I'm in argentina!!!

Hi family!

I arrived in Argentina safetly!  The flight to Argentina was really long but it gave me a good opportunity to sleep a little and write in my journal.  I sat next to a woman from Brazil and shared a little bit of the gospel with her in Spanish.  She already had a Book of Mormon because her daughter's best friend is on her mission. It was great to talk to her.  Also, a member of the church walked up to me and said hi in the Atlanta airport.  It was a comfort to know that I wasn't alone and that people know who I am.

 

I took a flight from San Francisco to Atlanta and then caught a flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina.  In Buenos Aires a member from the area office picked me up and took me to the area office.  I stayed there for a couple of hours.  They got my lunch, it was great! I hadn´t eaten for like 12 hours!!  And then I went and got my papers done for my DNI (identification ID card). My driver gave me a little tour of the city and then dropped me off at the airport. I took a 2 hour flight to Bahia Blanca where I was picked up by President Parreño and Hermana Parreño.  I spent the night at the mission home, and the next day I spent my day in the mission office by myself with 8 other elders, and no companions... they were nice.

 

Papi, no, I don't think I got my visa. What they gave me was a traveler's visa and so in a month or two I will have to pick up my visa somewhere else.  I  honestly don't know.  All they did was give me my passport and my ticket and I got on a plane.  Everything was set for me.  It was really easy.  And thanks to all the traveling I have done, it was easy to move around the airport!! 

The keys on this keyboard are terrible. Some of the keys work and others don't work at all. Also, the computer has been freezing and took away a lot of the time I have to write. I only have 10 minutes left to write to you, so I am going to make this message shorter than the others.  Next week I will write more when we are at the church and have time.

My new companion's name is Hermana Silva.  She is from Paraguay and has 4 months left on her mission.  She is a convert of 4 years and she has an amazing conversion story.  I am in the Villa Mitre area in the Bahia Blanca zone.  The weather has been really cold and I have been wearing my heavy coat, a scarf and tights.  It took me by surprise!! From the heat of California to the winter of Argentina. It's been great though. I'm warm each night and I sleep very well.  

The people here are good. The way that mission work is done is so different here.  In California we did a lot of "member present" lessons and almost no contacting. Here, all we do is contacting in the streets, knocking on doors one by one, street by street.  Everyone confuses us for Jehovah Witnesses or Evangelical missionaries.  Most of the people in this area are Evangelical or Catholic.  It has been a little hard to get used to the way things are done here but little by little I will learn. My companion is very patient with me and is willing to answer all of my questions.  I ask a lot of questions!!  The way they teach is different too and the focus is a little different.  What helps me is knowing that we are teaching the same gospel but in a different way.

The mission presidents are really nice.  They picked me up at the airport in Bahia Blanca on Monday night around nine and took me to the mission home.  Hermana Parreño made me "tortilla de patata" and I ate with President and Hermana Parreño.  They gave me my own room and I slept wonderfully that night.

I am glad to hear that you guys are doing great.  I am learning a lot. Good luck with school everyone. Pablo, that is way cool that you bought new furniture!!! I didn't know you could do that!! Have fun Sarah making new friends.  I am glad that you have great roommates.  Daniel, good luck with your solo!! Levi, I am glad you joined that club, it suits you well!!  Carlos, have fun with your new friends!!! Remember that two years will pass by fast! Sofía, I am glad to hear that your Spanish is going well!! And Soraya, patience is a virtue!!!  I love you all so much!! I will send pictures next week when I am at a good computer!!

Hermana Zubeldia!!!