Argentina ~week 43

So this week was pretty interesting, and great!

Tuesday morning we had district meeting like always. Then I was on exchanges with Elder Jones, our zone leader. And we visited a few families in his area.

Wednesday we tried to contact a few people in the morning. and then in the afternoon we returned to our areas. That afternoon we just visited some less active families.

Thursday we celebrated Christmas Eve. We went to visit a few less actives in the morning and then contacted a referral. At night we celebrated Christmas Eve (there they call is Noche Buena, and it's crazy with lots of fireworks and parties) with the Calegari family and has asado. We all had permission to even stay out until 10:30 (same thing for New Year's)

Friday we had to stay in all day except for Lunch and Skype. I studied alot in the morning to get caught up to finish the book of mormon before the end of the year. We had lunch with the Villar family, a really good family who we helped reactivate. But a few days earlier the mother had to go to the hospital so we had lunch with only the father, which was kind of weird. But we had asado again, and it was good. Then we went and skyped with our families, and then went to the church to play soccer.

Saturday my companion was sick all morning, I think from eating so much meat. But in the afternoon we were able to visit a few less active families.

Sunday morning we got our transfer calls. So during church they had me share my testimony. Also, Elba's husband came and he really liked it. He told us that Elba has gone to so many churches, and none of them helped her as much as this one. That night I went around to a few families to say goodbye, and everyone gave us Pan Dulce (Sweet Bread) which is something they only eat in christmas time. I don't like it, but I ate it anyways. At night we visited the Villar family to say goodbye.

This morning we had transfers. My companion Elder Rios, who I just finished training, is going to train now in my old area. And I got sent to El Cruce, which is the same zone I was already in. I'm with Elder Pruner from Canada, who started his mission like 3 weeks ago so neither of us knows the area and we don't have very many people to teach right now. Also, they split an area close to us, so two more elders are living with us: Elder Orellana who was my 2nd companion here, and Elder Espinola, from Paraguay who is as new as my last companion.

Also the wheels on my suitcases are breaking off, which made it very difficult to get to my new area.

Anyways, here are 2 pictures: Us with the Villar Family, and a selfie in our new pension.

Have a great week everyone and a Happy New Year!

-Elder Severtson

Argentina ~week42

I had a great this week today and I'm ready for Christmas!

On Tuesday we had District Meeting, and lunch, then we went to contact a few people then we had mission correlation meeting.

Wednesday we had exchanges with our district leader. I stayed in my area, and he got a flat tire on my companions bike so we had to do a lot of walking. Luckily we were able to contact a less active old lady, and he daughter who isn't a member. We invited her to read the Book of Mormon, and hopefully she will.

Thursday we finished exchanges in the morning. After lunch we went back to visit that family again, but only the older lady was there but it still went well talking to her. Then we visited the kid that we are teaching who's family has been members a long time.

Friday morning we did weekly planning and were cleaning and covering our bikes with tape (they told us to do that so they don't rob us). Then we had lunch with our mission president. He invited with because he lives in our area. He has a really nice house. We took a selfie in his house when nobody was looking, haha :)

Then we had a lesson with an investigator in the church, and that night we had our ward christmas party, and had permission from president to stay a little later and it was awesome.

Saturday we went to the open house with the whole zone in another area. In the morning we all went out to invite a bunch of people. In the afternoon we helped run the open house. Me and my companion had to show everyone where to go. At night the primary kids did a nativity which was cool too!

Sunday I did the confirmation of our investigator who got baptized last week. Her husband came, and liked it alot. The primary christmas program was that day too! Then we had lunch, and visited a couple of less actives and that's it.

Today was our zone activity and we played water balloon capture the flag and ate ice cream!

Anyways, have a great week everyone!

-Elder Severtson

Argentina ~week 41

So this week was awesome, and very busy. But, yesterday we had a baptism so it was all worth it!

Tuesday, we had district meeting. One of the best ones I've had, we played Jeopardy with questions that investigators could have and each team answered with scriptures. I learned quite a few scriptures I can use. Then we taught everything else we needed to, to Elba Gonzalez before the baptism. We had to move the baptism to Sunday because she had to work. Then we had missionary correlation.

Wednesday morning we had the baptismal interview for her. We had lunch with the Villar family, then we went to visit a few more families.

Thursday morning we went to visit a few less actives, then we were called and told that after lunch we had to stay in the pension all day, because the country was changing presidents, and sometimes people go crazy. So I read a bunch in the Book of Mormon.

Friday, my companion had to go do things for his Visa. So we had to get up really early to go to the mission office. I had to go back to my area with another companion, eat lunch and then come back again to pick up my companion at 2. They got back late and I was there until like 6. Then we went to visit the Barrios family. They've been members for a long time, then the son went on his mission to Brazil. During his mission, the daughter died of cancer, and the mom went inactive with the other son. She wasn't mad at the church, just didn't like to go because it reminded her of her daughter. Anyways, the son recently came back from the mission, and he helps us with a lot of stuff. And the family is going to church again. But the other son turned 9 so he has to get the discussions from us, so he's going to be a really easy investigator.

Saturday we had a Tormenta Blanca in the Platanos ward so we all went there to work for a few hours. After that we visited Elba Gonzalez and got everything ready for the baptism.

Sunday, we went to church. During sacrament meeting I played the piano as our mission president's wife sang I need thee every hour. It went really good. After church we had the baptism which was very spiritual. My companion did the baptizing and I will confirm her next week.

I've attached pictures of the baptism and of a bird farm close to our pension which has 2 ostriches if you can see the in the picture.

Have a great week everyone!

-Elder Severtson

Argentina ~week 40

This week was also kind of crazy, lots of things happened.

On Tuesday we had District meeting. Our district changed because President did a few changes in the middle of this transfer. Our district leader went to another area, so right now we are just one big district. That night we went to the church to have missionary correlation meeting. When we entered the church we realized that water had been leaking all week since the incident last sunday. There was about a half inch of water covering the floor of about half the church.

Wednesday we visited a few families in the morning. After lunch we got a call and they told us they were bringing us new bikes from the mission. So that was pretty cool. For about 5 transfers the elders in my area have been asking for new bikes and we finally got them. Then when we went out to work, my companion accidentally got us locked out, because our door needs a key to open from the outside and he left the key on the inside of the door. We had to call the rent owner to come open the door for us.

Thursday morning we went to contact a bunch of old investigators. After lunch we went to visit a few less active families, then went and paid our rent. That afternoon it rained alot, and we visited a less active family that has been progressing alot.

Friday morning we visited our investigator Elba Gonzalez who will be getting baptized this Saturday. We taught her the Law of Chastity and the Word of Wisdom. She had no problem with any of that because she had been living like that all her life. After lunch we did weekly planning, and then had a reunion with all the missionaries of the zone because on the 19th there will be a church open house activity.

Saturday we had organized a service activity for our investigator. We announced it in sacrament meeting, and nobody showed up. Oh well, we were still able to help her just us two. After lunch we visited an old lady who turned out to be and old investigator from 2008. Then we visited another person who was a referral from a member. So they were 2 new investigators.

Sunday we had church. About 30 minutes before it started, they started calling everyone saying we had to go to another building because of the water incident on Tuesday. Luckily our investigator was still able to go. After church our lunch was cancelled, so we ate with the elders of the other ward. We found noodles and cans of meatloaf in our pension so we were able to prepare something. Then we met with Elba and taught he about tithing and fast offerings and she loved the idea of fasting and helping other people because she is the type of person who always helps others.

Anyways it was a great week. We were able to do everything we needed to, even though some crazy things happened. We are grateful for the baptism we will have this saturday and for the very prepared investigator we have.

Have  great week everyone!

-Elder Severtson