July 30, 2012

Dear Everyone,

So what does it mean when it does "dust" or "smoke" as the weather forecast? It means I will be enjoying some of the novelties of living outside of the states. Argentina is dustier than Arizona. No one paves the roads because if you want a paved road on your block, you and all of your neighbors have to get in on it and pay for it. And it's also a super windy area. So it is basically always dusty outside. The dead center of the city always has all paved roads (and that's my area) but as you head to the outskirts, its all dirt roads. Two of the Elders that live with me have no paved roads in their area.

And smoke? They burn all of their trash. It is not unusual to see a pile of trash on the side of the road that has been lit on fire. Also when they do yard work, they take all the leaves, sticks, garbage, etc. and light it on fire. Or when a piece of land is vacant and they want to use it, they just light it up. Kind of interesting.

As for the weather here in Santa Rosa this winter, it's been pretty weird. Everyday it's super freezing in the morning. We have to turn off our gas heaters at night because of the risk of fatal gas leaks. So we wake up pretty cold. But by the time lunch is over however, it's too hot to wear a coat. Yet when the sun goes down, the temperature just drops in a matter of minutes. Last winter in Balcarce, it was freezing all day long.

So anyway, this week was awesome. Catalina Soledad Navas got baptized this Saturday and she was super happy and so were Elder Howard and I! Everything came together very well and the whole family was there to support her, including her nonmember mother, and many of the members as well. A 19 year kid named Alejandro, who is a ward missionary, baptized her. Also, the Elders who live in my house but work in another ward invited their investigator who liked it so much that she decided to get baptized this next Saturday!

Also this week we had members come with us to a bunch of lessons so that was super successful. The Lucero family kids came to church again (Nicolle, Mariano, and Ivone) and they loved it. I was excited for them. We have been going by their house almost every day (que pesados) but it's what works! We made them little signs that they taped up on the walls that remind them to read the Book of Mormon every day, they all offer prayers in the lessons now, and I am pretty sure that they will get baptized on the 11th of August. We pray for them constantly and are always thinking of better ways to help them and teach them so they can understand and apply what we teach. I love to watch them change and grow. Sometimes their answers to our questions surprise me because they are progressing so much.

However transfers come in this week on Friday. So we'll see what happens! Ever since my first area, Balcarce, I have only been in my areas 2 transfers. So if I keep up the trend, I'm out of here. I think that is why I feel like I am going to leave. But we'll see, perhaps Elder Howard and I will stay together just a little bit longer.

Thank you for your letters and support! I love you all. Please pray for my investigators!

Esteeee.......

Elder Garrison