Week 19- Transferencias!

New Companion: Hermana Molinero (from Tucuman, Argentina)

I am now with my new companion Hermana Molinero! She has 7 months in the mission and is from Tucuman Argentina. We get along great! She is super sassy and funny and talks a lot and quickly too so I believe I am going to learn a lot of Spanish with her. While on the mission she has been having a lot of stomach problems and so far the doctors have said that now she is allergic to wheat, pototoes, onions, and milk. She isn't eating these things and is still having problems and has lost a ton of weight because of it. I am worried for her, but she is really strong and even though she often doesn't feel good, she still works really hard. She has a lot of new perspectives about the mission and I have already learned a lot from her.

As for Aldo Bonzi, I am not crazy about the area yet. I often missed San Vicente and how things used to be in my training. There are pretty parts, but then there are a few "villas" which are neighborhoods that are really poor and dangerous. Seriously it is so sad and the houses are even worse than what I saw in San Vicente. I have to be more alert and remember which parts of the area are dangerous especially at night which wasn't a problem in San Vicente. I wish I could take pictures, but it would not be very smart to take my camera out while we are out and about. Maybe you guys can look on Google maps to get a feel for how poor areas of Argentina are. This week I was trying to learn the area quickly because already on this coming Wednesday I have exchanges and I have to guide the area! I will be with Hermana Walker! Do you and dad still follow her blog?

Anyway, it is a ward here with about 70 active members, but they aren't as supportive of the missionaries. :( We only are fed lunch about half the time which is so frustrating for me we are really tight on money. I really don't want to use my personal money but I might have to this month.

As for the work, we are teaching a lot more than we ever did in San Vicente! People actually let us in. We taught 11 lessons this week and it's looking like we are going to have a person who wants to be baptized this month. This part was great and Hermana Molinero is a fantastic teacher. She knows the scriptures so well and is very clear and direct with the gospel principles in the lessons. 

Some of the lessons that stood out to me: 

We were teaching a 21 year-old less active member whose mother had died from cancer 2 days before. It was really powerful to testify about the Plan of Salvation and give her hope for the future. I couldn't imagine being in her situation. She now lives alone and doesn't have family nearby. Yet, she came to church as well as 2 of our other investigators. Another lesson was an old couple of 82 and 84 years old and the wife was in a wheel chair.  She wanted so badly to be able to walk again and I loved hearing my companion promise her that through the resurrection, her body would be perfect and that she will be able to walk again. 

Another lady was really really poor. She lived in a shack, didn't have light, electricity, or very many belongings and her work was cutting grass by hand. She said she often didn't have food and told us about her life and how difficult it was. Yet she still had so much faith and love for God and that things would be better in the next life. 

Another lesson was with a family that had 4 kids and one was a member so the 11 year old girl helped us teach her family. It was fun to teach the kids and get them excited about the Restoration of the gospel. It reminded me how much I love kids.

Note to Mom:

Okay mom, I talked to more missionaries here and they said that if you go to this link you can send me packages and that it works! http://mymissionarypackagesarg.com/  And for letters the address is

Buenos Aires South Mission

Quintana 447

1846 Adrogue

Buenos Aires Argentina

Here is a list of options I would LOVE to receive in a package from home! (I already bought a backpack this week)

Chocolate- a variety of Hersheys- the candy here is not the same!

Jif Peanut Butter

Exersize DVD- every pench has a DVD player.

Vitamins

sunglassses

a new outfit or two!

and last but now least I would love a CD or DVD of videos of the family or Dean and the other kids singing or something like that! :) If possible :):)