Argentina week 9

I had another great week learning so much!

This week was very busy but great!

On Monday the traveling Elders in our area came to stay with us for the week. They are in charge of evaluating the pensions and stuff, and said ours is very poor and they helped us clean and get new stuff. They called people to fix our water. Our pension didn't have hot water, we always showered in the pension of the other elders. Also, our sink was always leaking which was annoying. They got us new shelves, tables, desks, mirrors, utensils, plates, and cooking supplies. Also we have an iron now, and we're getting a new oven and refrigerator this week. And someone is coming to fix our doors, since our bedroom doesn't have a door and our other doors are a little broken.

On Tuesday we had interviews with the President, and cleaned a lot with the traveling elders, and only had a little time at night to visit a less active family.

On Wednesday we had district meeting. My companion was sick after that, so we just cleaned and studied a lot.

On Thursday we did service in the morning moving dirt and had lunch. A lot of our new stuff arrived so we had to move it all in. All of our appointments fell through, but we talked to our progressing investigator Vanesa, and she said she received an answer to her prayers, but was to busy for our lesson. She said she couldn't go to church because her nephew is getting baptized in a different church, but she really wanted to go to church still.

On Friday we had weekly planning and lunch with a less active family. We visited our Ward Mission Leader, who is inactive, and they said they'd go to church, but they didn't :(

Saturday we had service in the morning again, and had a few lessons later.

On Sunday we went to church, and weren't expecting any investigators because they all said they couldn't come. But, last week we went to the farther section of our area because we haven't done much there. The first house we tried contacting happened to have 2 less active girls around 12 years old, living with their mother who isn't a member. They got baptized a few years ago, then moved and weren't active since then. They said we can come back later, but we still haven't had the chance. But Sunday the 2 girls came to church. It's cool to see that we were guided to their house when we didn't know where we were. And then all they needed to come to church was to see us and remember about the church. It's cool how big of an influence we can have on peoples lives as missionaries and members.

Have a great week everyone!

Argentina - 2 months

Another great week this week! The weeks go by fast when we stay busy, and it's great!

My Spanish is continuing to improve alot living with only Spanish Elders. This week, we have the traveling Elders with us. They are a companionship that spends a week at a time with a companionship. So this week our companionship and the other elders living with us will have 3 people.

This week we found a new investigator named Patricia, and our investigator Vanesa is continuing to progress. She always tell us about how happy she is, and we can see it. Her kid is starting to behave more too. Both of them like going to church, and they've gone twice.

On Friday we had scheduled 4 appointments with investigators, and 3 of them weren't there. It's kind of annoying, especially when we call them to make sure they'll be there. But it's alright.

We went to visit a family that is an investigator and a less active. We saw them in the window, and then the kid came out and said they aren't home. My companion told him to tell his parents that we saw them, haha.

On Saturday we went to our Area B to try to find people to teach. We don't go there very often because it's far, but we decided to, and we contacted a few people we are going to try to teach.

On Sunday our investigator Vanesa came to church again and also Pablo and Rocio, who I think I've mentioned before.

This morning we had zone activity again. We we in a bunch of groups playing something like 'Minute to Win it' with a bunch of small games.

Anyways, tomorrow we have zone conference which should be great! I'm looking forward to another great week!

-Elder Severtson

Argentina Week 7

I had another great week this week with my new companion. We're getting a lot done, but the week was very busy.

On tuesday I introduced my companion to alot of members and investigators, and set appointments with alot of them.

Wendnesday we had district meeting, and a few lessons. My companion wasn't feeling good later so we came back to the pension and I studied and cleaned a lot of stuff.

On Thursday all the district leaders had a training in the mission office. Since my companion is district leader, I was on exchanged with 2 other elders, Elder Lowe, and Elder Stevenson. Alot of people were confused between Severtson and Stevenson, haha

On Friday we had training reunion, for all missionaries that are in training. It was pretty cool. Afterwards we only had a little time, so we taught a less active family and that was all.

On Saturday we had a weekly planning in the morning. At night we taught our investigator Vanesa, and had a really good lesson. She told us about how she was baptized in another church, but always felt like something was missing. Her husband left her after her first child was born, and he misbehaves alot, but she told us after we started coming, he's been improving, and we noticed that too. She also told us she used to wake up and cry in the middle of the night because she was so sad, but now she doesn't anymore, ad we've only taught her twice. Its amazing how fast the gospel can change peoples lives.

Anyways, that's all I have for this week. My Spanish and teaching skills are continuing to improve a lot, and I love it here learning so much.

Have a great week!

-Elder Severtson

Argentina week 6

I had another great week this week!

This week was busy because Elder Torres was getting ready to leave.

I was on exchanges for 2 days because missionaries that are leaving get to tour the capital and stuff.

During exchanges, we met a guy that was a murderer in the past, but changed his life because of the bible. It was kinda scary.

I feel like not very much happened, because we had this and General Conference and didn't have alot of time. We did service several times too. We chopped trees and shoveled dirt.

Anyways, I don't have a lot more time to write. I liked General Conference, the last 2 sessions I got to watch in English. I'm downloading the other 3 to watch this week.

My new companion is Elder Orellana, from El Salvador. He's been out for a year.

Anyways, have a great week everyone!

Argentina Week 6 - Answer to more of Dad's Questions

Last week was great! I'm becoming more and more able to understand the people. With my new companion, he doesn't know the area, so it might be a little harder figuring out how to do everything, but I can do it! Yup my confidence is growing lots, it's amazing how much progress is made every week on a mission!

General Conference was great. The first day we had to watch it in spanish so I didn't understand too much. So right now I'm downloading those 2 and preisthood to watch when I have time.

My Spanish is going good. It was hard to understand the talks in spanish, I had to focus a lot on each word, and then I would realize I understood the words, but not the sentences haha. I've improved lots since the MTC, and can carry on a conversation depending on the topic, its easier in 1 on 1 conversations. I'll learn lots living with 3 latino Elders. And I haven't dreamed in Spanish, I'm so tired I don't even know if I have been dreaming, I never remember my dreams.

Yeah, PDay was on Wednesday the other week for a holiday. They have lots of random holidays here its weird.

We usually find investigators from knocking on doors. If we're lucky, we can get a referral from a member, but that's rare. Yeah, we clap our hands outside the doors. Everyone has gates so you can't go to the doors anyways. we usually give them one of the pamphlets, and take their address and come back later because they always say theyre busy. But yeah, my companion does most of the talking, conversations are hard, but teaching and testifying I can do pretty easily, because I know lots of the Gospel related words.

Yup we had transfers, now I'm with Elder Orellana, from El Salvador, has 1 year here, and speaks like no english. But he's great so far.

I can't imagine getting an iPad here, it would be dangerous. I haven't seen anybody here with an iphone. Rarely people have smartphones like android or windows.

I will send some pictures in my big email, and I think Elder Torres has a few that we took his last few days, He said he'll send me them.

We didn't have easter dinner because we were at the stake center for conference from noon to 8 pm. We can't return home then go back because we wouldn't have any time. Easter here is 'semana santa' or 'holy week', it's like 3 days celebration.

I only saw the last 2 sessions I English, but I liked Ballards and Pearsons talks. I didn't hear the opposers.

Have a great week!

-Elder SEvertson