Levi's Quest In Argentina

One Crazy Week

2011-06-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

One crazy week. RAIN and COLD and lots of intercambios (exchanges). I worked with Elder Gardner, Elder Pérez and Elder Bryant this week. Way good, lots of work, lots of fun and four baptisms! We had three that were for sure happening and an hour before we swung the forth. And it is not a competition but our zone had more than any other zone this month.

I'm sorry there is so little being written but we are super rushed this week and I'll see you next week.

Today we celebrated my last p-day with choripan. They are chorizo sandwiches, we did it as a zone and played soccer for my last time. I know next week I'll be in the heat and with all of you but I still feel like I have a lot of time left here. I feel like I got here yesterday and that I'm supposed to be older and more mature by this point of my mission and life. Maybe it'll change when I'm back home I'm just still having a hard time believing it haha.

I hope Dad is willing to take me to the gym, I am in desperate need haha, walking is not sufficient. Have a great week, we'll be seeing each other on Wednesday!

Love,
ELMX

Today is Argentina's Flag Day

2011-06-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

¡Feliz 20 de Junio! Today is Argentina's Flag Day. So to celebrate a federal holiday the way it should be celebrated we did a good deep cleaning of our apartment. We also sang some of the ole Argentine patriotic songs and ate facturas (but we do that several times a week anyway haha). And here, like there, we celebrated Father's Day yesterday. All week people were throwing up the excuse of, sorry I can't go to church on Father's Day, I have to visit my dad (whether it be the cemetery or in his house, we got a lot of the cemetery excuse). Yet, through the Lord's help and some hard work, we were able to get 13 investigators and two inactive families to church. Pretty sweet :)

We spent Wednesday outside of our area, helping the Elders of Lamadrid. I was able to work with Elder Cutler, it was a great day. We got lost (he is new to his area), but we found some great people. Thursday we weren't in our area either, we had to go to another part of town for a Zone Conference, combined with the zone that Elder Goodman is in. It was great to see my ole companion's brother. Him and I will be sitting by each other on all three flights, but I'm thinking I'll be nice and trade seats with the other Elder Goodman, seeing how he is on our planes as well. What I do between transfer day (the fourth) and my flight in Buenos Aires, I have no idea, I'll just go with the flow. In the Zone Conference, we talked about a lot of things, but two things that stand out were one, an address given by Elder Jeffrey R Holland from the quorum of the twelve at the MTC in January. It was moving and spectacular. Two, in the last zone conference of every missionary they have to share what is called their "Testimonio Fiel", it translates to "loyal/faithful testimony" but it works better and sounds cooler in Spanish. So Thursday I gave my "fiel". I had been joking with a lot of missionaries that in my personal studies I was preparing my testimony and that I was even trying to produce tears. None of that was true, but the day of Zone Conference I started brainstorming a couple of ideas. As I stood in front of everyone all those ideas went flying from my mind. I still am not sure what I said, but I know it was crazy to think how fast the last 24 months have flown and how I'm not sure I'm ready to face life, but whacha gonna do.

Aiight, story time: We had talked with a woman in the street named Sulma last week. This week, we went by her apartment to teach her and her family. We knock the door and no one answers. A cute, little girl of three/four years, who was playing outside asks who we are looking for. We tell her Sulma. She informs us that Sulma has left. We ask the girl if she knows where she went and she says she doesn't know but that we need to take a taxi. We smile and ask to where. She responds, "I don't know, you have to get in the cab and say take me to Sulma, and that's where she will be." We had a good laugh.

The old stake pres is the one who releases me? Not the new? I have no problem with either one, and I said Fajitas because it is one of our family joints and I need chips and salsa, but I am content with anything, I follow the plans of every else.

Okayy, that's it for now. L. Lamoreaux signing off.

Chau,

LMX

A Spirit Guided Experience

2011-06-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

I feel like I write less and less every week, I apologize there's just so little time and so much that happens, so much of similar events, plus I figure in three weeks I can tell it all in person anyway haha.

Today we are going to start off with a spirit guided experience. Sunday was stake conference. It was a satelite transmission for all of Argentina from SLC. Elder Zivic, Elder Anderson, and President Packer, along with the general primary president spoke. We wanted to get as many people as possible to the stake conference. So we left early in the morning looking for people. We called everyone and passed by everyone's houses trying to get everyone there. No one was home and if they were they were asleep, we ran out of minutes on our phone calling everyone. We were kinda lost, when I thought, hey, let's go by our chapel and see if anyone forgot and is waiting outside. What do you know. Two of our investigators were there waiting. Alone? Nope, with friends they had invited. Miracle! We then escorted them to the stake center. We ended the Sunday with 12 investigators in church and a new family to teach! Way great!! We have a lot of super solid awesome people we are teaching and I'm loving it.

Last week I asked for a souvinours list and I didn't receive it this week, so don't complain when you get a Hannah Montana beach towel or a Virgin Mary fridge magnet.

I finally got my flight plans, weird that you got them first. Also weird that I have to fly to TX and can't go straight from FL to AZ ,but it's all cool.

Aiight, seeing how I write so little, I'll see if I can send a pic or two, seeing how a picture is worth a thousand words.

Besitos,

ELMX

One Month Left On My Quest in Argentina

2011-06-08T08:00:00.002-07:00

Happy six, six, eleven. I indeed have had a good start to my June. I love all three elders in my bench and we are having fun and success.

Couple little events from the most recent week of my quest. Friday I was on intercambios (exchanges) with Elder Elias Manqueo (Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina). He is a fellow axe slinger (guitar player) and gave me the rundown on all the national Argentine rock bands. Not only was that part cool but did A LOT of work and saw some great miracles all in that day. One of the best parts of that day was the family home evening we had with the Paz and Navarrete families. Milagros and Doro gave the lesson (on prayer) then we played a little game, then I shared dessert, a multi flavored package of Pixy Stix (from my birthday package). Everyone except Miryam was into them, she said they were too sour. I love when other people feel the desire to have family home evenings and put time into preparing a lesson and games, and lets not forget the countless hours I poured into making dessert.

Lucas (who was baptized Mother's Day weekend) turned sixteen on Saturday and is doing great. Zenayda is doing well as well, she turned 84 yesterday.

Your Utah vacation sounds fun. I have such ganas (I don't how to say that in English, look up the word haha) to go to the SLC temple, and Lagoon, we are going to make a return trip soon. Everyone looks so big! How tall are my siblings nowadays? Weird to think a month from today I'll be off the plane seeing all you live in person.

Hope everyone has a good week and that those who travel travel safely. Also, next week is my last souvenir shopping day so if anyone has requests, make them now.

Aiight, love yall, take care,

ELMX

Interesting / Fun Week

2011-05-30T21:05:00.001-07:00

"Amazing still it seems. I'll be 23. I won't always love what I'll never have. I won't always live in my regrets."
Pop quiz: where are these lines from? I want to know who answered the question and if they had to use the internet or not.

Well we had an interesting/fun week. I was able to work with Elder McQueen (SLC, UT) on Tuesday, he is way awesome and we are planning motorcycle rides post-mish. Then Wednesday his kid arrived, Elder Holtby (South Jordan, UT). Between the four of us we had a lot of work, a lot of fun, and a baptism! Zenaida Chanchaya is a 83 (84 this weekend) year old, Peruvian, blind woman who strongly had the desire to get baptized, so we helped her fulfill her wish. After she met us she dreamt she was walking down a wide, dark road. Christ then invited her to follow the narrow, bright path. She took that as a sign and progressed beautifully. The hot water heater is broken in our chapel. Our bishop assigned one of our counselors to call the repairman, he said he called and they came, he didn't call, they didn't come. So we were super concerned we did not want this woman to die or catch a cold or anything, yet all we had was cold water. Elder Holtby got in first to test it out, he said it was cold. We helped Zenaida go down the first couple steps to see how she reacted to the water. She said it was warm, Elder Holtby said she was crazy. She was baptized with no problems. Her baptismal clothing, was even warm afterwards, yet the water was not. Miracle. Super cool baptism and confirmation.

That was the highlight of the week, we also found a lot of people and had a drunk guy insult me and lie to me and if there weren't an investigator in the street waiting for me I may have insulted him back. Luckily, however, I was with Elder Holtby, so he didn't understand what the guy was saying.

And that was my week. I need two things from you all: 1) Name of the stake 2) name of the ward.

Thank you, happy last week of May, catch ya later, un beso,

ELMX

My Last Transfer

2011-05-23T10:47:00.001-07:00

My last transfer call came, and well, there is some big news...I am going...to...stay in 9 de Julio. Elder López, on the other hand, is going to...stay with Elder Lamoreaux. Jaja (Spanish laugh) tricked you, but there is some cool news. 9 de Julio 2 is now open! We had so much work to do, so many investigators and what not that they sent us two more missionaries to help us out here. Elder McQueen (Utah and sportbike fanatic, sports a CBR600R) will be living with us, along with his greenie. We don't know who he is yet, but Wednesday we will meet him. In the meantime, while we wait for the youngster we will be in a trio tearin 9 de Julio up. Along with transfers some of my favorite missionaries left, Elder Flaherty, Elder Contreras, Elder Lyons, Elder Lerma and Hermana Pond and Hermana López, it's sad, but it's the mission.

So I am loving the work and we are working hard. We have a baptism this weekend, it's an interesting one, her name is Zenayda, she is an 83 year old blind woman, but she has fallen in love with the gospel and is super excited for her baptism. Her grand-daughter is an active member preparing to serve a mission. It's going to be interesting, but it'll be way good, then in June we are going to baptize somewhere near eight people, gotta go out swinging.

Can't believe you are all kickin it in "table", what a silly city name, I tell people my family moved to Mesa and they look at me like I'm crazy, well, I kinda am, so whatcha gonna do.

Every one behave and have fun and take care, catch ya next week :)
Besitos,

ELMX

Busy, Productive Week - Great Way to Serve

2011-05-16T13:52:00.002-07:00

Wow, so much happened this week it's hard to believe it has only been seven days.

I guess we'll start with Monday. First we visited a referral we had received from a member. Although she gave us the name and address of this person very hesitantly saying it wasn't going to work out. We took it as a challenge. We show up and taught Nereida, and she accepted a baptismal date and neither of the two members who know her believed us. We then followed up during the week and found her sister who lives in the same house and she is way awesome as well. That was a great way to start the week. That same night we went by Lucas´ (the boy who was just baptized)house to talk a little and help in the whole priesthood prep thing. We show up and he has a friend over, and started teaching his friend and asked him to say the closing prayer and invited him to seminary and everything. One day as a member and he is already a missionary, it was way cool, reminded me when TK invited his friend over, although ours turned out a little better haha.

Then Tuesday, I went on exchanges with Elder Bryant, we had a blast and saw a couple miracles.

Let's fast forward to Saturday. We start the day off with an outrageously expensive haircut. Elder López and I walked all over trying to find an open barbershop, we were so desperate that by the time we found one open we just walked in and Elder López sat down without asking how much they charge. They put the cape on front and tie it around his neck and he remembers to ask as they start the clippers and start cutting. The woman calmly responds 40 dollars and the eyes of Elder López opened like the Red Sea when the Israelites crossed through. I didn't cut my hair this week haha.

We then went to Elder Flaherty and Elder Bryant's area to teach an investigator and interview another one. It went great, we then returned to our area to eat lunch and to place a baptismal date with an 83 year old blind woman, she will be my record for oldest and my second blind person, just cool to know people can follow Christ regardless of age and physical limitations.

We then went to the area of Alto Alberdi to help with a rough situation they are dealing with, then returned to our area, grabbed to investigators and took them to a baptism in the Rosedal Ward. We then returned to our area to eat choripan and cake to celebrate Milagros´ birthday with the Paz family. It was a fun/busy day.

It was a busy, productive week.

Love you all, have a great week!

ELMX

Shoot Chuck and Raygun a feliz cumplaño!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

WE WERE ABLE TO TALK WITH LEVI ON MOTHER'S DAY AND WISH HIM A BELATED BIRTHDAY. HE IS DOING WONDERFUL. ARGENTINA IS TREATING HIM WELL AND HE ENJOYS MEETING DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES.

LEVI'S ITINERARY HAS ARRIVED AND HE WILL BE RETURNING HOME ON JULY 6. LEVI SAYS HE HAS A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN THE NEXT EIGHT WEEKS.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT,
TEAM LAMOREAUX

It's A Wonderful Time in Argentina

2011-05-02T12:56:00.001-07:00

Thank you for the Happy Birthday shout out. On our lunch calendar I put it was my birthday and everybody wanted to put their name down, it was funny. After church everyone was telling me and they were inviting me to eat on Wednesday and on Thursday saying there is no problem in celebrating a birthday a little late. I'm stoked to eat some cake, I'm going to miss Argentine cake. Not only was Sunday awesome for all of that, but, Brenda (Mcarcelo's baby) was blessed, Brisa was confirmed, and Marcelo received the Aaronic Priesthood. Pretty good day.

So in our meeting with the area president last week, he showed us a video clip of President Hinckley encouraging us to double baptisms. We then analyzed the video and found that what President Hinckley said we needed to do to double them was have a combined effort with the members and fervent prayer. Elder López and I always take members to lessons and sometimes take investigators to members for lessons but we both felt that President Hinckley meant a little more than that when he said working together with the members. So we got to thinking, but more importantly doing. We starting working super hard and started changing things up in our "member work". We also decided to combine the two things President Hinckley had stated (working with members and prayer). So Saturday when we started our fast we decided to go by a members house to start our fast. He was more than happy to lend us his house and asked if he could also participate in the fast (something we had not thought of but definitely were not going to deny). So we did. We all knelt together and started our fast together and it was super powerful. Sunday morning he asked how the fast was going and said he needed Books of Mormon because he had four people that had agreed to listen to us. Way awesome and we are going to continue working like this. I have two months left and I have to work super hard to be able to reach my goals so let's see if this is the way to do it.

Funny story: look in the picture of Marcelo and Milagros' baptism that I sent. Half a dog is in the picture. That dog is Chiripa. Chiripa came into sacrament meeting yesterday. He is a funny dog, but isn't even the dog of Marcelo or Miryam or anyone, but he wants to be haha.

Aiight, have an awesome week and have fun tomorrow for me!

Besitos,

ELMX

Busy Week...Sorry I Missed You on Monday

2011-04-28T07:28:00.001-07:00

Happy Thursday!!

I know, you are all thinking, "uhhh what happened? Today is Thursday." Well let me explain.

At the end of every month we have a a meeting with Pte. Salas to discuss how the month went, what we are planning on doing in the coming month and so forth. This month, President and the asistants decided to have the meeting on Monday to spend P-Day together. Elder Lorimer, Elder Moore, Elder Antúnez and Elder Bullock all came Sunday night to stay the night because they had long bus rides to come into the city. So it was good to see a couple elders and hang out a little bit Sunday night. Then Monday morning we got up and got ready and went on over to the mission home for our meeting. As we are all hanging out eating the breakfast they had for us, Sister Arnold comes in. Sister Arnold is the wife to Elder Arnold, the area president. Seeing her there, meant he was there. What a surprise. We had an excellend meeting with him all morning. Talking about the Lord's work, lighthouses, consecration, and other subjects. He also told us to tell our families that he loves us and prays for us just like our families. After Elder Arnold spoke he quietly left and we continued the meeting with Pte. Salas. We then ate lunch and hung out and played soccer the rest of the day there in the mission home with the president and everyone. We got home at nine that night so there was no time to hit the cyber.

"That's all good and well," you are thinking, "but today is Thursday, what happened to Tuesday and Wednesday?" Tuesday I was busy working with Elder Lerma (TX), we had a great day, full of work, full of fun. Wednesday, I was busy on exchanges with Elder Bryant (AZ), so again I wasn't able to go to the cyber. But now here we are, Thursday, and I am finally with my comp again and we are able to inform our families of how everything is.

I am doing well, although, slightly ill. Monday I went to bed with a wicked fever, a wickeder congested/runny nose, and the wickedest sore throat. Everyday there has been some improvement but I still sound like a frog when I speak and still can't breath. But, as we know, no unhallowed hand will stop this work, so I continue finding, teaching, and baptizing. I love my job. Too bad they don't pay, or I'd do it professionally haha.

I'm glad you all had a great Easter weekend. Mine went well as well. Here the Easter tradition is hallow chocolates filled with little candies, they are called "Huevos de Pascua" which means Easter eggs, although they are not eggs haha. They also follow the Catholic tradition of not eating read meat, so I had fish for the second time in my mission, I miss sea food!

Aiight, love you all, I'll be writing on Monday and calling on Sunday! Take care, catch ya on the flip side, chau.

ELMX

Piola

2011-04-18T08:52:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday! Things are still going wayyy good. Elder López is a stud. He is great missionary and a great person and in seven short days has made his way into the legendary companion ranking. Thanks to my new comp my Argentine slang is on the ups. Now I'll be going home speaking Porteño as if it were my first language. (Piola means chill/cool).

Yesterday was a great day, we had 15 investigators in church. That was way awesome. We had a new family of five go, and a couple others. Funny story, Miryam (the sister of Marcelo and future member of the church), was surfing the web and says she just happened to come across the Levi's Quest page. It's nice to know it's still running and that I have at least one follower. Cool fact: in Elder Flaherty's district, all the missionaries are from Arizona, so we call it a District of Zion (or District of "Zona"). Now we are working for a Zone of Zion (or Zone of "Zona") haha. This weekend we should be having some baptisms!

And I don't know if you remember but my birthday is coming up pretty soon, so if you wanna send me some American goodies or photos or anything, that would be super amazing.

Let's skip to the miracle of the week. Yesterday there was a fifteen year old young man who was in church. I didn't know him so we got to know him. Turns out he is a friend of a member, he has been going to seminary for several weeks now, but had never been to church. He enjoyed it and accepted to get baptized. We have an appointment with him tomorrow, super piola ;).

As we conclude another week of awesome, I'd like to give a shout out to everyone who supports this work and supports me and puts me and more importantly those I serve in their prayers. Love you all have a great week!

Paz, amor, chau, besitos,

ELMX

What A Week - Wedding...Baptisms...New Companion

2011-04-11T09:15:00.003-07:00

Alrighty, let's start with transfers, shall we?

Elder Antúnez left to a town called Cruz del Eje. I stayed in 9 de Julio. My new companion is Elder Lopez. He is from Buenos Aires, Argentina and just came from the city of Villa Dolores! He is super awesome and we are going to do great things in our ward.

Speaking of great things in our ward, we had a super d00per weekend. Friday morning Marcelo Paz and Silvina Navarrete were legally wed. Elder Antúnez and I were there amongst the family and the friends. We took pictures, we threw rice, we did it all. It was way awesome. We then did our missionary thing, and finished the day with the wedding reception. We ate, we danced (not really, but it was a little tempting), and we were extremely happy for the Paz family.

Saturday was a super busy day preparing the baptismal service. It was an incredible baptism for Marcelo and for Milagros (Marcelo´s younger sister). It was honestly one of the most rewarding moments of my mission. I love the Paz family, and I am super excited I still get to see them, and baptize the two people that still haven't done it. Although I am one who has never liked to stay in an area too long, I love my current ward and I'm excited I get to stay and continue working, especially with my first Argentine companion.

Sounds like everyone is doing good. I hope the Coral Pink trip is amazing. I, like Tate, cut my golden locks on Saturday. It was past missionary length, but was not like Tate's hair haha. I am training Elder Lopez on the Zone Leader scene. He is so excited and sincere though that he'll get it down in no time.

Aiight, love you all have a super awesome week, I'll catch y'all on the flipside.

Love,

ELMX

Work...Fun...Work...It's Worth It

2011-04-04T12:36:00.003-07:00

One more week completed of work and fun and work. Tuesday I was privileged to work with Elder Tyler Payne Goodman of Prescott, Arizona (his twin brother was my companion in the MTC). He came on over to 9 de Julio and we had an awesome day. Had a lot fun, did a lot of catching up and a lot of teaching, contacting, moving, and serving the Lord. It was way good, and even though the two Elder Goodmans are different, it kinda felt like I was in the MTC again. It was a great day.

Friday was April Fool's Day. It was also the day in which Marcelo and Silvina Paz made the final step to getting married. This Friday Marcelo and Silvina are getting married! They are an absolutely amazing family and I am so excited for their wedding and their baptism and their life in the gospel. They loved General Conference. They went with notebooks and an open heart with the intention of learning and being able to more closely follow the Savior. We also had other people in conference. I myself really enjoyed conference, but I wasn't able to see the last two talks or the prophet's closing remarks due to an unexpected hail storm that messed with the satelite. It's okay though, I'll read it when I get home. I'd do it here, but the Liahona always gets here late, especially when it's the Conference edition.

So I'm doing great. This is the final week of the transfer, so next Monday, you'll be updated on some changes (which I'm pretty sure will occur, but you never know). I hope you are all doing great. I love you all and hope you have a super week.

Love,

ELMX

My Mission = 21 Months of Awesome !

2011-03-28T08:56:00.001-07:00

Well another week has come and gone. There was plenty of walking, of teaching, of frustration, and of sweet moments.

Let's start with Tuesday. We ate lunch with the Musayón family (way super awesome family). They are from Peru but have lived here for 12 years. The mother's ex-daughter in law just moved here from Peru with her nine year old son. We ate lunch with them and taught them a little lesson and it went super dooper. The Musayón family is very involved in the missionary work and they were trying to place baptismal dates and explain how much they would love their baptism before they ever went to church haha.

Wednesday we had to go to the hospital because my comp has to do yearly exams for something he had six years ago. While I was in the waiting room I fell asleep. I was suddenly awoken by a woman who addressed me as Elder she was a member from another province who has to spend a month in Córdoba for medical studies and treatments. She was asking where the nearest chapel was. I was glad to help but a little embarrassed for falling asleep. Not embarrassed enough I guess because another member showed up and talked to me too haha. It was an interesting waiting room experience. Wednesday, however, was not my trip to the hospital this week. Saturday night Elder Palmer ( who lives in the same apartment) was in a lot stomach pain. I asked if he wanted to go to the hospital. He said no it was okay, until he woke me up at 12:30 asking to go to the hospital. So we all got up and got dressed to go to the hospital at one in the morning. We make it the hospital, he gets checked out and is given a diet and told it's just a tummy ache. We are not going to let him live it down that he woke us up in the middle of the night to go to the emergency room for a tummy ache.
This same Elder Palmer, along with his comp Elder Maude, live with us but work in a different ward a couple miles down the road. They take a bus every morning to get to their area. Well it's the end of the month and they are out of money. I gave them ten pesos (enough to get to their area and get back that night). I said this is get to your area. Elder Palmer was hungry and listened to his stomach instead of my words and used the ten pesos for food (ten pesos can't really buy much though) and then worked in our area. We didn't know though, until that night when we got home that they had worked in our area and found us seven new people to teach.

Alright, so 21 months of missionary work has equaled 21 months of awesome! I'm so happy to be here and I am trying to make the best of every minute seeing how there are only three months left. However, in those three months I'm planning on baptizing many more people and have many more awesome memories and helping many more people.

Have a great week every body!

Love,

ELMX

A Wedding Is In The Air (originally sent 3-21-11)

2011-03-28T08:50:00.002-07:00

This morning we had an unusual event occur: we set up everything for a wedding!! In Argentina to get married you have to start planning a year in advance and fill out near two thousand documents and go through some medical examinations and set the date in the city hall (there were marriages take place) about two months or more in advance. Being on the Lord's errand we have special privileges and connections and we are getting all of that done in two weeks! We left early (on P-day) to accompany this family to the city hall where we set the date and got everything ready. April 8 Marcelo and Silvina are going to married! It's way exciting. They are nervous but really excited and happy at the same time.

Yeah the zone is a stake. So I am in the Córdoba Oeste Stake, and then on the mission level it's called a zone. It is the only zone/stake that doesn't include surrounding towns (until last week when they opened the little area outside the city). Again I was able to leave my area to do exchanges. With whom? With Elder J. Cale Flaherty. We had a great time serving together again and we had a lot of success. We found new people, taught old people, and had a good time doing it (like always when it comes to missionary work). Right now we are working hard but we are having some struggles. However, we are filled with optimism and ánimo so we are going to make it all work out.

Well that is what's going on here in the south. Sometimes when people ask where I'm from I just tell them the north haha. I'm glad everyone is doing well and is found happy and healthy.

Yes Grandma and Paige occasionally write me but I unfortunately often don't have the time to respond. That's way awesome that Kayla is gonna play in college. I miss the Carpenters and if Breezy ends up at ASU we are totally going on cousin lunch dates all the time. That's awesome that Tate is finally an Eagle and only has the ceremony left to do. That's my baby bro. Make sure he keeps practicing over the next three months.

Well that is what's going on here in the south. Sometimes when people ask where I'm from I just tell them the north haha. I'm glad everyone is doing well and is found happy and healthy.

I love you, good luck with my class sign ups. I liked me Friday's free two years ago, so if you could work a MW and TTh class schedule that would be da bomb.

Catch ya next week,

ELMX

It's Been One Week

2011-03-16T01:09:00.002-07:00

Okie dokie (name of a pizza place btw), I guess it is that time of the week when you hear from Elder Lamoreaux. Let's start with Tuesday, shall we? Tuesday morning Elder Antúnez and I hit up the ole Rodriguez family to paint their house. They have recently turned their one story house into a two story house and offered us lunch if we helped them paint. So we helped them paint. Although, paint is way different here than there, it's like water that doesn't stick to walls, we goter done.

That night Elder Lyons (Kansas City, MO) came over to 9 de Julio to work with me. We had a great, fun successful day.

Thursday was an interesting day. The area of Fuerza Aérea (Air Force translated) has recently started traveling to small town just outside of Córdoba to open it to missionary work. Seeing how there is no church influence out there they have no one to visit. So Elder Antúnez and I went with two other elders to help in the work. We had a truly blessed day. Every house we knocked let us in. We found twenty people or so in one afternoon. So now they have a base of people to go visit. I was able to work with Elder Robles (Santiago, Chile) and Elder Lerma (Texas). It was fun and nice to see something new.

Friday was Zone Conference. President Salas explained the gathering of Israel and it helped me a lot because for some reason I struggle understanding all that stuff (Abrahamic Covenant and the Scattering and the Gathering), but I have a much better grasp on it now. We also had some good capacitations. We had a good lunch and it was good to get together with the zone, and one other zone too.

Friday night we had our bimonthly ward Family Home Evening. It went really well. Lots of people showed up and it was well organized and prepared. I enjoyed and I think everyone else did too.

So I am doing really well. Loving every minute of being here and doing all I can to make every minute count.

I love you all have a great week! Chau,

ELMX

Working Like Crazy And Loving It

2011-03-07T16:13:00.002-07:00

I am working like crazy! I love it. Marriage is a rare thing here in Argentina. I would say 13% of couples get married (if that). Well, Elder Antúnez and I have four families who will all be getting married this month or April! So awesome. So much paperwork and patience but the fruits are almost here. Other than the marriage, I can't think of anything out of the ordinary to report.

I'm glad everyone is doing well. Odd how everyone was getting sick there and I am too. For the past several days I have a had a sore throat and a cough (the cough is way annoying).

I love you all, have a great week! I'll write more I promise.

Love, Elder Lamoreaux

20 Month Mark Has Arrived in the Mission Field

2011-02-28T14:33:00.003-07:00

Okay. Transfers came and went and I have six more weeks in 9 de Julio with Elder Antunez! Where to begin?...Friday morning, as we are getting ready to leave the apartment we receive a phone call saying we are needed down town for a church humanitarian aid project. So we were forced to scrap the morning plans and head downtown. The project was giving wheelchairs out to people that need them. Old people, young people, people in the middle. There were eighteen people with some form of disability that received a free wheel chair that morning. We were able to help out, with getting them into their chairs and pushing them around and stuff. Someone from the church was there taking photos, who knows maybe I'll show up in the next Liahona. Well that was fun, and then we went back to the grind.

Saturday we were blessed with two more baptisms. Tatiana and Carola. Amazingly, nothing major happened to prevent the baptism from occurring. No flooding, no lost keys (remember from last week). However, we did have to go to the chapel early Saturday morning with two paint buckets to empty the font. For two and a half hours we were carrying buckets full of water to the bathroom to dump them. It was exhausting, but it got the job done...and soon we have to do it again haha!

Tomorrow marks 20 months...crazy...super crazy to think! Only four months left to work. Only four months left to have people hate me through their ignorance. And have so many people love me more than I can understand for wearing a plack - Elder Lamoreaux. It has all been a huge blessing. From the fun moments to hard ones, I am so grateful I have had this chance to serve.

Funny story, in Gospel Principles on Sunday the teacher made a comment about the Book of Mormon being the best book ever, then someone piped up and said it was valuable but didn't meet up to the Bible. Instantly everyone took a side and they were all arguing over which was best. Poor teacher, she was called as Gospel Principles teacher just last week and didn't know what to do. Luckily, Elder Antúnez and I were able to bring order and the spirit back. It was pretty funny though.

Alright, so for post mission stuff. I have permission to get on the ASU website and sign up for classes and stuff, but I don't really have the time to do it, I know that you are extremely busy as well, but if we work together I think we can get up signed up and ready to go. Sound good, I'm going to try to get on today and try to remember my password and stuff then I'll hook you up so we can tag team it. Thank you very much Mother. You da bomb.

I love you all and I'm very grateful for all your love and support and I will catch ya next week :)

Chau,

ELMX

I Love This Work...I Love Being Here

2011-02-21T14:17:00.003-07:00

Happy President's Day!

It looks like I should be signing up for classes next week then. As for coming home, I don't have my flight plans or anything but the transfer ends on July 4, which means I should leave July 5, which means I should get home July 6. So after the 6th we can do the ole Lamoreaux Camp Out.

Anyways...This past week I met an Elder Stradling from Safford, AZ. He happens to know Kevin and Kelly Lamoreaux. What a coincidence, I know them too (they're Levi's cousins). This week I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Maude from Alpine, UT. It was a fun, slow, yet in the end, productive day. Their area is struggling, but I think we were able to achieve something. We had a surprise mission training meeting with the mission president on Saturday. It lasted longer than it was supposed to and it made us late for our baptism (not late, but we started getting everything ready late). Well, like every baptismal service, things had to go wrong. The font pump was broken, so there was water just chillin in the font for the past four weeks. We told our bishop who happened to be at the chapel at that time. He tried to pix the pump with us, but we got nowhere, then he said to just continue filling it. That the water would cycle out through the hole in the top (like how bathroom sinks have those little holes at the top), he promised us it would work because it was the backup plan to keep the chapel from flooding. We didn't know if it would work but we thought we would give it a try. We set everything else up then had to write a transfer report on all the missionaries in the zone. A member showed up and yelled what happened here, I run out of the secretaries office to find a flooding chapel. I turn off the water and start squeeging the massive amount of water outside. It took a long time. Maricruz and her mother and the ward mission leader and the ward missionaries and the bishop and lots of other people showed up before we finished, but in the end we had a nice clean tile floor again :). Then we needed to take the TV out of the closet and someone threw the keys to closet and slide along floor, right under the closet door where we needed to get. Oh it was a frustrating evening, in the end, however, it was beautiful and extremely spiritual. One of my best services.

I love this work, I love being here and it's hard to think in four months I'm not going to see all these people I've come to love. It just makes me make the best of every moment. I love you all very much and hope you have a spectacular last week of Black History Month. I love you all. Chau,

ELMX

Feliz día de los enamorados

2011-02-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

It has been another week of hard work. Lots of walking, buses, and taxis. Lots of lunches and gaining weight. Out of everything, however, the best moment of the week would have to be Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. President Arnold (the South America South Area President) came to Córdoba for the weekend to give two firesides. The first of these firesides was directed towards future missionaries. He wanted a missionary choir to sing "Called to Serve" as an interlude hymn, and I had the privilege of being part of that choir. The fireside was for all the stakes within the city of Córdoba. I saw many familiar faces from the past year and a half. President Daniele and his son Diego came from Oncativo to listen to a seventy and help Diego finish preparing for his mission. I also saw many members from Argüello present. I remembered all of the them, but it has been over a year and I did not expect many or any of them to remember me. I glad to say I was wrong, after the meeting ended, I was greeted by many smiles and hugs and handshakes and I was slightly overwhelmed. Wards change missionaries like girls change clothes and I have never done anything super outstanding to stand out in someones mind, yet they all remembered me, from the youth to the leaders. It made me feel like the work I do and the moments I spend with people are worth something not only to me, but to the members, converts, and investigators as well. The Sunday situation was similar, only it was for investigators and new converts instead of future missionaries, and again more people came up and asked how I was doing and where I was at and told me my Spanish had improved haha (seeing how all these people were from my first two areas).

That was the highlight, it was fun and spiritual and great to see so many familiar faces.

I hope everyone had a terrific week and that all are found happy and healthy.

I love you all, chau,

ELMX

Living Above A Bakery - Not A Good Place, But Boy Is It Tasty

2011-02-07T09:21:00.001-07:00

What is up!
So, yesterday we had a confirmation, it went great! I also was informed that one of the investigators in Villa Maria (Pedro) was baptized last week. It's interesting to see how many converts come from tracting and how many come from references. If all goes well, we´ll have a mix of people being baptized from both refernces and through our own finding efforts.

So this week I spent two days in an air conditioned chapel with the mission president and a group of missionaries to be capacitated on missionary work. I ate a lot and sat indoors. Not good for my six months to sexy plan. You know what else isn't good? Living above a bakery. Every morning as I do my studies the bakers know how to make the wind blow just right to make the delicious aroma enter our apartment, then like a fool with no self control I find my way purchasing baked goods before the morning is over. I guess I'll have to increase the intensity of my morning runs, because not going to the panaderia, really isn't an option.
I also may have seen part of a real Argentina soccer game in person! In our area there is a large soccer stadium for the Belgrano Pirates soccer team. This past week the season started back up. We had no idea that soccer season was back until we made it to the street of the family home evening we had scheduled. This family happens to live directly in front of the stadium. So we found our way walking through a huge, crazy crowd of people trying to get to the Tello house. Upon arriving they invited us up to the roof where we could see part of the field. Maybe next week I'll be able to rob an SD card adapter from another elder.

If Sister Jorgensen goes to the province of Jujuy to the town of San Pedro, she will have the privilege of completing a family that we have been teaching here. There are sister missionaries in San Pedro, so if it does happen that would be way sweet. And if she ends up in Santiago del Estero, she will be in the hottest place of Argentina. But she'll love it, but she will speak with an interesting accent, her mission is like the Lousiana mission in the states.

w00t w00t! Go Tate! And Shea and Tyra. Sounds like everyone is doing awesome, that's good. I'm super duper as well. I love you all and I'll catch ya in seven days.

Love,

ELMX

I Love Being So Busy

2011-01-31T16:36:00.000-07:00

I received the package! Thank you for the calendars, the music and the comics :) It was awesome.

So this week I spent two days out of the area trying to help the areas of Rosedal and Uritorco. Then we had surprise interviews with President Salas, by the time we saw our investigators and members they were saying we had disappeared or had forgotten about them. I love being so busy but it's little hard haha.

Well this past Saturday we baptized Yoana. She is the sister of our ward mission leader. It was my first baptism of a Peruvian. Now, however I am expecting many more seeing I live in the middle of a little Peruvian neighborhood. It was also my first that had to be dunked twice. It is also my first to not be confirmed the next day. She showed up to church in the middle of the sacrament being passes and our bishop said she needs to take it first, so she will be confirmed next week along with two other people who are being baptized this Saturday.

So Mateo and Elder Flaherty are both in my zone again and it's super cool to see them both like I used to in Villa Dolores.

Funny story, we are teaching a family and the mother's name is Fanny, it made me think of the Valkyrie and Po called her Aunt Fanny.

I'm sorry all my emails have become so short, but next week I'll write more and send pictures! I love you all and I'll catch ya next week.

Chau,

ELMX

New Area - Off The Hook

2011-01-24T11:28:00.004-07:00

9 de Julio is off the hook. I have never been so busy in my life. I can't sleep because I am thinking about our 6347 people we are teaching. We found 15 new people, and that was while we were running around trying to teach our 12 people with baptismal dates, and help new converts, and teach everybody without baptismal dates, and deal with my companions broken shoes (he broke two pairs of shoes this past week), and try to help the twenty other missionaries in the zone. I love it. It's way hot, and I am hoping for some rains, or heavy winds or something to break the heat streak. My area is wayyy hilly. I feel like I am in San Francisco sometimes, but then I realize I have no ocean and that it's way hot. But it's cool to go hill climbing every day.

Tuesday night I got to see the Córdoba, downtown night life. Not many obedient missionaries can say that. Although, it's not quite as cool as it could have been. At 10:30 that night we got a phone call saying an elder was throwing up and had a swollen face. He was having a hard time breathing and stuff so we ended up having to go to the hospital with him and his companion. So, although I saw the late night life, it was just from a cab on the way to and from the hospital. We made it home around two that morning, yet had to go with the normal schedule anyways. The elder is alright it was just his peanut allergy.

We are teaching a very evangelist woman and she invited us to her church yesterday. She came to ours, so we went to hers. It was fun, but it felt like something was missing the whole time. But the preacher seemed like a nice guy, I know where he lives and I'm going to go knock on his door this week :)

As for my comp, he goes home in August (so one transfer after me). It's awesome having another Latin. I would serve with all Latins if I could. It's easier to stay focused because there are never conversations about music or TV. So, I like it, plus he is a great Elder, one of my best comps and we only have a week together.

Well I'm sorry this is short, there is never enough time. I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week. I really appreciated the pictures, I'll try to get some to you next week.

Chau,

ELMX

Transfers - Back to the City of Cordoba

2011-01-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well transfers have come again, as they do every six weeks. This time the Lord decided to send me back to Córdoba. Instead of the outskirts of town, however, he sent me to downtown. My area is called 9 de julio. My companion is Elder Antunez, he is from Santiago, Chile and I took his place in Lamadrid (Villa Maria), and now we are together...it's as if I've been following him and I finally caught up.

Weird to think that Elder Frias goes home tomorrow. He has been a great influence in my mission and he is now heading home. It seems so far away..but it's not, which scares me. We rode in on the bus together this morning, it's weird to say bye to so many people who are so important knowing there is a good chance I won't see them again in this life. Luckily some nerd invented facebook haha. Also weird to think that Alex is back and that Mike peaced out.

I'm disappointed Dakar is over too and that is came through Villa Maria during church...but it's okay because I'll ride in it one day.

I left some really important people in Villa Maria, from friends to investigators and members and everything. I really looked up to my branch president and his wife and last night we ate dinner with them and they both told me I'm a good missionary, I did good work and they were going to miss me. Yes, I know they probably say it to everyone but it made me feel really good that they saw the work I was doing.

Well I'm excited for some time here in Córdoba again. Extremely crazy to think I am in what could be my last area, but we are not to think about that. I still have a long way to go :)

I love you all have a fantastic week!

Chau,

ELMX

Excellent Things Happening on the Missionary Front

2011-01-10T20:58:00.004-07:00

Totally used the No Bake recipe you sent and it was a hit. Every week we take turns making desert for lunch on Sundays and it was my turn and I "pwned" it.

We are also "pwning" things on the missionary front. We had eight people in church yesterday and an awesome family about to be baptized and another awesome man as well.

I'm extremely content in our work at the moment. We are seeing great results and I am kind of scared to leave because I want to see all the fruits of the work we are doing, but transfers are coming this week and I'm little anxious. I've worked long and hard and am so consumed in this work and branch and family and I don't want to leave it. However, like our hymnal says, I'll go where He wants me to go.

I'm sorry the cyber is closing but I'll try to get back on later if I can. Love you have a great week!

Love,
ELMX

Dakar Came Through Villa Maria!

2011-01-05T14:49:00.001-07:00

Indeed, today is P-day, and then back to the normal Monday schedule. My new year has started well. This past week Elder Hebertson lost his last plack, so he is borrowing one of mine. Seeing how Elder is not a Spanish word people think it is our first name and often think we are brothers for having the same name. Now we are both Elder Lamoreaux so there is even more confusion, but it's fun...I just hope he doesn't lose my plack.

So we are seeing huge miracles with Marcela (I believe I've written of her before), her husband, and their children. I hope they reach their baptismal goal before I leave! She has a super strong testimony. He is improving, like a train, slowly, but he's gaining speed. It's awesome to watch and it is one of the times in my mission where I think much much more about them than about myself or anyone else, all of my thoughts are focused upon this family.

As for Dakar, it came through Villa Maria!! When? Sunday, while I was in church. We normally have a church attendance of 80 members or so, this week we were down to 35. They all went to watch Dakar. I saw two of the big trucks pass by, but that was it. However, those two trucks filled me with so much adrenaline knowing that it was Dakar passing right in front of me.

I've heard a rumor, that there is a way to make homemade egg nog. If this is true, could you please please please send me the recipe? I would also greatly appreciate the no bake cookie recipe. Thank you in advance.

It sounds like everyone is doing great! :) I am doing very well. Super happy. I'm learning patience with members, missionaries, myself, everyone, but it's good because it will be something that will help me in my post mission life as well.

I love you all, thanks for keeping me updated.

Love,

ELMX

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T17:29:00.001-07:00

Happy twenty eleven! Two thousand and eleven is going to be one amazing year. The work is going really well, great way to start! Also I just feel really good about everything, although that's how I usually feel come new years, it's just full of optimism. Also, Mother, happy birthday!!! I can't believe your turning 29.

Well, figured I would let you in on how I rolled in the year 2011. I did so partying! Not with members, however, just missionaries. The six of us in the city all got together, had an asado, drank pineapple and strawberry cider (alcohol free is hard to find, but we did it). We played some guitar and enjoyed ouselves. There was a good fireworks display. Then this morning to start the year right, we went paintballing! Eight elders, four sisters, and two members. It was super fun. It was jungle play basically. It was all overgrown greenness, really pretty, but we all got scrapped up. Out of the twelve of us, only three had ever played. Great start to the year.

It feels way weird having p-day on Saturday, I have a hard time thinking we have church tomorrow. Before I forget, I gotta throw out a big thank you for my Christmas tie, bleach pen, shirt, post its (of three styles, I don't remember telling you I was a post it addict and I'm running low), the pens, the chapstick, and the oil. You are all the best! Thanks for the support!

I'm glad to hear everyone is enjoying their vacation and the cold, I assure you it is not cold here...weird to think I'll basically have a full year of summer in 2011 (at least the majority of the year).

I'm going to end saying, I am having a hard time believing that my quest has reached its 75% completed mark. I am in the older quarter of the mission. I remember looking up to missionaries at this point in their quest and thinking it was a large milestone. Now I'm here and I can't believe it. I can accomplish a lot in six months, yet it is a short period of time. I love this work, I love my eighteen months of service. I love everyone who supports, writes, remembers, speaks of, or prays for me. I strongly encourage everyone to make the sacrifice and do this. Tate, Shea, Tyra, Mom and Dad (in twenty-thirty years), every cousin, friend, member, nothing is like it and I don't like thinking it will come to an end this year. But like I said, a lot can be accomplished in six months, and a lot will be accomplished.

Have a great new year! Love,

ELMX

Merry Christmas

2010-12-20T16:56:00.002-07:00

I'm feelin super Christmasy. It's my last mission Christmas! Elder Hebertson and I are playing acoustic Christmas shows in the plaza to find new investigators. I play the guitar and we sing Christmas hymns and the other elders contact people that listen to us. I'll try to take some pictures this weekend to send next Monday...it's pure legendaryism.

This week started with intercambios (exchanges). I was with Elder Tanner Bryant (Mesa, AZ) in the small town of Las Varillas. We had a good time and worked hard and it was awesome (for lack of better words). That was Tuesday and Wednesday. Then Thursday we woke up at 3:30 to get on a 4:00 o´clock bus to Córdoba for the Zone Conference. I saw some good friends and had some good times. It was a half p-day half zone conference. After the spiritual part, we all played soccer, volleyball, obstacle race, tug of war, sack race, and water fight. We had an asado, and received an engraved mate cup from the president and his wife. I also received a package from my family! However, I still have not received an SD card letter, I am assuming it is not going to make it here. I greatly appreciate the candy! And I am saving all the gifts for Saturday...mainly because Elder Hebertson is lame and won't let me open them :(. He also received two packages. One with Christmas decorations! So we have a little tree, snowflakes, and lights. This Christmas feels a lot more Christmasy than the last. He also received music so that adds to it. He also received two stockings (one for him, one for his comp). Each stocking contains twelve gifts, so every night we get to open one until Christmas and each one has a scripture reference and the scripture is related to the gift. For example a scripture about clean hands is accompanied by a bar of soap. It's fun :).

As for other things going on, although it's way hot and humid, I will see a white Christmas. How? White in baptismal clothing! We have been struggling a little bit lately, we haven't been seeing the results we want, but the Lord has seen our faith and our diligence and has blesses us with a baptism I didn't see happening till January! I'm so excited! It will be Elder Hebertson's second and he will have baptized every month of his mission thus far (MTC excluded).

Now for the Christmas call. Pres Salas recommended us calling instead of being called. So, Saturday morning I'll be calling around 10/11 my time, if you have any problems let me know, it can be later if you'd like.

Tell Kayla happy birthday and all our family Merry Christmas and I love and miss them.

Paz fuera che,

ELMX

What Comes Before Part B?....Part-ayy!

2010-12-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

This was a party week! Wednesday there was a young men/women activity (it was Day of the Virgin) so no one had school. We are teaching a 12 year old boy and 16 year old girl (their mother was baptized last month and we are trying to complete the family). So we invited them both, Miguel and Juliana. They came...along with their mother and cousins and neighbors and nephews. The other elders invited two young women from a family they are teaching as well, well that whole family showed up. The choripan (sausage sandwich things) didn't cover all the extra people, neither did the soda. So we tried to help out, but it still didn't reach. However, it was fun and everyone enjoyed themselves.

The following day (Thursday) we had a lesson with Marcela. She is going through a lot of rough problems right now, with her husband and just life in general. Well she had an important court meeting, she was really nervous. We explained Priesthood blessings and offered her one. I have never in my life felt so inspired as I gave a blessing. I have never been so bold nor specific. I was impressed with myself afterwards wondering what happened. The next day (Friday) was the ward Christmas party. Marcela came with all her kids and her neighbor with her husband and their kids. While at the party she pulled Elder Hebertson and I aside to tell us how court went. She said everything I had said in the blessing came to pass. She said she had never felt so peaceful in such a rough situation. It was way awesome hearing that from her. The rest of that party went really well, and there was enough food haha.

Those are the two big events from this week. Thursday I'm going in to Córdoba, so hopefully my package has made it and I get it before Christmas! Also, Summer does have a home, but on exchanges Elder Hebertson and Elder Bryant found an even younger puppy that was going to die in the street and ended up giving him away too haha. We're not only saving souls, but dogs too! As for the photo of me with my guitar, that is Villa Maria, on top of our apartment complex.

Well I love you all and will write and talk to you next week!

Love,

ELMX

Lots of Work...Lots of Heat...and a Dog for One Night

2010-12-06T13:49:00.002-07:00

Hey. So Argentina is way hot. I forgot what it was like to have hot Christmas. Christmas songs don't really exist, all I hear is Eminem and Rihanna and a type of music called Quarteto, Christmas season doesn't really start until day of the virgin (Wednesday). Everyone decorates their trees and the country stops for a day. Although the country comes to a stop about 34 times a year for all their national holidays. It also comes to stop every day for a couple hours starting at one. (ha!ha!) Generally more people do listen at this time of year, but just one time, it's hard to get it to continue.

Could you do me a favor and send the talks given by the First Presidency yesterday in the Christmas devotional. The messages were really good and I would like to be able to share them with others. One of the part member families were visiting came to the devotional! It was way awesome. It was broadcast live here so I watched it at ten o'clock and made it home around twelve. I felt so cool, and kinda like Levi instead Elder Lamoreaux walking around at that hour.

Well transfers came this week and I am here to inform I have six weeks to get to know Elder Hebertson even better. Interested in hearing a story about Elder Hebertson and I? Wednesday afternoon we heard some crying sounds coming from a weed covered field. I went to investigate. What did we discover? Five abandoned puppies! I said oh that's sad, let's go. Elder Hebertson said no, he said they were "cute" and "tender" and he "wanted to keep them and sleep with them". Well I said no but that we could call some members and see if anyone wanted a puppy. They were about a week hold. Nobody wanted one but he still was not leaving them, so we took them up in our arms and walked through town asking who wanted a free puppy. We were able to give away Che, Nigger, T-Swizzy, and Lodo. We were left with, however, Summer. She was the ugliest of the bunch and no one wanted her. Elder Hebertson was so stoked to have a pet dog we ended up taking it home for the night, then we were going to give it away the next morning, also under the condition that Elder Hebertson took care of it. Let's say he did not. The dog cried all night and I took care of it all night. All morning I took care of it and when I got out the shower my companion was just looking at the dog with hatred in his eyes. He has never had a pet and after this week I don't think he ever will haha.

That was my week haha. Lots of work, lots of heat, no changes with transfers, and a dog for a night. Also interesting side note. My two mission Christmases are going to be spend with Elder Frias (he is serving in the same branch but with a different companion). I wonder how many missionaries spend two Chirstmases with the same elder. Have a great week and enjoy the Christmas season and don't be Grinch's! (it comes from President Uchtdorf's talk).

Love you, chau,
ELMX

Remembered Thanksgiving with Non-Traditional Meal

2010-11-30T14:36:00.001-07:00

This week I celebrated Thanksgiving with Elder Bryant (Mesa, AZ) on exchanges. We ate mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, chicken hamburgers, cheesecake, and salad. Not as good as your dinner, but at least I remembered the holiday this year and don't have to miss another one.

I do not have a list of things I want to do other than serve with all my heart before I leave Argentina. We have been experiencing the taste of Argentina on a regular basis, but we don't know where we can get ñoquis or canelones (two of my favorite foods and Elder Hebertson hasn't tried them yet).

On Friday we were sitting on a curb waiting for the other missionaries to show up so we could start an activity and while sitting a dog peed on my comps back pack haha. Juan Imerson gave his first talk on Sunday and it was amazing. It was much better than the other two who have been members for ten years. The other elders had a baptism this week, so we were able to go to that. Yesterday we had a man try to quiz our knowledge on our church. He asked if we knew why we were called Mormons and I asked him if he knew and he told us it's because the man who started the church, his surname was Mormon. We said no, he said yes because he read it in a book, then his son in law said no the man's name was Moroni, we said Jesus started the church, the first man told us we were wrong because his name was Mormon then the wife said no his name was Joseph Smith, the husband said she had no idea because if someone named Joseph Smith started the church it would be called the church of Smith not the church of Mormon. It was fun. One thing that I find hard about the mission is the massive amount of ignorance. I understand not everyone will listen and I don't expect them to, but everyday this week I had to deal with people that were extremely ignorant and proud and it makes me a little sad. However, I visit with flia Imerso or some of the other amazing people I've met and it helps me realize how important this work is and how essential God is in it. I can't achieve anything myself, yet I've seen miracles through the hand of the Lord.

I'm glad everyone is doing well and that you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving. I enjoyed ours as well, it was better than last years. I hope you all have a terrific and enjoy and embrace the transition into the Christmas/New Year season. It's my favorite! I love you all.

ELMX

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

2010-11-22T14:53:00.002-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I don't know if you remember, but last year I entirely forgot about Thanksgiving. It's not happening again. I'll probably just eat spaghetti since turkey doesn't exist here, but I at least will know it's Thanksgiving!

This past Wednesday, President Salas came out and gave us an all day training session. It was way good. I love President Salas and how much help he is, he really is great. A couple other things out of the regular happened this week other than the surprise conference. Elder Hebertson gave his first Sacrament Meeting talk. He did awesome, and even though his Spanish wasn't perfect, everyone understood and really enjoyed what he said. I feel like every week I say something about the Imerso family but this week Juan received the Levitical priesthood. I had never participated in the ordinance of confirming the priesthood, and he and the branch president invited me to participate. He then blessed the sacrament in Sacrament Meeting. It was awesome.

Funny story for the week: we didn't have lunch on Saturday, so we called around seeing if there were anyone available. We ended up going with our last resort. Why are they your last resort? you may ask. Well it may have something to do with the nineteen, eighteen, and sixteen year old daughters. My comp was in heaven, I was a little uncomfortable..but luckily the food was good and the parents are awesome.

Summarizing the week I would say it was a good one. We found lots of people. We provided some service. We celebrated someones birthday by making them banana bread (it doesn't exist here so missionaries use it a lot haha, they call it banana cake). I'm doing well. My comp is doing well. We're happy and working hard.

I love you all and hope you have an awesome Thanksgiving! Next year I'll be back for it :)

Chao,

ELMX

This week was hot! Yet, we worked, and we had fun!

2010-11-15T20:06:00.002-07:00

This week was hot! Yet, we worked, and we had fun! A couple weeks ago, María Luna was baptized. She has an 11 (twelve on Saturday) year old son and a 16 year old daughter who are now listening and are going to be baptized in December. Miguel (11) is a quiet kid who doesn't have a lot of good friends. He came to church and made really good friend with a couple of the deacons, so he already wants to keep going to church because of the friends he's made.

We found a woman last week and taught a way spiritual great lesson and committed her to coming to church and being baptized, she accepted. This week, we returned and we mentioned that she had accepted a baptismal date, and she said, "Yeah, we need to talk about that." I was concerned and had a million things rushing through my head, but what came next I was not expecting. "Elders, eighteen years ago I was baptized in your church." I almost laughed, this is the fourth or fifth time it's happened. But, the good news, she would love to come back, so we'll have one more person on Sundays.

Two more stories from the week. We were hungry one night, so, we ordered pizza. We were told it would take thirty minutes. We thought, perfect, we'll eat and still be in bed on time. Thirty minutes turned into an hour. We were outside our apartment complex waiting for the pizza to show up, when we see a man on a bicycle peddling towards us. Sure enough, we ate cold, bicycle delivered pizza that night...and got to be a little late. As for the other story. I've become accustomed to the barking, snarling, sometimes biting dogs here. My companion has not. He is absolutely terrified of every canine we see in the street. He is my first companion I've heard swear, and it was caused by fear of a dog.

As for stake conference. There were about 400 people that came. It was way good. I love President Salas. He gave a great talk. Quick part I can share with you. In Córdoba they have recently started the construction of the temple. A man walking past asked one of the workers what he was doing, he responded laying bricks. The man not being satisfied with the answer asked another worker what he was doing, the worker responded raising a wall. A little more descriptive, but the man was still unsatisfied, so he asked a third worker who responded I am constructing the House of the Lord where families can be sealed for time and eternity. What do we see with our daily tasks in this life? Do we see ourselves laying bricks? Do we see us building a wall? Or do we see past the bricks and the wall? I really enjoyed it.

I'm glad you can use me to share the gospel with people. I use the five of you to share the gospel with people. Which is why I love and need photos. People don't trust a foreigner in a tie until they see he is a normal person with a family who he loves too. I show the pictures I have and explain that the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families with peace in this life and the promise of being together in the next. So the whole photo thing helps in the missionary aspect, and also in the I love my family and like to be reminded of them aspect. So thanks a lot for emailing me some, even though the family isn't in it, I love the last photo you sent me.

That's the rundown of my week. I greatly appreciate the photos and the words and the prayers and every conversation where I'm mentioned :) Have a great week!

Love,

ELMX

Sickness...Loss of Power...Baptism...Great Week

2010-11-08T17:07:00.002-07:00

Happy Monday!

This week started off in the town of Las Varillas. It's about an hour and a half from Villa Maria, and I spent Monday through Wednesday there on intercambios with Elder Madariaga (Chile). They were struggling a little bit, having problems finding people and getting them to church, but they ended up having a great week. It was really good.

Well Thurday I ate lunch and instantly felt sick. No one else did, just me. Well this sick feeling (and other side effects that accompanied) it lasted till last night. So I had a "fun" four days. And miraculously, in between trips to the bathroom we were able to get a decent amount of work done. We even had a baptism! María was baptized by Elder Hebertson Saturday night. It had been years since Elder Hebertson had seen a baptism and didn't remember anything about how it was done, but he did well. Next month we are hoping to baptize her two kids too.

Speaking of converts, Raquel Imerso received her first calling! She is a primary teacher already. She is excited and will do awesome. It's my first time seeing a convert of mine receive a calling. It was way cool. Also, yesterday two converts of mine here shared their testimonies and it may have been my favorite Sacrament Meeting I've been to in my mission.

Yesterday a super strong wind started up and Villa Maria was losing power and getting it back all day long. Well we had choir practice (preparing for District Conference next week), and afterwards there was going to be a fireside. Well the power went out and wasn't coming back so choir practice was cut short and the fireside was rescheduled.

You started your email with a lot of questions, thought I might answer them. P-day, today like every p-day in this area was soccer. The weather yesterday was wayyy HOT and windy. Today is really nice. Food, I like ñoquis, alfajors, asado, and canelones. I'm planning on making ñoquis for everyone post mission (they're not super amazing, but they're good, and it's kind of more of a cultural thing). Pictures, I'll see what I can send.

Love you, thanks for writing, have a great week!!

Love,

ELMX

Two-Thirds Complete with My Quest in Argentina...Missionary Conference...Cordoba Temple Groundbreaking...Baptism...Great Stuff !!!

2010-11-05T16:56:00.008-07:00

Wow is right! Two thirds done with my mission. Insane, if I dare to say. Also yes a great mission conference. There were three members of the Seventy (Elders Spitele, Gonzalez, and Arnold), as well Elder Andersen from the quorum of the twelve. It was pretty incredible to meet them all and to hear from each one of them (and their wives). Then the groundbreaking of the temple! I wasn't present for the groundbreaking, but I saw it via internet. I can't believe it's finally happening. I'm not even going to be here to see it completed, but I am so happy for everyone here that they'll have one so close. And to top it off I'll be twenty point five in two days (Nov 3).

Some other things that occured this week include the Argentine census. We had to, by law, stay in our apartment until we were interviewed and counted in the census. Luckily they came by around eleven, so we didn't have to wait around all afternoon. The former president, and husband of the current president of Argentina, passed away on Wednesday. And a new family we found told us they couldn't read the Book of Mormon because their pastor told them so. When we explained that knowledge comes from God, not from man, and he needed to pray about it, he informed us his pastor told him he couldn't pray either. It was kind of funny that preacher told someone not pray, but it's sad at the same time...but that's what happens. Now, to throw a change up and hit you with happy news. This week we found an inactive member, who is married with two children (one of baptism age). Reminds me of someone in Rose Garden from about a year and a half back (the Hammontrees). Anyways they are awesome and are going to start going to church and listening. Also we are baptizing a woman named Luna (in English it means "moon") this Saturday! Her children are going to follow her example, it's just taking a little more time.

I am extremely happy and can't believe I've made it this far in my quest. I appreciate every prayer and every email I couldn't be here without all you and your support. Thank you so much.

Love,

ELMX

My New Companion Arrived - Elder Herbertson

2010-10-26T09:52:00.002-07:00

My new companion did arrive. I went to pick him up Friday. His name is Elder Scott R. Hebertson. He was born in Mesa, AZ but shortly thereafter moved to what is known in Argentina as the "elder factory", Utah...Sandy to be specific. He is a LOST fan and I almost lost control when he asked if I wanted to know how it ended, apart from that, however, we get along great and he is trying really hard to learn this language.

My mission conference is this Saturday, I'm excited to see everyone and Elder Andersen. I've been reading up on all his recent General Conference addresses so if he asks any questions I can respond with his own answers and impress him ;) That in Spanish is called "sucking socks" or in English commonly referred to as "brown nosing", for some reason I enjoy the Spanish way of saying suck up more.

Villa Maria is doing awesome. Ludmila Imerso (12) had to give a talk on Sunday...let's just say I taught her well.

I did take some money, it was because I needed to travel to Córdoba to pick up Elder Hebertson, but there is a little leftover and I'm thinking of putting it towards a skillet so I can actually cook...but I'm also leaning towards a tie for the mission conference. I don't know if I'll actually be able to see the temple groundbreaking, but I hope so. In Spanish it's called the "palada inicial" or literally the "first shovelful" haha.

So I don't know if you noticed, but today marks two months until our next phone call, and Christmas. If you were thinking of sending a Christmas package it would be greatly appreciated. Here is a list of suggestions: consecrated oil thing (IDK what it's called in English), American breakfast cereal, photos!!!!, a 2011 calendar (if were church related that would be sweet, just for reference my favorite church artist at the moment is Walter Rane), and whatever else your hearts desire.

Awesome story of the week: yesterday morning all of our investigators were sick or out of town or we still don't know why they didn't come to church, but a quiet sister in the branch who I had never said more than hi to brought one of her good friends. Well her friend loved all three hours of church and before we could, she asked when we could come and visit her. Miracle! Every time I work and work and work and I feel like nothing is going to pull through God repays me for the work. I'm super grateful and know that he directs this work.

Hope everyone has a stellar week, next time we talk I'll be two days short of twenty and a half years old.

Chaosito,

ELMX

Where Oh Where Can My Companion Be - Still in the MTC

2010-10-21T22:13:00.003-07:00

Transfers, so this week things changed a little bit. I'm glad you were informed that I would not be emailing you on Monday, because all day Monday I was scared you'd be wondering what happened. So here is the news. Next Saturday, Elder Neil L. Andersen is coming for the ground breaking of the Córdoba Temple. While here, we are going to have a mission conference with him. In order to prepare everything for the conference, transfers came early, just this week though. Every week from here on out will be the normal Monday/six week schedule. As for transfer news, there were some changes. There are four elders that serve in my branch. One returned to his house, and the other left for Córdoba. One of the new elders that came is a former companion of mine, Elder Frias, back from the Oncativo days. He's not my companion, however. My companion is still in the MTC as of now! President Salas called me Monday night to inform me I'd be training again. I don't know what to think. Elder Haacke was one of the best companions I could have ever asked for, I'm hoping I'm blessed again in a similar fashion.

As for the Imerso family...they are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and happy! It was awesome. They are some of the best people I have ever met and are future calling holders. Super awesome!!!

As for Mike (a friend called to serve in Donetsk, Ukraine), that's crazy! Not just Europe, but Eastern Europe. The crazy hard angry languages haha. He's gonna love it! I'm excited to go to his homecoming in twenty five months.

Sunday was Argentina's Mother's Day. I tried to get permission to call you saying there was mate in my house which basically made you Argentine, but it didn't fly, so it looks like I have to wait till Christmas. I'm glad everyone is doing well. Tell my sisters I love them too and today we were talking about Wii tennis and I thought of the book Po made me because there is a Wii tennis photo in there :)

Love you all tons!

ELMX

Oh, So Much To Say...Rain...Trip...Interviews

2010-10-14T11:36:00.006-07:00

Oh soo much to say for this week. First off your rain prediction was correct, Wednesday it rained and it rained hard all day. I had to travel to an area an hour and a half away for a baptismal interview, but President Salas had to conduct interviews with Elder Madriaga and Elder Adams first. Well President Salas showed up way late and we finally left Villa Maria at 6:30 to get to Las Varillas by 8:00 for the interview, well with the rain we got there late (8:30). The interview went great...but getting back home did not. We missed the last bus so we had to stay the night in Las Varillas. We slept on the floor, we slept in the cold, we ate a pizza called "el Aleman" or the "German" which made me sick, so as if the cold, hard floor wasn't enough to keep me up, the aftermath of the pizza was. We got home a little after 8:00 the following morning, tired and sore, but ready to work!

That same day we found out due to members of the branch leaving for the long weekend (Columbus Day), we had to change the baptism of the Imerso family to this week. Speaking of the Imerso family, yesterday all the kids in Sacrament Meeting were running around and being loud and irreverent while everyone was sharing their testimonies. Hermano Imerso got up to share his and the whole room turned quiet and still and filled with the Spirit. Awesome! Also, Friday night while planning what to teach them the following day Elder Vasquez and I were stuck. We had taught everything. He suggested teaching more specifically about temple work, but neither of us felt that's what they needed so we continued thinking when the story of the Liahona came to mind. In Alma 37 it describes how the Liahona functioned and how we can apply the Liahona to the words of Christ. We both felt this would be a better lesson. So we read the last part of Alma 37 with them and they started talking about how it was so clear. How following the scriptures and the prophets and Christ will guide us to a better future just like it guided Lehi's family. Then hermano Imerso told us he was exhausted from work and was contemplating taking a Sunday off, but that would be being lazy and not following the "Liahona". Super awesome. Also in church we had two new investigators. One is a simple woman and she loved it. The other is a lawyer with a lot of doubts but wants to learn more, so he is reading the teachings of President Kimball, haha.

I also ate dinner with the head of the missionary department last night. He's buddy with apostles and stuff and has a touch screen laptop thing. Coolest technology I have seen in awhile, haha. He is staying with the owner of the Zone Leaders house. He served here thirty years ago and continues his friendship with her. She is not a member, but her cancer disappeared after a blessing from Elder Scott when he was mission president here. It was pretty cool to meet him and eat dinner with him and her.

I became district leader when transfers happened. I have to give training in district meeting every week, do baptismal interviews, do exchanges, and make the zone leaders happy. The white bible explains it better than I can, I'm still trying to figure it out. Being a missionary is enough responsibility, but now I have to concern myself over four areas instead of one.

I'm glad everyone is doing well! Sports, school, work, callings, motorcycle rides, everything. Keep it up.

Love,

Elder LMX

Celebrating One Year in Argentina!

2010-10-04T16:18:00.003-07:00

After a year in this country, I understand the language well, my accent is weak, but last night we met a woman and when I said I was from the states she was impressed at my Spanish, a couple minutes later she asked if I even spoke English, haha. Villa Maria is keeping me busy, too busy at times. So much to do, so little time. Elder Vasquez is doing well, I don't know if I mentioned that he is one of ten kids. This week I had the opportunity to work with an elder from Nicaragua who is one of fifteen. Today was another soccer Monday. I received a solid foot to the shin and have a nice baseball sized bump now.

I enjoy being a city again. It's so big it has two branches! And my branch is four elders away from being a ward. I'm working on that and we're adding one more male to the branch this weekend! I too am watching a family enter the waters of baptism this week! And luckily the only thing that has been stolen is one of my t-shirts, unlike your Elder's bikes.

I don't know where you get your weather information but I hope it is warm and dry. I had a cold, wet week. One of the coldest, wettest days of my quest was Friday (my day without the Panamanian and with the Nicaraguan). During this cold, wet day, my companion stopped by the chapel to dry his socks and shoes on the heater. Well, he now longer has those shoes. They completely melted! Luckily he has some others haha.

So the general conference was awesome. I enjoyed all five sessions, and every time Thomas S Monson talked I'm more convinced of his role, responsibility, and that he is telling us what we need to hear. Who would have thought we needed to hear about gratitude.

Tis it for this week. I hope you all have a super duper week and apply all we learned this weekend ;)

Love,

ELMX

When I was born did you ever think someday I would be playing soccer in Argentina in the middle of a rain storm?

2010-09-27T15:16:00.002-07:00

This week will mark one year in this country and 5/8 of my mission complete. It has been ridiculously fast and there is so much that needs to get done, but I assume it's like that for everyone. Yesterday we had a surprise guest at church, President Salas. There is a young man who needed his final mission interview to send his papers, and he needed to meet with some other people, and interview the six elders serving in the city of Villa Maria. In the interview he started asking about how I felt about the time I've completed in the mission. Then we talked a lot about Villa Dolores, about the district I'm in, and then about me. President Salas is great. It was also awesome to see him there because he got to meet the Imerso family (possibly the best investigators I've had, but they do have some tough competition).

It has been raining a lot all week, today harder than any other day. Would you like to know what we did for preparation day with all this heavy rain. We played soccer for five hours straight. It was cold, wet, vicious, yet ridiculously fun. Several missionaries were saying it was the funnest they've had in a long time. When I was born did you ever think someday I would be playing soccer in Argentina in the middle of a rain storm? I'll be honest, it never crossed my mind. Yesterday while working in the rain we knocked on a door. The street on which this house was located was completely flooded. We were walking through thick mud in people's front yards to stay out of the deep water. Well here in Argentina the two most common excuses to not listen are "I'm breast feeding at the moment" or "We're leaving", this door we knocked the man decided to go with the classic "I would but we're leaving right now". I couldn't help but turn around and see a river instead of street and couldn't help but ask where. It was a little funny.

It's good hear that every one is doing well. I was blessed with the best family. I love hearing about all five of you. Have a great week!

Chao,

ELMX

Survived The First Week in Villa Maria

2010-09-20T12:32:00.003-07:00

First week in a new area down. Met some members but everyone with a calling has a similar name (Claudio, Cristian, Cristofer, etc), I can only remember so many C's, but it'll come with time. It was weird to almost have church attendance of 100, but way awesome. The primary is more than two kids and my first and only primary program of my mission is next week!! Our neighbor's dog hates us and every morning chases us down the block. I live in an apartment complex. It's pretty nice, my only complaint is how fast we run out of hot water, but apart from that, it's the nicest I've had in my mission. That's awesome that you had a family of investigators stay for all three hours! We did too!! The family Imerso. God has been preparing them and decided to hand them to the missionaries at the perfect time. We also had a couple others in church. That's awesome about the Hammontree's! Alison (from Baltimore) hit a year yesterday. I can't believe it's already been that long.

This week we found a great nineteen year old young man named Roque (pronounced like Rocky Balboa) and a couple others and are working on several exciting dates in October. As we were returning to the apartment to eat lunch this week, an investigator passed by on her bike and stopped us and as we were talking to her the branch president drove by and stopped, introduced himself and invited her to church and it was way sweet. Things are going well. I'm exhausted, but I enjoy it. Fun fact, there is a sister missionary from Mesa in the district, and like Elder Flaherty knows Lamoreauxs that I don't haha.

I played soccer for a couple intense hours this morning. It's funny, every companionship in my district is made up of one Latin and one Gringo. So we played gringos vs latinos, then senior comps vs junior comps. It was so much fun, but it got cut short because we popped the ball! haha To me football fields don't exist anymore, they are all soccer fields.

Well, that sums up my week. I'm glad everyone is doing well and I hope that your weather takes a chill pill soon. We're gradually warming up here, today is super humid.

Paz fuera (peace out),

ELMX

New City - New Home - Great Mission

2010-09-14T08:03:00.008-07:00

About the conference this past week: President Arnold was pretty awesome (as well as his wife and the mission president and his wife). They are changing things a little bit with Preach My Gospel so we talked about that and we also talked about things we need to be doing better (like kneeling and praying with every investigator). I did get to see some old friends at the conference, the best of them all, Elder Haacke, my companion who I served with in February and March. It was great to see everyone though.

The day after the conference we received transfer calls. Elder Flaherty and I are no longer living together after close to six months. And I am now living with a Panamanian named Elder Vasquez in the city of Villa Maria. Villa Dolores had become my home. As much as I wanted to leave (I felt like I had talked to everyone and knocked every door), it was really hard. The Ceballo family is one of my favorite families I have ever met and I didn't want to say bye…Same with the Tello family and Beatriz and her family and so many others. It wasn't fun, yet I am excited to be here in Villa Maria with Elder Vasquez. He comes from a family of seven girls and three boys, he doesn't have a camera so I told him I would take photos for him and we can print them out. He has several months here and says there is a lot of work here and is pretty stocked, so I am too! I'll probably be with him six weeks and then have another companion, we’ll see. We live alone so I will be speaking Spanish 24/7 again, so I apologize if my English starts going downhill over the next couple weeks. My new area is pretty big. I’m in a city not a town this time, it’ll be interesting. My branch has about 80 active members, so that’s a good change, and the city is of decent size, so there are lots of people to talk to. There are two branches here and six elders. We're going to work hard and have fun. Elder Vasquez is awesome.

I need to learn how to cook some new foods. Argentina meals stop at meat and noodles. Hopefully with my Central American comp we can find something new. Like a thai soup :)

It's kind of funny, about 40% of the missionaries in this mission serve in the city Córdoba. I was there for a little bit but this is my third area outside the city, but I like it, it's a different experience.

The photo from last week about “companion inventory”, there may have been a sharpie involved at an investigators house who raced motocross and BMX until he destroyed both his knees.

Sounds like everyone is doing well, maybe a little too busy, but healthy and happy. Love you all. Have a fantastic week, thanks for the pictures. Catch you on the flip side.

Love,
ELMX

Happy Labor Day!

2010-09-06T17:18:00.001-07:00

Happy Labor Day! I'm celebrating Labor Day with an Argentine asado (probably the best of my mission) and a good round of paintball. I walked out of the arena with only three welts. 'Twas a fun day. This week we received some much needed rain.

Back on the subject of tacos from last week. Funny joke: why can't Mexicans play pool? They eat all the tacos (pool sticks are called tacos here). Saw some circus lions and tigers. Interesting fact about circus animals in Argentina: due to the massive amount of stray dogs and cats, the circus workers collect and use them as the main staple of the African animals´ diet.

And cool missionary story for the week: while working in a little town across the river from Villa Dolores, Elder Flaherty and I knocked a woman's door whose husband had just passed away. We were unaware and were caught off guard when she asked who had sent us. We were able to share Alma 40:11-12 with her, it went well and we're going to go see her again this week. We also have a big conference with our new Area President Elder Arnold this week, so I get to go to Córdoba and see almost the whole mission.

So I have some cool news. Our world focuses on where the money is, meaning United States of America, Europe, etc, which has helped the beautiful creature Nessi gain her popularity (being from western Europe). Well, of not so famous standing is possibly an equally cool natural phenomenon. His name is Nahuelito. In the province of Bariloche is found a large, lake creature resembling that of Nessi. I was soo stoked when I found out. Too bad it's out of my mission :( but still cool that I'm in the same country!

Love you all! Enjoy your holiday. Imma try to send some pix like always haha.

Chao,

ELMX

Makeshift Tacos...Not the Same as Home

2010-08-30T15:54:00.002-07:00

The weather is getting warm, but it beats the cold, sweating makes me feel like I'm working hard. I'm hoping for some rain soon, I haven't seen much this winter, but that's usually how it goes here, December brings in the rains usually.

Work related, it was a difficult week, but there was still some miracles that occured. First of which took place in a grocery store. A young married couple invited us to eat lunch with them Wednesday, they live about as far as possible away and still be in Villa Dolores. Out in there direction we had a contact we were planning on seeing since we would be out in that direction. Well we saw her in the grocery store buying Tuesday's lunch. We talked to her and she informed us she had just recently moved, so we didn't end up wasting time looking for someone that didn't live there anymore. Next was a friend of ours, Romero. He has found himself in a poor health situation. As he left the hospital he thought of us and how it had been awhile since we had talked. Elder Flaherty and I had had a rough day with no success and found ourselves standing on a street corner at night not knowing what to do when Romero happened to drive by us. It was a really cool experience and it turned the night around. The third, to round off this trilogy of miracles, involves Beatriz. According to President Hunter someone is truly converted when the desire to share the gospel with others. Beatriz brought two of her daughters and three grand kids to church on Sunday. Super cool.

Funny story. Missionaries all miss Mexican food and we all make makeshift tacos, and somewhere along the road every missionary has cooked tacos for a member. Well, yesterday Hermana Tello made 108 tacos for lunch. They were way good...except for the Argentine spin: mayonase, katchup, and mustard.

As for Eli, she is one of my favorite peopele in Argüello. She is a convert who has gone through some rough times and I had the priviledge of helping her and her children. She is honestly one of the nicest people I've ever met. What she said is "I know ELMX. He baptized two of my kids Agustin and Rocio. We love him, he is a blessing in our lives and an excellent missionary. With much love, Eli (short for Elizabeth)". I can't believe she remembers me and found you on facebook. Tell her "mi hijo manda saludos y dice que extraña a su familia y que les quiere mucho"
Well that's my week.
Have a great week.

Love,
LMX

Warming Up In Argentina

2010-08-23T20:46:00.002-07:00

This week was definitely warm, it felt good to sweat again. We ended up having an interesting week. Elder Laws (Merlo) had to travel to Córdoba for the week, so I was living/working in a trio for five days. We spent half the week in Merlo and half the week in Villa Dolores (so neither area went too neglected). While in Merlo we took the stairway to heaven, and ended up contacting two men (two different days) who are fluent in English. One night Elder McClellan woke up with a killing ear ache and saw me roll over so he woke me up and asked me for a blessing. It was the first English blessing I have given in quite some time and it was three in the morning. It was interesting but it helped and he was able to go back to sleep right away. In the morning Elder Flaherty told us he had a weird dream that I gave Elder McClellan a blessing in the middle of the night but he didn't know why. Elder McClellan and I just laughed in response, but later explained.

On Saturday a young boy in the ward (Facundo...which I plan on naming one of my children) turned seven so we crashed his birthday party and I felt like I was celebrating Po's birthday by proxy haha. Beatriz is doing awesome and sharing her testimony with everyone, and she is trying to get her family to come with her to church or to listen to us. The armadillo was just in the road so we grabbed it last week and took a picture.

This week we also had an attendence double that of last week. We were over forty and neither missionary spoke! We each have spoken six timesish I've lost count and don't even remember all my topics.

Well that was my week. I'm glad everyone is doing awesome and making me proud.
Love you.

ELMX

Amazing Member Missionaries

2010-08-17T13:05:00.003-07:00

I can´t believe school is already back. It feels like everyone just got out yesterday. Also weird to think that this is the second of the school years I miss while serving.

Congrats to Megan. Salta is just north of me. It includes the provinces of Salta, Tucuman, Santiago del Estero, Jujuy, and one other that escapes me at the moment. She will be dealing with more natives and hotter temperatures, and spicy food (here if you add a pinch of pepper people freak out and think your tongue will fall out...a little different than I had anticipated).

Sounds like everybody is doing awesome. I'm doing pretty well myself. We were meeting with an investigator named Alicia who was explaining her real estate problems. We explained to her how we could receive blessings if we put God first and follow His Spirit. We read 3 Nephi 13 (towards the end) and 2 Nephi 32 with her. Just as we finished the subject and she was said she would try to do those things--ring--went the phone. Someone wants to buy a house she has been trying to sell for six years. It was super cool. It was funny as the phone rang Elder Flaherty said someone wanted to buy the house...sure enough. Then when she came to church on Sunday (for her first time) we gave her a little tour (little because our chapel is small, it's a room haha). For some reason I pointed out a picture of the temple in Buenos Aires. I felt kind of silly afterwards wondering why I pointed it out and started talking about it. I still wasn't sure until Hermana Sanchez started her talk...on what? Temples.

It absolutely is amazing watching Beatriz grow. At the end of hard weeks or hard days seeing her transition into Christ's church makes it all better. I have a feeling her husband is going to come around before next July as well. A lot marriages are like that. One person eats it up and the other takes their time but makes it in the end.

Other cool story from the week: we went out the small town of Luyaba to visit the Maldonado family and teach their daughter-in-law. Well we did a lot more than that. That had made several appointments for us all with family and friends. Amazing member missionaries. They just surprised us by saying do you have time to visit a couple families with us and we did! So we just sat in the back seat of their car as they drove us from appointment to appointment, allowing us to teach and find some people. We even found and taught a nun who is on vacation until February. It was a fun day. One reason why it was so fun will be demonstrated but what we found in a photo.

Well another week come and gone. And the seasons can't make up their mind. We have both cold and hot days. Yesterday I was wearing my jacket, today, short sleeves. Another week filled with the Spirit and adventure and this work that I've come to love so much. I love Monday's coming into the cyber and seeing what's going on with my family. Thanks for keeping me updated and sending me the love e'ry week.

Love,

ELMX

Time Goes By Too Fast Sometimes

2010-08-09T21:54:00.002-07:00

Hard to believe summer break is over. I feel like last week school ended and you were chocho (Argentine for stoked) for you cruise/road trip and everyone else to be out of school. We had our first rains since April this week. Only this time they were freezing! It would rain, turn all the dirt streets to mud, then freeze...but wouldn't snow :(. Now it's heating up and I've already shed the jacket. I hope the nice weather endures for awhile. So Beatriz is doing awesome. Becoming better friends with everyone, sharing her testimony and participating in class, offering prayers. It is the type of baptism you dream of. Especially because every other I leave the area and don't see them progress, so it's exciting. The Cordero family is doing awesome...in fact so awesome they fed Elder Flaherty and I an awesome asado. It was--if I may--legendary.

Another big holiday came rolling through Argentina this week, Día del Niño (Children's Day). In the town's amphitheatre, thousands gathered to watch acrobats, juggling, magic, and other things to entertain children. In church, Sunday school ended early so we could all eat alfajors (pronounced alpha whores, which you will all be experiencing in eleven months because I am bringing as many as I can home to share), and drink hot chocolate.

My funniest story of the week occurred Saturday. After a lot of knocking and talking Elder Flaherty and I stopped to drink a peso Coke (glass bottles cokes that cost a peso, but you can't leave with them, because they exchange the bottles, so you just drink them on the curb, or if you're lucky a chair outside). While drinking we had a crazy looking man wearing large dark aviators, a large llama fun beanie, and trench coat, with maybe three teeth and crutches approach us. He told us to send our regards to President Obama. We laughed and he said no I'm serious. And started asking us if we were agents for the CIA or FBI or CTU. We said we were missionaries and introduced ourselves and asked for his name, he responded with--in English--"Indian Chief". We continued to converse a little, but he was one of the most interesting men I have a met. Oh Indian Chief, hope he's doing well.

Well, another week come and gone. This time goes by too fast sometimes. I feel like I just arrived to Argentina, then I remember it's been awhile, then I feel I just arrived to Villa Dolores then I remember it's been over four months and that I'm over half done with this quest. It's crazy to think, and I feel so blessed to have this opportunity and to have the support I do. I thank you all. Love you all tons. Stay awesome.

Chao,

ELMX

It's A Crazy Time, But I Love It

2010-08-02T21:13:00.004-07:00

So transfers came. I am now in the area known as Villa Dolores (same area), and my companion, Elder J. Cale Flaherty (sane companion). Villa Dolores is a small city of about 40,000 residents. The branch has over 300 members, and an average attendance of 20-30. Elder Flaherty is a great elder from Gilbert, AZ. He has a little over ten months in the mission and is a bright, hard worker. As for the other two elders in the district...well they are the same, too. Transfer night is like Christmas Eve. There is so much anticipation and anxiousness and you can guess all day long, but you'll never really know until the phone call comes. I can't believe both Elder Flaherty and I are going to spend a fourth of our mission in the same area. Hopefully the work goes well and we can find some new people who will progress. We had another inactive member in church on Sunday, and we have another member who is just waiting for his stake presidency interview to send in his mission papers.

Hard to believe I have been away from home for thirteen months. It flies. Yet, I look back and it seems like sooo much has happened. It's a crazy time, but I love it. Not sure what to say. I walk around the streets of a foreign country every day trying to find people who want to find peace in this life and life eternal in the here after. I can testify that God works miracles, me being here is one. I truly appreciate the support and love I receive from everyone. I'm still a little overwhelmed thinking of the calling I have, and the little time I have to do it. Hope everyone has an awesome week.

With much love,

ELMX

First Baptixm in Villa Dolores in a Year

2010-07-26T15:41:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday! Let's go in chronological order of the week shall we. Argentina has a lot, I mean A LOT of holidays. Animal day, student day, bald people day, Virgin day, and the list goes on. Tuesday was Friend Day. At midnight we started receiving text messages from members saying happy friend day, I turned the phone off, and seeing how it was the middle of the night I forgot come morning. As we left and went out into the streets we heard people all over greeting one another with "happy day, friend", after a couple instances we remembered what day it was, we decided to use this day to our advantage. Every person we saw we greeted energetically with "happy day" or "happy friend day" etc. When they saw our enthusiasm they responded equally, and although we had never met, they would greet us with happy day back. We then would converse or go into talking about our best friend. We shared the scripture in John that says no greater love hath man this, he who lays down his life for his friends. It went really well and was really fun.

Next day...a bird pooped in Elder Flaherty's hair. Next day, our branch was having a party for the birthday of one of the young women. Elder Flaherty and I crashed the party with guitar in hand to surprise everyone and play a lil somethin. Beatriz (our awesome investigator was there) so we were talking to her, when the Cordero family arrived. Brother Cordero didn't know Beatriz but we had invited him to the baptism that very day. He introduced himself and then the first thing out his mouth was "I heard you're getting wet". She laughed and said yes, and he continued talking to her, bearing testimony and sharing his first experiences with the church and it was awesome! The next day (Friday) was filled with what most would call luck, but those in this work know there is no such thing. On the outskirts of town there is a neighborhood where neither Elder Flaherty nor I had previousle ventured. We were told there was a member family out there. Without much idea of where in the neighborhood we went searching. We completely passed their house, but they happened to leaving in that moment and stopped us to talk. They invited us over and we're excited to go see them again this week. Next we had planned to visit a couple other member families to invite them to Saturday's baptism. First house we knocked, no one was home, as we walked down the driveway they pulled up. Next house they were leaving when we arrived, next house, as we were leaving they arrived. We barely found everyone on our list that day, but we did find everyone! Saturday we ate lunch with the Cordero family and told them of our blessed Friday, Sister Cordero said there are no coincidences in missionary, then we left to catch a bus, and as we walked out the door, there it was, and she yelled no coincidences as we got on. We didn't know exactly where this bus went but we knew it went in the right direction. When we realized it passed the chapel (where we were heading) we got off immediately, where? Directly in front of an inactive, returned missionary's store. We went in and invited him. He was super excited for us, and told us he would give up his siesta to be there (not only did he come, he brought his nonmember wife, who loved it, and got along super well with everyone).

So that leaves us at the baptism. It was super d00per. We had a lot of people come, we had to set up more chairs. Five investigators came. A lot of members (including hermano Cordero). It was beautiful! The hot water heater didn't work, yet Beatriz told us she wasn't cold at all. It was just indescribable. The first in Villa Dolores in a year, and my first in three transfers. Everyone loved it, and we had a good turn out in church the next day. I live for weekends like that.

Now to finish this timeline of the week. A member in Merlo recently opened a paintball arena. We called our mission president and he said I don't see how paintball is less dangerous than soccer, wear masks, be safe and have fun. So we did just that. We played with three 18 year old nonmembers and their 19 year old member friend. It was super fun. We played gringos vs Latins and won two of the three games. Los amo un montón. Tengan una semana de diez.

Chao,

ELMX

I Love This Mission

2010-07-20T10:12:00.002-07:00

Monday we spent the p-day in Merlo. We played soccer and had some fun. We missed the bus that night so we had to stay the night and take one the next morning. Well, winter hit pretty hard this past week, not a lot, but there was some snow in a lot of the country and it snowed in the mountains near us. The bus we take has no heating and it really isn't sealed so it was a freezing two hour bus ride back to Villa Dolores. Then we worked throughout the week and then I had to travel back to Merlo Thursday night for exchanges on Friday. Elder McClellan and I worked hard and had a fun day. We talked to a lot of people and helped a man approach his baptism. Every Saturday we eat with the Cordoro family. The mother is usually at church. The husband and none of their three sons have come since I arrived three and a half months ago, but they are all friendly and feed us every week. Well Elder Flaherty shared a scripture from the Doctrine and Covenants about blessings and obedience to God's laws. It looked like we may have hurt Brother Cordoro's feelings from his facial expressions to the scripture. We left feeling a little bad, thinking he have taken it as a rebuking, although it wasn't intended to be so. Well the next morning as we were walking up to the chapel we saw him walking up as well. I was so excited to see him there with his wife and oldest daughter. They all stayed for all three hours and everybody was super excited to see him. I was extremely grateful he came, and I hope he continues to come. I guess Elder Flaherty chose the right scripture to have the Spirit bring a change about in him. Two weeks left in the transfer and it's interesting to think who will stay and who will go. Not only in Villa Dolores but in Merlo too. The work, however, is more important than transfers haha, just makes me want to work hard these two weeks in Villa Dolores just in case they're my last two. I love this mission. Some days are worse than others, but this is the most important thing I can be doing right now.

Chao,

ELMX

July 12 - Life is Good and Enjoying My Quest

2010-07-20T08:52:00.002-07:00

I had a fun trip to Córdoba this week for zone conference and to meet President Salas, his wife, and fourteen year old son (they are from Buenos Aires). We got on a bus at four in the morning and arrived for a zone conference combined with three other zones. I was able to see Elder Frias, Elder Pacheco, and Elder Bushnell, along with lots of other friends I have made thus far in my quest. The first picture I have attached is the bus terminal in Córdoba. It is always full of people, but this night was even worse. We were in the big city on Thursday July 8. Friday July 9 is their independence day, so it was how I imagine an airport would be the day before a big holiday. The bus we usually take had every bus full till 9:30 the following morning. Luckily after a good search we found a ghetto bus with four seats leaving that night at 11:30, so we didn't have to stay the night in the bus terminal. The second picture is in front of one of the main Catholic chapels in downtown Córdoba.
Life is good. We're working hard, having fun. Definitely enjoying my quest, as I hope you are.

Take care stay awesome chao,

ELMX

July 5 - Gaining Testimonies

2010-07-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

Alright so I have a couple things to report on for my week. First off, Beatriz (an investigator of nine months) has a baptismal date for the 24th of July. Important day for our church, our family, and now Beatriz. Not only Beatriz, however. Similar to my little brother Tate, a young woman in the ward brought a friend to church several months ago. The friend really enjoyed it, but felt scared to join or ever really participate, or listen to the missionary lessons, but she liked church and us and the BoM. Well, her mother (Beatriz) is a good mother and wanted to know what her daughter was doing with the church and how the church was. Well she started listening to the missionaries and slowly has been coming to church and gaining a testimony of all these things, well we asked her to be baptized this week and she accepted, then following the Spirit we invited the daughter in to tell her the good news and we could see she was happy for her mother so in the moment we invited the daughter too and she accepted because of her mother's example and she knew she have the support of not only her friend but of her mother. Super awesome day!

Good story number two for the week. My area is geographically ginormous. I cover Villa Dolores and almost everything between it and Córdoba. We have some members that live about 45 minutes away in a town called Cura Brochero who really want us to work with them to help Cura Brochero strengthen the members, create new members, and eventually form a branch. Well when someone wants to work with us we can't say no, so Elder Flaherty and I journeyed out to Cure Brochero for a day and worked with this awesome family and a member (Mateo) from Córdoba. Mateo served a mission in Costa Rica and recently returned. Before serving he tried to do missionary work in Brochero by himself. Well as we started worked we prayed and he had a specific house come to his mind so we went to this house. Three years ago he knocked a door that nobody answered, but it had an open window. He placed the BoM inside the window and left not thinking much of it. When we found and knocked the house a woman came out with a smile and asked if we were the people who left a Book of Mormon inside her window. Mateo responded yes and said he assumed someone had been sleeping and didn't answer the door. She said she had been at work but left the window open for the cat and when she came home she found the book and started reading it. She loves it and thanked us for giving it to her and for coming back (even if it took three years). Well we are going back to see her again with Mateo and I am super excited! I also am meeting my new Mission President this Thursday. Should be fun!

Love you, enjoy your week,

LMX

Happy One Year w/o Me In Your Presence

2010-06-29T11:42:00.003-07:00

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

Same Area - Different Companion, Kind Of

2010-06-21T12:38:00.003-07:00

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

Zone Conference - Definitely Good

2010-06-15T11:44:00.002-07:00

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

Not Much News...Just a Dog Bite and an Illness

2010-05-31T14:29:00.004-07:00

I'm sorry I don't have too much news for you this week. Tuesday was Argentina's bicentennial. I knew nobody would be working so I was excited to go out and find lots of people. With lots of energy we went out to work and found a dead town. But I talked to people in the street, knocked a couple doors then had a Pumba sized dog grab onto my ankle with some force. As I brought around the left foot for a good, swift kick the dog ran away and cowered inside a fence. That bite, however, sucked a little animo out of me so we decided it was time to return for lunch. While in the store purchasing lunch I got really light headed and felt like I was going to pass out. I made the two block trek back home and spent the next couple days in bed. No, I did not have to take any medicine. I finished my gummy vites :( so maybe I'll buy new vitamins but they won't be as good. No need to worry I did not get anything from the dog, just coincidence that it happened the same day.

Those two events make up my week. Today I taught the district how to play Shanghai (our family card game) and they all enjoyed it haha, but I need help remembering the scoring system.

That's my week. I am feeling better now and even helped a member chop some wood...and I'm a little sore, haha. I walk all day, apart from that my body is pretty inactive.

Hope everyone's weeks went better than mine :)

Chao,

LMX

Tools of a Missionary - Handkerchiefs and Fanny Packs

2010-05-25T09:00:00.005-07:00

Happy p-day!

Hope you enjoyed your temple dedication! And yes I have purchased a handkerchief and feel way cool. I think I will be handkerchief user all my life. I have definitely bought into the life style. I also use a fanny pack to do missionary work everyday. Some missionaries choose to make fun of the fanny pack, but it has had a lot of success (I'm the third Elder to use it and the first two were legendary missionaries).

Usually talking or hearing about Mexican food makes me hungry, seeing how nothing similar is easy to find here and when you do it's almost always disappointing. Today, however, I am ridiculously stuffed with like 15 empenadas (six is usually plenty) for our branch party for the bicentennial of Argentina (which is actually tomorrow but we celebrated this afternoon with lots of food, some games and the film Old Dogs). An interesting fact...all movies in this country are American with subtitles or dubbed.

Well this week I had two really good experiences with some less active members and some of them came to church and church was three hours of inspiration and I have this strong urge to grow a mustache. Sorry there aren't too many stories we knocked 999654135579513 doors and talked to like 12 people. It's cold so people just tell us no through their closed windows and are not out in the street.

Love you all, take care and I'll catch ya next week.

ELMX

PS - Since I have been supplied with jokes and facts periodically, I felt I would repay you, and help you get a feel for what it's like being a missionary:

You know you're a missionary when...judge the quality of each door you knock.

Winter Weather Has Arrived

2010-05-18T19:47:00.004-07:00

Some stories from the week: it got too cold too fast. I was (not) sleeping without a blanket because our apartment did not have enough, we don't have heaters and I didn't have too many warm clothes. I'm tryin to find me some thermals, but no success yet. I traveled to a town called Cura Brochero to visit and work with the family who speaks English who lived in California for a period of time. While there I saw a four year old pooping in the street and when four large gringos (four white missionaries) turned the corner and saw him and what he was doing he was terrified and ran off. I knocked more doors than I ever have in a week and had less success than I have ever had. I tried a wayy good homemade alfajor. And the ice cream nazi struck again!

That's crazy to think Harrison is home and so many of my friends are out serving(Hunter, Andrew, Alex, Robert, Jeremy, Stuart, Weston, D-Rise, etc).

Anyways, I love being here and am super grateful for this chance to serve. I am grateful for the support I have and for the five of you :)

Love,

ELMX

*Posted two pictures that Levi sent along with his e-mail. Found some graffiti on a wall which just happens to spell LDS (Latter-day Saints) so he couldn't pass up a great picture opportunity. Great pictures along with a buzz haircut. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday

2010-05-06T13:46:00.003-07:00

In Argentina they have some interesting birthday traditions. They make a cake and put candles on it and sing a song and make a wish and blow the candles out and you get presents. However, being in the position of a missionary you stop people in the street and tell them it's your birthday and they listen instead of reject, especially when you say you are giving out gifts for your birthday (like a song or testimony or lesson pamphlet whatever it may be). What we did that's a little different will be manifest in photos you shall receive. I might have cake with a member next Sunday, if not then no cake :(.

We were cooling down but the past two weeks have been way hot. I don't know what happened. But the leaves are falling off trees which is cool to see, seeing how I've only been stuck in one continuous summer since May of 09. I did buy an overcoat off an elder who was going home, and it's come in handy a couple times seeing how I am in a country without heating. We as missionaries have electric floor heaters (just the hot air fans), and they do not work too effectively.

I traveled to Merlow again last Wednesday and I happen to be back today for the last p-day of the transfer. I'll have transfer news Sunday when we talk. My camping adventure was fun. I have no idea if other people do it. We are all relatively young in the district. And we got the idea because it was nice outside and we wanted to sleep under the stars..it's a natural male instinct.

I am eating lots of pasta and a new interesting meat called locro. Locro is cow stomach. Different but not bad. And in the pasta category there are these things called ñoquis which I have come to love. They are mashed potatoes then mixed with flour then rolled and cut into little potato noodles then thrown into boiling water and when they float in the water they are ready and they are one of my favorites and something I can bring back to the states seeing how it's just potatoes and flour then
whatever sauce you want.

I am always speaking English (more like Spanglish). We are four gringos in my house. We are also now teaching English classes on Saturday nights so some people like to practice English in church or lunches or whatever it may be.

Well thanks for wishing me a happy birthday and sending me all your support and love. Love you all. Take care. Talk to you soon.

Chao,

ELMX

Enjoying the Cooler Weather

2010-05-02T07:57:00.002-07:00

Hola,

Yeah...seven days till I'm twenty. I'm not ready for it, my youth is slipping from my fingers slowly and it's not cool. But you know what is cool...the Gila Valley Temple. That's grrreat.

I am enjoying the cooler weather during the day for sure. But at night we are lacking blankets and heaters so it's not quite as enjoyable. However, Elder Flaherty (Gilbert, AZ has Lamoreauxs in his ward back home) and I camped out on our roof last night. It was cold and we woke up soaking up from the dew but it was as close to camping as I'll get and it was fun and I slept in one of the hat's Hannah made me to keep the ole head warm.

So this week was way cool because Elder Hyder (one of the assistants I lived with last transfer and his companion Elder Zarate) came out for a day to exchanges and it was good seeing Elder Hyer again for the last time before he goes home (in two weeks). He is an awesome Elder and friend so that was a fun day. And we were able to have a couple inactive members come back to church this week! And yeah, I love my area more every day. And this work and this life and you all. Cannot wait to talk to you next week! Take care till then.

Love,
ELMX

A Week Full of Travel

2010-04-19T20:58:00.004-07:00

This week involved a lot of traveling. I was in Merlo last Monday and returned to Villa Dolores Tuesday only to board another bus for five hours to make my way to the city for zone conference. I stayed the night in Arguello and got to hear about the members and investigators and hang with Elder Haacke a little bit. It was fun and a little weird being back. Then the next morning Elder Bushnell and I went to zone conference. It was a good conference and I learned a lot. After conference and we get back to the bus terminal to go home we find out the only bus leaving for Villa Dolores was leaving at 11:30...it wasn't even nine. So we had to just chill in the terminal for awhile but I ran into a familiar face. Some young members came and starting talking to us. One of them looked very familiar. I asked him where he was from. He is from Oncativo. He is the branch president's son who was serving in Texas while I was there. That was pretty cool.

Every Thursday we eat lunch with an inactive member. He asked us what we learned in ZC. The first thing that came to my mind was journal writing of all things (Sis Olsen told us to write in our journals). Just saying journal writing sparked a big gospel conversation and he agreed to having us come and visit with him and his nonmember wife for a family home evening. Way capo.

Funny side story in Córdoba city. The bus terminal is downtown. There is a Subway restaurant there, and five of the six elders in our district wanted Subway and I knew where it was since I've had the privilege to spend a little time there (unlike the other five). We get to Subway and the two men working starting saying the ingredients in English as I would ask for something. "Quiero queso," "Cheese" like that, so I thought they spoke English. I said something I do not remember what in English and they both just stared completely perplexed and stopped saying ingredients in English.

As for Merlo, it was us four missionaries from Villa Dolores. Merlo is a hardcore tourist town so it was like money. I had the best pizza of my life (which I never ever would have guessed would happen in Argentina).

And yeah next time you hear from me by email and the next time you hear my voice I'll be twenty. Pretty sweet, and weird. I am not ready to be an adult, after the mission I wanna be eighteen again.

So work wise, we found a couple new people even with our couple days of travels. And that's my updates.

I love you all and I'll write you when I'm twenty years old.

Chao,

ELMX

Saw More of Argentina

2010-04-13T06:50:00.001-07:00

More about Argentina:

I eat the same food here as everywhere fried chicken and pasta. Argentina does not like cooking complex meals or anything that takes time...with the exception of ñoquis (pronounced nyokee). It is mashed potatoes then mixed with flour and rolled into noodles and eaten with some sort of pasta sauce. They are wayy good and in my top three favorite foods. Not only are they good but the twenty ninth of every month is ñoquis day and I plan on continuing this tradition in our family and after the appropriate amount of years in my own (I just trying to freak you out Mom, your son is almost twenty and one day you'll be a grandmother).We have lunch probably three/four times a week with members (dinner is eaten at nine or later, when we are supposed to be home).

And I am pretty close to a mountain. I hiked up a lil mountain today. I am actually in a town called Merlow for the day which is out of the Córdoba province but too far from the Mendoza mission so it's in my district, and it is at the foot of a mountain.Well Villa Dolores is still moving really slow. We have nobody and I do all I can and the work is still moving nowhere. However, a new member moved to our ward from Buenos Aires who I truly feel is going to help the branch. They were temple workers back in BA and have tremendous faith so I'm hoping things can pick up soon.

According to the elders in the office my package is waiting at customs to be picked up, which means I am going to have to pay to get it out, but I don't know how much yet. I have zone conference this week so I'll be doing some travel and losing a working day and a half but I still wanna get out and find some people and help the branch.

Thanks for the updates on everyone. Sorry I don't have too much to update, hopefully next week will be full of good news!

Love you all so much. Take care and have a good week.

Chao,ELMX

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T14:55:00.003-07:00

Villa Dolores is verryyy different from Argüello. It is going to be difficult just as President Olsen had warned me. I came into an area with no investigators or animo (animo doesn't really exist in English but enthusiasm would be the closest thing) or members with desires to help or even come to church. There are about three hundred members in this area and about twenty to thirty in church each week. Our two former branch presidents don't even come to church, so there is a lot of work cut out for me, but I'm still loving it and excited to turn things around. We did find a couple people to teach during the week and one of them came to conference along with an inactive member we met with. Yup all four of us missionaries live together and we get along super well. It's cool having another Elder from the valley we know all the same local bands and know some of the same people, and the other two are great as well.

My favorite talks from conference include President Uchtdorf (on patience) and President Eyrings (on diligence and accomplishing what the Lord expects of you, probably my fav) from Priesthood session. I also enjoyed Pres Eyring's talk from Saturday and Elder Bednar and Elder Holland (I suggest watching Elder Holland's, not reading it). Sunday afternoon there was a way good one on mothers :) and just to let you know all five sessions were almost entirely about families and their duties and their importance and all that. I think it's incredible that no subjects are assigned yet the talks, their themes, and the songs all coordinate together to make--as Elder Andersen put it Sunday afternoon--"a beautiful symphony of revelation".

So my week consisted of getting to know the area, the missionaries, the members, and trying to get to know my neighbors (btw we are gringos, under us extremely odd old man, to the right a gay couple, to the left a blind couple, we are an interesting stretch of houses).

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers, for your love, for your support, for the nineteen years I had at home to learn from all of you (big theme from conference: teaching in the home). Cuidense mucísimo. Les amo. Hasta luego.

Chao,

ELMX

Bien Dia (translated to Good Day)

2010-03-29T17:38:00.001-07:00

Well I keep with my record of a new companion every transfer and a new area every two transfers. I am now located in a city called Villa Dolores (about four hours from Córdoba to the west southwest). My companion is Elder Bushnell from Ogden, Utah (we have the same time in the mission, he was in Elder Lamb's district in the MTC). There are four of us in the area. One of the others is from Mesa and the other is from Utah and we are all going to have an awesome transfer. This city is very reminiscent of Oncativo: small, quiet, dead during the siesta, and a branch of 25. Usually you receive transfer news from your district or zone leaders unless there is something special like training or becoming zone leader or something. Well I was not sure what to think when President Olsen called me transfer night. He told me that Villa Dolores has had some missionaries is a slump lately and that he feels the area has people ready to hear the gospel and he wants me to pull it out of this slump. So we're gonna see what I can do.

That's way awesome about Dad's coworker!!! I love baptisms! I'm sad I'm not going to see a couple in Argüello that will be happening the week after conference, but the important thing is that they are making covenants, not that I'll be there to watch them do it.

Alright something that I have come to dislike about missionary work. You become very close to people; to the members, investigators, the girl who works in your bakery, etc. Then comes transfers and you have to say goodbye. It's not fun, especially when I know I'm going to come to love the people here in Villa Dolores as well then I'll have to say goodbye...at least till the Big C.

Anyway I'm stoked to be in the middle of nowhere again. Thank you for the prayers and support and the love. You're great.

Love,

ELMX

Way Awesome Week

2010-03-23T19:59:00.002-07:00

Okay, well this week is just full of fun things to fill you in on...
My trainer Elder Shae Curtis Abraham is back in the states. I painted a house and ate a huge asado and had root beer for the first time in my mission (it does not exist down here a member buys a ton of extract when he goes to the states, which is regularly). I was able to work up in the mountains for an afternoon, way sweet! Elder Haacke and I started changing ties when someone leaves the room to see if they'll notice, no one has caught on yet haha. I received the biggest, sloppiest, drunkenest kiss (on the cheek) by a man in the street. Elder Haacke's girlfriend completed another year of life on Saturday so we celebrated with an ice cream cake some lil banners and a baptism.

As for some miracles this week: Elder Haacke and I clapped a door and when a woman answered we saw one of our old investigators sitting in her house. So we taught a lesson and kind of used Mariana like we would a member to help teach. I think it went very well for both Carolina (the new girl) and Mariana (the old one). Other miracle: Elder Haacke and I were talking to a lady in the street when a car pulls up next to us and asks us where our church is and when we can come visit them. This family has five children and we were able to teach them all and half the family came to our baptismal service Saturday.

Way awesome week. So this is the last week of the transfer so next week we'll see where I'll be (I'm hoping to stay, due to the awesome area, companion and other roommates).Well I'll catch ya next week.

Hasta luego
LMX

Working Hard and Loving It

2010-03-17T08:27:00.002-07:00

Elder Haacke and I are working hard and loving it but sometimes it's hard, but never discouraging. I'm still loving this work and my time here. I don't want to leave Argûello but I think I only have two weeks left.

We have an investigator named Miguel who reads every reading assignment before we come and his countenance is brighter every time we see him. Also, an investigator named Noelia who we took a family with to teach her turns out to be even closer to the family than we were told making it more of a miracle that we chose to take them to a lesson with her (she was their late daughters best friend for many years, and we had no idea).

We received some more crazy rain which was my fault. As we were eating lunch that day I commanded it to rain without a cloud in the sky. That night it rained, and it did not stop for the next day and a half. I'm still waiting for cold weather, I'm tired of this hot sticky weather.

I want to be the best member missionary when I return (which I'm sure all missionaries say, but I really do want to do so).

So one adventure. Elder Haacke and I wanted to take a different bus one day to shake things up and have ourselves an adventure, well this bus eventually turned and took us in the wrong direction, making it more of an adventure than we had planned for, but it all turned out okay :)

Love you all! Take care and have a super d00per spring break.

Chao,LMX

March Rains

2010-03-08T21:53:00.001-07:00

Tuesday: Flooding. Not very often do we eat in the apartment, but we did this day. At lunch time it started raining, and hard. Luckily we were in the apartment to prevent too much flooding. However, we were stuck there to protect the apartment and all our stuff for awhile and not working. But we finally got everything situated and ventured out into the storm. There was a cab parked in the flooded street and we pushed him out getting absolutely drenched. However, despite the rain and all we were so happy leaving having helped the people in the cab and the cab driver.

Thursday: I was almost eaten by a dog.

Sunday: Elder Civic (from the area presidency) visited our ward and I got to meet him and we gave him the last fifteen minutes of the testimony meeting, it was pretty sweet. Then that night we taught an investigator with some members and they asked us to give one of the children a blessing. We explained how blessings work and asked who she wanted to do the anointing and who to do the sealing. The young girl chose Elder Haacke for the blessing, so with less than three weeks in Argentina he gave his first blessing in Spanish and it was way awesome.

Monday: We ate Mexican food...kinda :)

That's my week. Fun and rough and awesome and I'm still loving it here. Thanks for the updates. Congrats on all your certifications. And congrats to Shea for braces and Tyra for her speaking part. You're all the best. I love you all and I'll talk to you next week.

Love,

LMX

Eight Months Out...Crazy

2010-03-01T20:31:00.003-07:00

Yep eight months. One third. That's crazy, that's a large fraction.

I do not have any word on the Chile earthquake. Elder Pacheco tried calling his family but they did not answer because there are no communications, but they live in Chillon near Concepción so I really want to hear how they are. I still have yet to feel an earthquake (or at least recognize it) so I would say I felt nothing from Chile nor Salta, I wasn't even aware Salta had one.

Is there any temple news for Phoenix, Gilbert, or Gila Valley?

So this week was challenging. We are working way hard, talking to everybody (without exaggerating), and praying and doing all we should, yet we aren't seeing many fruits. Elder Haacke is great. We get along very well, and work all day long. His Spanish frustrates him but I've already seen him improve a lot. I still cannot believe I'm training when I have so much to learn still. We found a promising young man of seventeen years this week, however, and he made me laugh way hard. When we met him we asked if we could come in and he said he would like us to but his mother is a little "freaky freaky" which neither Elder Haacke nor I knew was an expression in Spanish.

I'm loving this mission, this time in my life. I'm excited that Tate is excited to serve because I would not trade this for anything. Regardless of how difficult some days are, everyday you go to bed feeling good that you did all you could to help people. I love you all and I appreciate your prayers, your letters, your love and your support.

Till next week,
LMX

Training and More

2010-02-22T20:43:00.002-07:00

So training:

My companion is Elder Andrew Haacke from Farmington, Utah (that's where Lagoon is at). He is a stud and we get along great. He works hard, doesn't speak but tries and when in doubt he testifies but he is going to learn quick. He is the middle of three children and his favorite band is Brand New. We work hard and I'm learning a ton. I didn't feel my Spanish was as good as it could've been but now I have to understand everything people say because I don't have somebody backing me up (in the understanding department), but I'm way happy to be serving with him.

We finally received a new window Friday (the night a storm blew in) and we're almost done undoing the damage done.

I had to go do some paperwork for immigration today, giving up the majority of my p-day, but it's cool.

I ate lunch with an American family on Sunday! Elder Guthrie's parents and older brother came down to pick him up from Argentina, spent the week here and ate with us Sunday afternoon. His older brother was proof that there is life after the mission. I already knew there was but sometimes it seems like a myth. Like in "Logan's Run" you think they're leaving and going to another place and all is good but you never really know.

I ate this way good thing called ñoquis this week. It is a potato noodle. Yeah sounds weird but try it, way good.

Anyways that's about the week. I'm happy to be here. I love the ward, the investigators, the missionaries, it's a great place to be. God has shown me many things in my short time here and I learn something everyday.

I love you guys. Take care.

LMX

Weekend At Bernies (idk why, nobody died but that's what came to my mind)

2010-02-15T19:21:00.001-07:00

Okay well a lot happened this week but all you are going to hear about is the weekend.

1100 hours: Work day begins. A couple lessons. A couple more rejections. Your normal morning.

1330 hours: Lunch with the Campos family. Lunch was way awesomely delicious. As we are eating a storm rolls in from nowhere and it starts raining hard. We finish eating and pray the winds and the rains die down soon so we can leave and fill the baptismal font. Neither the rain nor the winds ceased, and we could not chill in their house and we had things to do so we left in the pouring rain. As we make it out to the main street we only see a river where the road once stood. We removed our shoes, rolled our pants (which still got wet) and waded the rushing stream.

1700 hours: In the chapel we start filling the font and were going to set up chairs and all that when we realized we had forgotten a key, so we return to the apartment (only two blocks away). As we approach the corner on which we live we noticed the window on our top floor was missing. We climb the stairs to our apartment and open the door to a flooded apartment. Everything is soaked. Elder Guthrie (one of the APs) just finished his mission and all his luggage was sitting on the now flooded floor. So as we go up to our second floor we see shattered glass everywhere. The storm had blown the window which gave us trouble a couple weeks back and shattered the entire sliding glass door, permitting all the rain to enter upstairs and filter through our wooden floors to the lower level. We salvaged what we could but there is no time, there is a baptism and it must go on. Then we make it back to the chapel and finish setting everything up and we get a phone call from the missionary in charge of all the apartments, and the APs to assess the damage. So we had to return to the apartment again. Then finally make it to the chapel for the last time.

1900 hours: The baptismal service begins for Agustin and Rocío. It was one of the best I have ever been to (and not to brag or anything but I kinda planned it). A ton of people showed up and everything was awesome. It was, dare I say, legendary.

2100 hours: Elder Pacheco and I are feeling crazy good from what happened and everyone is having fun eating refreshments and enjoying one anothers company. We are enjoying our cake and Elder Pacheco and I start joking around like I'm president and he is Elder Guthrie and we are reenacting his exit interview (of how we thought it went), when who happens to call, President Olsen. I love President Olsen but you cannot be a little nervous/anxious when he unexpectedly calls. He speaks to Elder Pacheco and tells him of his transfer news. Elder Pacheceaux (as he likes to write his name now haha) is now a zone leader. I gave him a ZL high five but then President wanted to speak with me. He delivered me my transfer news as well (which is usually done by the DL (district leaders) or ZL(zone leader)), let's say it was a little surprising and I'm not sure how I feel.

0030 hours: we finally finish getting all the water out of our apartment and get to bed.

As for Sunday I had the privilege of confirming Rocío a member of the church and giving her the gift of the Holy Ghost.

As for my new companion and his description, I apologize but you are going to have to wait till next week for that information. Why? Because he has not arrived to Argentina yet. I meet him tomorrow afternoon.

Well I am very grateful for this opportunity to serve and have such awesome experiences regardless of flooding, I love what I am doing and this gospel and the power it has.

Catch ya next week.

LMX

Transfers Next Week - Where Will I Be

2010-02-11T06:52:00.001-07:00

Tis the last week of the transfer, so next week I'll fill you in on how that turns out. As for this week some interesting things went down. Elder Pacheco and I were doing some missionary work one day and had this lady stopped on her bike to talk to us in the street and ask if we needed help or if we were looking for someone in particular. We said yeah we were looking for you (not verbatim but still something along those lines). The following day we had a lesson with Santiago and he told us about his neighbor who has nine cats and that there is was a house down the street with 18 dogs. Well we finished our lesson and followed up on what was next on the agenda. We heard a ruckous of canines and laughed saying hey this must be the house Santiago was talking about. Well this house turns out to be the lady who stopped us on her bike. So we knocked and counted 16 dogs outside, she let us and how many dogs were inside, 12....and eight cats. It's the first two story house I've entered on my quest and she lives upstairs while all her animals live downstairs. It was kinda a little, okay, really crazy but she's way solid and excited to hear more.

Fun story number two, Saturday's baptism. We show up to the chapel to fill the font and all that, but the there was a little problem. The last baptism in Argüello was about seven weeks ago, the water was still sitting in the font from that baptism. The font does not drain like a bathtub, you have to use a pump, so of course the pump was broken. We tried to use buckets, but it took about three seconds to realize that we could not pail out a significant number of liters. So we scratched our heads for a long time and called the whole ward roster and finally got it fixed at 6:20 (fourty minutes before the baptism was supposed to start). Then at seven one of our baptists disappeared and I don't even remember the rest, but I do remember it was a super spiritual packed with people dunkfest (baptism). I also learned how to improve on the baptismal service this weekend.

I cannot remember anything else from the week because those two events are occupying my mind at the moment (the baptism more so than 28 dogs and 8 cats).

I'm stoked the Saints won and that my family is hXc awesome. I love y'all and I'll catch ya the fifteenth.

Chao,

LMX

Ridiculously Hot and Waiting for a Cool Down

2010-02-02T06:47:00.002-07:00

Hey there,

Alright so this was an interesting busy week. We finally found some investigators who are progressing because the majority of everyone we had has fallen through the cracks. We teach about families and temples about 673 times a day so it kinda makes me trunky (missionary term for nostalgic, but not in a bad way) for the temple and my family. I taught a lesson using all the photos you sent me, with the big winner beginning Tyra's baptism. I fell ill for the first time in my mission! w00t w00t. No idea what I ate or did but I did not sleep nor have the capacity to study or even work yet somehow I did. And one of the people I found that day came to church (which ended up being three hours of rebuking the ward in every aspect, interesting first Sunday in church, but I think it'll work out). Yes from my comment last week, I spoke last minute in Sacrament meeting, then visited an investigator who was at church and said she learned from what I said, way cool.

I'm doing good and things with my companion are pretty good too. Everyone keeps asking about the food here in Argentina and what I miss. I miss syrup and peanut butter and burritos and tacos and fajitas, and basically all of it, but Mexican more than the rest. I have only found one burrito and I don't know if I will ever find more. Tortillas don't even exist here :( but there is a restaurant down the street who just start making tacos so maybe a Mexican revolution is starting in Argentina, and it's about time (although I have to yet to try the tacos, there's not
time to eat at restaurants). Argentine food is interesting. It's all ridiculously basic and often bland...but not bad. They eat french bread with every meal, but it's hard to find good bread. But the best food would probably be empanadas. They are similar to a miniature tortilla and they can be filled with ham or cheese or chicken, but usually hamburger with onion and cooked with lemon.

The weather is still ridiculously hot, and inside houses is always hotter than outside because no one has AC or fans so we bake inside the cinder block homes, hopefully fall gets here soon. I'm not in the big building part of the city, I'm on the outskirts part, kinda like home, except that pavement is rare (it's all uncared dirt roads, and the majority of the people with any type of vehicle drive scooters, it's interesting).

Some more answers to questions: my ward has 192 members, no missionaries, as for youth and primary I am not sure on the numbers. I use the computer at the cyber (nobody in Argentina has their own computer so these businesses are all over the place). President Olsen decided to mess around with our p-days so yeah usually I write late because the circumstances are weird and I'm not a fan, we'll see if this schedule sticks come July when a new president arrives.

Elder Holland gave a talk to the mission presidents in South America about the "divine companionship" which is all about the companionship between the missionary and the Spirit. So Pres Olsen always references it.

Thanks for all the updates, sounds like you're all busy, and doing well. I'm glad. I love you and I'll catch ya next week,

Levi

ps I found a sale on ADES (the most delicious beverage ever, it's soy juice which sounds weird but it's McDonalds).

Update of the Week

2010-01-26T06:45:00.003-07:00

Howdy,

Well I'm half way through this transfer and things indeed are going well. Like every area, every transfer, and every week there are ups and downs but I'm definitely enjoying my current situation. The work has its ups and downs, for two weeks we didn't find any new investigators who were progressing, but this week we found some solid people. We passed the mission goals for lessons taught this week (the goals are 8 with members and twenty others) but it's really hard to get people to the chapel. Sunday is kinda the test to see how well you did during the week, and we are only averaging three investigators a week in church. That's the only area where we're not meeting goals and where I feel we need to improve.

Highlights of the week. I taught three lessons in English (one to an a young man from Sierra Leon who has lived in Argentina for several months but speaks English better than Spanish, and one to Fernando on whom I'll have to update you on next week). And not so much a highlight but noteworthy, my Spanish is at a level where I can wing sacrament meeting talks when they ask five minutes ahead of time.

We eat lunch everyday with members and we do use the recent converts to locate new investigators, they are great to use because they love helping, but we haven't found anyone who is progressing yet through them. We find more investigators through tracking but we do receive references as well. And as for the children I spoke of last week, they are one brother and sister and their cousin, the mothers are members and the fathers do not want to listen.

That's sweet about the rain and snow for Arizona! I love rain...and cold...I miss cold. It's been summer since May for me, I'm tired of it. That's crazy about a tornado, I have to tell an investigator because that was the first question he asked me about the states is if I had seen a tornado haha.

Random - my companion likes soccer but his favorite sport is tae kwon do. I'm the best gringo in my zone at soccer.

Sounds like all of you are still busy and doing well. Thanks for the pictures. I'd write more but I have an appointment and I'm going to be late.

Love,
LMX

Pan de Salvación - Plan of Salvation Lesson

2010-01-21T06:06:00.002-07:00

Okay I have much too write and no time to do it (today was crazy). Well first off Imma sending a birthday shout out to Lizz, Breezey, Seth, and Sarah Sawtelle.

Now, meaning of the subject line. Pan is bread but is a letter away from plan, and salvación is salvation. We have three young investigators of the ages 11 12 and 13. Well we taught a wayy legit lesson using banana bread and all the ingredients, I'd paint a word picture but again I'm short on time.

Crazy story of the week: Tuesday night I woke up at 2:30 to crazy strong wind and a little rain. I closed my window and went around the apartment to close the others. We have a large sliding glass door/window. The furious winds managed to remove the top of the window from its railings. At 2:30 in the morning, neither my companion nor I were firing on all cylinders and had no idea what to do other than hold the window in place so it didn't blow all the way out. Elder Pacheco ruled out my idea of putting a mattress on the floor so if the window came all the way out it would fall on something soft, but he wasn't feelin it so we stood there longer before I finally looked for a flashlight (upstairs our lights do not work), then both of us with flashlights in our mouths started trying to fix the window. As there are two young men messing with a window in the middle of the night with flashlights in their mouths a cop parks on the corner and watches us. Finally after 30/45 minutes we finally made it back to bed. Fun night.

Other cool story, we were working with a member who eats plants off the ground and offers them to us and acts like we were missing out when we don't want to eat them.

And finally I have discovered the answer to one of life's great questions: does the water in the southern hemisphere flush counter clockwise? Well world, it does.

Sorry that's all the time I got but Ill be here next week chao.

LMX

Great Transfer - Many Teaching Opportunities

2010-01-14T06:39:00.004-07:00

Indeed I was and am busy with this transfer, I'm teaching more, working more, doing more but it's awesome. Cordoba is treating me with rain and heat, but she's being nice at the same time. My new area is in a word...awe...wait for it...some. My apartment is two stories, two bathroom, extremely hot and loud and when you first show up you think this place is way cool, then you live there for a week and it becomes less cool and then you remember you are a missionary and comfort is not part of the description, but it does have a pretty view out the second floor bathroom. My companion, Elder Pacheco, is awesome as a person and missionary, it is going to be a good transfer. He is the best yet and we're doing lots of work. With him, my everything will improve. My whole mission I will only cover one ward at a time, that's how we do things. Laundry...wait for it...machine! Yes we have our own washing machine, no dryer but I'm way happy I'll finally wash my pants. The difference between country and city: here is weird, everywhere I go I see these things called people. Other differences, here is prettier, but has less pavement so I'm dirtier, all day I'm walking on dirt/mud roads. The APs spend a lot of time with President so I don't see them much but it's better than I had anticipated. One AP is new this transfer so we have the same time in the area and he is pretty cool, the other is in his last transfer of the mission and bothers me but I can deal, and at least when he is doing the missionary work part of the mission he is a good example and teacher.

Speaking of teaching..I've actually been doing a lot of that. I'm teaching full time in a very awesome involved ward. We have seven people with baptismal dates coming up and it's awesome. I went from a branch of 20 active members to a ward of 130 active members. They also feed us everyday...sometimes twice a day. I'm going to leave Arguello a big boy. My chapel is on Vulcan street. I've recently given my first and several priesthood blessings in Spanish. And last random fact of the week, of the three companions I have had, all three have been district leader, interesting.

I did miss Dakar. [side note - Dakar is a world racing event involving cars, motorcylces, quads and big trucks. This year it is being held in Argentina and Chile. One day of the race they went right through Cordoba, where Levi is serving.] But I have talked to many people about Dakar, but a lot people don't really know what it is or that it used to be in Africa or that Dakar is even a place in Africa, so I've been doing some worldly as well as spiritual teaching. And as for real motorcycles I saw a CBR600 my last week in Oncativo (it was the same black and silver as the VFR).

Well, I love you all, and I am doing very well. I shall hear from and write you all in the coming week. Chao.

LMX

Has Levi's Quest Taken Him Someplace New?

2010-01-05T06:27:00.003-07:00

Well first off I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Secondly, I would like to apologize for not being able to write last week, things were crazy with mission conference and a bus ride back to area and everything.

Talking on Christmas mine went well, I did get some candy, some socks, and a pin of the Argentine flag (speaking of the Argentine flag, when I get back I am buying sky blue vans and having the Argentine sun embroidered, tell me what you think) from members. Christmas was fun, just hung out till one in the morning and watched people shoot off fuegos artificiales (fireworks).
Argentines for New Years stay up till 12 and at midnight they all toast to the New Year and shoot off fireworks..really similar. I love New Years it's such an optimistic time. And nothing but the calendar changes yet it always feels like we're beginning anew.

In other news I have a new companion who once again does not speak my native language, but I'll be okay seeing how I'm starting to get the hang of his. Last transfer he was with Elder Goodman, pretty interesting. His name is Elder Pacheco and he is from Chile (near Concepción). Now as I've been feeding you the details about who I am with, I would wager you find yourself questioning where. Oncativo again? Or has Levi's quest taken him someplace new? Well, being the kind hearted individual I am I will inform you with the utmost haste. I am now serving in HQ (Cordoba). I live in the same apartment as the assistants (decent place too, better than the house in Oncativo). The area is called Arguello and my zone/stake is Las Sierras. It will be different serving in the city but I'm excited. However, the whole living with the AP's is not quite as exciting. I see President Olsen on a weekly basis now, and I'm trying to think of what I did to have this placed upon me...I guess we'll see how it goes.

I miss good Mexican food soooo much :( I found a place in downtown Córdoba that kinda makes burritos, it helped a little but when I said I wanted the spiciest sauce they had they made me try it first, lol.

In other news, I completed six months!
In other other news I do not remember everything I wanted to tell you all because I left my agenda in the apartment (I take notes on what to write).
Oh, more news, I filled up my first SD card! w00t!

Anyways, love you all and I'll write next week I promise.

Chao,

LMX

Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T20:23:00.004-07:00

This week's news...well, not much happened really. Tuesday, Elder Frias and I had to go into Córdoba so he could take care of some nationality paper work. Turns out unless he returns to Chile for a day before January 14th he will lose his residency and have nowhere to go in a year when his mission is over, so we'll see what happens. While in downtown Córdoba I might have lead my companion down a certain street in which is located a stretch of music shops where I purchased a ... wait for it ... guitar! I've reforming some calluses and enjoying my Christmas present from my awesome family :)

Other events of the week include emergency transfers in which a good friend of mine left my district and zone (he actually received the phone call while I was working with him on exchanges). I've ran into quite a few esnakes (the Argentine girls who are into missionaries/gringos). I finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish and working my way through the New Testament. Three missionaries devoured three liters of ice cream. Oncativo and surrounding areas suffered from some slight flooding. And I have stayed the night in Rio Segundo (the other area in the district) twice for splits and both times I believe I was dinner for the mosquitoes.

I got sunburned really really bad about two weeks ago but now I'm working on my goofy looking tan. I met a lady who speaks English today. She is from Argentina but her grandparents are from England and she went to an English school. Speaking of schools, there are a couple of schools near me, and their Christmas break is three months long! (it is their Summer break too.)

Things are going well. My Spanish is finally reaching a place where I am mildly content and can understand what people say.

Merry Christmas,

LMX

A Little Rain...A Little Teaching

2009-12-14T13:46:00.002-07:00

My week...I worked with Elder Fowkes (he and Elder Lamb are buds and from the same stake) in Rio Segundo for a day. We had an awesome zone conference in Cordoba, found some people, taught some lessons, and had two visitors this week in church.

While I was in the city I purchased some shoes and the official Argentina national fútbol jersey. Try to hold back the tears but I still don't have a guitar, still looking. The weather is hot, but I love the rain :) it rains a couple times a week (not hard but it's nice). But I don't love Christmas in the summer. Good memory--temple lights...and cold...and hot chocolate afterwards...sounds like a good Christmas activity.

Saturday I worked with a nineteen year old in the branch (Eduardo) and now that school is out I'll probably be seeing him some more. It reminds me of me before the mish haha.

Love,

LMX

Dunkage in Argentina

2009-12-07T10:58:00.003-07:00

Salutations,

My second week of Latinism has come to an end. I'll leave it at this - North Americans and South Americans think in very different ways, luckily we have the same goals and desires so it all works out.

Saturday was, after a long wait, the baptism of Eduardo (Padre) Liendo. Elder Frias and I had the baptismal clothes in our house as well as our suits. We were returning to collect the clothes and to change into ours when we stopped and talked to a promising young lady. While talking to her we received a phone call from our branch president asking where we were the baptism was supposed to have started. We left Paola, ran to our place changed quick, grabbed the baptismal clothes and made it to the chapel late, out of breathe, and a little over heated. Nonetheless it went forth flawlessly from that point on.

The following day Hno. Liendo was confirmed and for his first time bore his testimony. It was incredible. Something else incredible transpired this week. We had 28 people in church! We had our plan, our backup plan, and our double backup plan fall through one afternoon. Of course this happened during the siesta when there is not one person to be seen, and you get yelled at for knocking on doors. So we stopped and prayed and asked for help finding a family. About forty two seconds later we found a family who came to church yesterday! It was incredible and it was a very rewarding week. Our average church attendance has been 18-21 for a long time now were at 28 and the chapel holds 36, I am going to fill this chapel before I leave (which I'm scared may be Jan 5). I could serve two years here. Also the branch really wants a real chapel and they were told if they could hold an average of 40 in sacrament for three months they would purchase the land for a building. I want it to happen way bad.

Another little note from this week, I sung my first Christmas song of my mission! In Spanish...and warm weather, but it's all good :)

That's all for now.

Chao,

LMX

Miraculous Things with Diligence

2009-11-30T19:21:00.002-07:00

Well my companion Elder Frias is from Ecuador but for the past five years has lived in Chile. He has ten and a half months out and has served in four areas. Do we have anything in common...we're LDS, and we don't understand each other, and we both work hard. It's awesome having a companion as diligent as he is. I experienced several miraculous things this week but I'll just give you one, which happens to deal with diligence.

Elder Frias and I found several people this week and had several people committed to coming to church. Early Sunday morning we tried stopping by as many houses as we could to help our investigators to church. It went unsuccessfully. So we went to the chapel with hopes of someone being there. Zilch. We left in the middle of class to try to find people, whether they be new or our investigators. Our investigator Estella recently had her two daughters from Paraguay move in with her, she and one of her daughters came with us. As we returned to the chapel with two people there were three people I had never seen sitting in the back row! Because of our diligence and our hard work we were blessed with new investigators. Tomorrow we are visiting them and I'm very excited!

What else from my week...pants from Sam's Club are unworthy of missionary work, seeing how I have four pair of pants and the two from Sam's have large holes in them. Yes I will buy them here, too bad Walmart is out of my zone maybe next transfer I'll be near Walmart and can shop for some pants. Our refrigerator broke. And I received some amazing photos, letters, comics, and a tie from my family! (the comic about vampires for Halloween and the sister says he needs to get rid of the cape and wear a cute J Crew sweater was awesome). Thank you very much for sending it all. I still have yet to purchase my guitar, but the 11th I will be in Córdoba and I am getting it then and nothing is stopping me.

I'm happy everyones week and Thanksgiving went well. About Thanksgiving, I worked all day and was exhausted and when we returned home we saw an hermano from our branch who wished me a "feliz día de gracias" which confused me. I had completely forgotten one of our most legendary holidays! Next year I'll celebrate for sure.

Well that's it for now. Talk to you all next week.

Chao,

LMX

New Companion from Chile

2009-11-25T15:58:00.002-07:00

¿Cómo andan?

Okay where to start…let’s go with this transfer business. Today is transfers. Saturday night the zone leaders called and informed me I was staying in Oncativo. They then told me that Elder Abraham was leaving to serve in Rio Tercero. So yesterday was a day of goodbyes and packing (for my companion, and I tagged along and helped out). Then this morning Elder Ab left on a bus (they were out of seats so he had to buy a standing ticket). I returned to the house cleaned a little and awaited a call from my new Elder Frias. He was born in Ecuador but left for his mission from Chile. He speaks less English than I do Spanish so I’m excited to educate myself in this language I need to conquer. I’ve also already done more work today (p day) with Elder Frias than I have the past couple weeks. SO transfers are as simple as getting on a bus and going to a new area while those who stay wait for their new companion to arrive.

A little story about why I need to learn Spanish better. Last Sunday the counselor in the branch presidency asked me if I wanted to give a talk the next week. I laughed and said sorry I will be sick. I had lunch with him that afternoon and he brought it up again. So I caved and said sure but I told him to beware my Spanish was bad and my talk would be short. Elder Abraham turns to me after the conversation and said he was joking. Not wanting to give a talk in a language I don’t speak well I told the hermano I wasn’t talking and it was a joke. Well I still don’t know what happened but yesterday I had to wing a fifteen minute talk in Spanish. This hermano, his family, and my companion all found this hilarious. I spoke studying, and told this story of how I maybe if I had studied my Spanish a little harder I wouldn’t be having to make up a talk. However, I’ve given my first talk as a missionary, it had to be done sometime.

Oh, a funny story, my comp called me from the bus terminal and I came to try and find him but he had been walking the wrong way so we called a cab because it was raining and he had A LOT of luggage. The cab showed up and who was it? Our neighbor and owner of our house (he is a cab driver just like at home my neighbor speaks a language I dont and drives a taxi) good stuff.

Happy Thanksgiving. I'm not doing anything special for Thanksgiving, because they don't have it here and they don't have turkey. My comp is Latin, so I'll probably drink a fanta and eat a milonesa (thin breaded chicken you cook in vegetable oil it's the main stapel of the Argentine diet). Other food here is a lomito, it is like a hamburger kinda and it has huevos (egg) on top.

Well, that’s it for my week. Hope everything is safe and fun this weekend.

LMX

Hola from Argentina

2009-11-18T09:57:00.002-07:00

Hola.
My week...way uneventful. No lessons or anything...keep trying. The church is somehow still growing. Miracle? I think so, missionaries are sharing the work somewhere.

You want a story do you...well you know how there seems to be an uncanny relationship between when it rains and when you wash your car. Well over here in Oncativo a similar phenomenon between rain and laundry.

Our days look like this: we wake up, study, work, eat, work. We just have no success at lunch because everybody is home asleep. Supposedly it's easier to work during the siesta in the city where there are more people, but in Oncativo the city literally shuts down for five hours everyday. Language, still not good, but better. I am having fun, I just need to speak Spanish better.

The temperature has been in the 90s so we are still using the fan from the church, we return it for meetings then go home with it. Some parts of my area are pretty but right now we're running out of water so not really. Some cities have no water (no showers, no sinks, toilets anything) and we're getting that way too.

Transfers take place next week. I don't think I'm being transferred, but everybody thinks Elder Abraham is. But p-day changes regardless of being transferred so it will be on Tuesdays now.

Love you,

LMX

No Tooth Fairy in Argentina

2009-11-09T12:25:00.005-07:00

I don't really have any stories this week :/ We talked to a drunk guy, walked three/four miles to get home down the train track because the bus never showed up and we can't find two people who we placed baptismal dates with. We set the dates but now they won't talk to us and they send their kids to the door saying they're not there.

I did not get a guitar this last week but I've been playing the church's keyboard, I'm the best pianist in Oncativo branch. The baptism is a go. The font is in our building, it's way cool. You'll see pictures eventually.

Missionaries move a lot more here than they did in Baltimore. The longest anyone stays somewhere is three transfers, like that is the absolute max.

Some fun little cultural news: the tooth fairy doesn't visit Argentina, but Raton Perez does (he is a rat named Perez). And you place your tooth under the leg of a table and in the morning money is there in it's place. Thought that was fun and you might enjoy it.

I'm enjoying my quest I just want to work harder. It feels like a waste of time if I'm not talking to everyone or anyone. Amongst all the rejection I'm still bright with optimism knowing in time I'll find someone who is open to what I have to offer.

I love you all,

LMX

Anwers. Similarities. Piracy. Some Good News.

2009-11-03T16:14:00.006-07:00

Alright I'll give you some weekly news. I've talking a lot about the differences, so I thought I would point out three similarities. 1 - I have an annoying dog that lives in my "yard" (similiar to family barking dog at home). 2 - I share a bunkbed with a gamer nerd (shared a bunkbed with my brother, Tate, who is a gamer). 3 - it's fricking hot (I'm from Phoenix, need I say more)....back to differences.
Air conditioning units do not exist in this country, neither do heaters. For warmth, add clothes, to cool off, remove clothes, like all that's possible without getting in trouble. It's tempting, I admit, to follow the Argentines in their way of dealing with the heat. So because it's ridiculously hot, I haven't been able to fall asleep till three all week till yesterday! Twas a miracle. In church they had three fans to help stay cool, the church building isn't used lunes thru sabado (Monday thru Saturday), so we stole the big one. We'll return it on Sundays, but for the first time all week, I slept last night.

And a Spanish update. I have been here a month. Four weeks ago, I could not tell the difference between an Argentine speaking Spanish and a Chinaman speaking Mandarin. Now, however, it's starting to sound like Spanish!! Do I understand it all? Not even close. Can I say what I want? Not even close (in fact I'm often harassed for it). Can I carry a conversation and respond to questions or comments made by friends in their home or strangers in the street? Yes. Was that a yes? Indeed it was. It's miraculous the improvement that has come over the past month, makes me curious/excited for next month.

To answer some questions that have come my way: A tip for packages, stickers/pictures of the virgin or Jesus, otherwise the post office will open it and take what they want. And transfers are crazy, nobody knows when they are this time, President said it was a five week transfer but another time said the transfer date was the twenty ninth of November so I don't know.

I live in a house that our neighbor is renting out. It's made of cinder block (everything in Argentina is cement and some type of block, and when you say we build stuff out of wood, they smirk, laugh, giggle, and say to themselves "haha idiots, wood is flammable"). The walls aren't thin, they're cinder block thick, everything is just poorly made. Every door has an opening above and below, and many do not have handles, and the ones that do I stopped touching after I broke two (which had been previously broken but still a tad embarrassing and hindering). Oncativo is almost all the same type of house as mine. Mine is actually big though. Most consist of a kitchen/living/everything-other-than-a-bedroom room, and a bedroom. My house has a separate kitchen. Córdoba has lots of apartments (it is set up like a big city, even though it has a fourth of the population of Phoenix it's tall and crowded like normal big cities). Jobs are varied. In my branch, two hermanos (brethen) own stores (half the branch works in one of the stores), one hermano (brother) works in a paint shop, and our soon to be hermano works at a dairy. School is two six year schools, the majority however never graduate (our branch president is fourty something and is working on finishing high school). Kids per family range from 2-4 with 2 being the mode.

How did I get my holes (in my pants)? I have no idea. From scrubbing, doubt it, I've washed them once. My companion has not has that problem. I don't know how bad to consider them, one isn't too bad the other is iffy, and Oncativo might have 15,000 people but it feels like an Argentine St David (a small town in southern Arizona), so I don't know about a seamstress. As for purchasing pants, I'll have to do it in the city. Favorite food, probably empanadas. The asado last week was legit, it was just Elder Abraham and I. And I bought him lunch today while we were in the city (we had a zone instead of district meeting and we stayed to chill). And another good food is their yogurt (yogurt pronounced jscho-goor) is like flavored milk not yogurt (they eat cereal with it and think milk and cereal is crazy).

Well that's about it. Love you all, catch ya later.

LMX

Slides

2009-10-27T05:59:00.003-07:00

Okay I typed you a crazy long message like last week, but myldsmail sucks and deleted it. So here is my effort at duplicating the masterpiece that was supposed to have reached you already.

'Tis been a week of up and downs. Like a slide, with the angle perfect enough that your initial inspection tells you that it'll be a fun slide, until you get to the bottom and realize the huge oversight of the horizontal ledge at the bottom (I wish the computer would let post photos but I am unable it make it work).

Well this week started with a slumber party at Elder Lamb's pad the night before zone conference. We did work, made tacos, and some of us slept on chairs. And I got to finally see the big city. I'm an hour away from the closest missionaries, and two hours away from the next closest, but I met some new elders at zone conference!! But a couple are going home soon. I get along with my comp really well, I hope we stay together next transfer so we can have Christmas and New Years together (both of which are celebrated with massive amounts of huge fireworks).

Saturday, the water in our chapel did not work, so the baptism has been postponed three weeks. hXc bummer.

Fútbol (soccer) is exciting down here and it's an easy way to talk to people haha. Btw chapels have outdoor soccer courts and not indoor basketball courts here.

President Olson came by my casa to inspect it and give me the ole interview. I have two large holes in a pair of pants-idk how i have holes but theyre big and ill sew um and see about getting some here. I've been clapping at some houses - clapping is how we knock because everybody almost has fences or gates in front of their houses. I survived a massive sand storm that had me trapped on the opposite side of town while dirt filled our home. The sand storm was a freak thing but our windows were open and I had clothes on the line. And I purchased what I thought to be juice but later found out is flavored soy milk.

This place is awesome. I love my mission, the people, the food, the friends, everything. But I also love you all! Stay awesome.

Peace,
LMX

Fajitas and Fanta

2009-10-20T14:52:00.006-07:00

Hello from Sur America (btw here they teach that the Americas are one continent, so they look at you as if you were elephant speaking French if you tell them you're from America, because, they are too, it's not a country just a continent).
So Saturday was zone meeting. I met the rest of my zone and we had a meeting and talks from the leaders, and then we got mail! Three letters, holla at yo boi. After the meeting Elder Abraham and I were walking back to the bus terminal very hungry (twas five in the afternoon and we didn't have time for breakfast in order to get to our bus on time to get to Córdoba). We pass this big building called Dino Saurio Mall. My companion informs me all malls have a Burger King and he could go for a burger, I'm still trying to indulge in my Argentine foods but was very hungered and was not going to argue. Well they didn't have a Burger King. That morning as we were trekking to our zone meeting I was reminiscing of rice and beans and tortillas (none of which exist here). My comp reassured me that I needed to stop complaining and it would be a good idea to forget about mexican food because it simple didn't exist in Argentina. Well forget about Burger King, Dino Saurio had a lil place with fajitas!! For 22 pesos (cheaper than BK). Also, this was the first place Abraham has been to that serves refills. So my second week in and I know where to go for food and refills! Good day.
The following day was Stake Conference, so I got to ride a colectivo to Córdoba again! w00t. It was good, the accents are still hard to understand but I'm doing a little better, especially when gringos speak. President Olsen spoke and I got it all. Not only was yesterday Conferencía de Estaca but día de la madre as well! So, although you're not in Argentina, feliz día de la madre Mom! :)
The weather comes and goes. It's usually hot during the day and cold at night. It's cold every morning when I get up but Argentines are crazy. It'll be hot, I'll be sweating as I walk around, and they wear sweaters, I don't get it. Maybe I'll change and be like them when I get home though so Phoenix will be a lil more bearable. And as for pretty...it's flat with no vegetation, so not really, no, it's not pretty. At least between where I'm at and the big city of Córdoba at least.
Elder Abraham had been in the area for five weeks before I showed up. It's a new area, just like where I was in Balmer, it's also one of the wealthiest parts of Argentina, just like where I was in Balmer. And we don't do dinner appointments. The Argentine schedule is wake up at eight or so and work till twelve, eat a big lunch (main meal of the day) and take a big nap. Then return to work somewhere around five of six, and work till nine, then eat a dinner which isn't really much. There are four families in the ward and three of them feed us lunch every week. And one night we were visiting an investigator (one of our two, nobody is receptive similar to Balmer) who started cooking dinner and fed us, so three/four times a week. I cook myself a lot eggs (they're cheap and easy), pasta (but the sauce isn't as good), and Elder Abraham loves cooking deserts, and since we're one of the few pensiones with an oven he makes breads and tortas and stuff. We have a mini fridge and live across the street from a member's store so we go there every day since the only thing they sell in quantities large enough to last more than a day is eggs. I love their milk, but it comes in tiny bags that suffice for two bowls of cereal. This week we're gonna have an asado!! That's an Argentine bbq were you use carbón (what they made at the Coke Ovens) and cook a ton of meat. According to my trusty comp we're gonna have more food than we can handle for thirty pesos. I'm stoked.
Okay, time for the end of this ridonculously long email after I give you some exciting news!! There is an incredible young man named Eduardo in my ward (but he lives in another town so we don't see him enough :/), well he has been a member since he was a child but went inactive since his family wasn't in the church. Well, recently his mother and sister were baptized and came to conference with us, and this Saturday his dad is getting baptized. Eduardo is one of my favorite people I've met since my quest began back in julio and I'm excited for him and his family and his dad. Oh but wait, there's more. Sunday not only are we having a confirmation of Eduardo padre (senior) but Eduardo hijo (junior) is receiving the big MP. It's way awesome and I'm excited for him and his family, it will be a big blessing and this weekend is going to be amazing.
Well, that's it for now. I love you guys and Imma be emailin yall in seven days time.
Paz y amor.
LMX

Dulce (sweet)

2009-10-13T06:13:00.003-07:00

Answer time: my Spanish is weaksauce. I can understand and speak to my companion and other gringos, but the accent of natives messes with me and I have a hard time, but it's only been a week, what did you expect?
Yes we walk everywhere. The town isn't too big but we will walk to all four edges in a day, it's cool, because even though our success is nonexistent it feels like we're accomplishing something because of how far we walk and how tired I get (just like the guy in Buenos Aires told me).
It's much too hot to wear a jacket outside, so the answer to if I wear a jacket all the time or only in meetings is, only in meetings.
I sleep about three hours a night because the dogs don't stop barking and the houses do not block sound, they are kinda like a real sturdy tent.
Church was awesome. There were twenty one people (including Elder Abraham and I). When people walk in it's like a big family reunion, everyone is greeted with hugs and kisses from every person. It was testimony meeting, and as Presidente Daniele was conducting he mentioned that there was a new missionary "whose name he was not going to try pronouncing because even when I coach him through it he can't get it right" and everybody was looking forward to hearing his testimony. So I got up first and in butchered castellano (they look at you funny if you call it Spanish) I bore my testimony and told everyone how to say Lamoreaux. The joke amongst all nineteen members is to call me Elder Lamer - say something funny sounding. But after I was done every member of the branch bore their testimony (except Benjamin, he's 1). We hung out for awhile after church then I had lunch at the familia Abate Daga's house. When they said I got to ride in the back of the truck on the way to their house I shouted "dulce", literally translated it means "sweet" but it's not an expression down here and Hermana Abate Daga started going crazy saying whats this and stuff but then after lunch she was saying it.
Another funny language mix up: I was eating with the familia Daniele and they asked about my family (which reminds me everybody wants to see pictures of my family so send me some, I can be in them too if you want, or not, just send me pictures!!). I said everybody and lil about them and then said I was "el mejor" (best) instead of "el mayor" (oldest) everyone laughed and the eldest son present (the other is serving in Texas) said he was "el mejor" as well.
And no it's not a Cyber Café, it is a business where all it is is a room filled with computers, there are several around town, in every town. And it's spelled ciber, I apologize for the poor grammar.
So some fun cultural differences for the week: laundry is done in a bucket by hand. Cars drive around town advertising stuff through large speakers they have bungeed to their roofs. Dulce de leche is possibly the best food ever invented, I put it on foods from bananas to bread to hamburgers (that one wasn't my best idea).
About mail...I get it once a transfer at zone conferences, so hopefully I'll have some by then.Well that's about it. I've yet to teach a lesson. People use the same excuses and stuff here that they do in Baltimore, but I still enjoy it, I just want one person to listen.
Love you guys, catch ya later.
LMX

los primeros días (The First Days)

2009-10-05T14:35:00.003-07:00

Hey everybody!!'

Tis Monday and I guess you would like to know of how these first couple days have been. Here is a brief summary:

Thursday night I made the tenish hour flight to Buenos Aires. I sat between two Spanish speakers so I practiced a little, but it was the middle of the night and they were watching the movies and stuff. I landed safely, got all my luggage without a problem and looked around for a fellow named Alberto. I found him and he gave us some papers and took some papers and we waited awhile in the airport until he told us to leave all our stuff we were going to the temple to wait for other missionaries. We went to the temple, ate breakfast, went to the temple, ate lunch and left. One of the men in the cafeteria across the street asked if we were hungry, I replied with more or less, he said, "No no no. Los misioneros buenos siempre están cansados y siempre tienen hambre. Uds. son élderes buenos, tienen hambre." (No no no. The good missionaries are always tired and always hungry. Elders you are good, you are hungry.) Those of us who understood laughed and were in good spirits.

The other missionaries showed up including Élder Blackhorse (a friend from Phoenix) and we all got on a little bus to go to another airport. Out of all of us there were three different missions, those going to Bahía Blanca left us, then Salta, then all of us for Córdoba (Lambchops included, Elder Lamb). We missed the flight we were supposed to take so a guy from the church was there trying to help us out, we were running around like crazy trying to get all these flights. Five of us ended up on standby but then somehow this guy ran off and came back with a couple tickets for three more of us and they all left for their flight to Córdoba. Lamb and I had to take another flight (1523, I know), so we were gonna be late. Well as we were walking to our gate we pass all the other guys whose flight was delayed. We boarded this sketch Argentine plane but it got us there. President and Hermana Olsen were there waiting for us. I had a chat with President Olsen in a Catholic airport chapel, 'twas interesting. In time the others showed up putting us all only three hours behind schedule.

We drove to the mission office (traffic boggles my mind) where we got a rundown on the mish, had dinner, met our trainers, and left for home. I took a long bus ride from Córdoba to Oncativo and finally got home around 12:30. I was dead tired after having not slept for a couple days (my last night in Baltimore and the night on the plane).

Then I spent most of Saturday in the cyber watching conference in English, but the connection sucked and I really didn't get to watch much, and I didn't get to watch Priestood session. Sunday morning we to the family Abate Daga's house. The four of them and the two of us ate an awesome lunch (the main meal down here) and then the branch president and his family of five showed up and the eleven of us crammed into a small house and watched the morning session on a twelve inch computer screen. It was awesome though!! I loved both families, and after having met them and the man that owns a tienda (store) across the street from our pensión (home) I know half the branch in two days. Everything I've eaten has been way good except bread pudding :/ The good stuff was pizza pasta empenadas weird chicken sandwich thing and breakfast pastries it's all been way good except the bread pudding. Their pizza and pasta is a little different than what were used to but still good.

That afternoon we watched (or tried to) the afternoon session in the cyber again.

The people here are way nice but speak way fast. In Córdoba they did sound like they were singing, here, not as many people do. The dogs are not the domesticated best friend they are back home, they're everywhere and it's weird haha but cool. Everybody and their mother drives a "moto" but the biggest displacement I've seen is a 200cc motorcylce. I'm getting better at military time. It's def different but I like it and I haven't really had shock, I just smile and love everything that's different.

My comp is from a tiny town near Cody, WY. He's served in sixish areas. Missionaries have been here since '06 I believe but it wasn't its own area until four weeks ago. It was covered by the same missionaries who served in Rio Segundo as well (which is an hour away) so now that we live here it should start doing a little better. I'm excited for church, it's in a business building!

Alright, if you have anymore questions shootem at me. I love you all and I'll catch ya later.
Con amor,
LMX

¡Viva Argentina!

2009-10-03T13:59:00.004-07:00

So I made it! I´m in Argentina, for 21 months. It´s crazy. After three airplanes a lot of confusion, a Spanish temple session in Buenos Aires and a long bus ride I´m in my first area, Oncativo. It´s a small town outside Córdoba by an hour and a half or so. My comp is Elder Shae Abraham, from small town in Wyoming and has 18 months under his belt. I woke up in the middle of the night and had no idea where I was and when it hit me I was in Argentina and I would be for some time. I got excited but it was weird to think about lol. So it´s definitely different here. It's much different here (obviously) but I'm loving it thus far. I'll share more Monday (p day) but for now I'll give you a rundown on my pensión (apartment). It's humble. Nobody has carpet down here it's all tile and crazy dusty but cool. There is no bath tub just a shower head off the wall in the bathroom a drain in the center of the bathroom floor and a squeegee to scoop it all to the center when you're done, it's way cool :). I haven't spoken to a whole lot of people but these folks speak much faster than those in Ballmer. There are more dirty stray dogs than there are at Havasupi. Traffic/driving is crazy I don't know how they don't hit people, cars, or dogs when driving. But it's fun, I'm excited, and I'm safe.

I'm in a "cyber" watching conference, because I´m in a town with fifteen members and there´s no church building (we meet in an office building) so we are watching it online for two days.

I'm so happy and grateful I have this opportunity.
Paz y amor (Peace and Love),
LMX

Visizzle...My Visa Arrived

2009-10-01T07:53:00.002-07:00

My visa came!! Last night at tenish Pres gave me a call and after the friendly "how are you"s he cut the point and said "you're leaving" I couldn't believe it. I thought he was calling to rebuke us for going over our alloted car miles or something, the thought of a visa didn't even occur, but it's here.
My flight to Miami leaves at three thirty. From Miami I fly to Buenos Aires and will arrive at six thirty in the morning. I don't know any other details, but I'll be able to call from one of the airports tomorrow probably around twoish so eleven AZ time if I'm correct. Hopefully I can talk to someone. And I have a travel companion because Elder Lamb got his visa too! It'll be long but fun and I'm super excited :)
I've really enjoyed my month in the MD but Cordoba is waiting.
Talk to you soon, literally,
- LMX
ps I was excited to watch Conference in English but now Imma see/hear in Spanish only, hope I can follow and learn something good.

Still in Baltimore - Still Waiting on Visa

2009-09-28T10:25:00.005-07:00

Shalom.

Imma start with some bad news...I guess you haven't received my letter yet but I'm probably not leaving this week. They said beginning of October (which is this week but I'll still probably be waitin' a lil longer).

My week:
Friday we had a special zone conference with Elder Robbins from the Seventy. I met with him, spoke him, and we all got a stellar lesson from him and his wife. It was way legit. After a member took us to Five Guys (Baltimore's own In'N'Out). It was way good, then thirty minutes later I had dinner at an inactive members house for burgers again (that's where I gave my number to the awesome lady from South Africa - she asked if she could have your number and I was happy to give it to her. She has a son in Guatemala speaking the espanol as we speak :) and I'm glad she said nice things and I made a good impression.) [insert from Levi's mom - we received a call from a member who is originally from South Africa who lives in Idaho now and was visiting her inactive father-in-law in Baltimore. She said they had just had dinner with Levi and he was great and looked good. She was very impressed with him and could not believe he was a "greenie". It was wonderful words for a Mother to hear!]

I had a couple Spanish experiences Saturday :) I'm gettin' good at racial profiling. I went on 24 hour exchanges with the District Leader. We had nine appointments scheduled and only one worked (kinda), but I still had awesome experiences and hopefully the Essex area elders have some new investigators :)

Quick funny story: Saturday we were teaching a family from Africa who spoke French but one and a half of them spoke English. It was the best lesson. They weren't too accepting but we ran late and were about to be late to another appointment so we had to wrap up and leave. We said a prayer and tried to bolt. The mother/grandmother who didn't speak English and who couldn't really follow what was going on because of the language barrier stood up and said "you come into our home and bless us with the Spirit of the Lord and you don't even stay for drinks!" It was funny in the moment and our appt was the floor under them and he wasn't home so we returned briefly for a glass water.

Allison's week was good. I love watching her testimony grow! It's probably my favorite thing about the mission so far. Everything she experiences helps her grow stronger which in turn helps me. It's incredible. She went to the Relief Society General Broadcast and loved it so I'm feelin' General Conference will be good for her.

Elder Janke and I have a new investigator who is fourteen, frosh, plays guitar and violin, her favorite bands equal that of Tate's, she's cute...after baptism I'm thinkin' she should move out the PHX to meet the lil LMX...if ya know what I'm sayin ;) Any who, things are going well. The area is slowly improving. I'm workin hard and excited to hear some visa news in the next week or two!

Love you guys thanks for being amazing and for your support, updates, prayers, love and everything.

Talk to ya next week.
Love,LMX

First Baptism While in the Mission Field

2009-09-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

The following includes the events of past week.

Monday we went to downtown Baltimore again and hung out at capitol hill, it was pretty cool but the best thing about it was the Russian guy we met. He flew from Russia to Oregon and has been traveling the United States hitting all the cool stuff he cans before he goes back home. How is he traveling? Hitch-hiking. He has seen Oregon, Washington, California, AZ, and everything else on his way and a week ago he was in Baltimore! So flippin' cool. He was reading The Acts in an English Bible so we chatted with him, gave him a BoM and later we saw him again and he was reading it. It was a way cool experience.

Tuesday I went on exchanges (intercambios) with the nearby Spanish elders. I've placed more BoM's and taught and taught more lessons in one day of Spanish work than three weeks of English work. I spoke to 26ish people on the street with no help. And during lessons and conversations I wasn't getting lost in their Spanish or anything. It was hXc (hardcore) legit, especially for taking a couple weeks off.Wednesday a man in the ward hooked me up with an Arizona Republic. His sister brings him back a newspaper from wherever she goes and she just happened to be in Phoenix the other week. It was muy capo (Argentine for cool/studly).

Skip to Saturday. Allison's baptism! It was incredible. I gave the talk on baptism and was a witness. We ended up changing the time like 26135679 times because she was afraid of people showing up. She wanted it private, and that's what she got. Bishop's family, one fellowship family, and missionaries were the only people there. Afterwards everyone was asking her how she felt and she kept saying "sorry, not that much different, I'll let you know if something changes." When I got home that night she gave us call saying something was different. She felt safe for the first time in a long time and calm and all the other good things. I was/am so happy for her. But that wasn't the end. Last night there was a fireside titled "Why I Believe" in which the mission president asks recent converts to give talks on why they believe. One speaker had been a member for a year, another four months, and the last, one day. She didn't tell us she was speaking until yesterday afternoon. And she did awesome. She didn't prepare a talk just spoke from her heart and she was the best one no doubt (but the whole thing was good). She also has this joke about her life being the Mormon version of Seinfeld, so she calls in Smithfeld, and embarrassingly enough she talked about that from the stand, but it was good.

It's been a good week, and I do have some visa news. I received my "permisso" which is basically a document saying you'll obey the laws and stuff and the consul will be signing my visa the end of this month, so I should leave the beginning of next month..my money had been on today though :/

Love you guys.
Paz fuera.
LMX

The DC Temple is Gorgeous

2009-09-14T14:13:00.001-07:00

Just finished my second week in the Maryland Baltimore Mission. Things are still slow, like really slow, investigator wise :/ but it's missionary work and it'll get better.

Some lil deets I haven't shared yet. Church is in the opposite order here, it's a lil weird but I'll deal. They don't have any priests so the missionaries rotate on the sacrament blessing. I still have yet to receive any of your mail. I've gotten one piece from a sister in my MTC district. It was awesome :) it was from Hermana Barfoot (one of the coolest sister missionaries or people in general to ever live). She sent it from the SLC airport while she was waiting for her flight to Buenos Aires! She was stuck waiting for her foot to heal and a visa. She got her visa and the clear from the doctor and her travel plans all within three days. I was super stoked hearing about all that. Made me excited :)

Saturday the six elders covering my ward and two others assisted at this huge family history workshop. And afterwards we took Allison to the DC temple to see the Testaments. We took a tour of the visitors center with her and walked round the temple. It's ginormous. It's ridonculously gorgeous. As you're driving down the freeway to get there it all of sudden rises above the trees and it looks like you're driving straight towards it. SO cool. Maybe you'll see some pics. Anyways, at the visitor center that night there was a Hispanic Culture celebration goin down. Lots of people who didn't speak English and I got to conversate with them a lil bit.

That's bout it for the week.Hope y'all are doin' good. Don't forget to talk like a pirate Saturday.

Love,LMX

It's Always Sunny in Baltimore

2009-09-09T15:01:00.004-07:00

Hello everybody! Imma give you the rundown on my week...Okie dokie.

My area: Perry Hall.
Condition: nonexistant.
Goal: fix it up and get it going.

There is not a single investigator or recent convert in the area, and it's the biggest area in our zone. I know not what the elders before Janke and I did but I'm guessing it was nothing. The last time the area book was updated was 2005, and that is all we have to go off of. We've done a lot of contacting and a lot of tracting with no success, but I can feel it in my bones that we're about to hit a lucky streek. It's fun trying and talking to people and everything but I'm kinda jonsin' for a lesson to teach.

The only person I've taught is a wonderful woman named Allison. She isn't my area but is my ward and I've had the chance to visit her twice. She is an ex-ballerina, music major from U of Miami, plays guitar (she has a $800 Taylor acoustic), she can sing like no other, is crazy sarcastic, just super hXc cool, acts like she is 25 but just turned 50, and she is getting baptized Sept 19 ;). Instantly she liked me..probably a little too much and this is why. She gave two missionaries and I a gift the other night. A hand made Italian silk, one of a kind, two hundred dollar tie (she knows the guy who owns the label but still). I'm scared to wear it but I'm def throwin it round my neck on the nineteenth. I actually had a dream I got my visa the eighteenth and missed her baptism and confirmation and freaked out when I woke up because I thought it was real. Soo hopefully it comes the 21st :)

Yesterday was my first zone conference. Pres Belliston is flippin' awesome. His wife is super legit as well. 'Twas a good experience and I rather enjoyed it.

Life is going well. It's still beautiful here. Oh yeah, hehehe, the ward calls me Elder LMX because Lamoreaux isn't too simple and there is also an Elder Lamb. hXc legit.

I have no news on my visa, nor will I until I leave. Elder Godfrey (one of the elders in my apt) has been waiting for his visa for India for fourteen weeks. He is training someone and it's not even his mission. But the day my visa comes I get a phone call saying pack your bags, and I leave the next morning, but perhaps I'll be able to call again.

Love you all, talk to you next week :)

- Elder LMX

Finally in the Mission Field - Nottingham, MD

2009-09-02T14:36:00.003-07:00

Hola.
Glad you got a message letting you know I made it safe. And even though I made it safe I'm sure you're wanting a story of my travels. Here it is: After we spoke I had two hoursish before my flight. I was chillin chattin with Elder Lamb from Henderson, NV. Randomly a man asks us if we speak Spanish (in Spanish). I told him a little and he asked for some help because he couldn't find his gate. I was able to walk him around, talk a little and point him in the right direction. Totally awesome to use it in the real world. (Random thought: but the real world was scary at first). Then we made our four hour flight to MD, flying over UT, WY, NE, IO, IL, IN, OH, Pennsylvania and finally MD covering roughly 1930 miles. I spoke to a man who just finished serving as a mish pres in Mexico in Spanish while waiting for our luggage. Then my pres showed up drove us around and took us to our apartment. I'm serving in English :/ but Imma study hard on my own and hopefully the visa comes soon, even though things are good here. It's really pretty. And even though I'm practicing my Spanish as I'd like I did with my Spanish elders and spoke with them quite a bit and they were impressed. I also know the gift of tongues is real, I can now give the first vision in three languages: Spanish, English, and Ebonics. It's shorter and a lil more exciting in the third.

So yesterday I made a couple appointments taught the first lesson on a store step, did some service and placed a bomb, sorry, BoM.

Today was P-day we hit up the zoo and downtown Baltimore, ate some lunch, took some pics, it's been a good two days. Elder Lamb (from the plane) is also in the apartment with his comp, my comp and me. It's like a missionary party every day except quiet cuz we're studying and stuff.

I'm doin good, enjoyin myself, workin hard, and waiting to leave. So I kinda miss the MTC district but...I'm glad I can't see them anymore cuz it means I'm in the field!

I hope everything is going well back home. Keep me filled in. I get a lil extra time for email here than in the MTC, it's pretty legit.

Love y'all.
Paz fuera. (peace out)
Elder LMX

Week 9 - Serving in Baltimore, MD until Argentina Visa arrives

2009-09-01T06:58:00.003-07:00

Brother and Sister Lamoreaux,

I picked up your son along with another Elder going to his mission at the airport at 4:30 today, August 31. He looked great. He has been assigned to Elder Janke from Idaho Falls. They are serving in Baltimore.

Your son is a very impressive young man! I am confident he will be a wonderful missionary. We will do all we can to provide him with some great training and experiences while he serves in this beautiful part of the country.

Sincerely, President A. Brent Belliston

Week 8 - Leaving the MTC...but Where

2009-08-25T15:05:00.005-07:00

Family!Okay good week I suppose. Here is the rundown...Thursday I got my flight plans!! I was scheduled to go from SLC to Dallas to Miami to Buenos Aries. A total of 23.5 hours of travel (including layovers and whatnot). But amongst all the excitement of travel plans I couldn't forget that I still do not have a visa. So I went to the travel office and demanded to know what was up...well...they don't know what's up. I don't have it and if I don't have my visa by Friday I'm being temporarily assigned stateside! It doesn't matter if I get visa or not I'm leaving Monday. I'd rather be in Argentina but anywhere other than here is awesome. And there's no way I can tell you. The computer doesn't let me log on if it's not Tuesday. So I'm sorry, but I will let you know as soon as possible. I've grown to enjoy the MTC. I love my district and my teachers, they're all awesome but in the nicest way possible, I don't want to see them again (because of the different missions thing).

Sunday, I attended a broadcast of the Oquirrh Mountain temple dedication. Monson's talk was hXc good. The others were good too. And I could not help but smile when Pres Eyring blessed the missionaries in the dedicatory prayer. it's crazy to know that people all over the world include me in their prayers, and my family :).

Okay my teacher Hermano Anderson has a cruiser (some Honda model), and talks about it quite often. Well I had told him about the VFR and the coast trips and flippin sweet they were and all that shizzle and he was impressed and jealous and now is looking into more fun bikes. just a brief funny story of what happens in class when we're supposed to be learning. We do learn, and the whole conversation was acceptable because it was in Spanish.

I lol'd over Dad and my mandals. [Wade wore Levi's sandals to Tyra's baptism.]Today was my last temple session for two years..kinda sad but it was my best time out every visit thus far to the Provo temple.

Anyways, I love you all! Thank you for all the letter's and emails and everything. You're the best family ever.

Love, Elder LMX

Week 7 - I Left the MTC...well, kind of

2009-08-19T05:58:00.008-07:00

Hola, muchas gracias por los packages. I loved the flag! [Levi asked if we could find an Argentina flag so he could hang it on his wall] It's totally bisnitchin fer sure. And thank you for the shirt, candy, and chips. We were on the same brain wave because one bag was for me and the other was for the district (two of my sisters love salt and vinegar but had never had Poore Brother's). As for the ring, yes size 12, yes Spanish lettering (HLJ: haz lo justo, or in English: Do the righteous), no spinner, no shield, just cool looking, and I prefer the thick ones. Thank you so very much :)I'm glad to hear school went well for everyone. Oh how I remember the countless bruises from football practice. Tell Tate now that he has started Spanish I want some in every letter from now on. I'm sure Tyra is very excited about her baptism! I'm excited, I wanna hear all about that shiz. I'm glad Grandma and Breeze will be there :)..and Dan too I guess.

The meeting with the consul went well. I still do not have my visa, and I won't have a date until I get it but hopefully I'm not pushed back. He let us do a Q and A about Argentina and I found out fast food costs three times as much as it should because people want to be "modern". Business men will eat at McDonalds over another restaurant because of this. There some other interesting things, but in gen I'm just pumped to get out.

Speaking of getting out...I left the MTC!!!!! Elder Goodman had been feeling ill for bout a week so we finally went to the health clinic here who let us walk to the real Dr down the street!! Omgsh! I saw people. I saw magazines. I heard music. It was nice to know that the outside world still existed. I really wanted to contact every person I saw..then I remembered it was Utah and I left it at hello and other friendly salutations. No worries, Elder G man is good just a lil pneumonia.

My female teacher, Hermana Cochrane is also a high school volleyball coach so she wasn't in class last week for try outs and I had two awesome subs. One of them, Hermano Dallon, was straight up legen..wait for it...dary. He helped me a lot and totally an awesome teacher.

Well I have thirteen days left hopefully. John Greenleaf Whitier once said "Of all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these: 'It might have been'." Just a lil daily gem I thought I'd share with you, and it's a lil of how I'm looking at these next twenty two point five months. It should be good.Next week is hopefully my last P-day here so it could be my last email for awhile. I don't know but I'll keep you updated with what I do know.Love you all.

Love,Elder LMX

ps: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYRA!!!!! Eight is a totally awesome age. Live it up. Enjoy your baptism, and third grade! :)

Week 6 at the MTC - Hopefully Visa Coming Soon

2009-08-11T10:12:00.003-07:00

Well I would like to start this email off with some good news. Two Argentina Elders have received their visas and left. I had a meeting with a visa agent on Friday and have a meeting with the Argentina consul tomorrow, so with how things are looking I should be leaving on time!!

Other good news, the new roomates I was supposed to get never showed up. E' G-man and I were anxious to meet them and we had some pranks ready and some intimidating lectures rehearsed just in case we didn't like them. So as our anticipation was about to end and we returned to the room Wed night nobody was there. Soo we don't know what happened but we're glad it did.

There is a new Hermana in my district (which now makes it four girls to two boys, we probably have the oldest average age for single missionaries). She is in our district because she had to have an inch and a half piece of glass surgically removed from her foot, so she is here for four more weeks while the rest of her district left. Okay so having foot surgery is funny, right? Well it gets ten times funnier when you find out that her name is Hermana Barfoot. It's hard not to laugh about it, but she is really very nice and will be serving in Bahia Blanca with Elder Blackhorse.

Oh yeah, crazy story time. During volleyball an elder who doesn't know how to play ran into a sister in my district. He knocked her over and she screamed and looked at her knee and her knee cap was not where it was supposed to be. They took her to the MTC Dr and he said it was dislocated and she probs would have a miniscal tear as well. They ambulanced her over to the hospital where they did xays and MRI and all that jazz and popped her patella back in place.
Well there was absolutely no damage and she is back to normal. fue un milagro (translated-it was a miracle)

You shouldn't need to send me any packages in Argentina, but if you do, tape a picture of the Virgin Mary on there. The mail people open up all packages and take the stuff they want, but they leave it alone if the Virgin Mary is on there. Kinda funny, and helpful.

I had the priviledge to watch a talk given by Pres Uchtdorf in which he gave some interesting new doctrine. Apparently, we will speaking German in the Big C. Maybe it was a joke, I can't be sure, but interesting to think about nonetheless.

Love you,
Elder LMX

Week 5 at the MTC - English No More

2009-08-05T10:25:00.007-07:00

My week has been good. Wednesday was hilarious. It was the funeral service complete with a eulogy, talks, and a special musical number. Elder Goodman and I were the pallbearers and took English out to a secluded area in the back corner of the MTC which is hidden by some big trees. We were going to say a few last words and then head back. Once we got there, however, with divine intervention we discovered we had something important to do. At our predetermined location was a shovel! So I dug a hole and we buried the casket we made and with a sharpie wrote a headstone on a rock. It was beautiful. The musical number was written by one of the sisters in about five minutes. The words were such eloquent Spanglish I wanted to cry and mourn but I couldn't help but be happy that he had inspired such beautiful music.
Yesterday a native district I had become close with departed for their respective missions. It's always sad but exciting to watch people leave.
Elder Goodman and I also received some bad news...we're getting new roommates! We are the only obedient reverent mishs on our floor. Security is called almost nightly by the floor under us because they can't sleep with noise my floor makes. I don't wanna have to hurt someone so these new guys best not mess around.
I know nothing new on the flu but nobody has left for Argentina in a month and a half and none of them have leaving dates.Thank you for the bread and for the letters and the emails.
Love you,ELMX