Sister Audrey McBride: Week 72: A Year Makes a Ton of Difference in San Vicente!

I had forgotten how much food the members give us here. They get offended if we don´t eat a lot and this week it was all pastas or pizza or empanadas for lunch- so much wheat! Even with us 5 hermanas to feed, there is no problem with the members. But I am so grateful for their sacrifice for us! Now that it is warming up and San Vicente is pretty safe, Hna. Lopez and I are going running in the mornings to try to maintain our weight, since we can already see that it is impossible to lose.

So a little more about my roommates. They are: Hermana Gardener from Colorado, Hna. Lopez from Mexico, Hna. Gonzalez from Barriloche, Argentina, and my comp Hna. Lopez from Cordoba, Argentina. It is a little crazy to live all together but we all get a long just fine.

Wow a lot has happened this week! On Wednesday we ventured into our new area on our bikes and were able to contact a good amount of people. Remember how it was to move to PA and not know anything about where things are? Well since I worked in the other half of San Vicente before, that was us! We were looking at the map and asking for directions a lot and it is quite an adventure. But it is also exhausting trying to remember all the streets and names of people.

On Thursday I had my last exchange of the mission with Hna Manner, my companion from the MTC! I went to Adrogue for a day and we had a good experience. We were able to remember good times and we went out for ice cream. We both can´t believe how fast the time flew. I was grateful that I never had an affluent area in my mission because it is a little slow as there is almost nobody in the streets and we are left to knock (clap) doors.

On Saturday we had a Gratis Feria (free yard sale) outside of the church with the help of the Relief Society. We contacted the people that came and showed them videos in the chapel about the Savior, the church, and the gospel. It was a great activity and now we have a few more people to teach.

One of the highlights of the week was when we found a family to teach! Thier names are Lucas and Ana and they have 2 kids. We were able to have 2 lessons with them. The second lesson was with Noemi (member) and the Spirit was so strong! They are such amazing people and are so ready to accept the gospel! I think I was the first person from the United States that Ana had ever talked to and she was so amazed that I could speak Spanish. She loves listening to me talk and said she wants an accent like me! haha She is awesome. They have to get married before they can get baptized but their 10 year old daughter can be baptized! They were unable to come to church this week, but we are going to work hard with them so that they can come!

On Sunday I loved going to church and seeing a lot of the members! This week 65 people came and there was 1 new family that had moved in. Also a few of Toby´s (Laura and Brian´s son) friends had been baptized, and 3 families that had been less active in the church came. Laura is the Relief Society president and Brian is a counselor to the branch president. I was so happy to see them serving in their callings! I shared my testimony as is tradition for the new missionaries in the branch. Afterwards many people commented about how much I had progressed since I had left. We had lunch after church with President Pelero (branch president) and he said that San Vicente is really close to being a ward! In the next year they should reach the requirements.

Sunday night we had a Family night with Graciella, Juan, and their sons and it was so great! Hermana Abate and I had found them over a year ago and now their two sons are baptized. They already reserved my last night in Argentina for a going away party in their house. They are such great people!

During the week the other hermanas that we live with contacted a lady on the bus that works in the "Quinta de Peron" that is here in San Vicente. It was the weekend home for Pres. Peron and Evita who was the president of Argentina 3 times and is really famous. It is usually closed on Mondays. But she gave us an exclusive tour of his home to us 5 hermanas and it was so cool! Throughout the tour she asked about what we believe and learned that Mormons are more normal then she thought! We had a free tour of his house and of his huge property that he had. He is buried there too and we were able to see the museum and learn a little more about Argentina´s history.

I am so grateful to be here and be able to have these awesome experiences! I am going to miss it a lot!

Love you!

P.S. Mom that´s awesome that you are getting into shape and riding your bike a lot! We have bikes here too the same purple one that I used here in San Vicente, but half way through the week mine is having problems and now I have to pay to fix it. :( Until then we are riding the bus and walking to get around.