we don't change our horario". 11 in the morning is the best time to have it. but oh well. es lo que hay. the church is still true.
peace out

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2010-12-27T14:19:00.001-07:00

hey everybody, how's it going.... well, not much has changed since the last email. to be honest there wasn't too many full days to work, and so yeah... monday we were in mar del plata... then Tuesday in necochea, and then we were in loberia for Christmas eve, and Christmas day, i called the family.... but we did get transfers..... and elder Guzman. left.... my new comp is from Formosa Argentina.... his name is elder Garcia... so yeah, i actually knew him in bahia when i was there so I'm way excited. but yeah, we will need to start kind of from scratch but I'm way excited, we will be fine, and have a little bit more exito.....

so yeah, right now I'm in necochea, and i have been here since Sunday and stay till Tuesday because of transfers, and tomorrow district meeting.... but yeah... for Christmas, me and elder Guzman, well Christmas eve, we had an asado (BBQ), and yeah, then in the church watching movies, Jose smith profeta of the retauracion, legacy, stuff like that... it was fun..

really not to much to tell you all but yeah, it's been fun... I'm way excited for the new transfer, my new comp has a lot of pilas (he's a battery) so that will help me out a lot. so yeah we will start all over, and be worthy of the blessing and the exito that is here in loberia. and so yeah...

i just want to say thanks you all for the love and the support. and i wish you all a very merry Christmas... and a happy new year...

and for Alana that's way cool you're getting baptized, wish i could be there but i cant but I'm way proud of your decision Alana... and stay cool....

and i also want to say thank you for the presents you sent me, but to name a few Pam and kirk, your present came in perfect time... thank you so much... then for the packages you all told me you sent, but might have got sent back...... but yeah thank you all too.......

alright, sorry for the like 3 Weeks of short letters but yeah.... know that i love you and miss you all. and will see y'all latter.... peace out

Christmas - Ponder on the reason for it all

2010-12-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

well, the good news and the bad news for you all is that this Saturday i will be calling you all so i will keep the letter short so that we have lots to talk about when i call.

but actually the funny thing is, right now, I'm writing from mar del plata caisamar. we had a super p-day and i had to come here. it's way cool to walk an old area. the bad thing is that i don't have a chance to pass by some of my friends before i go back to loberia. but, oh well, it is what it is.

so this week has been interesting, church the assistance dropped a ton, and there were only 10 in sacrament meeting, to be honest, don't know why it dropped, normally more people come during Christmas but oh well....

we have been working with 2 of our investigators, trying to get them to get baptized but we just need to be patient, they are willing, just don't really understand why.... but they will get there....

so yeah, aside from that it was a normal week, we worked and did what we had to do but it's harder this time a year cause everyone gets way into Christmas gifts and shopping, but forget the reasoning to it all. happens everywhere i think. but yeah...

so i am way excited for Christmas and new years to be over so everyone will kind of simmer down and so we can teach, and find people a little bit easier. but I'm also way happy to call you all and talk to the fam... so i will try to call at 11 but i will call first, one of this days, to work out the little details.....sorry that's mainly for my mom.... whoops.. but oh well......

so yeah, um i have a couple of funny things that happened but i will tell in the phone call...... but yeah, so mainly i just want to wish everybody a merry Christmas... and celebrate it good, and have fun.... but also try to take a step back and really ponder on the reason for it all... i promise it will be a little more joyus.....(i think i made up a new word but oh well) so yeah, know that I'm way grateful to be here, and i love the mission... so thanks for the support, and for the love, i miss you all and am with you in spirit... so don't forget to send me gifts.... lol... nah just playing... it's all about Christ. but alright see y'all later and peace out

Interesting work

2010-12-20T19:58:00.003-07:00

hey everybody.

this week was an interesting one. but it's been getting better here. this week was mainly trying to teach the fechas we have and try to get them to go to church. and in which none of them really came but it was a good week anyway. it's funny to see how God is always willing to bless us. we were blessed to work, we found a couple more people to teach and focused on the fechas. but we will see if this weekend we can get any. i hope we can... i know we can. but yeah.

this weekend we divis with the district leader and an AP... my ex comp van wagenen. i was with waggy and we did service all day, we cut one of our investigators grass, cause it was way long. but yeah, it was fun to be with him again. brought back old times.

but yeah, then Sunday for the first time me and my comp didn't have to speak, or bless the sacrament. i did direct, and my comp taught the class. but the branch is getting more consistent now. at least we have had like 25 or more for the past 2 or 3 weeks so that's good. and some menos activos are going back to so yeah, all in all, a good week...

but to be honest sorry I'm going to keep the letter short; my mind went blank and don't know what to write.

but yeah thanks for the love, and the support. you all have always been there to help me, and for that i am way grateful.... i love this work that I'm doing.. nothing's better than it, and nothing else i would rather be doing. but i love y'all and will see you all later....

peace out

Being humble to see the miracles

2010-12-06T18:26:00.001-07:00

hey every one, this week was good. we actually found a lot of people and so we are getting started with getting them ready for their fechas... the biggest problem is finding our investigators after we found them the first time... kind of the story of my mission... but yeah. no complaints. it's funny how sometimes the Lord just wants patience out of us. like last week was way hard, to be honest so was this one but yet God blessed us and helped us find more people. so it was cool.....

Monday, we found this dude named juan, it was funny, it was raining, and we passed his house then we doubled back so we could knock it and he let us in. we taught him, he's a great dude. then Tuesday, we found some more people, a family of 3, well, more like a sister and brothers but they are way funny, they heard the lessons before and pretty much know everything. we just need to help them apply it. but yeah....
we pretty much found people every day of the week. and Saturday, we found the coolest dude. his name is Jeremiah... like the bible prophet. but this dude looks and acts like Chris Rock... he's way funny, heis 20 years old... but he had us laughing all the time in the cita. it was fun.
all in all, we received many blessings... patience is the name of the game. but it was a good week all in all.

but to try to answer some questions.....

here the only person that gives us food is presidente gutirrez, and to be honest, if we go to his house every day he will give us food... way good. but most of the week we fend for ourselves. and so yeah, we eat, hamburgers, pizza, pasta, rice, sandwiches, and whatever else we have in the house...

then the branch is still fun, me or my comp has to teach Sunday school. and then whatever other class the teachers didn't prepare. and we talk every sunday. wether it be directing, talks, prayers.... either way, the members here get the blessing of hearing my broken Spanish...lol.. well, strong yankee accent. but yeah....

but yeah, like i said, this week was a lot better, most of it was just in forgetting myself and serving the people and being humble enough to see the miracles..... God sometime kicks us on our butts so we can get better and progress. so after the swift kick in the rear from last week, I'm good until probably tomorrow and then i'll need another..lol.... but that's life, right? Progress, slowly but surely... like someone told me in an email "we ain't the losing team". just work hard, serve, love, be myself, stay chill, and it will all go good, or at least, the way it needs to go.

but yeah..... so thanks y'all for the letters i'm gonna try to answer all the emails i didn't answer last week. sorry, know I'm way gratefully to get mail. and love hearing from family and friends. so thanks for the support.

love y'all and peace out....

One more thing I'm grateful for

2010-11-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

hey everybody, hope you all enjoyed your turkey day and Thanksgiving festivities.... but first...... tengo que añadir algo a la lista que hice la semana pasada, numero 11...estoy agradecido por mi presidente de mision y su esposa... ellos son todo lo que yo pudiera haber esperado de un presidente de la mision... son capos.. son como mis padres argentinos que todavia viven en argentina... gracias a ellos...

to be honest with y'all, this week was probably the hardest and worst week datawise i have had all my mission. nobody was in the houses, all the citas fell through and our investigators weren't there for the citas either.... o sea we pretty much just walked around and did contacts in the streets and knock houses... so yeah...

but this week we had zone conference, and i had the chance to talk with pres a little bit where he told me he saw my list was not too happy that he wasn't there...lol... but i fixed it..he's there now.. and that's pretty much what i learned this week. most of the times in our life or at least in mine.. we try to fix stuff by doing doing weird stuff when we miss the easy solution that's right in front of our faces...
but the conference was great, helped me and my comp a lot and we learned and got a lot of questions answered... it's way cool to see how inspired people are sometimes, like always presidente in his talks answers all my questions so in the interview there is really nothing to talk about...lol... got to say he's way efficient. but yeah

but yeah, aside from that... the conference was in tandil, and so Friday we went there and came back on Saturday night... but yeah, it was fun.... but the good thing is from this week here on out it's all up hill. we can't get worse, really...lol... but it's all got to about trials, faith, and obedience. and if i do all i've got to, God will bless us in the way we need it. and that's true. so just keep on fighting.

but yeah... sorry the letter is short. the computer shut off on me halfway through the first time, then this is the second but yeah... i love y'all. thanks for the package.. and the fotos, and all the letters i got a lot this week, it was cool.. but i love y'all again....

thanks and peace out

10 things I'm grateful for!

2010-11-22T17:08:00.001-07:00

well, this week was kind of like last week. the good thing is these past weeks we have been teaching this family. i don't know if i told y'all but their names are luisina, jose, and abel. they are way good people. and they really need the gospel. to be honest, they are the only investigators were they are always there. the mom passed away in February and the jose and all his daughters. they are a great family, and they are learning and are way excited to hear the message. but with them we have been working a lot.....

also, every Wednesday, we go to an even smaller town outside of loberia called tamgueyu. there, we have had a lot of success surprisingly. and we want to try to go 2 times a week now. but just so y'all know how small it is, we already knock every door there. but if not all them answered and also we found some good families there. but it's about 4 or 5 kilometros or in other words it's kind of far. but at least, i will lose weigth... that's good. lol...

but yeah, aside from that it's been normal. we have been trying to find some new people who will be there when we put citas. but yeah. can't complain.

as far as the church went on Sunday. it was fun. we had none of our investigators go, and also none of the youth went that we have been working with . but yeah, it was raining a little so that's always kind of the excuse they throw out. but yeah. this sunday was the Sunday of dropping the cane. i gave the Sunday school class, it didn't turn out as well as i would have liked but oh well, it was from the old testament, called los pastores de israel (the shepherds of Israel). then in sacrament meeting there were 2 talks on diezmo (tithing), and 1 on orgullo (pride). so yeah, it was kind of funny. but yeah.

but like in all things hard there are miracles to be seen if we open our eyes to them. but yeah, this week we are planing for ways to get better success in the work here and so we will see what happens.

but yeah, i actually don't know when is turkey day or i don't know if it passed but happy turkey day..... i think i will list ten thing i am grateful for....

1. my family, the thing i that i truly miss the most of everything. Everything i am, the good and the bad, it's their fault. so thanks family of mine. i love y'all and y'all helped me get this far and taught me by your examples.

2. the scriptures.....because who doesn't want to hear the word of God. and who doesn't want to have the blessing and knowledge that comes with that...they have helped me a lot this past few months.

3. the church.... who doesn't want Gods only true church......( i write that as though He has churches that aren't true..lol)

4. the mission.... I'm learning a lot and am really getting directed in what i want to do when i get back and learning a whole bunch.

5. the branch and my old ward.... this are the people who put up with me in the church, and who guided me and taught me. so thank you all. i miss you all.

6. driving..... probably the thing i miss second most... it sucks not being able to drive and having to watch this people who don't know how to drive do it....

7. temples... i underestimated this one when i was at home, and could go. i always tell the members here when they say "if only the temple were closer we would go more often" that when it's closer it's harder cause you always wind up saying " i will go next week" or tomorrow.

8. my friends and family. this time i put friends before family cause i already talked about my family. but thanks for those of you who have supported me, and have written to me, and to one of my special bros... who just got a girlfriend named nikki.... or is working on that.... keep up the good work.... i miss just chilling with y'all. and i say family cause y'all are my friends... so yeah...

9. for computers that don't freeze and go slow... I'm sure this email will take about 5 minutes to send... cause it's long.... but yeah, I'm grateful for that.

10. I'm grateful to be grateful for so many things... and that God's blessed me, probably more than i deserve. but yeah...

so yeah, that's the list. if you want to see if there is a difference from this year and last year check it out.... but yeah thanks for everything for the love and for the support i love you all and miss you all. but i will see you all latter..

peace out

We are still here in Loberia

2010-11-15T17:17:00.001-07:00

hey y'all,

well, the good news is i stay here, to be honest I didn't really think I would go, but wasn't sure about my comp. in the end we both stayed which is good. we get along good. and are way excited for a new transfer, as of right now we have the same problem with almost all of the people we are teaching. but we have this one family, in all, it's a family of like 5 or six as of right now we have only been able to teach like 4 but they are good, and are reading and praying or, in other words they will get an answer, and it's great cause they really need it. the names of the people are luisina, jose, abel... they are way good. and ask a lot of questions which is good. cause it shows they have interest. but yeah... aside from that it's been hard to find everyone else but it's the way it is. I'm going to go back to my policy 3 strikes you're out. so that should help us be a little more efficient.

but this week in church i directed, it was a funny experience cause when i started nobody listened to me. but then they realized i started. and the hermano that has rock concerts during church i got used to it..... but the good thing is we are having a lot of exito with the youth, funny how just when u do activities, all the youth will start coming back. this week we had 4 deacons, and the activity was capture the flag with water balloons.... there were about 10 people who showed up. so it was worth it. and when i say people i mean youth. but yeah, they liked the opportunity to try to hit the elders with water balloons.... and my comp was way happy to hit them with water balloons to so it was fun.....

aside from that, it's been cool. this week, to be honest, passed by way quick. almost all the time we were working in the campo, we went to a pueblito outside of the pueblo of loberia called tamangueyu. it's like 4 kilometros, we walked there and had pretty good success. it was funny, the people would say after we knocked the door: passen (come in) so we would walk in and then they would be like dang it was funny.... but yeah

it's been a fun week. and this transfer me and guzman are going for the exito we haven't been able to have.

but yeah, that's been life here, Tuesday river and boca play so it will be funny to work in that. but yeah, thanks for the love and the support and the letters. i miss y'all and will see you later

All in all, I LOVE IT!

2010-11-08T17:45:00.004-07:00

hey everybody,

this week has been very normal. pueblo life here is way easy. it's been pretty much filled with yard work service projects, and trying to find all our investigators. As of now that's the biggest problem, not finding people, but finding them after we have taught them. kind of ironic. but yeah, we still are working hard.

the first half of the week i was doing divis with the district leader, it was fun, mainly cause the district leader is one of my friends in the mission. so yeah, it was nice. then after that, me and guzman, had a service project and it took about 2 days. i swear all the gardeners here in loberia are going to hate us. but yeah, it was funny to see people use a lawnmower like a vacuum....lol... but yeah, here it's great. I'm already starting to know everybody. sometimes, when we do contacts, i say "hey how about now, you want to listen"..... and if they say no i just say we will talk more latter. that way i can stop them as many times as needed until they say yes. it's a new tactic i have learned here in loberia.

but aside from that, it's been kind of normal. it's been raining a lot here so it always makes me not the happiest camper but i enjoy it for the first 10 minutes.... yeah, sorry not so much to write about but now to answer some questions....

about the rama.... every sunday we have about 15-25 people who go. most of which are older women. there are pretty much 2 families that go. family of presidente, his daughters, and his son. and another family andina....but are way good. so it's cool.

but yeah, it's interesting cause we never know what classes we are going to teach. this week, presidente told us, he wanted us to start mutual. so we did that on saturday, wanna guess what we did? i taught the kids to play some b-ball. but it was fun, 3 kids went then 2 went to church which was nice. cause then the presidents son didn't have to be lonely. but yeah, so it's fun. I'm learning to become a great class winger, and can kill lots of time if i have to give a talk. so it's way funny. even better cause they have to pay attention to understand what I'm saying cause my accent is strong, and i don't really open my mouth. but it's fun. but that's about all the stuff about the rama. and primary, there are about 5 kids and they're all from the same parent so their mom is the primary president. so yeah. all in all, i love it.

but about the family of my presidente, the more i get to know him the more I'm sure he has the strongest testimony i have ever seen. he is a great man, and has had a lot of problems and has carried the branch pretty much solo for like 3 years now. but he is awesome and works hard. so what more can u ask for? i can't think of anything.....lol... but yeah

so this week is transfers. to be honest, i don't think i will go but at the same time, i haven't stayed in the same place for more than 2 transfers since i was in santa rosa., my comp might go but i think we will both stay. but yeah whatever happens i've got no complaints and way excited to see what we can do here in the pueblo.

but yeah peace out.... oh I'm going to send fotos

We found my family of Seven!!!

2010-11-01T16:10:00.002-07:00

hey everybody,

this week was honestly the week of p-days without being p-days.... i will explain how this happened. Tuesday... we went to work in the morning and the branch president told us about an hermana that wanted to have some service done in her house. so we called and she tells us to go during the siesta. so we go but we go in normal missionary clothes so everyone in the neighborhood started watching to see the Mormons get dirty cutting grass, that probably wasn't cut since last year, with and edger ( or the machine that we use in the States to trim the edges of the grass.) but yeah, after one hour of that we had a cita, went there and they didn't answer so we go home and change in normal clothes and go back to cutting the grass in Africa...lol... but it was true, i should have taking a foto. but after like 3 and a half more hours we finish. it wasn't that even but from far away, nobody can tell the difference.

and so then we get ready for another cita we had with a lady called claudia and then we put a fecha with her. she is a lady who has like 4 kids. The first time we taught her, her kids told her not to listen and that we are crazy and she told them she learns more with us than with other churches. and so yeah, we will see what happens. Also, Monday we found a family of 7, jaja, they are way good but it's a single mom and 6 other kids. but she is way excited to read and learn more about the Church and God. so that's way awesome....

then, wednesday was like another p-day.... it was the day of the census and so we couldn't go out to work until someone came by our house to ask some questions. that now that i think about it was way pointless, for a Yankee and a Chileno to answer. but oh well.... in case u are wondering my political party here in Argentina.... it's the jovenes radicales.... just so you all know.... they seem like nice people. and so anyway they didn't pass by till like 5 in the afternoon. so then, we went to a cita with Pablo but he wasn't there. but yeah. he went to visit balcarse. but yeah, then the rest of the week it has been raining, so it's been way hard to get people to let us inside. but yeah .... so yeah, and it rained until sunday afternoon.. then sunday during church i had to give a talk and teach the primary, and sacerdocio (priesthood). so it was a busy day and we had 2 people in the church..... but it was fun..

all in all, this week was fun with a lot of water and a lot of spare time. but yeah, we were blessed to find some great people this week. the big family, and claudia, and also we were able to get the family that dropped us last week to let us in and they decided to keep going. but yeah.... it's been fun.

so yeah, that was about the week.

thank you all for the emails, and all the support that y'all have given me. so yeah, i will see y'all later.... peace out

Autographs please

2010-10-25T19:47:00.003-07:00

hey every one how's it going. hope life is good. here, this week has been way hard but kind of fun. me and my comp find a way to pass the time and have fun, while we work. this week the cops didn't bug us, they are still everywhere in the city and they still pass by and wait outside our house a little, it's funny cause if we notice they are there we close all the windows and make it look way suspicious... at least until they come with a warrant... if they have those here. but yeah, it's been funny with that.

as far as all the other stuff is concerned. this week we found a family, and we found a dude who is way good. the dude's name is pablo,and he was a reference we contacted without contacting it. our presidente gave us the reference and then we were walking in the street and found him and put a cita. it was way cool so that's something cool. and the other family, is a family of 3 but we found them, then they have been hard to find again. so we will see what's up with that. aside from that we have pretty much lost everyone else. the family that was going to be baptized this weekend sent us a message that said she wanted to think alone, and told us to not call her back. like any good person we are not giving up on her but yeah, she don't answer the phone and we haven't passed by the house o sea yeah we will see what's up with that. but yeah that's been pretty much the story of the week with us. most everyone told us we will call u when we can, which pretty much means they wont call. but yeah, we will see what's up. but now that i think about it, the week was pretty good mainly cause we found pablo, he's like 47 or something like that, which is what the branch needs, men who will want to work. but yeah

this sunday was the primary program. it was way good considering that there were only like 5 kids. after, i went to them and asked them for their autographs, they were way happy about that. but they did way good...... but now i need to tell u all something that happened that had me and my comp laughing the whole time with the music. but not with the kids.... in the church we had someone who plays the piano. and i was happy cause its been a while, we all sing out of tone, and so i thought the piano would be good. the dude plays the introduction, does it perfectly. it was way nice. then he starts playing jesus es mi luz. the dude starts nice and softly then all of a sudden goes crazy and starts pounding the piano playing so loud that nobody can sing, and he would throw in little cool piano notes that aren't in the song to show of a bit..... me and my comp were laughing way hard. then the sacrament song. this is where it gets worse, we stand up to break the bread and they guy is playing asombro me da. and he starts going nuts with it. i started laughing and then my comp started laughing. and we couldn't stop. we had the district president there, who dropped the cane on us after. then he told us he was laughing also. so it wasn't so bad. but yeah, it was a way funny sunday.

but yeah that's all i pretty much remember as of right now. so yeah, um, thanks for everything, for the love, the support, and the prayers. i love y'all. it's hard here but it's fun, and I'm learning a lot. and it's a pueblo of like 12 000 people in total.... with campo..... but I'm sure there is like, at least, 100 people here for us to baptize, and teach... we just needed to find them in the middle of the 11 900 people... but yeah, 100, a lot of people.... so yeah.... but yeah

ok i love y'all, will see y'all latter, peace out

Rain and police

2010-10-18T13:27:00.003-07:00

hey everybody, hows life....

this week has been interesting mainly cause it was raining since wednesday night. and I'm not the happiest camper in the rain... so it was kind of hard for me but it happens. cant beat mother nature.

but Tuesday we went to necochea for reunion de districto. and it was good but we left early cause we needed to catch our bus. but yeah.

here the work is going good. this last week we didn't find anybody. so that kind of stunk, but like always there are more good stuff than bad stuff. like this last week we worked a lot with menos activos and found and taught some good families, and so we will work with them try to get them to go back to church.... but the fun thing about working with menos activos is that you can always learn about the problems the rama has had, and sometimes why the church has a bad rap. here it's cause there is a family with kids menos activos, but they are all thieves.... like the only ones in loberia. the funny thing is that most nights we get home and there is a cop out side our house. we thought he was protecting us. but then presidente told us that the police would follow the missionaries, and vigilar them (sorry forgot
the word for that). so that's way funny. they weren't protecting us, they were spying on us. the rest of the week me and my comp have been pretending that we had ear phones in our ears, i talk in English when we pass them... but yeah, that's about the highlight of the week.

the rest with the service, it was hard cause the rain, so nobody is in the streets but everyone has cars here. so it's weird.

but yeah, then this sunday was kind of an experience also with the rain we only had like 17 people in total in church. we didn't have any investigators, cause with the rain and mothers day. they didn't commit to it. but my comp directed, i blessed the sacrament, water and bread. and then me and my comp had talks, and then the branch president. so it was fun. but yeah, it's cool cause, like i said last week, i'm learning a lot about how the church is organized and it's way cool to see. but yeah

but right now we have a couple of families that we are teaching. the best ones are called the familia castellano. im sure i spell it wrong but they are a family of 4. well more, but 4 that can be baptized, but they are good. right now we are teaching about the commandments. and they have a fecha for the 30 of october. so that's way cool.

but yeah that was pretty much the week. rain, getting spied on by the police, and mothers day.... so to all moms: happy mothers day.

oh yeah just cause i know my mom will ask me latter, my talk was about temples. but i talked like 5 minutes about moms, and told them your 2 rules. but nobody got it or they are a tough crowd here in loberia. but with my awesomely great charm they will all ask me to talk every week....lol...

but yeah thank u all for the letters, the letters helped a lot. just to here how things are going over there is nice. its kind of always hard to stay focused when u cant see the exito but your letters helped me. so thanks for the love and the support. i will see you latter.

peace out

Changes and learning

2010-10-11T20:56:00.004-07:00

hey everyone.

if u can't tell there are some new changes in the mission, one of which is p-day is once again on Monday, so that's why I'm writing u on Monday...... yeah ...... lol. the second change in the mission and this is the crazy one that has some elders upset.... is no siesta... yep, pres wants us to work. so yeah, it's been fun, the changes just took place yesterday, so yeah, it's been fun.

but now, about here in loberia this week has been very fun, and i have learned a lot, many things about how the church works. yesterday it was fast Sunday and i had the opportunity to see what the church how the church deals with it. way cool, for me at least, strengthens my testimony to see how organized and simple it is. so yeah, it's been cool. but as far as the area it's been great. i like it. it's a small pueblo but there are a lot of people who walk around and work so there is always people to talk to. but this week it's been hard for us to get in houses but that will change this week cause, i think, i figured out how to get inside. but it's been fun.

i kind of figured we would go about like Ammon did and ask people if they needed help so that's what we did, we did like 4 service things for the people, the funnest part was Saturday we help build a house. so yeah, it was fun and yeah....

also me and my comp get along great, so that makes it easier to adapt. but aside from that, not much really changed considering i wrote to y'all a couple of days ago. but yeah, just a lot of service. and it's working pretty good. and so yeah.

in the church here we were a total of 27 people, including me and my comp and the branch president. but yeah, it's a nice little branch, the members are great and happy, as of right now, just kind of lonely but we'll change that. but yeah, so that's what's been up with this week.

and about the changes, the p day one doesn't bug me, and to be honest neither does the no siesta thing, pres knows what he is doing and so i just do what he tells us. and it's never hurt me, on the contrary it helps, so yeah......

but yeah, I'm going to try to send some pictures this week again, mom ur going to be happy cause I'm taking a lot of pictures here.... mainly cause nobody will rob us here. so yeah

also this sunday was some crazy day in Loberia where a bunch of people from other places came and did dances and stuff. it was kind of funny, cause the people in the pueblo were there at the fiesta, party, festival thing, so yeah, it was funny to see. and mainly cause there were a lot of people in the streets...easy to do contacts. so yeah, it was cool. but yeah that's about it so yeah

thank you all for the support, the love and the prayers. I'm way happy here, and loving every minute of it, mainly cause I'm learning so much..... it's way cool but yeah love y'all peace out

I just got to do what the Lord wants me to do

2010-10-07T00:58:00.002-07:00

well, this week has been crazy, but mainly with conference and the baptism. but so i will start with the baptism. we didn't have it, what happened is we were getting everything ready to go, we were going to do it in the morning, but then we figured out we didn't have the key to the baptismal fount and so we called the bishop and he tells us to fill it up anyway... so we do it without going inside. then we realize that the fount isn't clogged... so we needed to go inside to stop the water from draining. so we go outside and see that the window was open... and so i hoped inside and put the plug... it was way funny cause there must have been people watching and thinking why are the mormons breaking into their own church. but yeah, in the end we got a call from antonela and she said she had to work and wouldn't be able to do it..... to show that God works in mysterious ways.. obispo forgot that he didn't even have the keys, so if she would have come she wouldn't have been able to get baptized anyways... so yeah, big blessing..... but then conference..... it was awesome. i got to say i love conference, the talks just get better and better. so i can't complain....

and so now with transfers..... I'm now in a little pueblito called loberia. it's a pueblo right above necochea. to be honest, when i got the news i wasn't the happiest camper, cause i had just got to villa serra a little while ago. but yeah, i can't complain, i realize I'm getting the things i wanted in the mission... as far as the places i want to go, and things i want to do.... in loberia, it's a branch, and I'm a 1st counselor in the branch. so I'm going to learn a lot about how to do that stuff. which is really what i wanted.... so I'm happy with the change. my comp is a chileno called elder guzman, I'm his 2nd comp in the mission, so it's fun to have someone with that newbie desire. he is a really good kid, i like him. but yeah.....

to explain what the pueblo is like, it's about 24 by 24, so it could be smaller. but it's a pueblo filled with a bunch of old people and the church doesn't have the best reputation, and in pueblos it's hard to fix that.... non the less. I'm excited to see what the Lord can do with us there. we will need to rely on the spirit a lot cause i have never worked in a pueblo nor have i ever lived in one... so it's going to be fun. this couple of days working there, my comp has been comp mayor showing me around and helping me with that. but we are talking with every one.... i figure it's a pueblo with 5 thousand to 10 thousand so there has got to be a lot of people so I'm way excited...... but yeah that's with transfers....

funny fact in my old area, my son, elder bills, is going there. that would be the 3rd time i have left him an area. he has been following me in the mission. so it was funny when i heard that.

but yeah, it's been a crazy week but no complaints. i just got to do what the Lord wants me to do, and let Him make me the tool He needs me to be. so yeah, I'm way excited just to see what we can to here.... but yeah, I'm going to try to send pictures of necochea, I'm here right now and took a lot of pictures so my mom would be happy, so yeah...

but thanks for the love and the support. i love y'all. and will see y'all latter...

peace out

Transfers, Conference and Baptism

2010-09-30T04:40:00.002-07:00

well, i have big news..... transfers are this week. and general conference. so i will start with first things first..

transfers.... this one i have no idea what to think because i have been with my comp for 2 transfers, but in 2 different areas. really i have been here in bahia for like 5 months. and so it can go either way. i always play a little game with the elders in the house and try to predict transfers. so i will play with u all. try to decide what happens. if i stay or go and if my comp will stay or go... hopefully we both stay, we are a really great companionship, and elder waggy is a great friend. but iré y haré (I'll go and do) so yeah, we will see. but i will let y'all know...

then with general conference this weekend also it's going to make transfers interesting. but I'm way excited, and we are working to try to get everybody to go and hear the prophet cause if they hear him they will want to know more. it's kind of funny how conference talks are so much better when u actually listen. who would have thought....lol..

but also, to make this weekend even crazier but way awesome is we have a baptism... yeah, her name is antonela, we have been teaching her all the transfer. but we have also kind of had a fecha with her all the transfer but now she has the assistance, and and the testimony and is way excited for the baptism. then, next week, we have 3 more, who is an incomplete family, they are way good... they kick a lot or in other words, they want to know everything and complain about everything, but the funny thing is they all got their answers and know they have to do it and obey. so it's way fun to teach them, cause when they have a doubt about the commandments we just always say remember your answer. and so yeah. with them once they hear the prophet and the apostles, they will be way happy, so yeah....

but this week has been kind of crazy, as right now we have 7 living with us in our house, 2 of them are from another area but stuff happened there so they have to work with us, and the other is just an elder who is hurt so he needed to go to the doctor but it's been fun being so many but way crazy.... it's easy to see why we have the rule not to get together so much as elders. but yeah, it's been fun and a crazy week.

but to answer some question about rules.... no i don't get on facebook, so if someone aside from my mom and sister get on, get off...lol but nah, all in all, i do my best to be obedient to the mission rules. cause i figured out, a lot of it is so we can have more power in our testimonies, and for protection. so mas vale that i obey them. so i hope that answers those questions. gots to be like nefi, and the last thing i write in my book is "and i must obey, amen."

oh, and mom, i know i promised fotos but i forgot to bring my camera and this cyber isn't so good, so yeah.. my bad...

but yeah, that's pretty much all the things to come. and whats happened. this week we also have interviews, so yeah, it's going to be way crowded... but like all things in life, we just take what comes ahead, and trust in God, stay chill, and have fun. my motto. and i must obey amen...lol...

but thanks for all the love and the support, and the emails... i love y'all and miss y'all and so i will see y'all latter. peace out

I've got the news first

2010-09-22T17:47:00.001-07:00

hello family and friends of mine....

well, i guess this week there is a new member of the family. and so that's way cool. happy birth, Lacey Misty Collins.... to be honest, i don't know if that's her name but oh well.... but that's cool. it's kind of weird to think that the family gets bigger while I'm far away but it's way cool. the more the merrier...

but yeah, the week here has been good but normal. we are still working with some of the same people. but they wont be able to get baptized this week cause they couldn't go to church last Sunday but it's alright, to be honest they are more excited to go to church this week cause they felt bad that they didn't go and noticed a difference. so yeah. it's been great.

here it's been funny cause we have been working, pretty much, in the same area, i don't know why but almost always i work far away from the house, it's the same here in villa serra. but it's a great area with great members.

to be honest i cant really think of anything, to say, and i didn't get the questions my mom or pops normally ask cause i haven't gotten the mail. but it's been a great week, like always we were blessed a bunch. one of the families we are teaching, the lessons are always way crazy. they are some of our fechas. to be honest i still don't know how we got them, the first time we went to their house they were like u brain washed our kid, way angry with us, but then little by little they started listening, and now the lessons, they still ask a bunch of questions but it's kind of like zeezrom in the book of alma, where first he ask the questions to try to find the fault. but then he ask to actually know. it's the same with them they are a great family. they are way funny. but yeah. but yeah that was pretty much my week. it was great, but not too many things outside of the normal. but yeah so thank u all for the love and the support and the prayers........

ps... this is to all the members of the family, as we have been able to see the family has grown at an increasing rate. since i have been on the mission, Jason got married, Amanda is pregnant, and Meli had a baby.... and now someone else is going to have another... but the question is who? i will leave that up to you all to guess and call the person. are u up for the challenge to find out who? but to that person: congratulations. and let me know who is the first to guess right...... ahahahahahahaha....

pss. the name of the person is in this email. lol

but thanks again...love y'all

peace out

We were blessed to know what we have to do and say

2010-09-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

hey everybody, sorry but this letter is going to be kind of short.

this past week has been great, as of right now in our area we are working with a family of 4 their names are marcela (mama) Danela (daughter) tomas and ramiero (sons). they are 3 of our four fechas... ramiero is member ya. but it's way funny to see them progress because, when we first met them, they were all saying we brain washed their ramiero, and that we were crazy... and now they have feachas for the 25th of september..
we were blessed to know what we had to do and to say and all the lessons have been great... the other day she told us about how she got her answer (marcela)... it was kind of funny though cause then she went to church and it was all about diezmo (tithing)... but we talked about it and she's way excited.. and know it will help the whole family... so we will see. they are a little bit harder but, if we keep doing what we need to and she keeps praying, they will make it to their fecha...

then the other fecha, antonela... she;s still way good. she went to church also.. and is way excited. but yeah, those are the main people we are teaching. but yeah, this week it has been crazy.

like i said Sunday we had 6 in the church... so that was good. and the rest of the days have been pretty normal. but yeah.. it's funny to see how the Lord blesses us to know what to say, and the stuff we should do. like the other day, this part member family asked us to give their son and the husband a blessing... the husband is the one who is not member and normally when we are there he is nice, we talk but when we pray and talk about the church he leaves... so i got to give him the blessing, and it all just came... it was great. then the funny thing after is he got his daughter and was like lets say a prayer... it was cool and a nice step... for him... but it's cool just to see how we can all be tools... lol... in the hands of the Lord...

but yeah to answer some questions.....

the zone is good but a lot of people sick this week. but it makes it fun.. but I'm way lucky to have a good comp. he helps me out a lot so I'm way blessed. but yeah

so thank u all for the letters and the love and the support. i love y'all...

peace out

Funny story

2010-09-08T17:46:00.002-07:00

Well, how's life going for u all.....

this week has been crazy for us.. and it's been kind of funny. this week we had plans to have like 6 people in church with members passing by to pick them... and only one came; it was kind of a disappointment, but oh well, the work goes on. they will all come next week cause they felt really bad they left us and some members hanging. but yeah, pretty much thursday through saturday it was normally going to teach, and trying to get them to go to sacrament meeting.

but yeah, then the big news, on monday and tuesday we had conference with elder adukitis, a member of the 70ty, that came and part of the area presidency...... lets just say he called us all to repentance... it was funny, he dropped the cane but we deserved it, and he did it with love and a smile.

on Monday it was a conference of leaders in all the mission. so there he talked about how the mission is doing, what we need to do to have more exito (sucess). and also talked about paying the price... he said that like 200 times during the 2 conferences "pay the price"... and so after that, presidente talked about some of the new metas (goals) for the mision. and so yeah, it was a great conference.

another good thing about it was that i got to see a lot of my friends in the mission cause everyone had to come here to bahia... so that was fun.....

but then on tuesday it was zone conference, my zone bahia with the santa rosa zone. and it was great. he once again talked about how we can be better, have more faith in the promises, telling us that there is people to find..... something he said that i like a lot is that he said: the field is white and ready to harvest. and if it's ready to harvest, how do we not see many fruits..... yeah he dropped it good... but it was great... I hink it's like all things, when someone gives you advice, even more so a servant of God. u take it and do all u can to do it... so i'm way excited...

this past 2 months the mission has been changing a ton for the better. and with all the new changes i only see good things. it's all about faith , what we need to do to have more, and to put it in practice..... o sea paying the price.

it's been a great week. the mission is a funny place cause it's kind of like a mini life. ur born ur new, u learn or die. when change comes u accept it and adapt to it. same thing when problems come, u solve them. and so yeah, it's funny, i love the mission. it's the best experience ever.....

to answer some questions really fast....

one - no, i could not see or hear the argentina game cause of the conference.. and cause it's against the rules...

funny story though..... tuesday, we got to the church at 9 in the morning to prepare the church, clean up, make it look good for the conference. it should have started at 3 in the afternoon. then the other zone comes like at 10. and then we just wait in the church till it started, cause we didn't want them getting lost if they went out to work... so yeah, anyways, like at 2:50 one of the ap's asked me and my comp to go run really quick, find a kiosco that's open, cause it's the siesta, and buy like 5 bottles of water.... and do it before presidente and elder adukitis come. we go and see presidente in the car with the elder so we started running to the gas station. the only place open... also, we are in our suits, and when we get there the aps call us and tell us that it already started. and so, we buy the water and run back.... we get there late, i give them the water bottles. My tie was way out of place cause we were running, and so yeah, we were one of the first ones there and we got to the meeting late with a general authority there..... worst part about it is that he didn't even need the water... he had his own watter bottle...... yeah, stuff happens.... it was funny to me.... but yeah

ok well, i love y'all very much and miss y'all. and will see y'all latter.

thanks for the prayers... and peace out

Book of Mormon has all the answers

2010-09-02T21:03:00.003-07:00

hey every one, how's life going over there....,. this week has been great, well, we have the opportunity to actually work in our area, and we are being blessed...

the end of last week was good, up until friday we couldn't really work in the area that much cause of problems and stuff like that. but after that we have been working. some of the people we have been working, one of them is a lady who is called antonela, we put a fecha with her yesterday... she is a 21 years old who wants to start everything new, and be a better example for her 2 daughters.. she is a really good lady and, as of right now, has been blessed a bunch by the gospel and loves it so, we will see what goes on with that.... but hopefully all is good.

it's been weird now though with 4 elders in our house. to be honest, i always like 4 better than 2 cause it's never boring with 4. and so that helps a lot. even more so when they are all obedient elders. so yeah fun. fun......

but trying to think of a good story to tell, well, yesterday (this story is not really that good but it's the only one that came to my mind, so yeah) so yesterday we went to visit this menos activo, her husband is in jail right now, she is always bumbed about it. but we went to teach her and she said how she lost her faith in the book of Mormon, and in the church. and so we asked her some questions and explained about the atonement, using the book of Mormon, and she didn't want to understand it... it was hard for us, mainly cause she really needs the peace that comes from that book and the bible. but i remembered something in that experience, just how loving god is... that He has given us the book of Mormon to help us. it really does have all the answers one needs in life.

something that i find really funny is everyone who knows me knows i hate reading books, but the only books that i don't mind reading are the scriptures, and that I'm here in Argentina teaching people about a prophet that i know is true because of a book.... kind of funny how little stuff changes our lives. but yeah. it happens, every one can choose for themselves.

but this next week will be kind of crazy because elder Adikitis (no idea how to spell his name) a counselor in the area presidency is coming to visit our mission and is going to check our house..... i don't know why but it's going to be funny when he sees my big suns blanket on the wall.....lol, but yeah

thanks you all for everything u all have given me. i love the mission, every one who can go should go. like everything in life it's hard but worth it. sacrifice brings worth... and so yeah

thanks again and peace out

Just cause things don't go the way we want them...

2010-08-26T19:54:00.001-07:00

This week we had transfers and the results are that me and van wagenen are still comps... I'm way happy about the transfers cause it's been about since santarosa since i have had the same comp for more than 2 translados... so I'm way happy about it and we will do a lot of good stuff. So we stay in villa serra, but now we live with 2 other elders... which i always like cause with 4 elders there is always someone to talk to......but yeah, that was transfers......

the end of last week was weird because on Thursday we did divis, i was with an elder called vance.. then on Friday we went to pigue... a pueblo north of bahia. and there we did some baptism interviews.. it was cool, and to be honest probably the best baptism interview i had ever given, the lady was so ready and happy to have the gospel. but then after that, like all things, stuff never goes the way we want. we were supposed to go home that night (on friday) but we missed the bus. and buses in pueblitos don't pass by every 5 minutes... and so we had to stay there again overnight. and then saturday we got back into bahia at like 11. but it was kind of hectic everything. that's one of the coolest things i have learned from the mission, how to stay calm when things go wrong. but it worked out good.

and on Sunday we had a kid called Marcelo in church, he's 16 but this Sunday we hope to get his whole family to go. his parents are from Formosa, and menos activos there, like a family of like 7 in total. but hope it will go good with them. but yeah.

Then terminal, all day from 14:30 to 6 in the morning. yeah, it was long and way funny cause, some elders almost missed their bus. and we caught it just with time but one of the workers for the colectivos was way pissed, he started yelling at us... it was way funny cause he was so mad that he threw his chair against the wall and broke a wheel... but yeah, moral of the story getting mad just don't do any good. but yeah, it was fun....

then just to make the week even more weirder, there are 2 elders who finished the mission but that couldn't go home to Mexico because of some problems there so they have to stay a couple more days, and they are here with us... it's funny. they're dead but still going at it... but yeah, so they are staying and working with us till they can go back home... (bet they never thought that would have been a problem) but yeah, all in all, it's been a crazy week. but like in most things, somethings just never go the way we want them to but it doesn't mean it doesn't go good. to be honest, one of the reasons i love the mission so much.....

I'm so exited for the exito we will have here in whatever form the Lord has for us. and so thank u all for the love and the support. i love u all and will see you all latter. peace out

love y'all

Checking the new area - I like it (a lot)

2010-08-19T05:56:00.003-07:00

hey everyone, how's life going over there.... here it's been cool.

this past couple of days my comp has been sick but luckily saturday we were able to work... it's good to be able to see the new area. To be honest i like it a lot, there is a lot of work to be done here and so, I hope, nothing changes for transfers. maybe my comp might go cause he was in the area a year ago. but we will see. they are this week. but these days we have been working, trying to get to know some of the investigators the hermanas left.. we have had luck and met some good families... it's kind of hard for them, cause the hermanas are way different than us (elders) but the spirit and the message is the same. so that's a good advantage we have...

But today we had the zone activity, it was good, we have been planing to try to make that good. and it turned out very well but like always they are way exhausting.. and there are always people not happy but, oh well, it happens... it turned out very good. all problems aside. so i don't complain... but yeah, I'm way tired..

But yeah, that's been pretty much the week for us. to be honest, don't really remember what we have done, or anything that really happened sooo.. yeah but it's been cool to see how the Lord has been blessing me to have the energy i need, to work... i have been way tired but it's true, there's always a little left in the tanque until i get home... so it's been cool to see how God blesses us, when we do what we need to do... so yeah

but thanks for all the support and the love you all have given me. i want u all to know that i love y'all and miss y'all. and sorry for the short letter but yeah como dice la gente es lo que hay.... pero los quierro un montone.... peace out

Transferred but with my comp

2010-08-13T19:14:00.002-07:00

well every one, big news, i got transferred..... well kind of, they changed my area but not my comp......

or sea my area is called villa serra. my comp is still van wagenen, but they changed it. the new area is exactly like the name calls it "villa"... but so we got whitewashed in there. it's funny though cause my comp was in that area about a year ago.. so this sunday when we went a lot of people already knew us. so yeah, it's been a weird week... they actually told us last friday night, and saturday we moved... the kind of fun thing about the mission.... but it's cool, i like working in villas a lot more. so yeah.

now, my comp has also been sick most of this week so we haven't been able to work in the area as much as i would have liked but yeah, it's alright... but I'm way excited for the change... the thing i have learned from the mission is change comes whether u want it or not, but it's u who makes it a hard change or an easy one. so I'm happy about it...

i think it's always hard to leave an area, and even more so suddenly, we didn't have time to tell anybody in the ward, minus the obispo, but I'm going to miss them. but I'm like a 20 minute walk from my old area so it's not that bad... lol

but to answer some questions.. the book/books in studying right now is the book of Mormon, and preach my gospel.... I'm also reading Jesus the Christ cause, like i said, my comp is sick and I've got a lot of time in the house so... yeah, it passed the time... way good... it's funny how stuff like TV isn't really that much of an interest right now.. but I'm sure if i saw a suns game i would be way tempted.. that's why i have never seen one...

but my favorite scripture is probably... cant think of one... but i like 2 nefi 4.. and 2 nefi 25. and the bible is way cool. but I'm not reading it right now.. lol.

and my favorite comp i have had in the mission is always going to be the comp i'm with at the moment... right now it's van wagenen.. in two weeks when transfers come we will see...if it changes... hope not... (but with all that talk about change I bet it will come...lol )

but as far as the teaching, it's been great. the meetings helped out a lot. just when we teach there is a huge benefit and we can feel the difference and so can the investigators so it's way great.... and been a huge benefit...

sorry it's been a crazy letter.. but gots to go, love y'all...thanks for the support and prayers.

peace out

Focus on the right stuff - teaching by the spirit

2010-08-04T22:30:00.001-07:00

Well, since last week's letter was short, i will try to make this one a good one... this week has been great, the conference ended on friday, and then saturday we had to work like normal.... but about the conference...

the changes aren't really that big, it's just pretty much helping us focus on the right stuff, and letting us rely more on the spirit when we teach..... like it was really like a mini MTC, for the whole week... but the changes in teaching has helped us out a lot. me and my comp have felt the spirit a lot more when we teach... but to better explain the changes, it's not really changes in preach my gospel, but they help us use it better, and by using that book better we will teach better, it's been great.. lets us be better tools in the Lord's hands, so it's great.

but as far as rules go, the only thing is that interviews are once every 3 months, but that's why we are supposed to write to the pres every week.

but during the conference it was presidente teaching us, with the ap's, and a lot of practicas. so we could, kind of, apply what we learned also, what was cool was that i was able to see like most of my really good friends in the mission. so that was fun...

but after the conference, it's been kind of complicated cause we have been in a trio cause one of the elders in the zone doesn't have a comp, cause his newbie didn't show up... and it's really hard to be in a trio, mainly cause the people think we will attack them, and almost quite literally run away from us.. but the lessons we have taught have been great. now we focus more on the people, on the needs, and so pretty much love them in the most productive way.. but yeah...... i guess in short word the purpose of the conference is to give us more confidence teaching with the sprit. cause it's true, many time we hold ourselves back thinking we can't do it, or that God can't/ doesn't love us enough to work through us... kind of funny but true... but all, in the end, depends on faith.. and trusting that He will guide us and give us what we need..

i have seen the difference in this short time, I'm not a great teacher but with the spirit doesn't really matter.. I'm getting better at teaching, and using the spirit way more and me and my comp are going to do big things here.. so I'm excited... but now we need to find some more people to teach cause we don't have too many now..... but yeah, that's everything in a short note... but yeah, I'm grateful for the changes and for the mission, I'm learning a lot of stuff that's use to me now and when i get back... so i love it, mainly cause it's fun.... and yet hard.... almost never do those two things happen at the same time... but oh well

i love u all, thanks for the love and the support. i miss y'all and love y'all, And will See y'all latter..,

peace out

Like back at the MTC

2010-08-04T22:26:00.002-07:00

Hey sorry that this week, it's going to be a short letter really don't have a lot of time....

so this week we have been having a bunch of mettings that are helping us teach a little better, and use Preach My Gospel better also.. so it's been good, but brain exhausting, every day 9 to 5, like the mtc. but it's been great with the new changes in the focuses, it will help use have a lot more exito here. so yeah it's going to be great.....

but yeah, sorry for the short letter talk to y'al next week..

thanks for the prayers and the love....

peace out

Games & finding people

2010-07-22T17:38:00.005-07:00

Hey everybody, this week has been really good. We have been blessed to find a lot of good people last week. (pretty much on Wednesday through Sunday we found new people) it was cool... then, this week it slowed down a little bit. but yeah, so now we got some people to teach and we are doing good. So it's been really good this week.

the way we have really found people is through contacts on the streets, and so that's been working really good for us.. but its been funny cause as, of this week, it's been hard to get directions for people houses. but it's always like that, just depends on the people. And some of the new people we are teaching are called David y vanesa, they are a young married couple... key word "married".... and they were listening to the charlas in a pueblito en nuequen and so they are really good... but as of right now, we have only passed by them once... so we will see how they are today.... actually a lot of them, it's kind of early ot be able to tell.. but it seems that we found a streak of people who are looking for the gospel, so that's cool...

but just to answer some questions I've got, my comp Van Wagenen is zone leader, I'm his helper. so I'm happy.

some thing cool here is that we found a store that sells stuff really cheap but in bulk... like the pictures with the cookies... and so we bought like 8 boxes of alfajores, and a bunch of other fatty good stuff.... and so we are happy getting fat...

here it's been really cold, and and it's been raining, and so not that fun of a weather to work in, but they say it's like this every winter....(minus last year) so it's going to be an interesting winter, to see how i deal with the cold, but mainly the rain...

oh, just as i remember, this next week there is a big reunion in the mission for leaders and stuff, all next week. and so i don't know if i will be able to write next week so yeah, that might be a little weird but I'm excited cause i hear they are changing a lot of stuff.... and to give u all the hint they gave me, they made a preach my gospel movie 2.... and so I'm excited to see what's going down... something i have learned in the mission is that change is going to come no matter what we do to stop it. the best, and really only thing we can do in most cases is embrace it... and so I'm excited...

but yeah, um, to end it with a funny experience in the zone, me and my comp planned a game we can play as a zone... it's a game about basketball... obviously... and so my comp told me when u do a game and promise a prize at the end, the best thing u can do is win it so u don't waste the money for the zone... and so we started good... but we underestimated how much people want to beat us... and so the last two days, even though we have had ok datos... we still lost..... but everyday we play a different team, and so here is the tablas......

Equipos G P

Lakers 5 0
Jazz 4 1
Nuggets 4 2
Heat 4 2
Suns 3 2
Knicks 3 2
Bobcats 2 3
Spurs 2 3
Hawks 2 3
Bulls 2 4
Wizards 2 4
76ers 2 4
Maverick 2 4

we are the heat.... the 2 teams wining are the hermanas and the games we have lost we lost cause they are cheating.... hump... but it's good....

doesn't animate in a bad or dumb way but makes it a little more competitive... so yeah its cool...

but yeah that's about all i got for today so thanks u all for the love and the support....

i love u all and will see u all later......

All night at the bus terminal

2010-07-14T18:55:00.004-07:00

hey everybody,

i don't remember if i said transfers were this week but they were, and the results of transfers is that i am now........... with elder Van Wagenen, he is from Minnesota, but he was born in Mesa or in other words he's a stud.... i met him in Santa Rosa, he is 2 transfers older than me... so we are going to have some fun this transfer together.....

but transfers were kind of a pain in the butt for me.... cause Probert was zone leader and I'm like lackey but number 2 and so with Probert gone i needed to deal with transfers, o sea greet people in the terminal, make sure nobody missed their bus, and so pretty much i was there all night... all in all it's one more reason why i don't want to be leadership in the mission.. cause some elders showed up to the terminal without tickets, others missed their bus.. it was a pain... and i was running on fumes.. cause the whole night got like 30 minutes of sleep.. but it was a blessing cause, all in all, it went good......

here it has been freezing cold, and raining.. two things I'm not really a fan of but my comp still made me go out and work,...lol.... but yeah.....

to give the run down of the week after last p-day, me and Probert did some more divisions, with some other elders... then Saturday, and Sunday was passing by members so Probert could say goodbye.. and Sunday night at 5, we were in the terminal... there till about 8 in the morning Monday.... then Tuesday, me and elder Van Wagenen worked and had a good day..

so that's been pretty much how it's been here, kind of weird but fun... and strange.

but as far as people here, that lady Amalia we will probably leave a little bit and not pass by so often, which is kind of a bummer cause the gospel can really help her, but that's the funny thing about the gospel, is that it's her choice... but something i have been thinking about lately is how great of a analogy is that Alma 32 metaphor or simile thing... that compares faith to a seed, and how when it grows, it grows at different rates... like, i have never seen two trees that look exactly the same. it's the same about faith.. every one's at a different place and is trimmed differently so that it can grow and be the best and biggest it can be... i don't know, the gospel is just cool.. and even better, it's true... so yeah, sorry for the rant.. but that's what we have been teaching a less active member, and it's just cool but anyways...

so really, don't have any more things to say minus the fact that the gay marriage thing is getting pretty big here. so we have been getting a lot of questions about that... but things like that actually help and makes it easier to share the gospel, cause they wonder what we think about it.. so yeah ...

but thanks for everything. sorry the letter probably didn't make sense, my fingers are freezing right now and so...

yeah, i love u all and will see u later... and am grateful for everything u all do for me.

peace out

A week filled with Germans, divis and English class

2010-07-07T22:20:00.005-07:00

This week has been good here in Bahia. it's been kind of complicated but it's been good....

up to this point in the week i have been doing divis in coronel Suarez. it was fun, went up Monday, got back today in the morning.... it's a nice pueblito, a lot of germans..... on that note, yes Argentina lost. people were sad but it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. at least here in Bahia. the people dealt with it good... sucks that they lost, it gave the people here a bunch of animo..... kind of cool how sports can do that... but yes. so back to suarez. Monday me and probert got there at like 1 in the afternoon, after like a 4 hour bus ride. but then i stayed with elder gessel... last name comes from Germany..... and it was good. we worked a lot, and yesterday it rained, we got wet. so it's been a fun week. up till now.

and this weekend we have transfers, so we will see how all that goes. me and probert hopefully stay together... but we will see.. but um... yeah if u cant tell this week has been filled up with lots of germans, and divis, friday we were on divis again. saturday me and my comp worked together and then sunday church. but it's been good.. I'm actually really happy with the area, comp. barrio.. and so yeah, it's a lot easier to work and be happy in those circumstances..

so as far as the area, all the investigators are about the same as far as i know of so not much to tell u all on that front... but yeah, if u can't tell by the fotos I'm getting fat... but i will eat better next transfer.

oh, fourth of July was good, but kind of weird cause now i look back a year ago, and I'm still in Argentina.. it was weird but my comp made some real good American food... pasta and milanesas.. lol... but yeah, i ate a lot.

oh funny story when i was in suarez, i taught an english class, with elder gessel. and it was about buying stuff. and so we did some practices, and during the practice they asked to buy a hamburger.. but it was like a pink panther moment... they couldn't say it right, and i couldn't stop laughing. but it was good...

but yeah that's pretty much all i can remember, um thanks for all the love and support. and the prayers. i miss u all and will see u all soon enough... but love y'all peace out...

Perfect week

2010-06-30T18:20:00.007-07:00

hey y'all... this has been a great week... first on the week end we had the baptism of Karina... it went perfect. then Sunday the ward was very happy with us... even to the point that the obispo said we need to be fed more often. it was funny... so I'm going to be getting fat..er.. but yeah... then as far as the game, Sunday... it was crazy here, people were going out to party and yelling from the streets, it was awesome... if they win Saturday i will video or take pictures of it.....

so what the mission was doing last week was a "semana perfecta" or perfect week, where everyone in the mission has had to be exactly perfect with all the rules, and every one has to get at least 215 contacts because that is what the area presidency says... so we did that so we can see the miracles, and mainly to force God to bless us... D&C 82: 10...... and so with all that done, me and my comp had to make sure that we did it and that the other areas did it too... but it was hard cause few of the companionships actually did it. but the ones that did do it saw some miracles..

as far as me and my comp, the baptism and what happened on Sunday was our miracle... this area it's segun dicen one of the hardest areas in the mission.... to be honest, I don't see it, i love it here... but it has also had some bad missionary experiences so not many of the members gave a ton of support to the elders.. but the last companionship's worked on that a lot and we are too and we are seeing the blessings of that work... all the members like us and do the best to help us... so it animates us a ton to work and keep strong.

but that has been the great week we have had, we saw a lot of miracles, a lot of them not really worth telling cause they weren't anything big, or that crazy.. but what i have learned is the smaller ones are more important, and make a bigger difference... that's why i think they are sometimes hard to see. but to be honest, the fact that i can stay on the mission this long, and learn the stuff i have learned, had the exito i have had, and the strength i have received are all miracles... of an all powerful.. yet all loving God...

that was something i learned a lot this week. with that lady i told y'all about. Amalia, where her nieto died... she is angry at God because every one says He is all powerful, and in being all powerful, why does He not step in and make people do stuff, heal people, and stop natural disasters... it's cause He is all loving... loves us enough to let us make mistakes, pass throw hard times, let people make choices, and more than anything give us a purpose, and a way to be happy.. and all powerful enough to give us that way, and option many times we just need to take it..... but yeah, that's what i have learned. sorry for the rant... but i want to thank u all for the love and the support you all have been giving me... for the prayers. and everything... i love u all...... sorry i can't spell...

but yeah. aguante argentina world cup......

peace out

I'm going to be an uncle

2010-06-24T18:00:00.001-07:00

hey everyone. sorry this email is coming late.... yesterday me and my comp had to take an elder to a doctor and so we couldn't email... but yeah....

this week has been kind of crazy... but good. but first before i start my normal rant...jaja.. i got news i don't know if u all know this now cause I'm late to write, but i know something u all don't know.....
and just to give it away: Jason and Amanda are going to call their kid Bryce Batistuta Taliercio if it's a boy and if it's a girl Brycina and they will make up the other 2 names... and so, if nobody got the hint, Amanda is embarrassed..-- oh, i mean pregnant... and so in nine months as i predicted there will be a little runt going around bugging us. but yeah, that's cool, gots to say congrats to Amanda and Jason for helping.... but i will send some advice to the both of them so they will deal with it alright. but yeah, i might be home to see the baby if u all want to keep him in for like a month more.... just saying it would be an option.... but congrats

but yeah, this week was crazy in the sense that this Saturday we got a baptism. her name is karina, she's like 30 years old, and she has been investigating for like 4 months here. but yeah, she is a great lady and the gospel has already help her out a bunch. she had lots of problems, and still does but she is just an awesome lady. so hopefully that goes well.

then this week or sea yesterday, we needed to plan an activity for the zone, we did a scavenger hunt in all of centro bahia, it was good. a lot of elders liked it so that was alright but all in all we are doing good. we are teaching a lot of people and most of those people are kind of screaming help us but at the same time they aren't what, i guess, a lot of people would say are easy, but once they get it they are those who get it and never doubt. so i like our gold.... this sunday we found a lady, her name is titi, her husband died a couple days ago and he was mormon, but inactive, but then sunday she came to church and she is really good. and so, all in all, here in this area it's been good... actually great/ i really love the area-people-barrio. so that helps me a ton... and so that's kind of what's been going on here.

as far as the world cup here, it's crazy but mainly after they win. during the game there is nobody on the street or anything, so yeah. it's interesting. but yeah,r the deeper they go the better-crazier it will be, so we will see what pres does.

I'm lucky to be in this barrio cause there is almost always food, they do it more like the States where they sign up, and aren't forced; in some other areas they just throw the names down, and they don't even know so i like this thing better as of right now... but what i eat is normal, something I'm seeing is there is not much variety here with the food so... milanseas are my favorite, but it's all good, so i don't complain whatever they give me... everyone knows I'm allergic to fish....lol..... i tell them that... but nobody believes me.. and here food's not strange so i haven't really eaten anything out of the normal weird for here, like i have eaten tongue, chinchulin, morcilla.... by far the worst... but yeah, not much.

but yeah, something I'm missing the most is driving.... we don't drive so that bums me out but yeah what can i do... can wait to get home to the volvo.... love that car so much..... but yeah, so thanks for all the love and the support. i love u all and miss u all....

peace out

Soccer World Cup & Missionary Work

2010-06-16T20:10:00.006-07:00

well, first to answer all the questions about the world cup..... it is really funny. the rules are that we can not watch, but if we happen to get in a house we can't tell them to turn off the TV... right, so we could watch it..... nah... to be honest, it's only different when Argentina plays. when they play it gets closed down, and there is nobody on the streets... but it's funny cause u can tell when it is halftime, cause every one comes out, u can also tell when it's over, cause even more people come out. but yeah, we try to work and find people but during the Argentina game it''s almost usless. but its been fun.. every one goes crazy when they win and go out and blow horns and stuff... so it's good. then the usa game turned out good also. so yeah, it's good stuff and fun... a lot of people say it would be funny if the usa plays aregentina, segun it could happen.... but i hope it doesnt happen, the work here would tank... so yeah, thats whats up for right now..... with that...

as far as the work, we are working with some good investigators that we have found. we are actually recieving a lot of blessings and are getting good contacts that let us go back. so on the finding end, we are doing very good.

also we have an investagator that has a fecha but the fecha is always going back a little cause she is having a lot of problems with the ley (law) and stuff. but so that's good with her.

also we have this one lady who is really hard, she is passing thhrough things and she needs the gospel, dont know if anybody remembers oscar from olavarria, she is the same story. she has lost her nieto, husband, and an aunt and is angry with God. but with her, we are trying to help her understand but she doesnt really want to but we will see what's up and what happens with her. she is really good, her name is amalia. so yeah.

really all in all, i love the area I am in, the ward is great, the people here are great, so yeah, it's been good. i'm excited and know that we will have a lot of success. the only bad thing is the cold here in bahia but it's nice kind of geting used to it now so another blessing.

but yeah, thank you all for the love and the prayers and the support, i know it helps me cause always when i have no ganas i alwasy am able to get that extra umnph.... so thanks and know that i love u all and that i'm happy. i love the mission, noplace else i would rather be. and so thanks again.....

peace out

ps.. thanks for all the emails this week, honestly made the p-day the best one in a while...

peace out

Fun week

2010-06-09T17:43:00.001-07:00

ok this week was fun.... there was a lot of stuff to do but it was alright....

Thursday, me and my comp probert went to get the packages for all the zone and then we went to deliver them... so if u guys want to send packages, yes, i do get them a little faster, not by much but without the middle man. so saves that time. but yeah, so that's good. then after that it was a normal day. it's cool in my new area cause there are a ton of people and so it's easier to find some people.. then Friday i had to go with my comp to the mission office for some metting... while he was in the meeting, i was with the office elders, they are not as bad as i thought...but yeah, cool kids. that was pretty much all Friday. then Saturday and Sunday were normal working and teaching people... then Monday i went to a small city called coronel suarez, and we did divisions. it was fun, i like to see other cities/ pueblos, it's cool, so that made me happy. then Tuesday we had zone conference and me and mainly my comp had to put that all together but it was fun, so pretty much it was a busy week, here i also had to give a talk in zone conference, it was bad. but we didn't even plan it till like 2 hours before, so i don't complain. but yeah, it's been fun. these next weeks will be easier. and tranquilo..

oh and funny news from caisamar, my last area, they have gas... yeah ,2 days after i left... yeah ,makes me laugh... so now they are not moving and most of my time there was wasted... oh well, stuff happens for a reason... makes me laugh, i'm happy for my son and my last comp....

so about the zone, there are 13 companionships, 22 elders, and 4 hermanas... the biggest zone. and there are 4 districts. but like i said last week, my official title is assistant to the zone leader, there is only one. so i just help him out. i like it that way.

some thing about this area is it is the area pres. grew up in when he was a kid... he was born in bahia blanca, and this is his old barrio. so a lot of the members know him, but he goes to a different barrio in the otra estaca. so i dont really see him all that much. unless he randomly comes from nowhere. but yeah it's a cool barrio. as of right now i like it a lot.

I'm happy right now with how the things are going. i love u all, thanks for the love and the support... and hope i answered ur questions...

peace out...

oh pops, my street is spell chancay 504..... or... terrada y chancay. i live on the coner above a store... love y'all, peace

Transfers came and I'm in Bahia Blanca

2010-06-03T04:47:00.002-07:00

Well guess what transfers came and the results....... are........
I'm now in Bahia Blanca, area hospital... which is like the centro in bahia blanca... as of right now i love it, we already found a new lady doing contacts... and people seem a lot nicer here. so yeah I'm really excited...

my comp is call elder probert... and he is the zone leader.... he's a pimp, great missionary, and we will be good friends. but as his comp I'm what i always called the zone leaders lacky... so yeah that's me... right now, his assistant. but I'm happy.

the only thing is i didn't have time to tell everyone in caisamar i was leaving, so i was bombed about that. but yeah, it's what it is. they actually made the barrio only have 2 elders so the area is now huge.... to be honest it was actually a good thing i left cause me and my comp would have surely fought a lot if i stayed.

so yeah, as far as the area here, like i said, it's in most of what is centro, our mission president is from this barrio, o sea he grew up in my ward, so i'm excited to see the ward....

also, fun fact, manu ginobili lives in my area, I'm going to be sure to bug him and yell at him if i see him on the street... so it will be good. my house is on the street chanqui 504, not sure if that's how u spell it but yeah, try it pop and see if u can find my house.

transfers are always kind of hard cause you always want to see the exito (success) u have had in the area, and i wasn't really able to see it, to be honest, I don't think i will ever know, but i worked the best i could, and so no regrets, it's just hard sometimes.... but yeah kind of used to it, actually helps animate me, so it's always good in a weird way..

but yeah about my comp, he is a transfer younger than me in the mission, and he is from Utah, and worst thing about him is that he is a Lakers fan.... we have been fighting about that for some time now but it's ok, the suns did great and i give them props so yeah.....

to be honest right now I'm not sure what more to write... i will let u all know next week...

so yeah, we also need to set up zone conference this coming week so we will see how that goes. so yeah, i want to thank u all for the love and support, i love u all. and will see y'all later... peace out

I will make the best of it

2010-05-26T22:32:00.001-07:00

OK how's life.... here things are getting better, but weirder....
so the thing with the house is we have like 2 houses we will try to get so both with the same immobiliaria (realty) but yeah, we will see if any of those go through...

then with the work here it's been tranquilo... last we week we were focused on finding a house, now we are focused on working, and so we will keep up the cycle.... i look for a house then i find a house, they don't get the house, and we wait for 2 weeks then we look again... but I'm tired of houses again, and so I'm praying we get one of this two houses....

also, the activity we had for the 25th was great, kind of unorganized but beggars cant be choosers.. so it went well, nobody died, and the food always helps an activity have success. so yeah, we had like 70 people there and 3 investigators, so yeah, we will work with that... what we did was like a carnival, but it was raining so games became really simple, like musical chairs, cards, stuff like that... but simple things work... i think most of the time we over complicate things as people, when something can easily be done another way.... so i learned that lesson from the activity... so that was great.

then this week it has been raining a lot and so yeah i have been getting wet a little but as of now we are going good, and finishing the transfer strong, so yeah

this next week is transfers, i don't think i will go but we will see, a lot has changed this transfer so maybe i might go, or maybe my comp, we will see, i hope it all stays the same but whatever happens is God's will so, venga lo que venga, i will make the best of it, so yeah.

thanks for everything, for all the love and the support, and i love u all and miss u all so i will see u later...... peace out

Just keep swimming...like Dory

2010-05-23T22:25:00.004-07:00

hey everyone,

guess what i get to do again this week.... yeah look for a house again.... really, the whole situation is crazy and complicated and i don't feel like explaining it all. but yeah, so that's what we are doing.

also we have a big activity the 24th of May because of the 25th of May is like 200 years since the independence of Argentina, so we are planning an activity that needs to go good, cause if it goes bad then the ward wont do any more activities ever again.. so yeah we are also working on that a lot so it can have the exito we want it to have.....

but this week has been weird, well pretty much everything has to do with the house, so yeah....
like the whole thing is a mess. but that's what we have been focused on, this past few days... so yeah.

um yeah sorry, the letter is going to be short, today we actually need to go to a cita, that's why we did cyber early...

but yeah I'm good, like i have come to expect there are trials in everything we do, but we just need to keep swimming... like Dory from finding Nemo... so I'm swimming, happily with life, got no regrets, and loving the trials, so yeah.....

thanks for everything u have giving me the love and all....
peace out.

ok i live on the street cataluña 7515, mar del plata..... if not, the intersections are constitucion and ruta 2, por ahi so hope it helps u.... alright I'll write more next week peace out

Little by little things are coming together

2010-05-12T17:22:00.001-07:00

hey everyone,

first things first, sorry about the mothers day call, it got complicated, and so i couldn't call back, and i couldn't talk for so long when i called. sorry for all that, my bad.

yeah, this week was different, it started out with me and my mini, Oscar, and then Thursday i got a call and they told me that i was going to get another comp, but an elder this time, so yeah new comp... his name is elder thomson, he is from Canada.. he is good, really new in the mission, 6 weeks in Argentina, so it's going to be interesting. he speaks well but needs help, so we will see what we can do with that. but yeah, it's been weird having so many comps in so little time, but i hope this is the last change. so yeah, that's the new news...

this last Sunday was stake conference here, it was great, we had a general authority there, he was a stud, and we also had an investigator there, it was great... so little by little things are coming together... so we will see.

but yeah, really aside from that it's been normal, in my district there is a companionship that is fighting so now we are doing lots of divis so that they don't kill each other, but yeah aside from that, i've got nothing.

and about he Spurs, i just need to say that this is proof that the Suns were always better, of course they win the first time i can't watch the games but yeah, so we will see what happens they will probably play the lakers. so yeah go suns....

to my family i miss you all, it was hard not to be able to call y'all back, but time didn't let me, and so yeah I'm sorry. but thanks for everything, i want you all to know i love you all and that u all helped me get this far and become who i have become..... so thanks, love y'all and most of all love u mommy....

peace out

Trials suck but are vital

2010-05-05T21:44:00.001-07:00

so hows life everyone.

hope all is good here things are getting better. this week we actually found a new person... wooooo... so that was great. but yeah me and my comp Oscar are doing good. it's kind of like training a newbie, just they don't really have to do anything if they don't want to.. but i was lucky to have a good one, he's a pimp and helps me a lot. so that's a really great thing.

but yeah... about the thing with the house we are staying again, and this time they are fixing the house, so that's awesome news. things appear as though they are getting better. really they are which is good, because trials suck. but are vital... but suck.. so one trial down, we can start the next one tomorrow... jjajaja... but yeah..

but i have some good news, i will actually be able to call y'all on mothers day so yeah, i will call Saturday and we can set it all up mom.. but it's probably better if u buy the calling cards, and then call the number... we still don't know from where we are going to call so it will be interesting what we do.. so yeah.... but it's the first and last time i will call on mothers day.... making my mom trunky...

yeah another random fact that sucks. we were playing basketball today, and i think i messed up my leg, right now it really hurts but I'm going to try to walk it off, but what happened is my comp made a really bad pass, and so i tried to save it and dived and tried to roll. key word tried.. didn't work but I'm alright. mainly just to scare my mom...

but yeah beside that nothing really happened outside of the normal, we worked did our best, teaching a lot of menos activos right now, so yeah.. aside from that it's all good. but yeah so I'm excited for what's to come...

thanks for the love and the prayers, and for all the support. but yeah peace out..

One year mark

2010-05-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

hey y'all, one year down..

this week was interesting. a lot of stuff has changed again, and so i just keep going... first thing, i have a new comp.. well, mini oscar meneses.. he's a pimp, i met him in santa rosa, he is from toay... but yeah, that's new news.. so my old mini, gustavo gaiannini, had to go back a couple weeks early because they actually got like 3 minis for me, and then sent oscar without telling anyone. so it was a surprise..

but also this week with the house, we found one but like always the office elders don't do anything and so we lost it.. so that whole situation has had me very angry, and put me in a bad mood for pretty much the whole week... but now I'm just tired of looking for a house, and am not doing it. so yeah... but really, with me and gustavo that has been our focus on the house and so there really isn't that much to tell u all. but yeah... so that's pretty much where I'm at right now....

but about the year mark thing, i think I'm going to celebrate it how i celebrated my birthday.. by doing nothing.. some elders burn ties but i don't want to cause most of my ties i got from elders from the mission, and shirts, well, i still have a year left and need the shirts so yeah.. I'm not going to do anything about that... but really kind of crazy how fast time passes by. seriously, like yesterday i was in the mtc, so yeah... but I'm happy with how it's gone and no regrets as of right now.

so yeah, sorry, don't know if this letter made much sense, but nothing really happened here, so yeah... thanks for the love and the support. also for the prayers, i think that helps the most. so i love u all.. and see y'all in about 365 days... peace out

Looking for a house...again

2010-04-21T21:33:00.002-07:00

how's life going there.... life here has been crazy for me, transfers came, and then we got some news about the house... .... yeah, i will start with transfers....

my new comp is a mini missionary called gustavo. he's a cool guy, and is getting ready to go out on his mission. so that's what happened, i don't know why i got a mini but whatever. i don't complain, so yeah, but aside from that transfers worked out great for me... in my house i have my kid again, elder bills, who is now comp mayor.... a stud like his papi.... but yeah, also i know a ton of the elders in the zone now so it makes p days more fun... but yeah, so that's how transfers worked out for me.... to be honest, when i got them i wasn't the happiest camper, but yeah it's all good... stuff happens for a reason... now i just gots to find the reason... but I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store....

now the thing with the house, again we are looking for a house. because the dueño said that he wasn't going to fix it, and so then the mission said that they weren't going to pay so yeah, we have till the end of the month to find a house. and we cant go over mil pesos which makes it almost impossible to find a house.... and nobody really seems to want to help us out that much..... so yeah, still don't know if it's cause we are missionaries or if it's cause we are yankees so i guess we will see with time...... but yeah, they are putting a lot of pressure on us to find it, and we can't work until we find it.... so yeah, that's pretty much the 2 main things that are happening here.

also big news, for the first time in the mission i got sick, it was for like 2 days, Thursday and Friday. it was funny cause me and my comp got sick at the same time, so it was fun, but super boring.... but yeah, it's been all good with that....now i wont get sick till i get home... so that's a trunky moment..jaja

but yeah, for my birthday didn't tell anyone, so they found out after and kind of got mad at me, but i don't really want to do anything... now I'm 20, big whoop..... i kind of stopped caring about stuff like that for these 2 years so yeah.... it's cool though, I passed it the way i wanted to: tranquilo, and so good b-day....

but yeah, that's pretty much this week up till now and what I'm doing, kind of hard for me. but to be honest, pres must like to keep me off my feet, with all the changes. but i don't mind cause i learn quick and it's kind of funny to see what else he wants to throw at me... but yeah, that's my life right now... excited for the changes, and more excited to see the miracles... so yeah, i love u all... thanks for the prayers and the emails.... i like getting them. so yeah

peace out

It's all good

2010-04-17T16:14:00.001-07:00

hey every, one this week is a big week.

my comp elder monge is going home, and transfers are this week... the only thing i want for transfers is not to be leader de distrito..(sorry for the crazy Spanglish). but we will see what happens..

but this week has been kind of normal, working trying to find people, and doing as many contacts as possible. we have found some good people doing contacts but all of them live in other areas so they are for other people... but its all good. just need to keep working...

but as far as everything goes here, just going, doing what we need to do. this week is pretty much my comp's week to decide what we want to do, cause he is going home on sunday. but good thing is he has will to work still. so yeah, i have no complaints, it's good. also cause he is going home means lots of asados (BBQ). so yeah, I'm happy for that. but yeah.. to be honest i cant think of anything that happened that was out of the ordinary.. really, there was nothing, so yeah...

i guess as far as the house goes, we still don't have gas, wait have something.. so pres did interviews last Thursday, and he did them in the houses of the missionaries. which was funny. cause they didn't like our house at all, and gave us a big list of things we needed to change or fix. made me laugh a little cause aside from the gas. the house is the nicest house i have lived in... so yeah... but we will fix it. in time... but yeah, so that's pretty much everything... on my part...

so now i get to publicly make fun of 2 people who are old.... one my brother paul.. who now that the years have past by is really bald... jajaja... and my mom, that is probably one of the oldest people alive... but they both had b-days and so i want to sing a song.... happy b day to u.... (repeat same line 2 times) happy b day dear old people.... (repeat same 1st line)....

so happy birthday to them and yeah thanks u all for everything for the love and all the things u have given me..

i love u all...

peace out

Round 2 coming up!

2010-04-07T19:12:00.002-07:00

hey y'all, how life going....

general conference was crazy good. it was cool to watch all of the sessions, the only bad thing is that we couldn't get anyone to go see it with us... but it was great, we watched it with all the other elders in english so yeah. my favorite talk is uchdorf, Sunday morning great, but i also loved how the prophet opened it up, with all the jokes, it was awesome. i really seem to love general conference now, mainly cause everytime i see it, i know they're all servants from God.... except the girls not the best speakers....lol.. but yeah, it's funny cause it gets very prideful, of them.. but i guess it's a good thing, what do i know? but yeah, so it was good....

but as far as everything else goes, it was mellow, relaxed, but we didn't have too many opportunities to work, but yeah. really, nothing happened that was weird since the last time i wrote y'all so i really got nothing...

well, we got in a bash, and we got round 2 this Friday.. here's the situation, there is a menos activo who is studying with another religion, and we got there right as this religion was teaching her, and so long story short, she is confused... i would be too.... and so she told us to come back Friday, this other religion also, and she will ask questions, and then we answer them. then the other religion, and we do it all like that... but yeah, so it's going to be fun...... but we got a secret weapon that isn't really a secret but they just don't use it, and that's the book of Mormon, seriously i have never been so grateful for that book, as i have been this transfer, all the arguments that can be had with the bible, the book of Mormon fixes them... and they help one another.... it's awesome.... so this hermana will go from menos activo to fully activo..... but if the BoM doesn't work, which it will, we still got the truth and the spirit..... so yeah, it's going to be good.. i hope we can help out the hermana see the truth. and so i will tell u all latter how it went.... really, i hate bashing, but for the hermana i will do it.... well, i guess really not bashing, more answering her questions, and the objections of the other religion... but yeah..... hope it goes well...

but aside from that i've got nothing. I'm happy here, my area is hard but I'm sure in my head i make it harder than what it really is, but there is always people, otherwise i wouldn't be here in this area... so family of 7 here we come.

but yeah, thanks for the love and the prayes, love u all and peace out

Caring for what's important

2010-04-01T21:37:00.004-07:00

how,s life there in the world of the world.... dumb statement, here it's been interesting.

to be honest, i can't really think of what happened this week... so, oh yeah, the day after last p-day, i did divisions with the zone leader, it was good, i learned a lot of good stuff, and yeah, worked a lot in an easier area. but then after that, it was work like normal, we tried to find people and had no exito, but i figured out the problem, cause i really don't care about datos (info) and stuff like that, but now they are counting the contacts we do, so that had me thinking a lot about getting contacts, not finding new people to listen to, so pretty much i forgot about the people, it hit me when i stopped in front of a bus stop with a lot of people and did a contact that was really easy to say no to..... so yeah, once i figured that out, i was bummed.. I'm just going to do my best, love the people and even though i kind of need to care about the datos, I'm not going to let them run me.... it's not supposed to be that way. also i realized i have left my motto a lot this transfer, i would worry about trying to look like a capo in front of everyone, and then look like dumb........ actually, this week was a learning experience.. so just going to stick to my motto, stay chill, and do what i got to do, and trust in God, got me this far, and to my best way to have exito (success).

but yeah, also yesterday was zone conference, that's why I'm writing on jueves(Thursday), but it was good, pres. came really late so it was really short. but good. i always love them, learn a lot and more than anything like the interviews with pres. but we didn't have those. so i heard next Monday. we will see. but yeah. today we had a zone activity and went to play football on the beach in the morning and then went to a place like sea world, it was cool, i liked it. good shows ,not as much to do, but not as much money either. so yeah i can live with that...got some good pictures i will try to send next week.... but good p-day.

oh, about the house, so the dueño decided to pay the dude but the dude only got like 1/10 of the money he needs but we are making progress... I just want hot water before winter, no more, and i would be happy. but yeah..

now for some questions, as DL i don't really do anything, just take the data and stuff, and watch after the other elders in my district but it's good. and about my comp, I'm senior, and he is menor, but i call it co-co cause he knows more and is teaching me a lot of stuff. i love elder monge, he is a stud, just a cool good elder. so yeah, we work hard. and do what we need to do.

well, really it was a weird letter cause it doesn't make sense to me what i wrote, my head is tired, so yeah... that's probably why but yeah, thanks for all the love and the prayers.....

peace out

First baptism interview

2010-03-24T17:58:00.002-07:00

well, this week has been very interesting.

a lot has happened and it's all kind of funny. so we will start with the most important..... the house. what wound up happening is that the mission office told the immobiliaria (realty), that we were moving and they offered to fix the problems, so as of right now, we are not moving. but as the week went on, the dude who wants to fix the house called and said he was coming on Monday, and so me and my comp stayed in the house so he could come... here comes the funny part... the immobiliaria told the guy to start the work and they would pay him after a day, and so he did that.... then, Tuesday came and the guy still has no money, but comes and still works a little bit, then leaves and says he is not coming back until he gets paid.. and so now we lost the house that we had found, and we are stuck with the old house, but now there is a huge hole in the wall, in the kitchen... it's really funny.. and now we might need to find a house again.. i don't know but it's funny for us...in a very annoying way. but anyways, it makes me laugh a little.

then, also this week, i gave my first baptism interview, it was funny cause there were like 3 people in the interview, and so yeah, i guess we are supposed to be alone there, oh well i didn't know...
but it was weird cause after the zone leader was like, how many people were in the interview, i told him he laughed and told me what i should have done... but ya paso.

OK and lastly, about the area and the work, yeah, the best part. we really haven't had any success, it is kind of like olavaria but richer, and nobody talks to us, it still makes me laugh how people cross the street to not walk by us, then we turn around and they are on the same side as us again, but yeah.

just trying to make the change from the areas, it's a huge difference, and here in the ward most everyone is older, which makes it harder for us. but we will figure it out, the other day we stopped at a bus stop to talk to some people in general, see if any of them would be interested, they ignored us.. but yeah that's the life. we will figure out how to change it. I'm still looking for my family of 7 so yeah. we will see where it all goes... we will have success cause there are a lot of people and so there are a lot of people that have questions..... and we have answers, so yeah.

but yeah, that's pretty much it, it's been weird here so yeah it's going to fun.. oh by the way, just so y'all don't freak out p-day next week will be on Thursday, cause we have zone conference on Wednesday

but yeah, thanks for the love, the support, and all the stuff y'all have given me.. i love y'all and miss y'all....peace out

Finding a new house to live in

2010-03-17T22:35:00.002-07:00

hey y'all, it was a very interesting week.

as far as the work here, we haven't had too much time to work cause we were told we needed to find a house by this Friday. so me and my comp have been doing that the whole time pretty much this week. while passing by some investigators that we already had.... but anyways, about the house, the house has no gas cause somebody reported to the gas company that our house wasn't up to the company's standards and so they cut the gas... we think it was the lady who lives under us, cause she doesn't like mormons, but not important. so we don't have gas or in other words no hot water, no cooking, and no anything with gas... and the mission mom doesn't like her missionary sons to bath in cold water...funny story about this coming up.... but anyways so they said we need to focus all our time to find a house.

but yeah, now the part mom will like, to warm up the water we use an electric water heater, and then use a cup to pour the water on us, but yeah, anyways with this electric thing, well, lets just say i wasn't used to things like that, and put my hand in while it was plugged in and got shocked... yeah it was funny, my hand was twitching for like 2 hours and yeah i finally know what it's like to be tazzed... not that fun.... I'm actually leaving out some details cause don't want mom FREAKING OUT BUT ANYWAYS IN THE END I'M FINE, and of good health.... so funny story right there for u all.....

but yeah, yesterday we got the house, so hopefully we will get in soon. I'm just happy to go back to being a missionary and not a cheap house hunter in beverly hills...... cause the area is really expensive, and the church is really cheap, and people just don't like us, those 3 things made it fun to find a house but anyways...... that's what i have been doing..

to answer some questions, my barrio is caisamar, north east mar del, the part under santa clara. but right now we live on the avenida constitution, and rout 2... around there...

now about the district, there are 6 of us. 3 yanquis, 1 mexican, 1 peruvian, and a argentine. so yeah its a good district.... really. as of right now don't like it cause i like to be chill, kind of like let me do my thing and i let others to their things, and in this like 1 and a half i have had the cane drop of me like 2 or 3 times already... but yeah... stuff happens for a reason, and it's really what we learn from what we are given. so now we will learn as a district. but yeah i don't want it to sound like I'm complaining, cause I'm not, I'm really happy, i just want to go back to finding people not houses.... but now i can so right on....

alright um yeah... so i think that's what i will tell y'all for right now....

i want to say congrats on all the weddings, it sucks i can't be there, but yeah es lo que hay... and for all the birthdays i have missed, sorry and happy birthday to all...

alright peace out love you all... oh and send me emails to this address: bryce.taliercio@myldsmail.net the other one doesn't work anymore.....
cool peace out y'all

Letter to Jason and Amanda

2010-03-17T22:10:00.005-07:00

This is a letter Bryce wrote to his brother Jason, who got married in the Mesa, AZ Temple on 3/12/10. The letter was read during the ring ceremony later that day:

NOW THE MOMENT U HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR

MY AWESOME WEDDING LETTER THING CAUSE I’M THE BEST MAN!!!

Well, I guess today is the big day that Jason and a man duh are finally getting married. Can’t say I’m really surprised it happened so quick... they must really like each other.

But as I was writing this letter I was thinking if I should make it funny, or if I should be serious. Then I realized I needed to ask my comp how to spell serious, and so that answered my question. So here we go.

I don’t know if u all know how Jason met Amanda, but it is really a story of love, hate, and death. But since I’m sure they didn’t tell u, I will tell u all the real story. But for sake of people’s feeling and stuff, I will change names so u don’t know who is involved. So Jason, we will call jay, Amanda will be called a man, and I will be called nobody.

So it all began when jay was playing wallball with his friends, then nobody came and everybody left.... cause everybody hated nobody. That was except for jay and a man. Then nobody said it would be awesome if jay married a man, or at least they should go out or something.

And like always, everybody listened to nobody, and so jay went out with a man. but there were some problems, jay was already dating another girl, who was an Indian voodoo woman, and a man was dating some tall dude, and nobody had a girlfriend, so it was a crazy love triangle of sorts, where nobody was better than everybody.... but anyways jay dumped his girlfriend and a man dumped the other dude, and in the end nobody won, cause he was with his girl longer...

but anyways what happened is tall dude and the crazy Indian voodoo woman joined teams and vowed that nobody would be good enough for them, but nobody said no and they fell of the face of the earth...so let’s just say that’s how that went down, for sake of time... but if you are all wondering about if this story is true or not... nobody knows...

but we are all here for some reason or another, whether it's free food or for some reason we just like Jason and Amanda... it’s a big day for them

So now the big test, do I approve this marriage............. drum roll ..............
...... .......................................................................................................................................................................yes, and as the real head of this family, I say welcome to my family my new sister in law, and I say be happy. Wish I could be there but the mission president said I couldn’t so u all can write him a letter.

So now we have come to the end of this randomly useless letter, but I want u to know I love u all especially Jason and a man duh, and don’t worry I will be back in about a year to bless u all with my presence. And I want a new nephew

ok... stay chill and be cool. Peace out. See u all latter.

ps. I want u to remember nobody cares about u.... = )

ok Jason and Amanda i wrote this part like 2 days ago, and this part is going to be 100% serious... so y'all are getting married and starting a family, just remember the importance of that.. Alright, our family is pretty much one of the very few things we take with us after this life, so don’t mess it up. alright?
.... now with the first part it was a joke, well the parts that are obviously a joke. so yeah, I really am happy for y'all, keep to and once again seriously, want to have a new nephew from you guys. ok?... and so yeah, best of luck.

oh and hey write me i don't care if y'all are getting married it's been a while since i got a letter from either of u.... so love y’all. ok peace out now

love your bro Bryce

District leader in Mar del Plata

2010-03-17T21:59:00.004-07:00

so we just got transfers, and conclusion is...now i'm in mar del plata norte, caisamar area.

my comp is a mexican, Elder Monge, de chiwawa. dont know how to spell that. but yeah, and something even funnier is that I'm district leader now too. It's funny cause im getting all this stuff that i really wouldn't like to do, like this, i like to stay chill and not have any worries, but i guess for now that's not for me. but yeah so that is the way transfers went..

as always after transfers, i think if i left the area better than when i got there, this one i think so. not really sure actually.... now that i think about it i probably will never know, me and bills left it with a lot of investigators, and 2 fechas so we will see how that goes, hopefully it goes well. but yeah...

so my new area is kind of rich so i will need to get used to really big houses and stuff, but i'm excited to see what the Lord has for us to do here,

im also killing my comp, cause it's his last month and a half of the mission. but yeah.. so yeah that was transfers,

pretty much the only really big news was that for transfers i took a 12 hour bus ride from santa rosa to mar del plata, with another elder sleeping on my leg, i kind of wanted to hit him, but I'm a nice guy...

anyways so this is the really big week, everyone is getting married so i hope that everyone enjoys it and that y'all have fun... while I'm here in mar del... jaja... but seriously best wishes.

so yeah peace out y'all

Earthquake and writing the letter for the wedding

2010-03-17T21:51:00.003-07:00

sorry this email will be short, i need to spend time typing something else,

but to answer some questions, about the earthquake, some people said they felt it, to be honest i was sleeping, i didn't even know till some one told us. so yeah everything here is all good on that front. heard it was pretty bad though, but not too sure. but yeah. stuff happens.

as far as the week, it was good, the past few days we have been working hard and we got two people who are good to go, o sea fechas, just need to take them out,

also transfers are this week so we will see what happens, it will be fun, i would like to go back to olavarria if i go but im not picky for now.

so that's the big news for me here, um, i guess this week is really big so happy weddings to everyone, cause there are 3, o sea to jason and amanda, don't forget about me, a guadalupe y olivia felicitaciones, y tambien a isreal y karen. recuerda que el evangelio es el mejor cosa para las familias.

y yeah sorry for the short letter need to do something else, oh yeah thanks for the packages, and the love love ya all...

peace out.

Getting close to the year mark

2010-02-25T17:32:00.001-07:00

hi everyone, this week was good, it was fun, we were walking a lot and luckily we got to p-day, so i could rest... we have been having a lot of exito as of recently, which has been good. so we will see what we can do with that. but yeah, it's also been raining a lot.. which has been weird but nice cause it hasn't been so hot... well enuff of the weekly report update with the weather...

as far as transfers go, we will see, pres. told me or my comp one of us are going, and probably me, but one never knows...

also me and my comp, elder bills, are doing good. he's got me working hard and helps me focus, like any good son on the mission should do, so that's cool. um yeah about what's been going on, all has been well. we are dealing a lot with a new member who went back to his old ways, and we trying to stop him.. and then we got other investigators who are going, it's been funny cause we would drop someone then find someone else. so it's funny how God blesses us, when we try follow things by the book. i really haven't had a testimony of that so much, but now i do, the rules of the mission, are just like the other commandments, ways to receive more blessings, that's why, i figure anyways, that He always throws the blessing, but only a few have the castigo, sorry forgot what that word is in english (punishment). but yeah

so i almost have the year mark on the mission, and well, i have also realized 3 things, one my Spanish is terrible, which i really have no excuse for other than the dang siesta, the second is that i suck at teaching, that will come with time as we teach, and lastly that i haven't change that much personality wise anyways, which is cool, reminds me of a quote i got in a book. where someone told me to be myself, and i will find the people for me to find... and i can say i know that's true, there's a plan we just need to find our part, which is most of the time easy to find, and play it... but yeah

so thanks for everything, i love u all very much and u have all helped me become what I'm becoming so thanks...

ps. i will fix those things, at least the spanish one... cause i suck with it.. ok

peace out

Big week

2010-02-17T18:01:00.002-07:00

this was a big week,

i was supposed to give that class, me and my comp prepared this awesome class, and then the pres got there late so then they canceled the lesson... so yeah that was all good, but yeah,,, so that was some time we lost, but all good....

yesterday was conference, it was good, probably my favorite one as of right now, so that was good...

as far as the area it's going good, we are still teaching a ton of people. the other day we found a lady who was really prepared but i hope we can get her to church, that's the problem we are having is trying to get our investigators to church cause it starts at 9:30 and it starts with sacrament, and here it's hard, and we only have one chance to get them to go, and we cant get to sacrament meeting late. cause people didn't like that, but yeah, so that's the big problem i am having or that we are having, but it's all good. I'm really stocked at the exito we are having right now, so yeah, we just need to get them going a little faster... but igual all is good.....

as far as me and my comp bills, pres already told us one of us is going, and is probably going to be me so we will see where i go after this, i don't want to go, there are still a lot of stuff i want to do here but venga lo que venga....

but me and bills are going good.. actually really well.. so we are being blessed for that... so yeah...

oh yeah, um, this week was really funny cause some really drunk guys stopped us, and was like.... we don't like u all being here, cause ur from the cia... and i was like we're from Canada (cause i always change my country with drunk people) but then he was like oh so where is that state, then after tring to explain for like 5 min, that Canada was a country, he just started going crazy it was funny.... drunk people always make things funny.. makes my day better.... lol

so yeah thanks for the love and the support, and the love..

i miss you all, and peace out

Investigators lost & found

2010-02-17T17:55:00.002-07:00

what's up y'all,

here everything is going well, it was a good week, actually this week we lost more investigators than we got but it's all good, it's funny the big stuff that's happening here is we are actually starting to knock a couple of doors, which is good we have had a little bit of success doing it so it's been good.

but yeah, i dont really have too much to write about today, and i really can't think of anything that was out of the ordinary, it's like always we have a lot of investigators but hard to get them to go cause it's at 9:30, early for them to wake up and hard, cause only one shot to pass by them and get them to go.... but yeah we will figure it out..

yeah, me and my comp are doing good, i love it here in the mission, and am happy to be here, it's been fun and i love it so much... but i know my mom is going to be mad about how short this letter is, but I'm kind of far away.... sorry mom i promise i will write more next time...

i want to thank u to everyone and i love u all. peace out

Missionary life without a phone

2010-02-03T17:36:00.002-07:00

whats up y'all...

this week has been good... but hard cause we had to do everything without a phone, cause the zl took our phone away but still got to work it how the mission, we went old school.... but that made it really hard to find our people, confirm citas and stuff like that... hopefully we will get it back when the zl gets a new one...

but yeah aside from that me and bills also have to give a lesson in zone conference, so that will be fun, and the lesson is on metas (goals), my least favorite thing, i think it's the Lord saying i should care more about that... funny we always get what we need..

as far as people we are teaching right now, we are teaching a ton, but paciencia is what we are looking at right now... so we just help them in anyway we can and we will be blessed... and they will be also... so just work and paciencia...

all in all everything is great here, i have no complaints, I'm focused and doing what i need to do to have success, it's difficult but vale la pena, so i got to do it... i know the blessings will come... so yeah...

a side note. my puppy died, that sucks, mom dad i want another when i get back.... k cool.... jp.... but he was a cool dog, pain in the butt but good dog.

and also today is Jason's birthday, the big 21, funny... u old fart.... keep doing the what's right.., and I'm officially writing that letter cause i got the invite...

i think that is all i've got... so thanks for everything, for the love, the support, and i can never thank y'all enuff... i love u all... keep fighting the good fight.... peace out.

How's life everybody?

2010-01-27T18:40:00.001-07:00

how's life in the best place in the world?....... don't worry i will let u know... haha but all is well still in Santa Rosa, for at least 1 more transfer, so we will try to shake it up a bit... but yeah me and my comp stayed the same, just with a new zone leader but igual its all good.

As far as this last week goes, it was good, doing better, focusing, and we are getting some exito, we will see what we do with the people we are teaching... we are lucky to have a lot of good investigators, we just need to get them in water.. and i believe they can all make it there. so we have really been blessed....

as far as some questions i got, the way i teach is weird, cause i think I'm a terrible teacher, cause i zone out a ton, but so i try to teach with more examples, and stories i have heard or lived.... i was lucky cause i get along great with all the people, and my comp is a stud at teaching even though he is new, so we make a great team... but I'm getting better at teaching but i still suck, but i just try to get the spirit to teach in ways that the investigator can understand, and then the spirit will do the rest... we (me and bills) just do the best we can.... and we do it like that......

oh and by the way, i hate knocking doors, the most useless way to work here, sorry for people who liked knocking doors but here members work best, in my other areas we will see......that was to answer a question, sorry it was random.... but yeah that should answer a few questions...

as far as other things go, I'm excited for this new transfer, we got a lot of people to teach and a lot of exito to have so I'm happy....

oh, another thing about teaching, something i don't really like doing when i teach is "bajar la cana" or "drop the cane" .... it's weird for me... but that was a random thought....

as far as life here everything is great, i love it here, i think I always say that no place i would rather be than right here so I'm stocked, and i know blessings come with effort and obedience, so i could work on both a little more and that will help us get more exito.... i love u all, thanks for the love, the help, advice and everything...... peace out.

It's hot! and Humid!!!!

2010-01-20T18:18:00.003-07:00

whats up everyone

how's life? hope all is good there... this week was good. i was doing a lot better, and yeah....

well, this week we worked a lot and Sunday we had a baptism, he was a son of a member, so he doesn't really count but he wanted me to baptize him, and so I did.

but it was a nice reminder, this next week is transfers, so we will see what changes there are in Santa Rosa. to be honest, don't think i will be going just yet, hopefully i have 1 or 2 more transfers here, but wherever I'm needed i will go, so yeah. but i want to stay. we will see.

but with our investigators we're still are doing well, working a lot, mainly with members and menos. cause i don't knock doors.... loose the animo really quick if i do it... but yeah... we are doing good.

also yesterday there was a big fire here in Santa Rosa, it was kind of cool, i got some pictures but i don't think anybody got hurt cause it's an abandoned building..so that was good.

yeah, here it's hot, and for me: humid, which sucks for next summer cause most of the other areas are more humid... so yeah...

but all in all, i love it here, i complain when it's hot, but i complain when it's cold also....so better, not to complain... working on it...

but thanks for the love and the support, i love it here, nothing i would rather be doing. so aguante Argentina....peace out love y'all

No Fear

2010-01-13T18:24:00.001-07:00

how's life going there? here all is well...

it's been nice having a almost full week to work.... Thursdays was entrevistas con el presidente. it was great... it was really the first time i got to talk to him in a while.. it was great, he helped me a lot...

this last week was bomb, we had 4 investigators in church and hope that we can get 2 fechas soon... one of the guys name is Jesus, he is the father of a recent convert, and is a great guy... hopefully we can get him...

this week was really trunky for me but yeah it's all good. it was my own fault worrying about stupid things, but we were blessed... i also must have been blessed with the best nuevito out of all the newbies, my comp is a straight up stud...
this week was great...

oh someone asked what we do on p-day... really all we do is we get together, everyone who is in santa rosa, and just relax.. its great... then we do cyber..... really there is nothing that happens in particular.. but yeah... example, today we played pool and air-hockey, it was nice... then we play sports like volley or soccer... but that's a pretty normal p day here..... i love it...

something i really learned this week is how quickly i get distracted from my goals.... like this week, but the funny thing is they are always easy things to solve... just focus, and keep to the motto i put for my mission. stay chill, work, and now no fears.... there is a scripture in Romans i love that says if God is with us who is against us... true that... so i just make sure He is on my side and all will go great...

i love the mission...

thanks for all the support and the prayers i really felt like i have been blessed a ton... in everything.. but yeah... so thanks for everything and peace out.....

ps. my comp lost a bet hahaha

Hard week but...es lo que hay

2010-01-07T18:30:00.002-07:00

how's life everyone.... life here in santa rosa is good, i still dig it, as far as the work goes, it's going good, we have lots of people help us, we don't speak that good but es lo que hay... but we're doing good.

to tell u the truth, the week until sunday was really hard for me, not for any reason in particular, just sin ganas.... it was weird but sunday picked it back up, which was a good thing cause sunday and monday were hard days, it was hot, and everything we had planed fell through... but that's the life....

as far as people we are teaching, we are still teaching walter y carolina, but they need to get married, which should be easy cause they are young and have all the papers, but they have been a little hard on us, but they are studs and know that it is true, the other investigators we have are good but they are going kind of slow, but slow and steady as long as they keep commitments we will still go.... but yeah that's the people we're teaching, we have about 7 investigators total that we teach consistently, but yeah we're doing good...

but yeah, other stuff about santa rosa, it's hot.... flipping hot, and it's been really humid o sea it's been a lot worse, but still need to work....

ok, to answer a question about training, it's good, and they always are there to give animo, but sometimes it's hard cause they do stuff that's weird but at least it makes it funny, i almost got him to go on the bus and yell chorizo, when he wanted to get off,,,, that would have been funny, a yanqui yelling chorizo on the bus.... would have made me laugh but yeah that's cool....

i want to say thanks for all the support that y'all are giving me, you all have helped me a ton and thanks.... i love y'all and peace out... y'all

No regrets

2010-01-04T19:12:00.005-07:00

hey everyone, how's life, here in Santa Rosa it's been hot, but nice....

it was fun to be here for Christmas, it was a lot like new years but it was nice... going to be funny to see new years but yeah, I'm happy...

this Sunday we had a baptism, his name was brain a young kid 9 years old, but he is a stud.... and yeah we are still working with a lot of people and are teaching a lot and doing good things here, so we are doing good... me and my comp are good also... so that's good, as of recently my Spanish has been terrible, i think mainly cause I'm speaking more English now, but es lo que hay.....

i have to say that i really always feel bad when i write this things cause i forget what i want to say so yeah but this past week was good.... the baptism worked fine, everything went down without a flaw, something i learned from my last comp bundy.... the capo..... but yeah, so my new comp is really a stud too, he helps a ton when i teach and he is learning, and helping me a ton, do things that i really wouldn't like to do, but the newbees have that way to do that to the people... but yeah it's cool, I'm happy and we are going good.

now that it's new years i want to wish everyone a happy new year, and let's make 2010 better than 2009, should be easy cause, from what i hear about it, there can't get too much worse....jajaja....but we work, chill, and do what we got to do, and we will be blessed, funny that all we need to do to get the blessing is put in our part, but i love it, i know it's true, and with that i just do it, and es lo que hay..... so peace out everyone....make ur goals good and have a great year, i will see y'all next one.....2011. we will make a storm, but until then know I'm happy and loving every minute of it....well sometimes but i got no regrets.... that's all that matters....peace out love you all and just so y'all know the mission address changed now it's

MISION ARGENTINA BAHIA BLANCA
CHACABUCO 1755
8000 Bahi?a Blanca
Buenos Aires
Argentina

alright peace out....
send me stuff..lol but seriously..jk

Christmas in Argentina

2010-01-04T18:58:00.002-07:00

hey, merry Christmas everyone.

sorry I'm writing late, this Wednesday we were in Bahia for the day having a big conference so i won't really be able to write too much today either but yeah..cause it's Thursday....

but yeah me and my new comp, elder bills, are doing good.... he is a stud and like all newbees, has all the desires in the world, which is great cause he helps me be better, obey the rules a lot more... and he is a stud with the scriptures.. it's amazing....

but really, just to sum up this week in 1 word, cause i don't have much time, it would be: miracle.... i was blessed a ton this week to have confidence to know what to say when we are teaching, it's been great... my newbee already has his first baptism this Sunday so that will be great... the kid is 9 so it was really fun trying to teach him, i needed to try to talk in "vos" so he could understand but it was great, he is a stud..... his name is brain...

but yeah... so this week was awesome, me and my comp we get along fine.. and have been crazy blessed, like we found this dude who wanted to get baptized but he was juntado so he couldn't but we found, well, it was actually really funny how we found him but it was great...his name is omar... great man... hopefully we can get him in the water... he still has some things to change, but we all do, and what better to help us change than the gospel... so yeah miracles... it's been a great week...

and yesterday we went to bahia for a super p-day, they rented out a club, so we could play some sports and all that, it was fun, then we had a conference. but yeah... that was about it...

Christmas, here is weird cause it doesn't really feel like it but it will be fun. Christmas day the pres. gave us the day of, and also today we are going to be with a great family. so its cool... but yeah...

i wanted to wish everyone a merry Christmas, and remember that Christ is everything for us... with out him, we got nothing...so yeah.

feliz navidad locos, portense bien, y recuerda porque navidad es importante para nosotros.... peace. i love you all.. and miss u y'all

Training a new comp

2009-12-16T18:17:00.002-07:00

this week I'm in Bahia Blanca.....I didn't get transferred but I had to come here to get my kid.....yep, I'm training..... it's weird, I'm really nervous but got to do my best.... i really don't feel ready to train but me and my comp will have to learn together.... so sorry, i don't have much time to write much, my new comp's name is elder bills, he is from salt lake, Utah.....and I'm his papi. he seems great and like a kid who knows a lot so he will help me teach a lot.....

but this last week was good as bundy went home, and i got to kill him... or so we say... but it was great working with him, he was the best missionary i have seen so I'll try to keep his example.....

then this week on Monday and Tuesday i was without a comp so i was working with a kid called Gabriel, the best recent convert i have seen, he's a great kid and we got a ton done so it was good to be with him...

then today, at 2:40 in the morning i went to the terminal to go to Bahia and here i am..... i got back to Santa a Rosa at 6 or in a little while, so I'm happy to be going back, Bahia is nice, but i feel more at home in Santa Rosa...... mainly cause it's my area....

but yeah, so I'm happy to be training, like i said: i really am nervous, but if God didn't think i could do it i wouldn't be doing it, so that gives me comfort, just going to do my best and keep going with the motto, stay chill and work.... cause for the next year and a half es lo que hay.....

alright sorry for the short letter, i will let u know more about the comp... latter.... alright thank u all i love u and peace out...

oh, about calling for Christmas, buy a calling card for Argentina, and i will call, give y'all the number of the fijo amd then y'all call me back.... i will let y'all know more as we go.... love u all peace

I love the mission!

2009-12-09T17:32:00.002-07:00

wow, sounds like i have missed a lot this week, from stuff that's happened at home... accidents, weddings, and stuff, dang.... oh well... I'm happy y'all are all safe and nobody got hurt hardcore..... but about the Jason accident, first problem...is that Amanda was driving, anyone that's seen her drive knew it was only a matter of time..... just playing...seriously glad to hear about the miracle... right on...

this week was kind of weird, we didn't have the bautizmo on sunday cause he got juntado, but now we just need to get them married and then dunk them, cause they both like the church... God works in mysterious ways.....

this week is kind of laid back cause bundy is going home so he wants to visit some of the people we had but we still work... he is dying great... so that's good, but has had bad luck the last 2 weeks.... but venga lo que venga... we just take it head on and keep going, that's life....

but funny stories we haven't got any, it's kind of getting harder to say what we have been doing cause now we do a lot of service, which is nice cause it keeps me in shape..somewhat.... but yeah.. we have done service like 3 time this last week... i like it. beats knocking doors....

the really only big news is this weekend is transfers so that will be a change i will let y'all know how that goes next week.... probably coming with new rules, cause pres is doing that a lot now but i down with change, and if I'm not, what can i do, so make the best of it.... in the end it works out for the best anyway.. so I'm happy...

i really am sorry i have nothing to write about this week next week i will have a lot hopefully.....

but thanks for the love, the support, the help.....oh and for the packages the pants were great and the airheads were a nice touch... my comp said it makes sense i like airheards, and i told him it made sense he likes sour patch kids....

i love it... its a great experience, i was actually thinking about all the things i have learned and thinking about the stuff i understand now, compared to if i never went on the mission. best blessing i have ever received, seriously things make more sense, and u can see the purpose easier.... i love the mission, hands down no other thing i would rather be doing now than this.... so thanks to everyone who helped me, was there for me, gave advice... y'all helped me make the best decision of my life.....peace out

ps... sorry my spelling sucks

Scared out of my life

2009-12-02T18:10:00.004-07:00

whats up y'all? this week was good...

got cristian baptized and so that was great...... but this week there was a ton of drama in the barrio, with a rumor and the missionaries were in the center of it... so pretty much a lot of this week was damage control cause most of the members love us, and help us a ton.. so yeah...

but cristian bautizmo was kind of funny cause we got there a little late and so did he, but it all came through in the end....

but the funny thing came from yesterday, i got scared out of my life... we were doing divisions in toay, which is just outside of santa rosa, but i was working with the new kid his name is elder gaughan, we were working and talking to this lady and he just dropped, he fainted, and it was terrible, cause i did not know what to do, the lady kept talking, gaughan was on the floor shaking, i was trying to help him but i was yelling at the lady to shut up in english, it was funny. then, after like what seemed a long time, he woke up he was really only down for 5 seconds or out anyways, he was down on the ground for a long time.. but what made the whole thing scarier was that i was in a random city, the only way i knew how to get to the church was walking and he couldn't walk, but i was lucky cause i remembered to ask for the phone from my comp before we left so, i could call the sisters that work in the area but yeah it was fun...not.... all in all everything was great...in the end... but yeah really though. that was the only thing that was interesting from the week.... but its funny how it worked out.....

then our baptism for this sunday, we hope we can teach him everything he needs but we will see, he still has the fecha so hopefully we can get him in the water.... but yeah.....

i really can't think of anything else to say or to write, I'm blank but i want to thank every one for everything without u all i wouldn't be here... i love y'all....peace

Thanksgiving in Argentina

2009-11-27T02:34:00.006-07:00

happy thanksgiving everyone. this week has been really good for us...

this week we set up 2 fechas, 1 with a kid called christian, he's 12 years old, and is capo. when we were teaching him, he said his prayer and prayed that he would go on his mission in the united states...... it was awesome. he's great and at 12 understands a lot of the important stuff. also when we were teaching him one time he started talking about getting married in the temple, with a good mormon girl after his mission... the kid is a stud, and in the barrio there are a bunch of young kids so they will keep strong... so that's a blessing.. his getting baptized this Sunday... i hope.... i have faith..

then our other investigator who's doing great is called Walter, he is 24 and is the tio of a new convert, he's great, we were teaching him and he told us the answer he received, he knows it's true, it was awesome. he is working on stopping to smoke but he can do it easy.... hes a stud too.. his fecha is for 6 of December... so we will get him to that point.

as far as that, this week there was a big storm that made it a little hard to work but we did it. then on Saturday we played soccer with the branch that was fun.... Sunday was a hard one for us cause we only had 73 people in church which is really low for the barrio so we had to visit a lot of members to see how they're doing and why they didn't go.... but that was pretty much the week so far...

oh, we are living with 2 new elders now so four elders in our house so that's nice, we got good company....

me and bundy are doing great, he's going home but he has a saying... it's ok to be trunky if ur working... I'm down, we're working and baptizing....

oh and i have finally decided to put a goal for baptisms for my mission: 33, 3 every transfer till i die. so i will work for that, the more the better....

and as far as thanksgiving here, non existent. But it's all good... but since we are here I'm going to say the things I'm thankful for....

1. me, family, and friends, that's always there for me and loves me and helps, i seriously wouldn't be anywhere without them.

2. my country... it's funny how much u actually miss ur country when ur not there... but dang i love USA.... USA:USA:USA:USA

3. all the hard and bad times i have had in my life and my mission.. they sucked but when i think about it, i learned a ton from it all..

4. all the good times in my life. the bad times make the good times so much better...

5. the suns.... what more can i say, my team is my team and will always be.... i fight with a bunch of ginobli fans here... so keep it up suns.....

6. the gospel (just so y'all know, these are not in order of importance, they're just the things that come into my head). the gospel is everything in my life, i have seen it change lives in ways that only the gospel can. and in my life, it's what i am, i need to work hard, try to live it a little better, but without it i'd be lost, and have nothing.

7. momma and papa, y'all have helped me more than i could ever tell you, i love y'all so much.... and thanks for everything... i will never be able to pay u back for the things u taught me and helped me with...

8. fine, i guess i will have to put my bros and sisters again also... but i won't explain why...if u don't know why....you better ask somebody...jp... nah, i love y'all to.

9. i don't really have 10 things but I'm grateful that the list is almost over. (i really do have a lot more than 10 things, i just can't think of them)

10. I'm grateful for all the blessing i have received, the people i have met and know in the church and for their help in everything.

11. one more for luck. I'm grateful for the book of Mormon, just finished it again, and once again got the assurance that it is, without a doubt, true... i love it cause all u need to do to figure out it is true is read it and ask.... and u get the answer....

well, that's a lot, not everything but a lot, hope y'all are happy with the list. thanks for the love and the support y'all have giving me... peace out..
and happy thanks giving

ps. now that I'm thinking a little better, i skipped a lot of stuff like the mission, water, food, etc.... but yeah, it's all good so bye

Almost better to swim across the street

2009-11-18T15:23:00.005-07:00

well, first day of p-day on Wednesday, kind of weird but es lo que hay...

so some big things happened here the last couple of days, mainly as of tomorrow, i am in Santa Rosa barrio 3 only, not 5, we got 2 new elders who will go to 5 so that makes our job a lot easier, but we leave 5 with a couple who is getting married and getting ready to be baptized. so we're happy about that.

also some other news, is that i love it here in Santa Rosa, it's flipping hot but the people are nicer... so i dig that...

so this week seemed a lot longer cause p-day was on weds. but it was great, in barrio 3 we had a 118 people in church which is a lot cause the average in other barrios are like 50, and in barrio 5 we had 60 so that was good there too.... but pretty much what we did this week was the same old same old... work, and better... we don't knock doors cause the members pretty much do everything.. another reason i love Santa Rosa.

but yeah, really i can't think of anything we did or any good stories... but yeah... i guess to answer some questions.....

first, now my area is above the rail road tracks on the left side, dad, the cross roads of my house are piedras y m. Argentina... hope that helps a little trying to find me.....

also wait, ok good stories...

here some member feel it is necessary to force food down certain missionaries or through....mine... we were eating lunch and i still had food on my plate and she said elder eat more..... and gave me more until i got sick.. for like 2 days.... moral of the story don't eat food.... I'm going to need to start saying no to the people or i will get fatter... I'm already huge but es lo que hay.

also, there was a huge storm and it flooded the streets and me and bundy were in a house teaching, then the lights went out, so it was a weird lesson.... but good, we were in the house for like 2 hours waiting for the storm, then we just left during the storm cause it was late..... but yeah, walking home we hit a crossroad, all the streets were flooded and we could go back and try to find another way or just walk on through.... it didn't look deep so we walked in and got up to my knees, yeah a little deeper than i thought.... but it was funny cause everyone was like mejor nadar para cruzar, or better to swim across.. but yeah...

so that's pretty much everything..... oh wait, i have some big news that might shock everyone that knows about Argentine soccer, before hincha de boca, now hincha de independiente, with velez a close second..... sorry family who like boca, but mom, at least i still hate river so don't worry, but i almost hate boca just as much... long story ...i can tell next week why it changed.... but yeah.... so yeah that's all

right on, thanks for the support and the love, y'all give me.... i love the mission, it's hot, hard, but vale la pena, so we do it... but thanks again love y'all. peace out

PS. don't know why the letter last week came late cause i sent it Monday but yeah, so sorry

Huge changes, grammar and enjoying the journey

2009-11-12T17:26:00.004-07:00

what's up everyone....

one week in santa rosa and one baptism, his name was luis, 11 years old almost 12, and he is re-capo.. but yeah so that was a great way to start the transfer...

but this transfer is going to be weird, cause in the mission there aren't alot of missionaries, and so the pres. didn't want to close areas that were good so he gave some elders 2 areas, and me and my comp have the two areas... like seriously, a third of santa rosa. it's big, and to make it even more fun the 2 barrios we need to work in aren't really the best of friends, and now we are in the middle of everything, but the work goes on, and good things are happening here.

but this week was more getting to know the members and trying to find the balance in working the two areas. the bishops from the wards don't want us working in the other ward.. so it's fun...

but also the people here are a lot nicer, well, at least they say hi, which is really nice after 4 and half months of people avoiding u... but yeah... it's what there is....

but yeah, so this Sunday we went to two sacrament meetings, which was really nice, and i needed to do the welcome speech, and testimony, it was really funny cause everyone said my accent was great but my grammar is terrible... so i need to start working on that, but y'all know me, not a fan of rules especially when it comes to languages.. look at how i spell...

but talking about rules... the pres. made some huge changes this transfer, one being changing p day to Wednesday, so yeah next week's letter is coming on Wednesday, so that Monday we can work, also we can only email from 5 to 6 on Wednesday, so the letter will come later than normal.

also surprise transfers, which is weird, but whatever.... also we plan Thursday not Tuesday, and district meetings are something we will hardly ever do, cause we're not allow to travel...

but yeah so those are some of the changes of the mission.. at first i wasn't that happy but he's the boss and does everything for a reason, so i will do it happily... but those are about that...

to answer some questions about Santa Rosa..

me and my comp elder bundy have two areas, two barrios, and 1/3 of Santa Rosa. also the people here are great the members are great and we don't need to knock doors which is the part i love, they give references and put the citas for us.... which is even more part that i love.

but also the house is piedras 1242, santa rosa, don't know the direction more than that but to find it look for the railroad tracks in right above centro, and my areas are everything above those, there's a big lake in my area that might help y'all find it if u want...dad...

but yeah, so that's pretty much everything.. I'm so happy to be here in santa rosa, and I'm happy for the hard times that i had and that are in store.... the greatest thing that i learned in olavarria, is venga lo que venga difrutalo. and that's going to be the motto, probably, for the rest of my life, stay chill, work, do what u need to do, but enjoy the journey.

and right on... thanks for the love and the support that u have all given me, and sorry for the terrible English, don't worry cause i suck at 2 languages now..lol.. but yeah thanks and peace out..

ps. the next letter will be Wednesday like at 3 or 4 your time so don't freak out mom it will come

Killing my companion

2009-11-02T16:38:00.003-07:00

hey, so the news of the transfer is I'm in Santa Rosa, la pampa now, and my area is huge cause a lot of missionaries went home, cause they finished their missinon, and so i have two barrios in my area right now.. so yeah..

my new comp is elder bundy, who dies this transfer, I'm going to kill him... he was ap when i got to the mission so he is really good and a hard worker...

right now, i don't know much about the area aside from that cause i just got here, so yeah, i will let u know more next week... but yeah, santa rosa, the city so I'm stocked the place i wanted to go.....

but the last week in olavarria was hard, cause i was kind of thinking about the places i could go, while tring to work and all that jazz.. but the highlight of the week was friday when we had a show de talentos... it was great, pretty much everything we did in the week was to build up for that... but yeah, in the show de talentos me and elder lopez sang a song that was about a missionary who got writing off... it was really funny, and the idea of lopez... so we got it on video but can't really send it right now cause all my stuff is packed in the bags so i will try next week...

but then after that there wasn't really much.... but yeah kind of normal..

but I'm happy for my time in olavarria, independecia. i learned a lot and worked hard so yeah... we had success also so it was great, we leave lopez and elder sands, the new comp of lopez, with 2 families that are incomplete and going to get married and are striving for the temple.. I'm cool with that.... it was hard to leave cause olavarria became like home for me, but I'm happy to be in a new area that's really, really big, with new doors.. and new people to meet.

but yeah, so that's pretty much all, sorry not much to say this week....... but next week will be a bit more.. so right on...

oh a note to Jason and Amanda... wow, the big step, engagement... you're both making the biggest best mistake of your lives...lol... nah right on, I'm excited for u, and if u want the speech u need to send me an invitation, and a nice one.... with a note or something like that...I'm happy for y'all and do what u need to do to be happy...

so yeah, thanks all for the love and the support, it's helped me a lot.. so thanks again and i love u all.. peace out

Hard week but loving every minute of the mission

2009-10-26T16:49:00.004-07:00

what's up everyone, hows life going...

here this week was hard for me... mainly cause i was more depressed that I'm going and didn't change anything... yeah, i don't know where I'm going but this is my last p-day in olavarria for now.. the president already told me unless he feels i should stay a little more. but yeah probably not... and so this week we were working hard but like always we never got anything out of it... but so i was all depressed then Sunday came, and church started and we had so many people there, many menos activos, that we had been working with for like 3 or 4 weeks.. gave me so much hope.. and then the president of the branch gave a talk and started to say how lucky the branch was to have 2 good missionaries, and that they can have confidence in us... which before the missionaries didn't have confidence in the brach and viseversa... but it gave me such excitement. and it made me feel so stupid for being depressed. but yeah that was the major spiritual thing of the week.. i guess if we try our best there is always something that will happen that's good....

but yeah, so to answer some questions that i got... no, me and my comp aren't fighting, elder Lopez and me are like great friends, and really have never fought, over anything... it was just that we were kind of both depressed that we were doing everything we could and we thought nothing was coming from it...

but yeah, so this week was a big week for me also cause i got 6 months in the mission, already it's funny cause it's exactly how they say, it's like yesterday i was home, and now I'm here in Argentina preaching what i know is true... pretty awesome....

as far as the mission, so far i have loved every minute of it. yeah,. maybe if i had more exito i would be happier but it will come and if it doesn't it's all good it's the way it's supposed to be....

but yeah so that's everything, sorry this letter is really short, i have a lot of things to do today so not much time but yeah...

i love you all and thanks for the support and the letters. i know I'm bad at writing back but i will try to do it.... alright thanks, and just for kicks, put this letter a little better, if next week i am still in olavarria u all can laugh at me... jk.. but yeah so thanks for everything,, peace out.

PS sorry i didn't answer all your questions.. but what can u do I'm here really far away..lol,.. bye

I still have a way to go but little by little

2009-10-20T17:49:00.006-07:00

alright, i guess i said i would write this in Spanish so hear it is......

como andan mi rama? espero que todo bien, eschuche que ustedes estan haciendo mejor en basketball... tienen que ganar por lo menos uno juego.... pero esta semana era re chistoso porque, tuvimos mas o menos exito, econtremos 5 personas, y una de las personas es re-loca, por ejemplo ella me sanó de leukemia, yeah cancer... ella es re evangelica, pero poco por poco..... wow es mas deficil a escrbir en espanol tan hablarlo... y voy a empezar en ingles..... pero gracias por su apoyo y por todo..

yeah, sorry, i suck at writing in two languages now,

but yeah, this week was interesting in case you didn't catch the cancer thing we found this lady who is really crazy, she says she has written a book like the bible, and goes around healing people, like me. I'm cured! then she said to my comp. I'm going to give u a girlfriend and i was laughing, but kind off upset i get cured from cancer, and she gives my comp a novia... but she is really good and want to learn, it's hard with her cause she is on meds the whole time, but we will see...

it was also kind of funny cause we had some exito but it was really hard to work this week, cause Argentina played Uruguay for the chance to enter a soccer cup and nobody opened the door, and then yesterday was mothers day, and nobody opened either but yeah... it's what there is....

this week elder bowen came and he was pretty much straight forward and said if we want exito we need to obey all the rules, but the meeting was great he is re capo. and the spirit was great during it.. i still have a long way to go until i become a capo but little by little, Rome wasn't built in a day......

oh, if u couldn't tell by me writing in spanglish i stink at spelling but I'm actually speaking alright now, so things are looking up.... we are finding people, working hard, and doing what we need to do.....i guess it goes to show u that patience is a virtue.

but yeah I'm kind of out of things to say so yeah..... thank you everyone for ur support, help, love and everything...i love u all and especially to my family thanks y'all are the best i could have... Peace out

Hard week but things that are easy aren't worth the price

2009-10-16T17:49:00.006-07:00

hey, i know i said i would write this carta in Spanish but it's easier and faster to write it in English as to the point that i don't have much time... lo siento mi rama....

but today was a holiday and so everything was closed till like 3 so now i got no time...

but we had the baptism, yeah, she actually showed up, so we were really stoked, and i got lots of fotos but i forgot the camera, so yeah... sorry y'all... but my comp baptized her and everything was perfect, the only thing is that it doesn't count for the mission, but what do i care it counts for god, so bite it zone leaders...lol....

this week one of the area authorities is coming to olavarria to talk to the missionaries, probably going to bajar the canya but yeah... so everyone is freaking out, and the zone leaders were bugging us trying to get more numbers, which we didn't really have.

this week was hard for me, and elder lopez, we're not fighting, but having no exito is getting to us. and we try to find different ways to do the work, but it's all good, he is really great, hard working elder, rey capo... but yeah, this week was kind of the same old same old, aside from all that.

also i was really sick this week, well, sick for me, and i will tell y'all why.... we went to a member's house and he gave us fish.... and here fish is really expensive so when someone offers u got to eat it so i ate it, and like all argentines "coma mas elders... si le gusta"... and so i had to eat more... then i was sick ever since, but Sunday got better. so all good for now....
but so yeah, mom and dad, i ate fish and got sick, I'm going to start saying I'm allergic, but yeah...

so this week for me was hard but i love it, it's hard but things that are easy aren't worth the price, and almas (souls) are expensive so we fight... but yeah..

this week was also a bad American week, i don't know why but they weren't happy with my pais but i just say nothing or if they make me mad and say "fuera yankee", i just say "fine I'm leaving with my stuff, give me ur car, cause its probably a ford"... jaja I'm weird like that but yeah.

right on y'all, peace out.

sorry the letter was short... wait it was long, hope urt happy mom...

thanks for the support, and the love and the prayers... i love y'all
peace out

Amazing week with General Conference

2009-10-06T14:10:00.004-07:00

this week was amazing, general conference was awesome... all week we were just trying to prepare to get our investegators to the confrence, and to find some new people.... we didn't really find that many new people but yeah, we found one, she is good, danela.. but yeah.....

kind of the story of my mission, hard, but if we don't work, we acomplish nothing. so might as well work and have little exito than do nothing and have none..

but yeah.. conference had so many canyonasos... that at the end of the batlle it was general authorites 20000 to 0.. but yeah, it was probably the best conference that i have had since i actually started to watch them, it was aweseome.....

but yeah..

to answer some question that i know i will get, i watched conference, in spanish 1 and the other times in english.. the rule in the mission is that we can watch it in english if we dont have any investigators there, and so yeah..... but we had 3 investigators.....

but honestly, i started watching the one where elder anderson talked, but he translated his own talk...... not a good idea, great talk but i was laughing so hard that i had to go to watch it in english. if u heard his talk in spanish u know what i'm saying.. maybe... but it was good...

also the conference here is in the afternoon, and preisthood session ended at 7 at night it was good.... breaking the rules, with permision... yeah i'm bad.... just playing... but confrence was great...

the best talk was with elder holland, pres. monson talked about anger, and uchtdorf about love........

but yeah, so that's about all i got for now. really, nothing hapened this week, out of the ordinary........... but one good note, that we should have a bautism at the end of the week unless she decides not to show up... like my last bautizmo....jajaja really not that funny, that was like one of the worse weeks of my life....but if u don't make jokes about stuff, u get depressed thinking about it, so yeah..... 1 bautizmo, really excited for that, hope all goes well...

that's about all i have, i tried to make it really long, i'm not that good at doing that, so sorry

but hey pops happy birthday, honestly i didn't know if it was this month or next month until i saw jason's email, but yeah..... i propably shoudn't have said that, oh well...

thanks for the support and for the love, everyone, thank u. everyone i have known has helped me come this far, i realy can't ever thank u enuff, so thank u......... peace out

en espanol..... mi rama como andan, espero todo esta bien con ustedes, y querro decir que ayer fue uno de los mas trunky dias de mi mision porque cuando eschuche que van a hacer esa fiesta cosa, con la general conferencia yo empece a recordar todo eso dia, pero gracias por todo. la proximo tiempo voy a escribir todo la carta en castellano, y ver si puedo hacer eso.... pero gracias y peace out...

Elders got robbed but we got a "fecha"

2009-10-06T13:44:00.004-07:00

what's up every one...... this week was alright.

right now we don't really have anybody left, cause we needed to drop a lot of our investigators, which is really hard to do but they don't want to progress so chau.....

but hey, good news... we have a fecha.... haha por que somos capos. but her name is valentina, 8 years old, she is the daughter of a menos activo family, but she is really good, and we got the whole family to come back, but aside from that.... it's about all the success that we have had.

we still have some investigators but it's hard, to keep them.... but that's how it is..... little by little, waiting, working to find our family of oro, with 7 people... jaja.. but hopefully we find them... but aside from that not much happened.. with us. we went to azul this past week, it was cool, it's abig city......... it was nice...

but now the good stuff.

last week we were in bolivar, right, and this week they got robbed, at gun point...hahaha.. they are fine but yeah.... but here is the story... the 2 guys tried to enter when they were gone but had no luck so they waited, until they came back and then came in... while one elder, elder sands(norte americano), was in the bathroom, and elder robles(argentino). but one had a jason mask, and the other covered his face, but they robbed everything that was electronic... but they are alright... but yeah, that happened when we were in azul.... but elder sands told me that he didn't understand anything, and so he didn't know what was happening... but yeah..... kind of funny... especially in bolivar. it's a small town, really calm, but so yeah that's the interesting thing that happened here........

this part in spanish para mi rama.... eschuche que ustedes van a tener una equipo de basketball... tenemos que ganar, contra los barrios por que si no ellos van a pensar que nosotros no sabemos como jugar bien...... vamos rama y ganamos contra los gringos......jajaja... pero en serio, el manera para ganar es no dejar que Dan toque la pelota, porque el es el mas peor de todos.... jk......

alright, sorry i suck at writing in spanish, but yeah victory..... if you all win i will send something for everyone on the team from here.... probably an alfajor, porque soy pobre..... sorry for the Spanglish everyone..

but yeah, that's everything that's happened here, we have a fecha, the elders in bolivar got robbed, it's cool here..... can't get much worse than before....thanks for your support and the love, and the prayers....

ph happy birthday liz, yesterday, and amanda i don't know when that was but hey happy birthday to u all, and every one else who had a birthday.. peace out y'all

Our motto: Don't let things stop us

2009-09-22T21:30:00.005-07:00

what's up everyone, how life......

great news I'm am now in olavarria..... same place. guess i must really have some people here for me and elder lopez to find.... but yeah, so far the last week that past by was kind of hard, cause the last transfer we didn't have the success we wanted and everyone was getting on us... and our investigators are all kind of lazy and don't want to attend church.

but like we have been saying venga lo que venga disfruita lo..... and so that's our motto don't let the things stop us.... we have decided that we are going to be a lot more stricter if they don't progress, then we will leave them.... hard but we will need to do..

but this last we has been hard on us cause we felt down cause everyone kept reminding us that we didn't have all that success which really killed us. but yeah... new transfer, new goal.. we're going to burn it... but we also went to bolivar for the last three days of the week cause they had a baptism and my comp needed to interview the lady, but so we did divisions, which was really fun. but yeah......

oh news from the abnormal. last p day we killed a chicken. cause the hermano was afraid to do it and we have an elder from salta.. named elder robles, and he did it, then he prepared the chicken for them to eat. it was cool never saw how they prepare the chickens to eat but really makes me not want to eat chicken... but it was funny, in a weird way, but he tasted good... ate chicken i knew personally..lol.

but yeah that was about all that happened, not really much but we have a new desire to burn olavarria, and make the next pair of elders job alot more harder..haha we are evil like that..... but yeah so that's everything thanks for the support...

oh about transfers, the only elder who left was elder rosas, the zone leader .. but yeah so peace out y'all...

love you all

Patience is the name of the game

2009-09-14T16:46:00.003-07:00

whats up y'all..

this week was a little more calm, i wasn't British anymore, anyways but yeah, it was fun while it lasted... i stop when i said i was British and they say es mas peor, or it's worse it was funny, i was like fine then I'm USA, viva USA hahaha......like a crazy missionary..

but this week was district conference, we tried to get all our investigators to go, so they could see that the church is bigger than what they normally see, but none of them came.. that's a normal problem here, they are lazy and don't want to wake up, or some of them need to work.. but the conference was great. really good turn out, like 400 people, really good.. also got some menos activos to go to the church again. aside from that, not really any success. but I'm happy with that.. something i saw is that as humans we are never happy, always complain about something, or at least me.. but if its cold, we want heat, hot we want more cold...kind of funny....patience is the name of the game, i think. but yeah...

this week we worked hard mainly trying to get our investigators to go to conference, and get some menos activos to go also but yeah, a side from that pretty normal.

but big news coming is transfers and I'm most likely to go, if there are changes, it depends if one of the zone leaders will train a newbie.. if not, i will probably stay, but we will see next week, i will let y'all know... if i got santa rosa here i come...i hope.. but that's that...

as far as things here, all is well, I'm happy, just need to work on my patience and my spelling..lol... but yeah...

so that's pretty much everything happening here, oh, also about transfers now we need to pay for the ticket, to our next area, and the prez. cut some money, but it's all good.. cause u all know I'm a saver when it comes to money i have 3 pesos in my account... filthy rich.. but it's all good. cause i got 50 saved, in my secret hiding place... but yeah...that's about all..

to answer some questions,
first comp is from Mexico city, he's really cool. we work hard, and i don't sleep the siesta anymore, cause i would wake up hung over from a nap, maybe not best word choice but yeah, it's what i got..

oh i get dear elders, and i received the package......the air heads lasted about 5 seconds mom... if u could, in the next package, send 3 cosco packages of air heads... but yeah that's pretty much everything for me...... so yeah..

thanks for the support, and everything.

also want to say viva mexico independence day thing the 15 yeah...

alright, peace, love you all, and thanks for everything

What gold means to me

2009-09-07T07:22:00.003-07:00

hey every one.....

this week was great.... we are still working hard and doing what we need to have some success. and like always with all our investigators something happens so we don't see them, but the gold stays...hahaha....

but yeah one of our gold, she is called vanesa she is like 32 and her dad is putting protests, which is really funny, for us.. but there is always opposition to things...

but i received a question that ask what is gold for me.. here in argentina.. for me it's the person who needs the gospel the most, not necessarily the easiest but we got the thing they need to hear, and will make their lives better. that's gold. and they know u have something different.... gold in Argentina, or at least for me.

our other gold is called oscar, and his family; him we visited and he really needs it, he is having a hard time in life but ain't we all...jk.

oh this week we also had a lady kind of find us... we were lost in the other side of our area,and we asked this lady for direction, and then she started asking questions, and then we went in and taught her family. and her husband ricardo is really good, and she is also.. but we will see what happens, something always does. but we are learning from everything that is happening.. but yeah...

so overall this week was great we worked really hard and are still working with menos activos, but yeah. little by little. the work moves forward.

but also the thing every one said.. the argentina contra brasil game. nah we didn't even see it. we heard about it but we were working and the people we visited didn't even care cause it wasn't on the tv. but yeah we heard about especually now....

right now i hear more about the colombia thing, where usa has some troops in there. every one says hey yankee get out of here, and then i say I'm from london... with a british accent and they shut up....what do i care about that right now.. but yeah good thing happening here in olavarria, if i stay for another transfer here we will baptize every one.... hahhaha...

oh one last thing about santa rosa, that storm is nothing, it was just rain for like 20 min. and everyone was like nahh santa rosa is coming...
but yeah didn't stop us really...

but um yeah i think thats every thing.. still haven't been robbed, or eaten anything really strange that i know of but i don't ask what type of meat I'm eating, i learn from experience... but yeah i gots to go

peace out y'all thanks for the support, and the love.

Striking Gold

2009-09-03T17:58:00.006-07:00

what's up everyone,

this letter is going to be so much better than last weeks, we still haven't baptized katty and to be honest it's looking bad, cause her parents don't really want it, and she doesn't wants to do comunon also so that makes her difficult.... but slow but surely..we will see..

but thse week has been so good. we were working like crazy, and obeying pretty much every rule, and we got some success, not a lot but hey we struck gold...haha... twice, we will see what happens.. i think i have a different version of gold but, hey, it works for me. the first family his name is oscar and cristina and they have 2 kids and the lession we taught them was amazingly good. also the other is 2 women, and they are really good also vanesa, y maggie, the lession with them was really good, also.

we also worked to the point of exhaustion, and it was amazingly hot, well not hot but humid. it was terrible, but fun... but yeah we are still trying to work with menos activos, cause knocking door isn't working so yeah, but that's working a little... but yeah so that's that. but it was an awesome week, well, could be better but hey I'm easily pleased right now..

tuesday we went to tandil, for zone conference, and had the interviews with the president, and it was really good, he is trying to motivate the mission, cause i guess we as a mission aren't doing as good as it could be, for example last week we had 3 baptisms, for the whole mission... but he is a great president and the changes will help us all find success. and tandil is a really pretty town, man we went to the calvery i have a bunch of fotos but i left my camera at the home, so sorry mom, but next week, i will remember. but that was tandil really nice city, but it's really humid there also.

now to try to answer questions a little better, the weather right now is not hot but humid, and santa rosa, a big storm is coming this week so we will see if that messes us up any, hopefully not.. but that's the weather,

now about the food, really i normally eat empanadas or neiocus (gnocchi), i don't know how to spell that so sorry. but yeah, the worst thing i have eaten is morsillo, or i think i ate dog but not sure, i don't ask where the meat comes from cause if I do i will feel bad, for example cerebro, or brain. i have eaten that but i didn't know till after, and it was good until she told me it was brain.. funny how that works but yeah...

also i don't remember the other questions. sorry everyone...

but i want to say thanks for the support, and the love and the emails. it helped me out a lot so thanks, and i love y'all, and peace out

Tough week

2009-08-26T18:34:00.002-07:00

this week pretty much sucked on all bases, the only way it could have been worse was if i got bit by a dog, or something like that.. but yeah, i guess sometimes it's like that.

this week me and my comp, elder lopez, who is really cool, and we work really hard, obey the rules, we are better missionaries, but yeah. but this week we worked so hard and got so many doors slammed in our faces, and only found 1 person who would talk to us, but then he disappeared.

and to make thing worse... yesterday we had a bautizmo, everyone showed up except the girl, katty, who was going to get baptized, and her parents didn't go because they wanted to go a party, so all of us were left hanging but. yeah...

it's kind of funny how bad this week has been for us. but that's how it is, only motivates us more cause we don't really like failure, and so yeah this week we are going to find gold. or knock every door in this city until they answer and let us in. but it was kind of funny cause we tried everything to get inside, we tried to sing, i don't blame them for closing the door on us.....hahahaha but yeah we tried everything doing some jokes, but they must have been bad ones, cause no one laughed but yeah, it will get better, we will work harder.... and next week we will have exito, a lot of exito.....

now to answer some questions i have received, yeah we obey a lot of rules, and the food we get here is almost daily, so it's really good, we are lucky to be in an area where they give us lots of food but yeah.

we also walk a ton cause the president doesn't want us taking remis but yeah also the aps lost their cars hahahaha so they need to walk like the rest of us...haha..

about all the rules that have changed, really the rules didn't change but the standards did. like before we needed 14 new investigators now we only need 6 but the six pretty much only count if they are of gold, but it's good cause we were averaging like 3000 new investigators a month but only 75 bautizmos which is really7 bad ratio. but yeah so that's what has changed more than anything, and all the p-day stuff that i mentioned before.

the mission president is really great, i like him and i think the changes are necessary, and the p-day stuff, if he thinks that's what's best i stand by him.

but yeah so that's been my life this week. work hard, no success and all that but yeah it's all good...it will come in the Lord's time...

alright i want to say i love u all and thanks for everything, happy birthday miguel, and anyone elses b-day that is this week, and yeah peace out

PS i haven't got the package yet

Great week and a better week coming

2009-08-17T17:16:00.004-07:00

hey everyone hows life,

this week was awesome. my new comp. to answer some questions is from ciudad de mexico, he's been here for 9 months and here is really good.

this week we worked hard and obeyed most of the rules..hahaha just playing, we obey the rules but don't make the rules our life, but we are doing good.

ok this week was probably the funniest of my mission, first of all this saturday there was a rock concert like 10 blocks from our house "the callejeros", it was funny cause we could hear the concert from our house and yeah it was weird, but it was funny, and this week we found great people, worked hard and did everything we needed to.

me and elder lopez are going to get along great, and baptize many. um yeah something funny is that the new president is making the changes for the mission right now, some of them are kind of weird but yeah they are the rules, we follow them, we will have exito. but yeah.....most of the changes have to do with p-day, and the standards.. for example one p-day he wants us to stay in our houses, or do the stuff we need to do, like buy stuff, instead of doing stuff as a zone, and to limit travel he says we travel too much which is true, but the changes will work out,

oh and quickly, sorry if this letter isn't making any sense, i cant really think today, sorry y'all......but yeah um good things coming from the mission...i hope, i will explain more next week.... but yeah i want to thank u all for the support everyone has shown me and all that....so thanks i love y'all and yeah peace out.

Same Area, New Comp

2009-08-10T06:43:00.003-07:00

hello! what's up every one? how's life.

my first transfer of the mission and pretty much my half of my zone got changed, we got elderes from bolivar that got whitewashed, and 3 other companionships that got changed.

as for me my new comp, is a mexicano: elder lopez, i still haven't met him cause he arrives at 12:30 today but from what i hear he loves to work and obey the rules, so I'm probably in for a shock but I'm happy.

we will probably have more success but me and elder vizcardo left the area in a great way for elder lopez, we have a fecha her name is katy, she is 8 but is really cool, her parents situation is a little complicated but they support her and like the church so that will be cool.

we also have many other investigators that are progressing slowly. but it's cool. i'm happy for change it's good. and even better is that he is mexicano, and speaks no ingles that's 2 in a row that don't speak ingles. i hope i don't get an american until a year into the mission. but we will see.

um, this week with elder vizcardo he wanted to say good bye so we did that pretty much the whole week while we were teaching our investigators, that we had but we didn't really look for any others, but exito is coming to olavarria i can feel it, we will see.

but all in all, I'm excited for the change, kind of nervous cause i hope it goes all good and it will, cause I'm that cool and humble, lol but yeah....

this week my spanish is picking up, every one says and thinks i have a year in the mission, which is cool, i don't have a problem with it, it's cool and better that way.

but yeah um what else ..............................................................
............. ......................................................................................................... i don't know i'm doing that to make the letter a little longer so y'all will be happy, i don't really know how to make these longer but yeah.....

i'm going to end with this, i'm really happy for the changes that are coming, i loved my papi and he taught me good, and this new comp will teach me good also..................i hope....i guess we will see, i will let u now more next week

sorry these letters are always short, but thanks for the support and the love, and if it's someones b'day feliz b'day from me che too

alright peace out....

ps....i will be obeying more rules i think so yea facebook is probably a thing of the past...sorry but a good thing... love y'all bye

easy to find investigators, hard to find time to teach them

2009-08-03T17:05:00.003-07:00

this week was normal, weather nothing out of the usual, and we just worked and did what we needed to.

the investigators still seem to find us right now, it's awesome, cause we knock doors all the time, and i like it better when they find us. but the lady that found us, her name is maria, she is a tia of one of the new converts in the church, and she is really interested, but now she got a job that makes it hard for us to find a time to teach her, cause she is always working, but she is great. but it seems that this is a normal probably we have no problem finding them, but once we find them something happens so we can't teach them, seriously for every investigator, but we still try.

i guess that's how it is... but this week my spanish was terrible, it was funny i said so many mistakes, that butchered everything, it was funny, but what can u do, but keep speaking and pray it gets better, that's how it is...

also i had intervistas con el presidente, that was funny, every one is in there for like 20 mins i'm in there for 3 mins, it's cause I'm perfect...hahah, but yeah it was nice to talk to him.

but yeah, we also found out that my comp elder vizcardo is probably going, it was funny he was begging that he could stay, actually he was like yelling at the president, everyone could hear him throw the doors. but he said he will go. so vizcardo is saying good bye to every one its funny, but even more funny if he stays. but whatever..

i got some good fotos but cant down load them hopefully latter. but yeah that's about all...

thank you for the support and for everything y'all did for me.
i love y'all, peace out.

The Moral of the Story

2009-07-27T15:42:00.003-07:00

hows life in the nice warm heat of the state i love.

well this week was awesome, we worked hard, really hard, and the weather sucked. i will give you the day by day.. monday sunny, cold but sunny.. tuesday..cold and little rain... wednesday.. freezing and SNOW.. yeah snow. i will talk more about it latter. thurs... sunny..but freezing.. friday...cloudy.. but freezing also.. saturday sunny and nice...but now enuff of that but the snow... i thought it would be really fun, right tracking in snow, yeah for the first 10 mins. it was terrible. windy, snowing, and really cold and humid. and we needed to walk cause we don't have money.. it was fun... not.. but enough of the weather.

this week we worked really hard, and to start the week, we had little, we only found one family, but that was working for 3 days. but then thursday, there was another esfurzo but in the part of olavarria, and we had success like nothing. 20 new investigators for those missionaries, in total. but we were coming back and we were feeling down cause the week was going bad, and we were actually working really hard, not like the other weeks, which made it harder on us. but anyways thurs. night we were coming back from the esfurzo, and we decided to stop at a rotiseria, to buy some food for cena. and it's a place we always go to but when we walk in one of the worker just start talking to us, and sayes he has been looking for a church, cause the other ones just didn't feel right, and that he has seen us in the store but he never had the time to talk to us.... that's music for a missionaries ears.. so we teach him a little but we didn't have much time. so we get his number, his address and all that good stuff, and we head out. right then, the second we walk out the rotiseria, an old investigator, come us and says he has been wanting to talk again.. once again, music to our ears. then we get his stuff, and head to the apartment feeling great....but wait theres more.

friday was somewhat a hard day, no success but still feeling great about thursday. then saturday.. first we got the chance to service, helped this guy put up his techo, but after that we had an appointment with pedro y alejandra, our investigators, the lady who had the gripe, she got better, but we go for the appointment, and they say we want to bring friends so they can hear what you have to say, and they brought like 4 people. it was cool, that they trust us with their friends, and they're not even members.

but the moral of the story i guess is we did our best, and worked hard, and the investigators came to us. it was cool. it's funny how the Lord works sometime, but it taught us something. work work work..... yep..

just so you know church is back here in olavarria, yeahhh. it was nice to go back to church. but yeah that was the week, um yeah thanks for the support, and all the letter and emails, i have received. alright peace out....

ps. people who like the cold, let me say the heat is so much better because you can only put on so much clothes. i know Wednesday to turn my head i needed to turn my body. so what now.....love ya peace

Still no meetings on Sunday

2009-07-21T19:11:00.003-07:00

sorry this letter is going to be short, i wrote the whole letter and was about to send it then the power went out.... i got so mad it was funny, but i wasn't the only one. so that makes me feel better.

so this week was weird, i'm going to start monday, it was a normal p day, kind of boring, cause we never really do much, just play sports and watch church movies but whatever.

then tuesday, wednesday, and thursday. were normal days. just worked the most i could and had a little success not much but it was all good. it was made up from on friday.

friday we had an esfurzo in our area which is when other missionaries in our zone, come to our area to work for 3 hours. we got 10 investigators so that was awesome.

but then saturday we spent the whole time visiting the investigators we didn't met from friday, and visiting some of the investigator we already have, they all seemed to disappear, when we try to invite them to church. except one family, the lady who got the gripe. they couldn't have come. so they have a good excuse. but things work out for the best, example that the lord knows all.

sunday there were only four people including me and my companion elder vizcardo, and the Branch president. and the only person who showed up aside from us was abuela gladys, an old lady who we got, she is a new convert. but it was funny, and better that we couldn't and didn't bring investigators cause it would have been weird for them. now the turn out is mainly for 2 reasons. 1 gripe, the churches are still closed, and the other is cause it was raining, and so nobody came..,, but it was alright no worries.

with all luck the church is going to be open again next week. hopefully...

but yeah so thanks for all the support, and the emails,letters and everything. i love you all and miss you all.
peace out

Life on the other side of the world

2009-07-13T15:30:00.005-07:00

how's life going on the other side of the world?

it's funny, the swine flu thing has some funny phases. phase 1 everyone freaks out, phase 2 nobody cares anymore, phases 3 they freak out some more, and last phase problem solved. here in Argentina they are in between phase 1 and 2. but anyway that's that about that. it's a good thing for missionaries cause everyone is at home, but at the same time some people don't want to open the door, cause they are scared we have the gripe (flu). but anyways that's all I'm going to talk about the gripe, cause it's annoying.

But this week was really cool. p-day we played basketball, and futbol, tuesday we worked alot, found this really great family, but then the wife got the gripe, like 2 days after, so we need to wait till she is better. before we can go back.

but we also found a family of 6. that was all in home and seemed really interested, but that's really all we found.

lots of rejections, but unfortunately for every one who rejects us, it makes my comp, elder vizcardo, want to work harder, and i get a kick out of getting rejected, so it doesn't slow us down.

wednesday was mission conference, it was alright, kind of boring, and there was no food, but it was alright.

then thursday me and elder vizcardo went to Mar del plata cause he needed to get his patriarchal blessing, and there is only two in the mission one in bahia blanca and the other in mar del plata, and we chose mar del plata. it was cool, went to the beach, walked around, a little, then went to the patriarch. it was a little vacation. but 6 hours on a bus to get there, and to get back. but it was cool.i got some pictures i will try to send.

also after that friday we worked some more, that was when we found the family of six, then saturday was a fun day but we didn't actually knock doors, we went to visit some of our investigators, and meet some members.

but anyways, then sunday there was a small meeting for people who don't have the priesthood in their houses at the church. which was fun cause we needed to make it look like there was nobody there cause, right now, it's against the law, or something like that. but it was a good meeting.

oh also funny story i now know why we carry big backpacks, for the dogs, we were walking and this big dog comes and starts barking, looked like it was going to bite me so i took my backpack and nailed the dog, and he went bye bye, it was funny.

now to answer some questions. mom, first of all the city is called bolivar not bolivarria; i was mixing my cities name with that one....that's only for her everyone sorry..... my city is called olavarria, it's kind of a big city, but really not probably the size of tucson, or mesa, cause i don't really know that much about tucson. but anyways, actually i don't know much about mesa either. but anyways it's kind of a poor city, well it is, not kind of it is.

but anyways the food here is good, it doesn't upset my stomach at all, it's really cool,

also it is freezing here, it kind of sucks but whatever. i will get over it.

ummm yeah, hope this letter was longer, better, and all that. thanks for the support, and the love and everything.
peace out

First assignment in Argentina

2009-07-06T20:34:00.005-07:00

so this is the first email I'm doing from Argentina so far all is good, my first comp's name is elder vizcardo, he is from Peru, he is really cool.

but its kind of funny my first week here we only knock on 4 doors, but 2 of them let us in. which was really good for only knocking for doors.

but its not that we are lazy it's just that we had no time. here is what happened. on Monday i left the mtc yeah....i barely got out cause i had a cold, and the doctor wanted me to stay, but i told him that i felt great so he let me go and now I'm in perfect health... then tuesday we got to buenos aires, and we stayed there till about 6 at night. i saw tio, it was really awesome, it made arriving here a lot easier, so I'm happy i saw him. then tuesday night we went to bahia blanca, and stayed there till i arrived in my area, independencia olavarria.

it's a nice area, we always have food to eat. but anyways so friday morning i arrived in my area at like 2 in the morning. then we went around olavarria friday, did some work, then we went to a city called bolavarria cause there was a baptism, and we stayed there till sunday and i got back to my area around 6 at night. but yeah that was pretty much my week. i like my area it's a good place nice people.

it is really cool to be in argentina. um that is really all that happened.

oh wait I'm lyeing, the church here is closed for 2 weeks cause the flu, big problem i cant get a way from it. but hopefully it is only closed for 2 weeks cause if not we can't baptize people, cause they can't attend church. But alot of the missionaries are saying they are having a hard time getting in houses cause the people are paranoid, and don't want to get sick. but yeah i think that's all.

yeah i just want to say congrats to jazmin y zuyapa, sorry if i spelt your names wrong. but that's awesome you decided to get baptized. a

alright i think that's all so yeah talk to y'all next week. peace out thanks for the support, and the love.
peace out again

I know my purpose and why I'm here doing this

2009-06-29T07:55:00.004-07:00

this is my last week at the mtc and all i can say is yea me...... i really think the mtc didn't want me to like it here, with all the swine flu, the gym floor thing, and now the mission presidents. but the mtc failed. i have to say i kind of did like it here. but anyways this week at the mtc my district got to be host missionaries for the new kids, that means that we show them to their rooms, and show them the campus a little. we greet them from their car doors cause they aren't allowed on the campus. but it was funny cause the first kid I had was crying the whole time. he didn't really talk too much. but then the second kid coming in with a mohawk, and wearing sunglasses. so i got like the weirdest kids ever.

But something really cool this week was at the rc we made calls in spanish. it was really cool, and everyone who made a call was like they're so much nicer. it was funny. I didn't really talk to anyone but this kid, and then one lady who told me to call her back. but it was cool.

Well i don't know if i mentioned it but the MTC is on locked down even more than normal cause the mission presidents are here. it's funny, everything is set up for them. but i still haven't met my mission president yet, but i think he might fly down with me if i go this monday. I have to say I'm feeling a little sick so they might not let me know, but i will find out sunday I'm trying to feel better but it's not working. But hopefully i can just go and no worries. either way i will call monday once around 11:30-2 and then maybe between 6-8 or something like that but yeah.............

so i guess i might as well say what i learned at the mtc. i think i learned a lot of stuff like the only difference between a toilet and a urinal is the seat, if lunch is good you eat as much as u can cause dinner will be terrible....lol.. but seriously, i learned a lot but I'm still the same it's weird how it works. Like I'm the same but i know the purpose and everything it really cool. I'm just happy, and can't explain why. and it's kind of funny cause this week went by really slowly. but it was fun.. i don't think I'm making any sense. but do i ever really?
I am really happy i could come and stay as long as i could, and i hope i don't stay any longer....

i want to say thank you to everybody who supported me trough the mtc, cause it will probably be the hardest part of my mission for me. i don't expect the rest to be easy, actually i know it will be more difficult, but like i know my purpose, and why I'm out here doing this now, and i mean like hardcore i know.

But so thanks to everyone for helping me get here. But don't stop the support cause like the support.. ya dig.... But thanks everyone i love you all miss you. cant wait to go to argentina, and hopefully forget english.

alright peace out y'all.

Elder Bednar, the greatest missionary speaker ever

2009-06-18T19:00:00.003-07:00

hey everybody whats up hows life on the outside.

I have some big news as you know my companion was district leader, well guess what now he is a zone leader, and by saying that i'm a zone leader too. Which means i have to inforce the rules. it sucks but i kind of like the power to control everybody in the zone. but so far it has been alright.

Also some big news at the mtc is swine flu. IT is still just as bad, but now everybody is getting used to it, but 2 people from my zone got the swine flu, one just got it today, and he was put into isolation. but i'm still healthy i just hope i don't get sick the week before i go cause if that happens i will be delayed when i got to argentina. but so far no delay.

Also someone really cool came to the MTC this week. just to show u how cool it's the equivalent of if the beattles got back together with the original member (if john lennon wasn't dead), but David Bednar came. He is like the greatest missionary talker ever, him and jeffrey r holland. But when he came everyone started getting really excited, and people where giving each others high fives, which is funny cause it's against the rules, to give high fives, with the whole swine flu thing. BUt it was a great talk. It was about the holy ghost and he just told a bunch of jokes and stories, it was awesome. he told this one story about a missionary who always kept his BOM in his pocket over his heart and one night he got robbed and got shot right where his BOM was. but he was ok cause the bullet stoped in the Isiah chapters in second nefi. if you don't get it sorry, ask someone who does. but it's funny as missionaries everything amuses us, and it's funny.

BUt also sunday we watched the legacy, and that movie is really funny at the MTC because everybody starts cheering when they kiss, and when they are traveling they do some really funny stuff. at least for us.

Oh at the TRC we had to teach missionaries again, cause the swine flu thing nobody wants to come in, it sucked, we did really bad, cause this week is the week where they do a non christian faith thing. but the missionaries, me and elder nielson got where evil. they were people who hatted their families, and everytime we tried to teach them something they said we don't believe in that. They were evil. like if it was really i bet they would have kicked us out or we would have left, but it was hard. BUt the spanish was better than the first one. but they were just evil sister missionaries.

Also at the rc this week i talked to this same girl i talked to a little while ago. like a week ago it was cool, cause i just got to tell her some funny stories about joseph smith, cause she is a member but her parents don't let her go. so she sneaks on the internet to just learn stuff about the gospel, it was cool.

Um that is pretty much everything...............wait no somebody had a birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRISON, HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME AT DISNEY LAND.

alright thanks to everyone for the support and thanks for letters.

Alright peace out. sorry if the spelling is bad on this letter. oh and happy birthday to anybody else who had a birthday.

MOM im sending u a letter hope fully it gets to u soon. i love you

MTC and the swine flu

2009-06-05T17:21:00.004-07:00

Well i guess the MTC doesn't want me to like it here. Cause as some of you may have heard there is a couple of cases of the swine flu here. and because of that the MTC is on lock down. it sucks mainly because i cant play basket ball anymore, again. first the gym floor and now this. I'm never going to be able to play basketball again. But anyways there have been like 5 cases of swine flu and 20 cases of some other flu, but the people with the flu are put into isolation/quarantined. which sounds funny, but oh well. but that's whats up with the swine flu. hopefully i don't turn into a pig.

Also i always forget stuff when i do this email, so i want to say my companion is the DL, which is cool cause its not me. Also we got a new district last week, and they are all going to mexico. so that's cool, they all really cool kids.

Now for the weekly TRC update, let me say it sucked this week cause we were teaching some missionaries from our zone, cause nobody volunteered with the whole swine flu thing. So i guess the swine flu must be pretty big news in the real world if it is still going on. BUt we taught it in spanish(the first lession) which was alright but my mind went blank so i did really bad and my comp, cant really make sense in spanish yet so it was hard. but we did alright for the first lession in spanish.

The At the RC, i finally talked to some one on the phone, and guess what they are getting baptized today, just joking. one guy cussed me out witch was funny. and another lady said she wasn't in the mood. But at least i talked to people. but it was fun.

Yeah um i kind of had everything that i wanted to say on this email planed out but i really forgot, and i didn't bring that paper with me, so ummm yeah. I guess somethings never change right.

Oh right um yo podria escribir esta carta en espanol, pero la verdad es que, no tengo la tiempo para hacerla. y por que todavia no se como spell en espanol. pero gracias por su apoyo, y por toda las cosas ustedes les hacen por mi. ok back to english. yeah i really dont remember what to say. So thank you for all the support, and everything you have done for me.

Don't worry i wont turn in to a pig, but while I'm on this topic i remember a funny story. So alot of the people are paranoid of getting sick cause if you get sick. you get sent to isolation. And they were giving out those air maskes that cover your face. and So it was to the point were if you cough the missionaries will get out of your way. and so i couldn't resist. i got one of those masks and i put it on and pretended to cough, and like everyone one but my companion like started running, and i literally mean running it was funny. oh and also we are not allowed to shake hands, but what me and some of the other people in my district do is put a bunch of hand sanitizer on and hi five each other, that way we don't get swine flu.. but if i get swine flu, i wouldn't be surprised cause of all the jokes i make about it.

But any ways that's all i got. Thanks again por todo. you like the spanglish. Hasta luego.
Peace OUt

mom i want you to know I'm sending a letter that will answer all of your swine flu questions. and don't worry I'm safe and healthy.... love you