transfer calls

Well this week was the weirdest week of the mission by far.

Transfers are normally 6 weeks, but because of changes in the MTC, this transfer was 7 weeks, and this was week 7, so none of the following was supposed to happen haha.

So we´ve been pretty sick... Colds, coughing, sore throat, all that good stuff. We barely got in one lesson with Pablo on Wednesday but it was good nonetheless. So we had a good chat with him about his small relapse with cigarettes and next thing we know he´s being interviewed on Thursday, and we baptized him on Saturday!!!!!! It was a great experience, really. My first baptism. He has been a great investigator... He really understands everything and there is great support in the ward.

So Sunday was Easter. Nothing special happened, I mean it was great and all. Pablo was confirmed by the bishop. And then we went the the terminal in Centro to say goodbye to Elder Cuessy, he´s done with the mish. Then Sunday night transfer calls rolled around and... yeah.

So I am leaving Retiro. It really was a great area. The news is.... I am going to Cerrito in San Rafael.... way south. So just as the extreme heat of San Juan ends, I will be entering the extreme cold of San Rafael hahaha. My new comp will be Elder Healey. He was in my district back in Cementista, we were basically already comps because our comps at the time were burning really bad. He´s a good friend already. So all is well there. Also, I have been called to be District Leader there in San Rafael. Idk how I feel about that but I know that God will help me...but yeah. Big news huh?? I gotta go 2 hours tomorrow to Mendoza, and then another 3 or so to get to my new area.. pretty pro at packin the bags. The crazy thing is that I have 4 areas already... I mean a lot of missionaries go 4 areas the entire time. Crazy stuff.

Anyway with this news I kinda wanted to stay in Retiro... Haha but luckily we baptized 2 days before hahaahaha. But, I will go and do... whatever president goates commands. But really, I´m excited to be comps with Healey... we are gonna work way hard.

A spiritual thought for the week is the power of the scriptures, or to be more specific the Book of Mormon. Really, the days that I honestly sit down to read the BoM for a reason are the days that go by way better. Some days I get lazy and don´t study very well, but the difference is way real. Preach my gospel says always start study with a prayer... and that´s way true if you actually want to study. So, if you really want your day to go good, read a chapter in the BoM with a purpose in mind, and youll have the spirit with you and also youll have a good day. just a thought.

Well yeah that´s pretty much it. Lots of changes, excitement, etc. Have a great week and be safe!!!!!!! The church is true.

Love,

Elder Anderson

Pablo and some members that came to support.

 

Retiro week 12

Well here comes another update... This week was pretty packed with good stuff. We were way busy like normal and it flew by.

So Wednesday we had Zone Conference, with the zones San Juan and Chimbas. It was pretty great, I mean it´s always pretty awesome when Pres. Goates comes. So we got some pretty great consejo and not to mention a great lunch.

Thursday and Friday we had intercambios with Albardon A, Elder Cuessy and Elder Rodriguez. They came to our pench on Thursday night and it was waaaaay windy, so windy the power went out. We had no idea what to do because at 6:30 it was still completely dark. But then around 8 it came back on. So we went over to Albardon. They have bikes because the area is huge. So I rode a bike for the first time in months. Let me tell you, the seat was way way way hard and my butt still hurts. It was way difficult to ride because it was still way windy. but I made it, haha.

Saturday we had our ward mission activity, that we organized and prepared. It was pretty great. We basically had 2 teams, and they had to compete in a bunch of trivia questions and minute to win it games. Haha one of the questions that really stumped these argentines was How many stars are on the USA flag... haha pretty funny. We had 3 investigators come, and then they all came to church the next day. So that´s good.

Elder Ribeiro has been pretty sick this week... So when we weren´t that busy we were resting quite a bit. I´m starting to get sick as well but not nearly as bad as him. But he should be getting better this week.

San Juan weather: Definitely cooling down... I don´t sweat directly out of the pench.

And this Sunday we will get transfer calls. we are guessing that we are gonna both stay in Retiro but honestly you never now what Pres is gonna do haha. But this transfer has flown by and it´s only getting faster. So that´s that.

Anyway that´s that.... the church is true. Have a good week!!

Love,

Elder Anderson

 

did some service with a member in albardon

intercambio

me with a cat that came in

me throwing a beam of light.

 

March Madness (missionary)

Hello everyone. Today is P day. That means I get to write the fam. What a blessing, really.

Well this week March Madness starts. Let´s all just take a moment of silence because the bracket master is currently residing in Argentina and will be unable to watch the games. But the spirit of March Madness will be in my heart.

Anyway this week went pretty well. We found 2 great new investigators. The first is a woman named Sara who had a near death experience around Christmastime, she was a reference from a member. So we are teaching her the plan of salvation and all is going well there. We also found a woman who has never been taught by mormon missionaries and has a TON of questions about religion, so we taught her the restoration and it was a pretty good lesson. So we are going to be teaching quite a bit these coming weeks, because we´ve found a few solid investigators!!! We are also teaching the boyfriend of a member who is way receptive and has tons of support from his girlfriend´s family (flia rodriguez).

As far as Pablo goes, I´m unsure if he will be able to get baptized this Saturday. We went to his house yesterday unexpectedly and he definitely was smoking. (although he denied it). We had a lesson with him and he confessed to have been smoking and drinking a little. So the date will probably be pushed back even more... But that´s fine, we got plenty of time.

This week was stake conference here in Chimbas. The cool thing about it was that President and Hermana Goates came and gave talks in both the Saturday session and the general session on Sunday. President Goates shared a story about how he was looking for a job, and had an interview for a great job, and during that interview he felt prompted to talk about his mission. Well, he found out he didn´t get the job because he brought that up.  A week later he got a job offer that he said was 10 times better in every aspect... And he firmly believes he is mission president because of that job. Cool story, huh. Also, Hermana Goates gave a talk about being agents, not objects, and started hitting the stake president with a stick in the middle of her talk to prove he is not an object. It was pretty funny.

This transfer is almost over... boy how time has flown. I am really liking it here in Chimbas, San Juan... the weather is cooling down, too. The other day Elder Ribiero and I put on sweaters for our morning work. I assume it is getting warmer up north... good to hear.

Anyway that´s pretty much it for this week... This coming week should fly by as well. One third of the way there... wow hahah how time has flown. Have a great week.

Love, Elder Anderson

ps go utes

chillin in my sweater. in the rain.

we waited out the rain by playing with sticks.

 

our dog

 

Retiro week 10

The mission is going pretty well.  This week was pretty normal, but yeah normal is good. 

Last P day we played soccer like normal. I´ve gotten significantly better at soccer but when you are the only gringo playing it is extremely difficult to do anything... but it´s still fun nonetheless.

Last week we picked up just 1 new investigator, and he is the most catholic man in the world. He´s a really nice guy but he´s just way catholic and kinda hard to teach. He talked about he beliefs for about an hour and then we had to go to lunch.

Saturday night we went to Hno Cifuentes house (he´s from chile) and had root beer floats. they were amazing and it was the first time I have tasted root beer since the MTC. he had some root beer extract from chile and found a recipe. We also watched this mormon documentary called ¨journey of faith¨ which is about a bunch of historians and experts in the Book of mormon explaining the trail that lehi took out of jerusalem. It was a way dope movie... like they know the Book of Mormon way well.

Anyway Pablo did not get baptized on Saturday... things were a little complicated with his job and stuff. so he´ll be baptized the 19th of March (we have stake conference this coming week.) but he gave us dinner last night of papas rellenos (potatoes filled with cheese and meat and stuff). 

Let´s see... a little spiritual thought.... the covenents we make here on earth are infinitely connected with the atonement of Jesus Christ. Without his sacrifice, there would really be no point in anything, because we would be in a lost and fallen state after death. But, because of his sacrifice, his gospel is possible and that enables us to be temple worthy, and make covenants. Pretty cool, huh. The Atonement is way important and we should always include it in our prayers. Yeah.

I think that´s just about it... have a great week and be good!!

Love, 

Elder Anderson

After Church