November 25, 2013

Well here we are again at the beggining (and end) of another week in La Gran Misión Buenos Aires Norte. The work here is going well and I can see miracles coming to pass on all sides. We had quite the miracle this week in fact! This past week the Bishop come up to us and said that a less active family in the ward was starting to come back to church all on their own and that they had a 9 year old son who wanted baptized. Because he is over 8 he is under our keys and so we happily went to their house and talked with them about it. He already had enough attendences to church and knew a ton of stuff already so we just set the date for Saturday and dove right into it (almost literally)! We baptized him on Saturday and confirmed him yesterday. I forgot my camera though so I can´t send any pics of it :( . It was my 3rd baptism for me in my mission so far. It is always awesome to see people accept the Gospel like that and enter into that great covenant of baptism. 

We also are working hard to complete a family here in the ward by the end of the transfer. A couple in the family need married though so we are working on getting them married and baptized the last weekend of the transfer. Hopefully it will all work out! If it does that will mean we have 4 more baptisms this transfer with just that family, and hopefully more will come with other investigators. We will just have to see!!

Things are going good around here, not really a ton new to talk about. It was a good week and we are definitely staying busy! There is always something to do around here so being bored is not a problem haha. We are working hard and having success, and it is always good to see the fruits of your work!!

This past week I hit 100 days in my mission. I can´t remember what day it was or how I figured it out, but yeah so I am now into the triple digits! It is kind of crazy to think about in all honesty. At this point the time is going by pretty normally, not too fast and not too slow. From what I have been told it will start to really fly in a few months once I really have to language down and am out of my training with a regular schedule and what not. It is not bad to have a lot of time left though and it is actually kind of calming to know that I don´t have to worry a ton about stuff back home and I can just focus on this work, even though as you all know I am always always thinking ahead haha. The craziest thing about hitting 100 days is that it proves to me that this experience really wont last forever, and some day I will have to go home. It is not very soon but it will come, which is kind of nerveracking to me. I am just getting used to all this! Haha it is all good though.

It sounds like everyone back home is having a good time. It sounds like fun with the house full again and it seems like everyone is keeping right on busy! I am glad that everyone is doing well and I really enjoy getting updates from fam and friends.

We have some extra money left over from this month so we are thinking about going out and buying some meat and having an "assada" for Thanksgiving with my companion and I along with the other companionship in the ward. If we end up doing it I will be sure to take a pic or two and send it next week!

We also haven´t got any word on how skyping for Christmas will work this year, but from what it sounds like we will just go to a cyber café on either Christmas or Christmas Eve and use the skpe on the computers here to get in contact. I will be sure to let you all know when and how as soon as I do. I am way excited to see everyone and talk for a while!

Also, we had a pretty eventfull Pday today! We went out to this Island that is actually partially in our area here. We are never out there cause we have absolutely zero members there. The island is incredibly rich and I finally found where all the American tourists are hahah. I actually heard random people speaking English for the first time here in Buenos Aires haha. It was really cool and my comp took some pictures that I will send in another email. There was an old Argentine Naval ship there in the river which was a museum and the entrance price was 2 pesos. So we went in and looked around and then got a McDonald´s ice cream sundae haha. The funny thing was there was some random Argentine dude on the bridge and when we passed him he kept yelling "Go home Yankees (pronounced shunkeys here)!" in both English and Spanish. We ran into him like 3 more times just randomly haha it was funny. All I could think was that there were tons of American tourists there and the only people he yelled at was the two Mormons haha. Whatever!

Anyway I just wanna let you all know that I am doing great and having a good ole time here. The ward I am in is great and I am having some fun with my comp too. Have a great Thanksgiving this week and remember to give a sincere pray of thanks for everything we have! We truly are blessed to live in such a great country and state and time. As I have spent time here I have found that Logan, Utah truly is a great place. Don´t worry though, Buenos Aires is wayyy better as far as missionary work goes though! I hope that everyone has fun as a fam enjoying the Thanksgiving spirit this week and all I can ask for is for you all to keep me in your prayers as always! Keep the faith and fight the good fight! And just remember, as Preach My Gospel says: "The attitude that you have towards your missionary service (or life in general) reflects your love for our Heavenly Father and His Son, as well as your respect for the Priesthood." So be happy with what you have and give thanks to God for all of it! I love you all and I will talk to you again in another week!

Love always,

Elder Zollinger