Hellos again.
I found it interesting that both Mom and Kelly closed their e-mails with apologies about rambling. I guess we’re just a rambling family. (Flashes of the Muppet Show with Steve Martin fly through my head.) I also found Dad’s comment on how Kelly looked so grown up [in her school's musical] interesting. Everybody who looks at my pictures thinks that 1) Paul is me. 2) Kelly is in her 20s. Weird.
Anyways, news of the week. There isn’t much. I wish that people would leave me alone about Obama, though. 1) It’s a breach of protocol for me to talk about politics. 2) I am here with no way of knowing what’s giong on. I, therefore, have no opinions about Obama so far. 3) This seems to be a week of lists. All I know about Obama is what the Argentines tell me, and I really don’t trust their sources. But it would seem that Obama has shut down Guantanamo Bay. Again, no opinions because I have absolutely no info. So, don’t ask me about it. Next question.
Hmm... I’m sitting here across from a Santeria. Maybe I’ll come home with a Gauchito Gil... I’m not sure what he is. A gaucho. I think that people think he’s a Saint. I don’t think he qualifies. But he’s a kinda cool looking gaucho.
I’ve decided that my area, geographically, is a lot like Provo. We’re up in the foothills of the cordillera. Sometimes I can see a peak with snow. But the area is entirely hills, and thus more difficult to walk all around than my other areas.
I get the suspicion that I will be back in San Juan next transfer, though. It would seem as, maybe, senior comp.
Godoy Cruz is a city in the greater Mendoza area. Kinda like the difference between Pentagon and Crystal Cities. But with more people. And suburbish neighborhoods.
That’s about it for now.
Until next week,
Will
January 26, 2009
January 19, 2009
Special Transfers!
Hello again!
Some news. On Wednesday morning we received a call from the President. Elder Sime’s mother had sent an email saying that he had to be home on Friday because he had two exams to take on Monday. Prez said that he had to be in Mendoza on Thursday with all his stuff. Then the phone got passed to me. I had to go with all my stuff too. “Oh. Okay President.” So, for now, Rawson, Boulevard, and Progreso are closed. Probably to be opened at transfers.
In related news (you’ll see why), Elder Neibaur’s mother took a turn for the worse and he got sent home with three months left. I got sent as his replacement in Estanzuela. Estanzuela is the name of a neighborhood/ward in Godoy Cruz, Mendoza. So now I have been in areas in all three of the provinces in the Mission. Something that not very missionaries get to do.
My new companion is another Latin, Elder Gonzalez from Chile. Our area is by far the smallest area I’ve had yet, but it has the highest Church attendance. Go figure. It is also the only one of my areas that doesn’t touch Cordoba. Related? Maybe…
We have a McDonalds in my area, and apparently the Hipermercado sells Newman’s Own dressings. A little taste of home.
Almost all of the apartments in the mission are populated by one missionary companionship. There are a few exceptions, but not many. We pay the bills, but are reembursed by the office, so the Mission pays. We generally have lunch with members, but when we don’t we make our own stuff/be lazy and order pizza or empanadas or something. More of the making our own . . . pizza gets expensive. Having a native Spanish-speaker as a companion is a very good thing. It makes me improve in the language. It’s not that different, though.
Sorry this is pretty short, but I really don’t have that much else to say. You know how talkative we are in the family. Well, with the exception of Kelly.
So, until next week.
Love,
Will
Some news. On Wednesday morning we received a call from the President. Elder Sime’s mother had sent an email saying that he had to be home on Friday because he had two exams to take on Monday. Prez said that he had to be in Mendoza on Thursday with all his stuff. Then the phone got passed to me. I had to go with all my stuff too. “Oh. Okay President.” So, for now, Rawson, Boulevard, and Progreso are closed. Probably to be opened at transfers.
In related news (you’ll see why), Elder Neibaur’s mother took a turn for the worse and he got sent home with three months left. I got sent as his replacement in Estanzuela. Estanzuela is the name of a neighborhood/ward in Godoy Cruz, Mendoza. So now I have been in areas in all three of the provinces in the Mission. Something that not very missionaries get to do.
My new companion is another Latin, Elder Gonzalez from Chile. Our area is by far the smallest area I’ve had yet, but it has the highest Church attendance. Go figure. It is also the only one of my areas that doesn’t touch Cordoba. Related? Maybe…
We have a McDonalds in my area, and apparently the Hipermercado sells Newman’s Own dressings. A little taste of home.
Almost all of the apartments in the mission are populated by one missionary companionship. There are a few exceptions, but not many. We pay the bills, but are reembursed by the office, so the Mission pays. We generally have lunch with members, but when we don’t we make our own stuff/be lazy and order pizza or empanadas or something. More of the making our own . . . pizza gets expensive. Having a native Spanish-speaker as a companion is a very good thing. It makes me improve in the language. It’s not that different, though.
Sorry this is pretty short, but I really don’t have that much else to say. You know how talkative we are in the family. Well, with the exception of Kelly.
So, until next week.
Love,
Will
January 13, 2009
"My brain's shot"
Hello,
Sorry there’s not going to be much this time, I have a lot on my mind and can’t think straight.
This last week the Assistants came to work in my area. This is the second time in six weeks that I’ve worked with an Assistant. How unusual. But it was good. I got to know the area (well, part of it anyway) really well.
The reason that the last few times I wrote on Tuesday are as follows. The Christmas party was on a Monday. Transfers were on a Monday. Zone Conference was on a Monday. But now I get my regular P-day back.
My brain’s shot and I have about forty-five minutes to come to a state of being able to work, so I’ll finish here.
More next week,
Will
Sorry there’s not going to be much this time, I have a lot on my mind and can’t think straight.
This last week the Assistants came to work in my area. This is the second time in six weeks that I’ve worked with an Assistant. How unusual. But it was good. I got to know the area (well, part of it anyway) really well.
The reason that the last few times I wrote on Tuesday are as follows. The Christmas party was on a Monday. Transfers were on a Monday. Zone Conference was on a Monday. But now I get my regular P-day back.
My brain’s shot and I have about forty-five minutes to come to a state of being able to work, so I’ll finish here.
More next week,
Will
January 6, 2009
Sun, Sun, Sun
Hello again!
The sun is very strong here. I’ve got a nice peeling burn on the back of my neck from playing soccer last P-day. And then the whole zone (well, almost) got together this morning to play.
I did get a letter from the Bishop family yesterday. Feel free to tell them that I appreciate the thought and like the pictures.
New Years was interesting. We invited the Elders from Centro (our district leader) over to celebrate and spend the night. He didn’t want to. He felt kinda sick and no doubt was afraid of getting lost. But we went and bought a small little firework to celebrate. Nobody got hurt. Although we did have a neighbor who was throwing rather bomb-like firecrackers at passersby yelling “Happy new year!” For about an hour before the festivities (midnight) we were busy fighting off a dog that wanted very badly to get into the apartment. It just kept coming and coming. We brought out a squeegee to push it back, but it wouldn’t go. Finally it spotted another family going into their apartment and decided to try there.
I’m still getting to know the new area. I now feel the pain of the missionaries who come into a new area where we live. At least here everything is on a grid.
Not much else to report. I’ll write again next week.
Love,
Will
The sun is very strong here. I’ve got a nice peeling burn on the back of my neck from playing soccer last P-day. And then the whole zone (well, almost) got together this morning to play.
I did get a letter from the Bishop family yesterday. Feel free to tell them that I appreciate the thought and like the pictures.
New Years was interesting. We invited the Elders from Centro (our district leader) over to celebrate and spend the night. He didn’t want to. He felt kinda sick and no doubt was afraid of getting lost. But we went and bought a small little firework to celebrate. Nobody got hurt. Although we did have a neighbor who was throwing rather bomb-like firecrackers at passersby yelling “Happy new year!” For about an hour before the festivities (midnight) we were busy fighting off a dog that wanted very badly to get into the apartment. It just kept coming and coming. We brought out a squeegee to push it back, but it wouldn’t go. Finally it spotted another family going into their apartment and decided to try there.
I’m still getting to know the new area. I now feel the pain of the missionaries who come into a new area where we live. At least here everything is on a grid.
Not much else to report. I’ll write again next week.
Love,
Will
December 30, 2008
Greetings From San Juan!
Hello again,
Not too much to report since Christmas. I still hate travel, but it wasn’t too bad because I got a direct bus. Oh, I’m in the province of San Juan now. The province that is famous for its heat. Yesterday wasn’t too bad, but today’s heating up nicely. Keeping on the positive side of things, I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to the sun. I’m in an area called Rawson, Boulevard, and Progreso. A ward, branch, and branch. Yup, three Church meetings that I get to go to. Fortunately there’s just one building. But the area is huge. Makes sense since it’s really three areas.
My companion is Elder Sime. His name may be Welsh, but his is from Peru. This is his last transfer so we’re trying to work hard and have lots of fun.
This is really the first time in my four and a half months in Argentina where I have seen any of the Elders from my MTC district. There are two of them in my Zone now.
Thanks for the picture [of the jackalope]. I’ll be sure to use it.
Don’t really have that much more to say. More next week.
Love,
Elder Will Budge
Not too much to report since Christmas. I still hate travel, but it wasn’t too bad because I got a direct bus. Oh, I’m in the province of San Juan now. The province that is famous for its heat. Yesterday wasn’t too bad, but today’s heating up nicely. Keeping on the positive side of things, I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to the sun. I’m in an area called Rawson, Boulevard, and Progreso. A ward, branch, and branch. Yup, three Church meetings that I get to go to. Fortunately there’s just one building. But the area is huge. Makes sense since it’s really three areas.
My companion is Elder Sime. His name may be Welsh, but his is from Peru. This is his last transfer so we’re trying to work hard and have lots of fun.
This is really the first time in my four and a half months in Argentina where I have seen any of the Elders from my MTC district. There are two of them in my Zone now.
Thanks for the picture [of the jackalope]. I’ll be sure to use it.
Don’t really have that much more to say. More next week.
Love,
Elder Will Budge
December 23, 2008
¡Felices Fiestas!
Hello again. Merry Christmas! ¡Felices Fiestas!
Felices fiestas. Happy parties. Yup, that’s Argentina. Continuing to take Christ out of everything including the Catholic Church.
It’s been really rainy lately. This seems to be because of the Calle Angustia festival. The story is this:
One day they moved the Virgin of the Calle Angustia. She got upset. So, now it rains every year during the festival so that nobody can party.
Fun story. I don’t think I’ve seen so much idolatry in my life. Well, with actual idols and all. I was reading the Bible Dictionary and something in the entry for Diana struck me as very familiar. You should read it. The description of the shrines for Diana is the exact description of every single Virgin that is outside every single house in Argentina. Maybe Paul needs to come here too...
Anyways, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, it’s Tuesday. It’s because my zone had the Christmas party in Mendoza yesterday. That was pretty fun. Santa came. We all got ties with cuff links and hankies. Too bad I don’t know any missionary with french cuffs. Maybe I’ll have to punch another hole in one of my long-sleeve shirts.
I got the package all right. Spent $70 on it. That’s pesos. I don’t know the current exchange rate, so you can figure it out. The CD made it fine. I was listening to it this morning. Some of the songs are not happy. Some on the Barenaked ladies one, the last three on the Rockapella. I don’t know what else. But thanks anyway, it’s great to have some Christmas music in this time where the only indication of Christmas (for me) is the fact that it is December 23rd.
As for the phone call, I’ll be calling at about 8 PM Argentina (not Buenos Aires) time. So that will probably be at about 6 or 7 your time. I think 6 with the time change, only Buenos Aires changed. Really they want the parents to call the cell phone in the pench, but that’s complicated and I don’t really know how it works. Cell phones in Argentina have really weird numbering things that get very complicated when calling one from outside Argentina. So, I’ll just go to a Locutorio and call you guys. I’ll be able to talk for about 45 minutes.
Oh! I would like a picture of the jackalope. I’ve been telling investigators about them and they want to see proof of their existence.
Other than that, I don’t think there’s much other news. The President confirmed that I’m out of Mercedes next transfer, but I don’t know where yet. So, the next time you hear... get an email from me it’ll be from somewhere else. That will also be on a Tuesday because transfers are on Monday.
Love,
Will
Felices fiestas. Happy parties. Yup, that’s Argentina. Continuing to take Christ out of everything including the Catholic Church.
It’s been really rainy lately. This seems to be because of the Calle Angustia festival. The story is this:
One day they moved the Virgin of the Calle Angustia. She got upset. So, now it rains every year during the festival so that nobody can party.
Fun story. I don’t think I’ve seen so much idolatry in my life. Well, with actual idols and all. I was reading the Bible Dictionary and something in the entry for Diana struck me as very familiar. You should read it. The description of the shrines for Diana is the exact description of every single Virgin that is outside every single house in Argentina. Maybe Paul needs to come here too...
Anyways, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, it’s Tuesday. It’s because my zone had the Christmas party in Mendoza yesterday. That was pretty fun. Santa came. We all got ties with cuff links and hankies. Too bad I don’t know any missionary with french cuffs. Maybe I’ll have to punch another hole in one of my long-sleeve shirts.
I got the package all right. Spent $70 on it. That’s pesos. I don’t know the current exchange rate, so you can figure it out. The CD made it fine. I was listening to it this morning. Some of the songs are not happy. Some on the Barenaked ladies one, the last three on the Rockapella. I don’t know what else. But thanks anyway, it’s great to have some Christmas music in this time where the only indication of Christmas (for me) is the fact that it is December 23rd.
As for the phone call, I’ll be calling at about 8 PM Argentina (not Buenos Aires) time. So that will probably be at about 6 or 7 your time. I think 6 with the time change, only Buenos Aires changed. Really they want the parents to call the cell phone in the pench, but that’s complicated and I don’t really know how it works. Cell phones in Argentina have really weird numbering things that get very complicated when calling one from outside Argentina. So, I’ll just go to a Locutorio and call you guys. I’ll be able to talk for about 45 minutes.
Oh! I would like a picture of the jackalope. I’ve been telling investigators about them and they want to see proof of their existence.
Other than that, I don’t think there’s much other news. The President confirmed that I’m out of Mercedes next transfer, but I don’t know where yet. So, the next time you hear... get an email from me it’ll be from somewhere else. That will also be on a Tuesday because transfers are on Monday.
Love,
Will
December 15, 2008
Rain, I Don't Mind. (Five points to who can get that quote)
Hello again!
Well, it was another long week. And a wet one too. Turns out that I bought shoes out of a leather that just lets the water in. But that’s actually a good thing for how much rain we’ve had. Each time it’s rained like that the streets have turned into rivers. A couple times we were up to our knees. And the thing with shoes that let the water in is that they also let the water out. But we are off to the Center today to buy Grandma’s shoes, and we will make sure that those ones are waterproof.
It was the Stake Conference last Sunday. That was really cool. President and Sister Lindahl spoke. Then there was another guest speaker: Elder Zivic of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and of the Area Presidency. They were great talks. Elder Zivic was sure dropping a lot of cain on the members about retention and reactivation. But that’s good.
I’m glad that you all seem to be enjoying yourselves. And I’m glad that Andrew Yip is thinking about a mission. Last I talked to him he wasn’t.
Mom, a favor please. I could do with some recipes. Specifically your chocolate chip cookies. And your email made me think that your peanut butter balls would be good too. Of course that one depends on being able to get peanut butter. I bet I could use crema de Bon O Bon, though...
Anyway, it’s time to move on. We’re treating the rest of our district to Sloppy Joes today, and I want to see the Argentines freak out because it’s too spicy (Argentines would think that the mildest Taco Bell taco without any sauce would be too spicy). But maybe they’ll like it.
Oh. There’s an Elder in my district from Buenos Aires and he looks just like Billy Nixon. Weird.
Well, that’s all for this week.
Love,
Elder Will Budge
Well, it was another long week. And a wet one too. Turns out that I bought shoes out of a leather that just lets the water in. But that’s actually a good thing for how much rain we’ve had. Each time it’s rained like that the streets have turned into rivers. A couple times we were up to our knees. And the thing with shoes that let the water in is that they also let the water out. But we are off to the Center today to buy Grandma’s shoes, and we will make sure that those ones are waterproof.
It was the Stake Conference last Sunday. That was really cool. President and Sister Lindahl spoke. Then there was another guest speaker: Elder Zivic of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and of the Area Presidency. They were great talks. Elder Zivic was sure dropping a lot of cain on the members about retention and reactivation. But that’s good.
I’m glad that you all seem to be enjoying yourselves. And I’m glad that Andrew Yip is thinking about a mission. Last I talked to him he wasn’t.
Mom, a favor please. I could do with some recipes. Specifically your chocolate chip cookies. And your email made me think that your peanut butter balls would be good too. Of course that one depends on being able to get peanut butter. I bet I could use crema de Bon O Bon, though...
Anyway, it’s time to move on. We’re treating the rest of our district to Sloppy Joes today, and I want to see the Argentines freak out because it’s too spicy (Argentines would think that the mildest Taco Bell taco without any sauce would be too spicy). But maybe they’ll like it.
Oh. There’s an Elder in my district from Buenos Aires and he looks just like Billy Nixon. Weird.
Well, that’s all for this week.
Love,
Elder Will Budge
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
