Pictures!

Hellos all!

Well, this week has been long, short, fun, a wet blanket, exciting, boring; there’s pretty much been everything in this last week. Lots of learning, lots of working. We’ve gotten a bunch of new investigators, lost a couple, and had one person in Church. The one who came to Church is Nico. He’s really cool. He made us slingshots and we’re going hunting with him this afternoon. Should be really fun.

I sometimes wonder if it wouldn’t be easier being a missionary somewhere where nobody believes in Christ. All the people here think that they’ve found Christ, so why change? Nobody listens. They all throw out the stupidest excuses. “No, I’m catholic.” Of course, what they mean by “I’m catholic” is “I was baptized at two weeks old, and haven’t gone to mass since. But, I’d be glad to lie to you to get you to stop talking to me.” It’s really frustrating. Mom, the only way I have seen people change (most prominently in myself) is the desire to change. Almost nobody here wants to change. If you say you want to change, but don’t, it’s because you don’t really have the desires to change. Change is hard, but if you have the desires, it’ll beat the hardness.

I’ve started taking a lot more pictures recently, but I’m still not much of a picture taker. I’ll send you a cool picture I took a few weeks ago as we went out into the country to teach someone. We also went to Cerro de la Gloria as a zone, and I have included that picture too. I shrunk the pictures down so that they’d fit in myldsmail.

Sister Stolpe spoke? She must’ve been talking about Cole. I haven’t heard of that kid in a long time. Where’s he serving?

My back is on again, off again with soreness and various aches. Elder Jarvis works on my back from time to time, but not often. It feels great after he works on it, though.

Not much else to say. Hope all is well.

Love,
Will

P.S. My companion is Elder Whiteford from Dewyville, UT.

¡Felíz Día Mamá!

Hello.

New comp, new adventures.

We’ve been working a lot this week. Trying to find people to teach. We taught a 17-year old kid (Alvaro) on Wednesday, but haven’t been able to find him since. We’ve been teaching an 11-year old kid, the brother of a member, and he had a baptismal date for this weekend. Then he didn’t come to Church. The non-member father of a member came to Church yesterday. We put a baptismal date with him. We’ll see how that goes. He’s had all of the missionary lessons various times, but just never really had interest or wanted to stop drinking. This is a big problem here. It’s such a large wine-producing area that people think that it’s a sin not to drink.

Sorry for the short letters, there really hasn’t been much going on. Lots of walking, and that’s about it. I also write less when I’m preoccupied about things and don’t want you worrying about me, so sorry. Often I just can’t think of things to write.

Last week I read a talk by a 70, I don’t remember who, but he quoted 2nd Nephi where it says that by grace ye are saved, after all you can do. He said that very often, all you can do is a lot less than what you think you can do. Kind of interesting.

Mom, if you want to mix me a Christmas CD then you had better do it, and decrease the surplus population! Sorry, my old habit of quoting that line from “A Christmas Carol” is coming back. Just a little way for me to stay sane. But really, make me the CD if you want. If making mix CDs were, in fact, illegal, PCs would not come with CD copying software. Now, it is illegal to sell said copy, as is done here. But, feel free to send me one. Frankly, I don’t see how inappropriate Dad’s CD was. Last year’s had Barenaked Ladies on it. My companion listens all the time to Matisyahu, an orthodox Jew who sings reggae. It’s actually really good stuff with all religious themes.

As for last minute Christmas package wishes, I would like black socks, they’re all very thin here. I’d also like one of those flags you have, Dad. You know, I think it’s the flag of the Holy Priesthood. The ones you were showing off at my open house.

Thanks for your prayers and support.

Love,
Will

P.S. Happy Argentine Mother’s Day (yesterday)!!!

P.P.S. Can't you just set up the.budges@verizon.net on Mom's outlook? Or is that not a family account anymore?

P.P.P.S. My companion just found that kid we couldn't find, Alvaro, here in the Cyber. He still wants us to come by.

Feliz Día de la Raza!

Hellos!

Happy Columbus Day!

Well, not too much happened this week. We had a confirmation, but no baptism. This kid named Oscar Quiroga got baptized the 25th of July, but never came to Church to be confirmed. We got him to come this week though. Good thing, too, because he was about out of time to confirm himself (confirmarse).

It’s transfers on Wednesday. I stay. Elder Ayer goes. Elder Ayer’s trainer comes. Weirdness. It should be fun, though.

Sorry I don’t have much to say. Not much going on. Today’s a holiday, so everything’s closed. We were lucky to find an open cyber. I hope you all keep having fun. Keep working hard. Get your stuff done. Um... What show is Paul in?

Love,
Will

General Conference!

So, it’s been another week.

This week we went way out to the sticks. Fortunately the families we found were amazing and potentially could come to Church. Here’s hoping.

Conference was great. What a way to start on Saturday morning with Elder Scott. Wow. It was all very good. Sunday I felt kinda really sick, but managed to kinda pay attention to Conference. Then the transmission started cutting in and out towards the end. Did President Monson make any startling revelations at the end of the last session, we kinda missed it.

As for me, I’m working, walking, riding the bus. Not much else. Don’t know what you should tell the peoples, Dad, sorry. My companion told me not to tell you anything so that you would tell everybody stories about men offering to shoot dogs.

I got your CD today. It worked on the computer in the offices, but I think I found a fussy part on my cd player. I will do a more thorough investigation and report next week.

I ran into one of Brother Howells’s converts here in Rivadavia on Sunday on the way to Conference. I don’t know her name, but she is now sealed in the Temple and seems to be returning to activity. She asked a lot about him and his family, but I couldn’t tell her much. Let him know she says “hi”.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Until next week.

Love,
Will