Number 10!

So I am sure you are wondering what the whole "number 10" thing is about. Well, that just so happens to be the number of investigators that we had in church on Sunday. It was super cool. One of our branch members, the second counselor in fact, brought 8, EIGHT, people from his English class at school. He told us he would go with us to teach all of them this Friday so I am Super STOKED for that. Then we had the father of a member family. His name is Daniel Rodas, he is a way good guy, he said he really does want to get baptized but he is taking things slow, so who know what will happen there, but he is coming to church every week, so there´s that. And then perhaps the best of all, my man Ramon came to church and brought his own investigator with him. Ha-ha, he is so awesome. His friend wasn't able to stay for sacrament meeting but it was cool to have him there. And as for Ramon, he is a stud. He was participating in every class and even volunteered to do things. And to top it off, after sacrament meeting (which this was his first week in church by the way) he told us this (the English translation of what he said at least "I will never miss another Sunday again." I was so so so so happy on Sunday. It was just amazing. And then to top it off we were invited to a barbecue by some members and it was SO good. We have a few other investigators who weren't there. Liliana, who is very promising but just has some issues with her husband being accepting. And then a lady named Norma who is so interested. It was sort of a shot to the heart when she told us she didn't know if she could be baptized and change from being catholic for her whole life. But who knows, anything can happen right? So that is where the investigator situation stands at the moment.

The Work Continues

Not much new going on. It started getting hotter again. So that is fun. But the work is going well. In my interview with the mission president, he told me that this area that I am in is probably the most difficult area to work in and stay motivated in because of it´s history with trucho missionaries here and the lack of member confidence. But we seem to be doing well and it has been difficult, but if it was not it would not be a mission right? But I’m good. The work moves on no matter what people say or do and whether they want to listen or not. I always keep the hope, always keep the faith and always keep smiling. That last one helps a lot.

We never actually went to Salta to do divisions (exchanges) because we were stuck in another cut in the route for 9 hours. (A cut in the route is when the Argentines get upset so they cut trees down and block the road. Usually, it only lasts for 30 or so minutes. This is their way of protesting.)

We got part way down there and then there was a cut in the route. So anyway, we were on the bus waiting for 9 hours before we decided it wasn't worth it. We were able to get our money back though which was good. So we are going down there this weekend instead.

So the work just keeps going on same old same old. We find so many really great investigators, but like I said, they just don´t go to church. And we can only do so much in going to look for them on Sundays because of the size of the area and having to walk. But it´s still going, yeah, it is frustrating sometimes, but you just have to remember that even though you can always be doing more, you can´t do everything. And if you are being righteous and doing what you should, you´ll be blessed sometime down the road for it.

I´m excited for the last week of this transfer because it is general conference. We will get to go down to Tartagal, a bigger city, and watch it down there with all the missionaries from the zone. And then we have transfers the next day, so if one of us leaves, we will just bring everything with us down there. It´ll be fun to see a conference in the mission and get the chance to see it (some of it at least) in Spanish. They set it up in English for the elders who would like to listen in English.

Pictures from Pocitos

Elder Rose in Pocitos tracting from the district president´s home to a barrio (neighborhood) called Lujan


A view from the front window of our pension (apartment), you can see the aduana (customs) and into Bolivia


A big snail we found on the way home one night, this is small compared to the usual size


view of Pocitos from the Cristo at the top of barrio Lujan and Los Cerritos in our area


Elder Rose after a visit to Hermano Ovando, the first counselor in our branch

A Day in the Life of Elder Rose

So a day in the life of a missionary . . . we get up at 7, the rules are different for our mission. Get up at seven and shower to be able to stay awake while studying. Do an hour of personal study then companion study, a little exercise on the pull-up bar or something, then read while studying some Spanish. We usually get breakfast on the street cause if we don't keep food in our pension (apartment) because the ants get to it. So out the door by 10:00 a.m. after companion prayer. On the street depending when we have appointments we will find some people to talk to in centro (middle of town or business district) or knock some doors. Then comes the game of walking and walking to get to our citas (appointments) and see if people are there. We figured out in our area we walk about 6 miles a day. So citas all day long and then in the middle of the day we have lunch with a member. That is the big meal because it is during the siesta. Then back out to work until 9:30 or 10 p.m. if we are in a lesson. Sometimes we have noche de hogars (Family Home Evening) to go to or things we are asked to do like chopping the juju (vines) down behind the church with machetes :) but it is all fun. Back to the pension by the time we have to be there then we usually grab something to eat off the street again and get all of our companionship planning for the next day under way. Then we get ready for bed, figure out what we need for tomorrow, call the zone for their numbers and by that time it is 11 p.m. and time to go to sleep for the next run-around. I love it. It is so busy but so good. I would not have it any other way.

Speaking of all this, we are finding more success lately; we have been able to get some new investigators, revive some old ones and bring some less actives back to church. It has been great. The success is back! I love it.

It´s still raining a bunch here, but it´s cool. I love the rain. We had a cool p-day today. We went down to Aguaray and did an American style barbecue with the zone and then went out and played soccer in the rain. It was a blast.