Week 70: Posadas, Argentina

This week was prettttty great. I guess i havent written for two weeks now because we skyped last week. But the last two weeks have been really good!! Really busy with Christmas and all, but we have enjoyed it. I think a gained a few pounds but the new year's diet...

The cockroaches keep coming strong, but you really just get used to them.. Now the problem is that when it rains the water kinda floods our apartment.. and it rained alot this passed week.  (Ben said when we skyped that the occasional cat also comes in through the window and he finds him sleeping on his bed.)  Usually there are lots of fireworks on New Year's Eve and lots of people walking along the coastline to watch them, but it rained super hard and instead of fireworks there was a crazy lightning storm. 

I think it's cool that there are lots of activites at the temple at Christmas time. I guess we do take for granted the fact that there is a temple pretty close to our house and it's easy to get to.  In Paraguay there are buses to go to Asuncion to the temple so it is pretty easy, and in Posadas you just have to cross the border and head up. But it is a little harder, farther, and more expensive. 

Christmas was kind of interesting. I found it a little hard to try and focus on the true meaning of Christmas, even being in the mission with all the stuff that was going on. It was good though.  And even being away from home, being hot outside, and doing different stuff, it still felt like Christmas.. and New Years was good as well. Despite the rain, it was fun. We went and ate dinner with a family and watched some church videos and made scalloped potatoes and grilled a bunch of meat in the rain. 

There was a kid that was supposed to get baptized last Saturday, but his mom got kind of upset with him for something he did so she decided to make him wait. But there was another kid that goes to church with his older brother that we are reactivating.  A year and a half ago the older brother was in really bad shape with drugs, alcohol, and stuff like that, but he´s now our ward mission leader and is starting his mission papers to be able to head out this year.  It's been pretty crazy to see the change in him, Pepe. Turned his whole life around and now seems a lot happier. The thing that helped the most i think is one of the young single adults in the ward has helped him a lot-is always by his side and inviting him places and teaching him stuff. I think a friend like that in the church really just helps a person become and stay active for the rest of their life. Pretty cool.

But anyway, I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a fun new year. Until next weeeeeeek

Elder Roberts