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July 13, 2015

Well, this week has been pretty fun!
First of all, Peter is really a good looking baby, you're right he doesn't look like a lizard. I'll be sure to never give him advice or drive him around or try to stop criminals.

Tuesday-we had normal studies and went to a normal district  meeting! It felt so good! We were with Elder Flanagan and Elder Monsalve (the one that had the seizure). Then we went to capital to drop of President's computer so it could get fixed and then went to the offices to get everything ready for the leaders counsel the next day with the zone leaders and sister capacitators.

Wednesday- Elder Monsalve flew home and Elder Flanagan got put with a young man for a few weeks until the transfer is over and we had the leader counsel. It was really good and a bit different to see it from the point of view of an assistant. That happens with a lot of things, I used to think that the assistants knew everything and were just the super bosses of the mission. Maybe they were but I know that isn't how I feel! The spirit really helped me in teaching the part that President assigned me and we got really good participation. We have some really good leaders in the mission! Then it was getting ready for interviews where we have a teaching segment with the missionaries.

Thursday- was the 9 de julio! One of the patriotic holidays of the country, I think it is the day that they got their independence. So because of the holiday we decided to take a road trip with President! We went to the farthest areas of the mission and did interviews there. It was really fun and nice to see the campo.

Friday- we had the trainer and new missionary meeting which was really good and it gives us Aanimo to see all the new missionaries. They really are so good and pure. And then we went to do divisions with some of the zone leaders.

Saturday- we had a really good division with the elders, capos! They are doing a whitewash right now and are just trusting 100 percent in the Lord and seeing a lot of miracles. We learned a lot, taught some really good lessons to some really good investigators and had fun. Then we taught Paula. She is also a capa and is noticeably more happy now. She reads and prays every day and has a baptismal date for the 8th of August.

Sunday- Paula came to church! More progress, I try and get to know the ward members but it is hard since we never see them. Then planning with President.

Since we don't get much prosilyting time, Elder Peterson and I have made goals for doing more contacts in the opportunities we have. We always try to talk on the trains as we travel and in the stations as we wait and stuff like that. It is pretty beneficial and is helping us to lose the "fear of man". Elder Peterson is a great companion and we really are getting along very well and I am learning a lot. He is very humble and it makes it easy to have spiritual experiences. Well I love you all very much

un abrazo
Elder Andrew

It has been an interesting week
July 6, 2015

I can't believe that only a week has passed since last Monday... It sure seems like I've done enough for more than one. Today I filled out in my "mi familia" pamphlet some information about grandma. About what I could remember of her and her life. She really was such a sweet grandma and I could always tell that she loved me. I remembered when she would call all of us "love bugs" and how she saved all the drawings that I made her even if they were pretty lame. She really is an awesome Grandma and I miss her. 
Well on Tuesday we welcomed the new missionaries to the mission! It was a lot of fun and so great to see all the pureness and excited/nervous feelings they all had.
Wednesday we did a few things getting ready for President Nuñez to come and then at night we went and met him at the airport. Crazy that now most of my areas and a lot of my mission friends are in another mission!
Thursday we went to visit the new zones that we got from the west mission and have a mini zone conference with them. They are really good missionaries and are going to be a huge asset to the mission. There was even an Elder from Mesa, Arizona that went to Mountain View High School! He said he knew Grant Huber and his brother. That was my first time I had to teach something, it's pretty normal. I guess what is weird are all the people that ask me questions about rules and such. I feel a little under qualified for this job haha.
Friday we had the district leader training meeting and I got to teach a lot during that. It went really well and we have some very good district leaders in our mission. Then we taught a lesson! Not to other missionaries, with an actual investigator! Her name is Paula. She is really cool!

Well, I'm out of time and tired, although Elder Peterson said I'll just get used to being tired. I love you all with all my heart,


Elder Andrew

Love with stress and sadness from Buenos Aires
June 29, 2015

Well I am sort of disappointed that President ruined the surprise I was going to try and keep my new assignment secret from all of you for as long as I could, but I guess that's okay. Last week when you told me that Grandma had Cancer I had the feeling that she probably wouldn't make it much longer. I guess it is just one of the many tender mercies that the Lord showed me while I passed through that time at home, being able to see Grandma and spend time with her. I remember one morning getting up and talking with her in the kitchen about what she was like growing up. How she met her husbands, how school was and getting married. I feel like I got to know her a bit better and am so grateful for all that she has given me and our family. She is a person so full of love and generosity, I'm glad she passed those traits on to Dad. I'm going to miss her but the plan of salvation really is real. The death and resurrection of the Savior are actual things that happened and changed the course of the eternities. I know that she is in a place free of physical pain and that gives me comfort to know.
Well this last week in Citybell we tried to work hard and get things done. Because of some fighting elders we had to do an un expected intercambio, but I guess if I'm going to be assistant I should get used to fixing problems! On Saturday we went to Chascomus to do a capilla abierta (chapel open house)  which is really far away from the Plata. It was fun and a super lindo (pretty) place, I'll send some pictures next week to you guys.
Elder Corry and Elder Villegas are going to be the assistants in the east mission, so I will be with them until Wednesday and then it is just Elder Peterson and I. I did know him before because we came to Argentina together but because he already knew Spanish. He leaves in 6 weeks. So 6 weeks to learn all that I have to do! Well I've got to go. I love you guys a lot.
Elder Andrew

El tiempo vuela!
June 22, 2015

Weird that my first transfer back in the mission is almost over! I try not to think about the time and just focus on the work, there is a lot to do! We are thinking that my companion and I will probably stay together and if that happens then I will probably end my mission here in CityBell! I'm glad to hear about all the things you are doing to keep busy and the great things that you are accomplishing. I pray for Grandma Donna quite often, please send my love to her, She is a great grandma. Well on Tuesday this week we did an exchange and I stayed in the area hoping that I had learned enough to not get lost. Well turns out I hadn't..... I got lost quite a few times and it was pretty embarrassing but it helped me to learn the area better and humbled me quite a bit. We were still able to get to all the planned visits at least. Tomorrow I stay in the area for another exchange so we'll see if I learned anything! We were able to do some good contacts though and hopefully can do a good follow up to be able to have new investigators. Then on Thursday we went to the sisters area to try and get to know some of their investigators. We taught Gabriel a 17 year old who has been coming to church for about 2 months and still isn't sure about being baptized. His mother is VERY protective as well and she doesn't want him to get baptized yet either, so hopefully we can help them out. After that we couldn't find anyone else to teach but got to know a few of their investigators in their doorways. We are sad the sisters are leaving they really work really hard and hopefully we can keep both of the areas up. The familia Cambilla is doing really well, they are reading and progressing. On Sunday Aldana had to go to the hospital to take care of a friend who got in a motorcycle accident and no-one went to replace here so she couldn't come to church but Alejandro came with us! He really likes church and is learning and participates in the classes which is always good. They both always give very sincere prayers whenever asked to give them. Alejandro even gave the opening prayer in gospel principles class. The familia Mamani are having a few problems in the family of not having unity and a few other things, so it looks like we are going to have to apply what we have been learning with the zone to that family. They didn't go to church on Sunday (probably because it was dia del padre (father's day) and they wanted to celebrate) I just thought "and what about your Padre Celestial don't you think you should celebrate Him!" Of course I don't know exactly why they didn't go, today we'll ask them. On Sunday our quorum president took us to his uncles house so we could teach the uncle and his daughters. We had a short lesson on the Book of Mormon because we didn't have much time but they seemed like really nice people. The uncle's name is Perfecto so what more can you ask for? Shout out to you dad, thank you for raising me in righteousness. Thank you for making the decision with mom to get married and raise a family inside of the gospel. I am grateful that you lead our family with love. You are a great example to me of a worthy priesthood holder and I am very proud to call you Daddy and llevar (carry) the Andrew name. Thank you also for being so humble, I think that is something I need to work on. Even though you often say it, I know even without words that your family is the most important thing for you, thank you. Te amo papá!
I love the rest of you as well!

Elder Andrew