Week 52: Eldorado, Argentina

I think it's pretty good to take notes in Sacrament meeting. I gave a talk yesterday and taught Sunday School for the young men and women. I talked about procrastination and using our time wisely. I shared an example of making brownies, which is pretty easy and cheap but not healthy, making tacos which is a little harder and more expensive but maybe a little more healthy, and then scalloped potatoes which is longer and more expensive but the best.... haha and that we have to make decisions on how to use our time, good better and best. And there's always a good option, better option and best option. I think Elder Oaks gave a talk about it a while ago that was pretty good. But I tried to make it interesting because the talks here usually aren't the most exciting talks to listen to, and I think there were only like two people sleeping during mine so hopefully it wasn't too bad hahaha.

But it sounds like the US is in the news a lot. There are people that tell us that there are like big wars and stuff we are involved in. I'm sure they kind exaggerate, but there must be some things going on. Some guy told us the other day that we need to go preach to Obama because he is the one that needs to change. 

But we are doing pretty well. We have some people that are progressing and some people that we need to kind of let go for now. But Zulma is doing... pretty good I guess. I think she's scared to make a decision. But the zone is doing really well. July was a rougher month and we are trying to recover because it rained for like 3 weeks straight but now everyone in the zone is finding a few people to teach and baptizing a little bit so that's good. But yeah, everything is fine, nothing too exciting happening but I'll be sure to keep you updated. How is school going for everyone?? How's work for you and dad? How is the ward doing? How is the retention of all the converts that were baptized these past few months?  Thanks for the letter and have a great week!!!!!!!!  Happy Birthday Dad.

My shoes only made it a year.

Love, Ben 

Week 51: Eldorado, Argentina

This week was pretty nice, the weather was super nice and we have some people to teach.  It was tough though because a lot of the people that were supposed to come to church didn't come, for dumb reasons, but they are really good people and have lots of potential to progress.  It was pretty good though.  

We went and made lunch with a family we are teaching, we didn't take the camera unfortunately, but they have a tinyyyy little house with a little metal stove that you heat with wood and we cooked something called reviro which is bascially flour water and salt, but its actually pretty good, I'm not sure why. And right after lunch we got a call saying that there was a baptism in the other branch in Eldorado and if we had anyone that wanted to go we could take them. So we ran to Zulma's house and invited her and went with her and she really liked it, said it was powerful..... but she still hasn't made the decision to join the church..... but progressing. Its cool though that seeing things like that and feeling the spirit really makes people want to change, which is why the Gospel is a "learn and go do" kind of thing and not just "a learn." It was good to have a positive result after making lots of efforts. 

But that's really crazy that school is already starting up there and everything is going back to the routine. Sounds like ward conference went well and that seminary is going to be good this year. Are you teaching seminary??? I'm teaching the Sunday School youth class and trying to get them to get more involved in family history work.... but it's really different here, the culture.  The youth have a really tough time coming to church and focusing and paying attention. It's good that they come, but sometimes its tough to grab their attention. 

But yeah, I think doing hard things really help kids get ready for the future.  It is good for them to get out and do hard stuff. I watched the documentary about Gordon B. Hinkley today and it was really good, I liked it a lot.    

And dad's question, has missionary work changed me... hahaha yeah a ton. Actually just today, there was a district Preisthood acitivity between 6 different branches at our building here and we went and played ping pong and chatted and ate lunch and stuff for preparation day.  And at the end they asked us on the stop to tell the people there about missionary work and the blessings we receive from going on the mission and the blessings our families receive as well. I had my companion play a song on the piano with one hand and then he played it again with two hands and I said that the difference between the two songs is like my life, I learned a lot of things about life and did a lot of stufff before the mission, but I feel like compared to what I know now and my perspective  and the person I have become has opened up a few new doors and now I feel like life is a little more complete and I feel like I'm living life with two hands. If that makes sense.. but I think I explained it better this morning, haha. 

But thanks for the update and for writing me, hope everything is going well!!! Have a great weeek!!!!!! 

Week 50: Eldorado, Argentina

Wow, sounds like a super crazy week! 

That's awesome though that Lolita's dad got baptized. What are the missioanries or members doing for retention efforts that works well?? and did you tear up more floors?? and the US is bombing iraq?? why?? are we at war?? and Josh went to the temple?? that's pretty SWEET. 

We had 85 people in total come to church yesterday, which was super sweet, and a few that didn't go for different assignments in other branches-so that was pretty awesome. The branch is working pretty well and the people are coming back into activity. We are going to put on a temple activity night to get all the less actives excited to go, or go back, to the temple in about November. They found a cheaper way to do it, there are little vans they rent that hold 15 people and the cost would be about 500 pesos for each one or 50 dollars, which is cheaper than taking a bus, so I think they are excited about that. And we also had 8 new investigators come to church which was pretty sweet, and we are finding a lot of people to teach, and the members are getting a little more involved. At the end of our last baptism we showed the video, "Of small and simple things", I'm not sure if you've seen it. It's like a short video without words that a mission in California made, and it shows a girl that gives a Book of Mormon to her friend, and then his whole family gets baptized. So we showed that, and had a little discussion about how everyone felt during the baptism and during the video and then gave everyone Book of Mormons to give out to their friends, and we have had a few people that actually did it. So the work seems to finally be growing a little. The branch president here is really great though, I think he's doing really well, he's re organized the whole branch and is giving lots of people callings.  The Young Woman's organization just had 1 girl, but he called a president and 2 counselors and they are out working. And two of our investigators that came to church were young woman. So things are going pretty well.

I have to go to Posdas at 3:00 am tomorrow to get there are like 7:30 and do paperwork and then come back in the afternoon. There is also a little branch called San Vicente where the missionary is the President and like 8 months ago there were like 15 people going to church and now there are like 60 and they have 8 baptisms planned for the end of this month and next month. So our zone is doing pretty well. 

But this week the weather was awesomeeee, super nice weather, so I'm trying to enjoy it while I can, haha. And preparation day is good, it was my companion's birthday yesterday and his Christmas package got here just in time for his birthday, hahahaha that was pretty funny. 

And I would like to thank my siblings for their words of wisdom, as well as Josh... Tell Liam that I hope he gets called to Venezuela... cause they don't even let Americans in, haha. 

Thanks for everything, and have a great weeek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Roberts

Week 49: Eldorado, Argentina

Yeah, it's kinda nice talking in English and being able to relate a little more to my companion, it's pretty cool, and he's a good missionary.

Unfortunately the families we found didn't go to church, but Zulma did, and another couple, and a lot of members went. The girl that we baptized, her mom was super inactive and now she's coming back and taking the sacrament and everything, so that's really good. And there are some other people coming back that are getting callings in the branch, so the branch is progressing. The branch president definitely knows what he's doing and he's doing a really good job; we are working pretty well together and I think we will be able to use the excitement we have to start working a little more and finding people to join the church and become converted. But Zulma is doing well.

That's cool that the family is visiting and doing well, and that Austin is getting involved in the chuch. That's great the ward is growing and that there are more people joining.   

The discussions this week went really well, got people to feel the spirit and recognize it and understand what it is, have the desire to go to church, and have the desire to get baptized, but didn't go to church in the end.... so I guess we just gotta keep trying.  But there is always room for improvement. 

But, everything is going well, another zone split and we have 2 more companionships in the zone.  So today we went out to eat and played volleyball to try and get to know each other a little bit better which was fun and tomorrow we are headed to a place called San Vicente to do splits-which is like 3 hours away. But it should be cool, there the missionary is the branch president and they are doing really well. It's really cool to see the branch progress with a missionary as branch president. 

Some cool scriptures I read this week….I really like the story of the Brother of Jared in the Book of Mormon. 

But thanks for updating me, and thanks for everything, and I hope everyone has a great week!! Thanks!!!!!

Love, ben !!!

Week 48: Eldorado, Argentina

Hollllaaaa, this week was actually super good, really eventful. My companion is actually getting changed, kinda weird cause he was only here for one change, but I'm finally going to have an American companion, haha and he's from my group. We weren't in the same MTC group, but we came out at the same time, his name is Elder Thornton and he's from Brigham City, Utah. He's pretty cool, I like him alot so it should be good.

We actually did find a lot of cool people this week. We found 3 families that are pretty interested in listening, didn't make it church Sunday though, I think the cold drove them away. It was like 35 degrees out and humid so it was pretty chilly, but they are pretty cool people. And we still have Zulma who is coming, and Augustine, the 16 year old kid that seems to like the church still. So everything is going pretty well. We baptized a girl that is in a part member family, her dad was recently reactived and her mom is sitll on the edge, but I think the baptism and the confirmation Sunday helped the mom feel the spirit and I think she is thinking about coming back. So that was pretty cool, her name is Candela.

And wow that's awesome that Austin got baptized.

I haven't been eating too much weird food lately. There are fruits and stuff here that I really never have eaten before. I've been eating lots of fresh mandarin oranges, mangos, avocados, papayas, oranges, and making fresh lemon juice. There're tons of fruit trees here, so I've been taking advantage. I'll try to take more pictures of my area cause it's a nice place actually. And I have been learning a little bit of Guarni, not too much but a few little phrases like, "Shey bare" is "I'm hungry" or "Ja ha jakaru" is "Let's go eat", "Shey canneo" is "I'm tired." and a few other things like that, but not too much.

But yeah everything here is going pretty well, can't complain. Hope everything in Hagerstown is going well as well. Thanks for the letter!! Have a good week!!!!!!

Ben 

Week 47: Eldorado, Argentina

Holllllaa, hope everything is going well up there. This week was pretty good, kinda slow, I think we are realizing just how many other churches have sprung up here in the city… it's like practically in every neighborhood there is a different church. I mean it's not bad I guess, because there are lots of people going to church, but it's not really good because the churches are kinda just pastors that made themselves pastors and are creating their churches and basically treating them like a negocio... I forgot the word in English. (business-according to Will) So it's been kinda tough to find people to teach because the whole city is basically joining these little churches and kinda already has their ideas in their head of how things are and they don't want to change. Also, there're lots of pastors that preach against us and tell their congregations that everything we teach is false and that we are crazy. There're even people that come up during our lessons with people and tell the people we are teaching not to listen to us in another language, Guarani, but the joke was on them cause my companion is from Paraguay and speaks Guarani..... but its pretty crazy. So it's an interesting experience but its all good, there are still people that want to listen, we just have to find them. But we obviously respect all the religions, nothing against them. 

But other than that everything is going well. The weather was pretty nice this week. We just got done planning a little skit that we are going to do for the members of the district Eldorado- it's like 5 branches and one family group that are invited for this Friday, so that should be fun. And then Saturday we are going to baptize, so it should be a good week. Transfers are next week, so we shall see what happens. 

And we walk a lot still, we take buses sometimes, but not too much. 

But President LaPierre is super inspired. I've leared a lot of things from him. I really like what he taught us about consecration and what I guess we call stewardship. I had never learned too much about it until the mission, I learned about mayordomia.. which is stewardship, but it was interesting. That we are given a responsibility, but not really responsibility, like something to watch over and we need to do the absolute best to take care of it and that we need to try hard, it's basically a principle of try hard. Like he used the example of taking out the trash. If we treat it like its a terrible choir and we just take the bag out and that's it, we didnt really fulfill our job. But if we take it out, wash out the trash can, sweep up around the trash can, put a new bag in and spray air freshener around it, and do the best job possible, that's what we should do. And that could be applied to anything- studying for a test, work, chores and anything really, but going above and beyond what is expected of us. So that was good, but there's lots of stuff. 

And yeah I'm keeping warm, it basically only gets cold at night so I'm fine, I have blankets and sleep in a sweater, showering is the only tough part, haha, but no I'm fine for now. 

Zone leader duties are going well, there is always stuff to do and places to go, and interviews to do, and midnight bus rides to take, but everything is going well, I'm enjoying it. I don't really have a preferred lesson, we almost never teach complete lessons, but I do enjoy doing the cups and the restoration, thats always good. 

But thanks for everything and hope everyone has a great week!!! 

Love, Ben 

Week 46: Eldorado, Argentina

This week was pretty good, not too much rain and the weather was nice. The soccer games were kinda crazy, but we survived.  I didn't get to watch it, but I heard all about it. 

You don't need to send me a package, I'll let you know if I need anything, but it's really fine. I'm probably going to be an expensive child when I get home and have to go shopping for college, so you can save all the money you would spend on packages towards that, but thanks! 

But yeah it's interesting, I was thinking about the cultural, religious and governmental differences here, in Paraguay, Germany and the States, places I've been- they are all really different. Like the churches down here are really different from churches in the States, even big religions like the Catholic Church and other Christian churches, and it's interesting to see the differences-even though it´s just a different country.  It's cool that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the same here, I feel basically the same in church. And even though there´re less people, it's still the same objective and the same gospel, so its cool. 

But this week was pretty good and I'm enjoying my time here. Thanks for the letter and tell everyone I said hello. Love and miss you guys!!

Ben