Week 44: Eldorado, Argentina

This week was pretty good. It rained every single day, so that kinda stunk, haha, but it wasn't bad. I did divisones with the assistants on my birthday and then stayed up kinda late eating tons of ice cream, haha. But Zulma is doing well, she says she wants to get married in the temple, but isn't really sure about baptism yet.......... haha. And we found another 16 year old kid who is super cool who came to church yesterday, so that was good. We found him in a new part of our area that we are exploring. And yeah I wear my coat sometimes, sometimes the sweater, the problem is my shoes because they are always wet and they take a while to dry. They are breaking a little, I feel like I'll need to buy some new ones in a few months. And the food here in Argentina is pretty normal. There is a food called reviro, which is just like flour, salt, water and oil and it's actually pretty good. I'll make it for you guys when I get home. And we eat with members everyday except Saturday and Sunday. And we don't eat too much on the streets, we cook more.  We stop to buy like a little chocolate bar or these things called alfajores, which are just little cakes, once in a while.  But we mainly cook stuff like tacos, noodles and meat sauce, hotdogs, and eggs- stuff like that. 

And my birthday was good, there is a really nice member family that invited us over. In the night they made pizza and empanadas and a big cake, it was really nice actually. 

But wow, sounds like summer is going well and everyone is having fun. It should be great to go out to Utah. And youth conference sounds like it was pretty fun as well. But yeah I have been hearing lots of stuff about the world cup, and the US moved on to the next round!! And Holland too, that's good. If they keep winning they will play each other I think in the semifinals. 

I'm off to play volleyball right now and then we are going to Posadas for a conference tomorrow and the anniversary of the mission is July 1! And today is my one year mark. I lose 17 days in the mission and go home the 30 of june next year, pretty crazy. But thanks for the update!!! Have a great weeek!!!!

Elder Roberts

Week 43: Eldorado, Argentina

My birthday got here pretty qucikly, I guess I'm ready to be 19.. going on two decades. I shall see if there are any nice places to eat around here, I dont think so, haha, we will probably just eat pizza. 

But yeah, there are lots of people that don't know how to read, not as many as Paraguay, but there are a lot. The eduaction system needs a little bit of improvement I think. But my new companion is super cool, I like him a lot, the most humble guy I've ever met. He's from a pretty tiny town called Ayolas, it's near the border of Argentina. His house is in the mission, but he started in the other mission and then ended up in Posadas when the new mission was formed. So he will be taking a collective (bus) home in September when he goes to his house. But he got baptized when he was 15, he's 22 now, and he and his twin brother are serving missions. He has another brother that is 17. But other than that he doesn't have family really, his mom is in Buenos Aires and his dad in another part of Paraguay and he and his brothers kinda worked to support themselves back in their house. So it's pretty impressive for him to have left on a mission. You don't have to send me anything for my birthday, you can send it to my companion if you want, but I'm not really sure if he'll get it before he finishes his mission. 

But wooooooo, Josh is going on a mission!!!  Got the east coast, that'll be cool. Pretty cold I bet. 

And yeah, there was some celebration for the win from Argentina, but there really isn't as much excitement here as I thought there would be, maybe because it's a dead town and everyone already looks pretty beat and sad. But yeah I heard the USA tied and the Netherlands won again, sounds like an exciting World Cup. 

But yeah, the work is going pretty well, kinda slower here I think, not too much member support. But we are finding some nice people, we have some people to teach this week, and we are still teaching a lady named Zulma that's coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon and everything, but still doesnt want to make the decision to get baptized. 

But thanks for the support!! Hope everything is going well up there and that everyone has a good weeeeeek!! 

But one more thing, here in Argentina I can't take out dollars... I dont think, its weird, I'll have to wait till I'm in Paraguay again, or have someone do it for me. I'm not sure if my shoes are going to last my whole mission, we shall see. 

This week I had to travel a little bit, went to Iguazu to do a baptismal interview because they don't have a district leader in their zone to do it, and then we got back at about 4:00 and went to work and at like 6:00 right when its getting dark.  The lights in the whole city went out, and I don't think it's that uncommon, but it was completely pitch black and we couldn't really do anything at all because there wasn't anyone is the street and you could barely see where you were going. There weren't any lights to read or anything, so it was tough to have any lessons. But I realized my area is super super big, we took a random little bus yesterday to see where it took us and we found lots of new parts of the area that have tons and tons of people in them and made it to the Parana River which is really nice. But yeah, so there're lots of people to teach, just gotta keep looking. How is the missionary work in Hagerstown going?? Have a great week!!!

Elder Roberts

Week 42: Eldorado, Argentina

Nope we didnt watch any of the Argentina game, we switched our schedule around and studied during the game and worked during our regular study hours. But there were people dancing in the streets, lots of fireworks and horns honking - but here in Eldorado it's pretty chill, it's not a big crazy town so there isn't too much of the crazy stuff going on I dont think. But I actually did see the highlights of the Netherlands game at a member's house during lunch while the tv was on and it was pretty sweet. I got pretty excited, they look pretty good this year. 

And yeah this week was pretty good, lots of rain, and my companion is going to Posadas. My new companion is a guy from Paraguay that I already know pretty well, super super humble from a super poor town and he's really nice, Elder Caceres. So it should be good, I'm excited about it. 

There are some other changes in my zone that are interesting. There shall be a few challenges with some people that aren't exactly super focused on the work, but we shall see. But wow that's crazy in Japan that that many people go home, it must be tough there learning the language and the people not being too receptive. 

The work is pretty good, kinda tough cause I think because everyone took the initiative to just live together and not get married. I honestly can't remember the last time I met a married couple and had a lesson with them, I really can't. And we are trying to help 5 kids that came to church that range from the ages of 11-15 that all smoke and drink, and one that's 14 and has a kid..................... so it's interesting. But I'm very thankful to have grown up in the US and in the church and with parents like you and dad, because it's a little bit different here... its actually really sad. But lots of parents don't really take care of their kids at all, and they all start to drink and smoke at young ages and there are more teenagers pregnant or with kids here than I've ever seen in my life. They all seem to be pretty chill about it, like it's not a big deal, it's kinda depressing. 

And yeah, all the inactives are tough, there are some that want to come back, but are just kinda lazy. Here in El dorado it's a pretty poor town and there are lots of people that don't really work. Well it seems most of the people we talk to don't work a lot, and they don't really do anything... and I think there're lots of people that have fallen into a state of depression- well not really depression, but a state of life being kinda sad and that there really isn't a point to it. I haven't met a single person here that had an answer to what their purpose is in life, and even after we explain it it's tough for them to understand. There are lots of churches here and lots and lots and lots of false weird doctrine... so i guess with saying all that the work here sounds tough, haha, but I've kinda convinced my self that there are people that want to change.  We have found a few, one lady named Maria that totally changed and didn't really believe in God at all before, but now really wants to go to church and be baptized. But her husband doesn't really want to get married, so that's a tough one. But there is a lady, Zulma, who was meeting with the Jehovas Witnesses, and now she says she likes the church of Jesus Christ more, I think she will get baptized here within a month or two.  But yeah, sometimes it's depressing to be here with so many people with problems and stuff, but I've kinda gotten used to it and learned to be happy. But there are lots of people here that work in a big shoe factory and there're people here that work in construction, farming, logging, and stuff like that. It's not a very developed town, but I guess I've only seen the pretty poor parts so far.

And I don't think we are going to get to watch any of the World Cup which is sad, but there will be more World Cups, haha. And I haven't gotten the package from grandmom yet, I hope it didn't get lost, but sometimes it takes a while I guess. But thanks for everything!  Have a great week!!! When are you guys flying out to Utah? What are you planning on doing?? How are the kids?  Is Brother Goodmansen still Young Mens president?? I wanted to send him an email too if you can get it for me. Thanks!! love you!!!!!

Elder Roberts

Week 41: Eldorado, Argentina

Hola!

Yeah there are a lot of people that are talking about the World Cup, but it hasn't gotten too crazy yet. And nothing too new in Eldorado, just lots of rain!!  We do help and visit some less actives we are working with, like 2 families right now.  We are trying to get them a calling and maybe go to the temple in the future, but it's hard because it's pretty expensive to travel to Asuncion to go to the temple. 

But wow that's crazy that graudation passed and now its like summer. 

But hahahha, that's funny someone asked if I'm going into the ministry after my mission, I'm not really even sure what that would mean, or what I would do in the ministry. 

I think you should let Liam be independent and maybe wait a little to get his permit, haha, I can't see him driving yet. 

Today we made lunch together as a zone and played some water balloon with towels volleyball, so that was pretty fun.  And I think we are going to get more elders here soon, but it's about 40% hermanas and 60% elders now. 

But wow, that's awesome that you got in contact with one of your converts from your mission and she's still active, that's pretty cool. 

Thanks for everything!! Changes are next week so we shall what happens, I'm sure I'll stay, but I don't know about my companion. But love and miss all of you! Thanks for the letter!! Have a great week and last day of school!!!!

Ben 

Week 40: Eldorado, Argentina

Yeah, we had a conference Monday and then my companion had to stay a day longer to go to a doctor in Posadas for his leg that's been hurting him because there are no doctors here. He used to be a gangster and got pretty beat up in a gang fight. I won't tell you what happened because I'm sure you'll say, "Oooooohhh nooooo ewwwwwww," hahaha, but his legs are still kinda bad, but the doctor said everything looks good and they're going to get test results tomorrow. 

But Eldorado is good, there are lots of people, we actually got 8 investigators in church Sunday which is my record, ha ha, so that was cool. And yeah the Spanish from every country is different. They all have different words as well. And I'm not sure if I've picked up an accent, I think it's about the same, an American one, haha. 

But, ahhh Liam, Liam, Liam, tell him he needs to read the Book of Mormon more.  

But the big pot was something called lokro, I think. It's like corn and vegetables and meat, its like a big stew, its... interesting. It's good, but not my first choice, haha, but it's like a traditional food here and they always make it for holidays. 

And I don't know anything about the packages (new rule that you can only send two packages a year), but you don't have to send me any, I'm good on candy and shoe inserts. We can save it for a time where I need something else more important, but thanks! 

But yeah our conference was really good Monday. We talked about being leaders in the mission and how to get better, how to help the missionaries that are struggling and how to be a leader like Jesus was. They gave us a list of like 10 scriptures in the Bible about how Jesus trained Peter to be the next prophet and it was cool to analyze those and take some stuff out. President LaPierre is really a smart guy.  He's different from other missions presidents I've heard about, more merciful I think is the word. Like he doesn't really, as they say here, drop the cane, or like yell at you or anything, but just asks you questions to make you think. He's a pretty inspired guy, thats definitely what I've seen. 

But thanks for the email mother and thanks for everything!! love and miss you. Have a good second to last week of school!!!!!

love, ben