You can reach Levi by email at levi.lamoreaux@myldsmail.net
Levi's Quest in Argentina will soon be coming to a close. Levi will be returning home on July 6, 2011 after serving an unforgettable journey throughout the countryside surrounding Cordoba, Argentina.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Happy One Year w/o Me In Your Presence

Happy One Year without me in your presence. Can you handle another?
I did not expect it to go so quickly. I think I am half done and it makes me want to work even harder. I only have 370ish days to devote all my time to this work and there is soo much work to do!

Well Elder Flaherty and I had a super good week. We found some people, three investigators came to church and there was just good things going on all week! I saw President and Hermana Olsen for the last time. Saturday evening the Villa Dolores branch had an activity filled with ping pong, empanadas, monkey in the middle, coca (coke), do you love your neighbor, and a surprise song from our branch president and a member for our departing president and wife. President Salas, Hermana Salas, and their fourteen year old son arrive the 29th and President and Hermana Olsen leave the 30th. It is really weird to think they are gone. They have helped me learn and grow in these nine months together, and seeing them for the last time was sad, but President Olsen gave Elder Flaherty and I some really good advice towards the mission and one of our investigators who came to the party, but I took it more as life advice. They are two awesome people. However, I am also anxious for President Salas to come. He has the same authority and same calling and same objective and same Spirit, so it shouldn't be too different. It's sad and exciting at the same time, this change.

Also, Elder Flaherty and I are German. Everyone yells things at us all day long, all of them are negative comments about us and Germany. They say Germany sucks and go back to Germany and stuff all day long (especially on soccer game days). However, the funniest thing about it all is that they yell things in English at us. For example "Yay Argentina, boo Alemania (Germany in Spanish), we win you". It´s fun..sometimes haha. When Argentina wins a game the country goes crazy. They shoot fireworks, they place a brick on their car horn so they can make noise to let all the other Argentines know they won. Every store closes (grocery, tire, appliance, whatever) and we get yelled at by everyone. Every town is centered around a plaza and everyone goes there after games. Elder Flaherty and I had to pass through the plaza to get to our appointment yesterday and people starting swearing at us and threatening us because we weren't from Argentina, and telling us we weren't worthy to walk across their plaza. It's fun.

I love you all! This work is amazing and it's weird thinking I only have a year left to do it (in this way). Thank you for the love and support. Have a super week,


ELMX

Monday, June 21, 2010

Same Area - Different Companion, Kind Of

Indeed today is transfers and there are some interesting changes that have taken place. Twelve weeks ago Elder Joseph Cale Flaherty (Gilbert, AZ) and I were transfered to the four missionary area of Villa Dolores. Well, Villa Dolores is now just a two missionary area ready to grow and flourish under those same two elders who were brought out here twelve weeks ago. It's a little weird because we have already worked together and lived together for two transfers, sometimes it felt like we were companions, and now we are. I know his investigators and he knows mine so that's good, and I'll have lunch with members more often now haha. Also, Elder Flaherty's trainer was brought in to serve in Merlo, so he is in the same district as his trainer again.
So some fun stories, grilled some good food for Father's Day, used vanilla cookies for sacrament because no one brought bread, and I was asked Friday afternoon to give a talk on any subject Sunday (better than some weeks in warning though). I also provided service in the form of helping a family move. U-haul does not exist here, so we caried everything to their new house. Luckily it was only two and a half blocks away, but we looked a little silly carrying bed frames, washing machines, dressers, etc in the middle of the street.
I'm excited for this new transfer. There wasn't too much work before, a lot of time was spent trying to find, but now that two areas are combined into one I am looking forward to more teaching and getting people to church and helping people strengthen their testimonies.

I'm glad Tate is continuing practicing his spanish. None of you will know what we are saying next summer (except I'll have to learn Mexican, it's quite a bit different from Argentine). Yesterday was my first time hearing the primary sing for the first time since I started my mission, it was awesome!!(although our primary is three children).

Thanks for everything. Talk to you next week after I get some work done these next six days.

Chao,

ELMX

ps thank you for sending me pics every week

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Zone Conference - Definitely Good

First things first...I received my box (and envelope with birthday cards and tide to go pens)! Thank you very much. Not only did I receive awesome stuff from my family, my companion's mother sent me an Easter basket, so it was a super d00per zone conference. Thanks a ton for the candy and cards and peanut butter and everything. However, I have a question: was there supposed to be an SD card? You are always telling me to take pictures but I hardly have any space left so I can't snap away all day. Apart from the package I had an American burger (the BK quadruple stacker), and super good ice cream, and joked about seeing Iron Man 2 (there is a cinema adjacent to Burger King).

Zone Conference was definitely good. It may have been my last time seeing President and Sister Olsen (but I think I am staying here another transfer and they are coming down for a day, so we'll see). He gave us his parting advice and then I had my last interview with him, received a blessing and he drove us to the bus terminal and we barely made it on time. It was also good to see the other missionaries, since apart from my district I hadn't seen anybody for nine weeks or so.

I had to scrape paint off a wall all morning in the chapel in the city of Merlo. But it's okay, because I then was able to watch the Boston Celtics beat the LA Lakers in game five of the NBA finals and watch the Italy/Paraguay soccer game (they tied 1-1).

This week Elder Bushnell and I put in some good hours and did some work. We found a twentyish year old young man who had been taught a little over a year ago and invited us to come back. So I'm excited for him, especially after having an additional year of preparation :)

Thank you all for your love and support. I have been blessed with an amazing family and an amazing support group of family and friends...speaking of friends: Hannah wrote me a letter and attached with it a knitted beard so I can feel like I don't have to shave everyday (I'll attach a picture next week). You're the best and I thank Heavenly Father everyday for the blessings you are and for all the prayers I receive. Have an awesome week.

Chao,

ELMX