Monday, January 25, 2016

January 25, 2016

Hey Hey Family! 

That was a crazy fast week! This has been a really fast month in general! Wow it's crazy I have less than 5 months left in the mish! Freaks me out a little! Yeah that sounds good with my homecoming talk being on June 26! :)

Everything is going good here in Tunuyan! it rained a ton this week!!! We got caught in this huge storm one day!!! It was way crazy!!!

Looks like you guys are having fun with the exchange students! I want to go to Zion way bad when I get home!!! It looks super pretty with all the snow! I liked the videos you sent!! Sounds like you guys are all doing great!

Fishing was alright! haha (aka we didn't catch anything!!!) Yeah it definitely wasn't as fun as the good old days with my friends going to Sand Hollow and fishing! It was just from the river side of like a super shallow river! haha but its whatever, you live and you learn! I will send photos!

That's pretty cool Kamrie is going to Pine View's Jr. prom!!! Remember when I went to Dixie's winter ball or whatever it was?? Yeah that was way fun! That's also cool to hear Jaxon Last plays varsity basketball!!!

This was a little tougher week with all the rain! It has been super hard for us to have lessons with Rosa because she is always working!!! But we are also working with this family that is way awesome! We met them just a couple weeks ago and they came to church this past Sunday! The mom is a less active from like 9 years ago but her husband and kids aren't members but they really like the church! They even fed us lunch after church!!! It was wayyy good! We ate ravioli's! They were super good! The only problem is that they aren't married :( man that is like the struggle of Argentina! No one gets married, or they get married and then they split up! It's tough but we are going to keep working hard!!!

Well I am glad to hear you guys are doing good! How is Grandpa Lawrence doing? I was praying a lot for him this week! Wow Shylo is going to Peru!!!!! That's awesome!!!! I am not going to see her in forever! hahah but way cool! She will love it. :)

I hope you guys have a great week! You guys are the bomb. Be safe! Have fun! Do work!! :)

Love, Elder Lawrence

 Fishing!!! It wasn't the same without my bros! :(

 Tunuyan!

  Freaky storm clouds!

A nice view after the storm!

Monday, January 18, 2016

January 18, 2016

Hey Hey family :)
I am doing way good! This week had some awesome miracles!!!! I am glad to hear you guys are doing good! Don't worry mom I am being careful with the bike :) haha

The presentation went way good! I had to cut it down a ton! Yeah I ended up only having to speak for like 15 minutes! I was kinda stressing out too when I tried to plan for an hour! But yeah it went good! Hermana Goates took up the rest of the time! I told my district to not be surprised if I talk about setting goals for 45 minutes in district meeting tomorrow...... hahaha just kidding. :) My interview went way good with President Goates! He told me some pretty crazy news in my interview. Every single Hermana that's not already in their training or that is a sister training leader, will be training!  I guess there is a ton of new Hermana's coming in this transfer! It's crazy because there is going to be some brand new Hermana's that have to train!

Glad to hear things are still good with the exchange student! That's crazy he only brought 2 pairs of clothes! Just give him my old clothes... oh wait, Bryson already stole them all! haha :) I like his American name... Shawn! hahaha that made me laugh.

Oh hey, I keep forgetting to tell you guys, I got my watch fixed!!! It was like 60 pesos so like 5 bucks! Yeah I am happy to have it back and running!!!
Tell Taylee I say Happy Birthday! I love Brenda's cheesecake too!!! 

So listen to the miracles of the week! We talked with this lady on the street named Rosa and she was super nice and wanted us to come back... Well we go back like a week later and she is super happy to see us! She told us about how her life was super tough but after she talked to us everything started to get better! She found a job and everything. She was waiting for us to come by again! So we went by and she was just super ready to hear everything we had to say! She prayed right there and then to know if it was true or not and she accepted a baptismal date for the 13 of February! She is super awesome and has two kids that live with her! Her son Thomas is 15 and her daughter Milagros is 9! Both super awesome as well! I hope she will come to church this next week with us!

Other Miracle: So we had two investigators come to church this week! Juana came again for the second time! She was also someone we just talked to in the street! She is super awesome! We are going to talk to her about baptism this week! Someone in our ward gave an awesome talk about baptism this week, I think she liked it a lot!

Also our investigator Javier came to church this week! He said it was his first time ever going to any church! His wife is super less active and just moved here from Godoy Cruz. But we found them a couple weeks ago and yeah they both came to church yesterday! It was funny because I sat with them and my comp sat with Juana and we were both sitting like on the opposite sides of the chapel. They are both awesome!

I will try to keep learning how to cook Argentine food! I really want to come home and cook for you guys sometime! That would be awesome! Wow, I cant believe this Friday I only have 5 months left in the mission.... That's way crazy to me! The time is really flying! I am going to keep working way hard!  I am super tired a lot but I think its from the serious miles we put on the bikes hahaha :) 

Well I am really grateful for all you guys do for me! Thanks for the prayers and letters! Grandpa is for sure in my prayers! Man the air up north is not good! Sara Goeser... that name sounds really familiar... but that is super sad she has cancer :( is she in the grade below me?  That makes me way sad! Yeah just know they will all be in my prayers! 

I hope you guys have a great week! I love you guys tons!!!

Love, Elder Lawrence

PS. I forgot to tell you what we are doing today!!!! We are going fishing with a member! My dreams are coming true!!! hahaha I can't wait!!!!! Love you tons!

 Chaucito Elder Vera!

 My drawing skills were put to the test, we made a poster for all the members to sign for Elder Vera! Big head little body always! haha

 My District! :) super weird/funny photo!

 I found a machete when we were doing service the other day! haha super awesome!

 Empanada place knows what's up! haha

Just posing in front of sunsets as usual! :)

Monday, January 11, 2016

January 11, 2016

Hey Hey Family! Everything is going great here! Tunuyan is still gorgeous! This morning we woke up and it was super foggy! It has been like forever since I had seen fog! Our house is way cute for sure! haha ummm yeah there is a ton of bugs here I was using my bug spray at first because the bugs were eating me up like the first week but I think they got sick of me or something because now I have no problems! Also around our house there is like a million snails (seriously a million) I feel bad sometimes when we come in at night time because I can't see the ground really but I will hear a loud crunch under my shoe haha R.I.P snails.

Yeah it rains almost everyday here... not always super hard but like a group of clouds will come in for a little and rain a little and then leave and it just gets super humid after that! But most nights I go to bed a little hot from riding the bike all day and everything but always in the mornings its freezing!  I might break out the sleeping bag soon.

No my comp doesn't speak English, but he is learning! I have had him saying his prayers in English whenever we are in the pench! I also had him give the spiritual thought in district meeting last week in English! It wasn't bad! But yeah we only speak Spanish.

Mom bike areas rock! You can do so much more! You shouldn't be scared, I don't feel like its dangerous... In the centro part of Tunuyan they have bike lanes and that's the way we go whenever its night time so that's good!

Yeah District Leader is awesome! It makes me a little nervous at times! haha like this Friday we have interviews with President Goates (like we do every 3 months) and I have to prepare a presentation to give to my District and Hermana Goates while the missionaries have their interviews. It has to be at least an hour long but maybe longer depending on how long my district takes to have interviews... so I will just tell them all to be quick! ;)  I am not too nervous! I have to speak about goals and setting goals and just everything about goals! We will see how it goes. :) But yeah to answer you question District meeting went good last week! I made brownies and Hermana Maseda made some upside down cake! It was super good!

Speaking of President Goates, he came to our church yesterday! Because we are a Branch he is basically the Stake President over us! So he came and set apart an Elder in our branch to go on his mission this Wednesday! Pretty crazy that he gets set apart 3 days before he actually leaves! His name is Gabriel Vera! He is a super awesome guy! He is going to serve in Chile. I don't remember what mission but yeah! I will send you a photo we took with him!

Yes we have some investigators! The people are amazing here! They are actually super receptive! We met this girl named Juana last Monday or Tuesday and we taught her the first lesson and invited her to church and she came with her two sons! She said she invited her husband to come and he was going too but he had to leave for something so he wasn't home when we passed by. But yeah, I have been loving the work here! There is some parts of our area that are super humble too. We have one investigator that has a baptismal fecha named Gladis and she is reading the Book of Mormon and everything but she is struggling to come to church! I think she is shy or something... we are going to keep working with her! We also have lunch with members a good amount! I think like every Wednesday Friday Saturday and Sunday! My comp is a stud chef though! He has been teaching me some Argentine dishes so I am stoked to show you guys when I get home! He taught me how to make chimichuri its like a sauce, it's the bomb!

Well basically this email was just me answering tons of questions! I don't really have time to write anything else! But I loved the photo of you guys at Jacey's homecoming! I can't believe she is home!!!! Tell her I say sup. :) I hope things go good with the exchange student! I think he has some hard core jet lag hahahaha. I love you guys tons! You guys are the best family. Be safe. Today we are making Pizzas in our church and playing soccer! whoo whoo! Everyone likes to come to our little city for P-days because its the coolest one... haha jk but yeah everyone always comes to Tunuyan for P-days in the zone! Love you guys! I hope Kamrie is all better now!

Love, Elder Lawrence

 All the trees droop down in the mornings because of little water droplets. I thought it looked pretty cool close up.

 Me and Elder Bustos bought some sweet cups for 3 pesos (like 30 cents haha)

 You can't really tell that I am soaking wet in this photo but yeah I am. We got caught in a down pour on the way home from a lesson.

  Elder Vera! Right after being set apart as a missionary! He looks like David Artchuleta and is going to serve in the same mission that he served in! haha

Chilling in the back seat of some members car on the way to lunch. You cant really see but there are two kids and they are crazyyyyyy! hahaha

Monday, January 4, 2016

18 Months!!!

Hey hey hey hey Family!!! Happy New Year!!! I can't believe its already 2016!!! 2015 went wayyy fast! I learned a ton this past year too! and yes there was a little bit of burning of something on the 18th month mark :) Haha Don't worry will send photos!

Sooo yeah you want to know about transfers?...... I'm staying another in San Juan with Elder Landt................ JUST KIDDING haha I got transferred!!! I am 100% sure that I am in the prettiest zone/area in the mission!!! I got transferred to an area called Tunuyan in the zone of Valle de Uco!!! It is super pretty here!!! It's also a lot more tranquilo than Chimbas!!!  I have wanted to go to Valle de Uco ever since my first area! Elder Holmstead used to always tell me about how much he loved it here!!! and man I have been loving it here!!! The zone of Valle de Uco is just a bunch of little towns that are tucked up in the Andes mountains!!! My first day here it rained alllll day! It is super green here and looks like a jungle! It is way cooler here than in San Juan!!! We are wearing our sweaters today! Also Tunuyan is a Branch not a ward! It says something about that in my Patriartical Blessing! Pretty awesome stuff! :) 

Also my run of only having gringo comps came to an end! My companion is Elder Bustos from Santa Fe, Argentina!!! He is super awesome!!! He is like brand new in the mission! I am his first companion after his trainer!!! He is super animated for the work too! We have been talking with everyone and meeting tons of new people! He is also only a convert of like a year and a half! He is way boss though! His story of how he came to know the church and everything is way awesome! I will have to tell you about it someday! We don't have too much time to write today!

Also I am going to come home from the mission with some super hot legs because this is a HUGE area and its a bike area!!!! This is my first area ever that has bikes!!!! My legs are super sore! hahaha It feels like everything is up hill! We save tons of time though with bikes! plus it's super safe here and so that's why we have bikes as well! I love it! 

Oh also I am District Leader! I thought that was pretty cool! There are a companionship of Hermanas and a companionship of Elders and the matrimony couple (Elder and Hermana Maseda) are in my District!) I am pretty excited! I have to give my first District meeting tomorrow! Wish me luck! also, the Hermana and Elder in my district are both training this transfer! The new Elder is from Colorado and the new Hermana is from Chile! They are both wayyy awesome! We share the Branch with the Hermanas! 

Sorry I have like no time to write anything else! I think I am only going to have time to write you guys back today! Glad you guys liked the package! :) Hermana Keil is awesome for taking that to you guys!!! I was kinda scared that the coke was going to explode but nope it made it! I love you guys tons and hope you have a great week! Have fun going back to work and school and everything ;) You guys are the best family eva!!!! :)

Love, Elder Lawrence

Ps. I really hope I get some family benefits with that season pass deal to Brianhead!!!!!! haha :)

 Me and my new comp Elder Bustos!

 This is what it looks like in front of the pench! Straight jungle!

This is our pench! It's the nicest pench out of all the ones I have had in my mission for sure!

 The church building is also huge here! But yeah this is when we got caught in the rain my first day here!

 Bike area problems! My chain fell off.

 Chau 18 months! Crazy how fast it went. Don't worry it's just a pair of super dirty pants that I never wore! haha