FIRST BAPTISM!

Family-

The baptism at first was super stressful. First, the ladies showed up like 2 hours early, at like 3 and the baptism was at like 5. So we just had to let them sit in the chapel while we tried to do other preparations because there is a missionary rule that we can`t be in a house with women unless there is another man there. So then as 5 rolls around no one else shows up, not the 2nd counselor, not the people doing the baptism. NADA. So then we went home to get our baptism clothes because we were planning on members doing the baptism. We grabbed the clothes and when we came back EVERYBODY was there, in a matter of like five minutes (because we live really close to the church).  Everybody showed up and it was SUCH a blessing and a MIRACLE! Yeah we started an hour late but other than that the baptism went perfectly! So yeah it was a super fun day!  My comp said that`s pretty much how every baptism goes here in Argentina, so I am very excited for more stressful days!!!  The feeling afterwards was so awesome!  Especially after confirming people the next day!  Elder young and I got to do the confirmations, and it was just amazing. It is an indescribable feeling to bring people to this gospel!  I can definitely tell you that it is a feeling of extreme joy!!!  Just a whole lot of other feelings too. but man was this an awesome weekend!

The Lobos Rama (Branch)

It was so great to talk to the fam on Christmas!!  Just so good to see everyone!!  The rest of the day was pretty basic.  We just went out proselyting, we finished cleaning the font and went on our way teaching other people! 

We stopped by our investigators house just to make extra sure that they were ready for their baptism. But yeah, it was just a good ol' regular day!

Baptismal Font

Christmas Eve was really when we celebrated Christmas I guess.  We had dinner at a members house and we were allowed to stay out till 10:30, if we had a car ride home (usual curfew is 9 or 9:30) And we just had a giant fest of some super good chicken called pollo al disco. So yeah, nothing too exciting!

We have a short p-day today because we are going to the temple tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED. The Buenos Aires temple is soooo beautiful, and it is just going to be a dandy time to have my first session in spanish... I am actually super nervous, haha but we`ll see how it goes!

Buenos Aires Temple

Well nothing much else exciting happened besides the preparations for the baptism. I went on exchanges with my zone leader because he had to give our investigators interviews to see if we taught them everything well. And then our other investigators totally promised to go to church but they didn`t!! We stopped by to see why they didn`t come and he said that he stayed up till like 6 in the morning for a reason that he wouldn`t tell us... So yeah! But it was a super awesome week! FINALLY GOT MY FIRST TWO BAPTISMS! CANNOT WAIT TO GET MY NEXT ONES!!! Oh, and these past couple days have been the hottest days of my life. it has been pretty terrible. there is just always sweat on my face because of the humidity. So yeah, haha

Love you all so much!!!

Elder Ward

FELIZ NAVIDAD FROM THE ARGENTINA BUENOS AIRES WEST MISSION!!

THUMBS UP!

Elder Ward and Elder Young - Photo sent to us from Hermano Gimenez

Family!

Missionary life is really just starting to become a blur now, I gotta start taking weekly notes or something.

But Anyway! This week we had transfers! And luckily me and my comp are not going anywhere! We are becoming pretty good buds! But the Hermanas that were in Lobos left and to get to the transfer meeting we had to sit in a taxi for 2 hours and I was the fortunate one to get the Hermana´s luggage on my lap.  It literally weighed like 90 pounds, so by the time we got to the office I could not feel my legs.  Luckily I was able to see all of my mission buds!  I got to see Elder Udall so that was super fun to see my papí! A papí is the person that does your training.   We had this awesome, massive Christmas party for transfers! We had a huge feast and then we listened to music and did a sing a long to a bunch of Yankee (that´s what Argentine´s call Americans, pronounced shankee) songs!  We listened to Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and I freaked out, but they started playing JINGLE BELL ROCK!!! It made me so happy. Then after all the fun we had an awesome devotional with some narrations and singing, and then we got to watch this movie called Ephriam´s Rescue, if you haven´t seen it I highly recommend it! It was super good and uplifting! And one of the actors went to Skyline and I totally know him! So that was kinda wierd.

But other then that nothing much has happened here in Lobos! But our investigators are going to be baptized this weekend on Saturday!!! I am so happy to finally have my first baptism! It´s going to be so awesome! It is going to be such an awesome day!! Can´t wait to finally have my first convert to this AMAZING gospel!! 

Love you all so much and I hope you have a super happy and joyful Christmas!! I´ll be praying that it doesn´t snow on christmas so Dad can be with the fam! Christmas with Dad there was always a million times better! But I have a challenge for all of you! Try to think more of Christ this week! Even if you are buying gifts, think of what the FIRST gift of Christmas was and the sacrifice he made for you! I just had to give a talk yesterday about Christmas, and it was awesome! It definitely helped me think more of Jesus Christ as I prepared that talk! So try to think more of Him, and share this wonderful message with somebody that probably doesn´t know about it or doesn´t have a strong testimony! That is the best way to think of him! I love you all so much! Have a SLPENDID Christmas!


Elder Ward

Photo sent to us from Hermana Olson with the caption - "My Favorite Elders!"

HELLO FAM

Hello Fam!

This past weekend we had stake conference! So that meant a lot of traveling for the Rama (district) of  Lobos!  We all hopped in a combi (little bus, like a shuttle) and headed out for 3 hours each way to the stake center! Both yesterday and Saturday! That was actually super fun. I love this rama so much!  They are all just super awesome and love the gospel so much!   It is growing so fast and the work here just keeps getting better and better the longer I am here!  You asked me about the size of  Lobos.  It is really small. It is probably comparable to... something like Kamas, haha. This little campo town isn´t very big.

Stake conference was cool. We went to both sessions and I didn't understand everything, but luckily the conference was about missionary work so I could understand a fairly big chunk! Our mission president and his wife talked both days and it was super awesome! they are so sweet and i am extremely glad that they are my mission presidents! I feel bad for anyone who isn´t a missionary under them or President and Sister Felix! Best two missions in the world right there!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! Don´t think I forgot about that! Hope that your birthday was awesome and I am jealous because you probably got chocolate covered raisins and I am DYING to eat some of those!  They are too expensive here for missionaries, haha. 

This week we started teaching an abuela (grandma) of a recent convert who is 11.  He is a stud!  He brought his abuela to church without anyone telling him too!  He is going to be such a good missionary!   His abuela loves the gospel so much! She wants to start inviting ALL of her friends to her house to hear our lessons. and I mean ALL of them! This week she said she talked to like 10 people and told them to come and listen and I think some will probably come!! I am super excited for that! This week our investigators are getting married on the 18th! I am so excited for them! They are super awesome and I can´t believe their faith! They want a baptism in their lives so bad! Oh man that guy is just a stud!

Transfers are this week. I do not think that me or my comp will get transferred this week. But we will see!! I really hope I don´t, I love it here in Lobos so much! And I have a lot of plans here for Christmas and baptisms!  We will go to the mission office on Wednesday in Ramos Mejía.    This time is different because we are having a big Christmas party, so everyone goes to this one, but usually you only go if you are leaving or being transferred!

Well that was pretty much our week! Can´t wait to chat it up with the fam! Love you all so much! Have a wonderful week, and I hope it snows over there! Not having a white Christmas is really weird... REALLY weird. Well see ya!

Elder Ward

WORKING HARD!

Hola Familia!

I have a new companion, his name is Elder Young. He is from Wyoming and has a ranch up there. He has been out on the mission for like 14 months, and he is a stud! He is an awesome missionary, and we are working hard here in the area of Lobos.

This week was fun! Me and Elder Young got to work and just worked really hard trying to get this area moving! Also. Coldplay is on the speaker system at the ciber (internet cafe) this week so that´s pretty sweet. This week also we had something that´s called Asado at an investigators house. This is one of the big things here in Argentina, it´s like a family dinner every weekend (depending on the family). And they have asado, it´s just a MASSIVE BBQ that´s cooked over a huge fire and there is just meat everywhere. Sadly I had to have my first churriso (like a bratwurst or hotdog) so that was fun, since I haven't eaten one since I threw up at scout camp.   But it was good! We had a bunch of steak ensalada (salad) and just a good ol´feast!

Btw, you asked about meals.  I mostly cook my own meals because in campo people are super busy, and just work aful (spanish for a lot).  

This week we tried to find a lot of people. So we asked everyone we met or talked to and asked them for references, and we found a lot of people! 

Investigators wise no one really new.  There is the couple I told you about last week - They are awesome! This last Sunday the dad went to church! And he loved it and want´s to come to Noche de Hogar (family night, since the branch is small everyone come to). And he is super excited about being baptized at the end of this month! His wife didn´t come to church and we don´t know why, we went to pick them up on Sunday morning and it was raining a ton!! So we got a remis (taxi) to pick us up, but yeah! They are great!!

We also have another couple we are working with - The dad is what we call a dry member. He does everything he is supposed to, but he hasn´t been baptized yet. The problem is that His wife  doesn´t want to get married, and you can´t get baptized if you aren´t married. So we fasted yesterday that his wife will change her mind. 

In other news it´s freaking hot here! And it keeps getting hotter! It´s like 80-85, and what makes it worse is the humidity. Literally all day I am covered it sweat. It really makes me feel sorry for John and Corbin that are in Thailand and Brasil and it´s like a million percent humidity with like 104 degrees.

ME AND MY COMP LOVE THE ADVENT CALENDERS!!! Especially me because it is Lego Star Wars!! It is so fun to open one of those every morning!

Well I love you all and all the things that you have done for me, are doing for me, and will do for me! You are all AMAZING!! 

Love Elder Ward

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

DID YOU DO ANYTHING TO CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING THIS WEEK?

 No, Argentina doesn´t have it but on Thursday me and Elder Udall just made a bunch of food and counted it as a sufficient enough thanksgiving!

 TELL US ABOUT YOUR APARTMENT/PENCH?  IS IT GOOD, BAD, ETC.

 My Pench is pretty sweet, doesn´t have many problems which is good because almost all of them do have problems. So yeah!

HOW DO YOU DO YOUR LAUNDRY?

Luckily we don´t have to do it, the members help us out with it and do it for us! It is super nice! The members are so loving and caring here! Glad I could be in an area that has an awesome member base.

WHERE DO YOU BUY GROCERIES?

 At a supermarket, and at a place called pollo loco because all we pretty much eat is something called Milenesa (breaded chicken) and you just fry it, it's pretty good!

DID YOU GET THE CHRISTMAS PACKAGE THAT WE SENT WITH OUR FRIEND?

 Yes and I opened the first one today! Love the Lego theme!

WHERE DO YOU GO TO CHURCH?  IS IT CLOSE BY?  IS IT A WARD OR A BRANCH?  ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE GO?

We go to church in this little house that is just the church, no one lives there. It is a Rama (branch) and about 20-30 people go every week. But that´s gonna change soon!

ARE YOU AND YOUR COMPANION GETTING ALONG?  TELL US ABOUT HIM.

 Yes, but Elder Udall got flashed, it´s a transfer in the middle of a transfer not with the transfer cycle. so I have a new comp now! His name is Elder Young and I have only known him for a couple hours so we´ll see if we get a long! but I loved Elder Udall, I was sad to see him go!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR WEEK AND  YOUR INVESTIGATORS.

This week was pretty good. I was still with Elder Udall, the flash just happened today. but we found our first golden family! They just wanna follow all of the commandments and they are just awesome!  They have a son and he´s like 2 so he can´t talk much. They are going to be baptized at the end of this month so we´ll see how that goes! 

We also had a Zone conference this week and I didn´t understand much or remember much either, haha but we got new pots and pans!! That is exciting because our old ones were super old and gross and it feels good to cook my food on something that doesn´t look gross!

Also it rained super hard yesterday and the day before so that was pretty cool I guess, ha, proselitismo in the rain was pretty chill, and I was super thankful for an umbrella!!

Also go check out Youtube! The church bought the main banner for this month and there is a sweet video on there! So go watch it and tell your friends about it!!

Super jealous of the Grandeous Thanksgiving party! Sounds like it was a blast and I´m glad everyone had fun! 

So yeah! It was a good week here in Lobos but I am pumped for another week with my new comp!

Love you all and thank you for your prayers! I really can feel them lift me up when I feel down!

Elder Ward