Return with Honor: And imagine. . . I go home at 9:30pm. The real jokers and sinners are just waking up then!

Part 2

To answer your question, it’s not the church’s call. A year ago Argentina switched up some laws and stopped issuing 2 year visas. a fin de que they could make more money! Because with a 2 year visa you only pay once. But now we have to pay twice. Believe me, if we could do a 2 year visa we would. But Argentina doesn’t know how to work their finances, . . . la la la - you get it.

It used to be that I lived for Pday,

but now I live for Preaching.

It is interesting to note the stark difference and contrast in culture that Amanda and I are faced with. I have a letter here with me from weeks ago that she wrote home, and when I read it, O, I just loved loved it. Let me quote her. “O the world is so sad. I honestly can't stand it anymore. I just can't . . . wickedness wickedness wickedness. I can’t stand it anymore.”

You know here in Estanzueal I have felt the same way. Instead of bashing us or putting anti stuff in our hands, many people here couldn’t care less. I try to saludar everyone I walk past, and many times everyday people don’t even respond. They treat us as if we don’t exist. We knock their door, open their window to look out and then give us the waggin’ finger. So many people with no social skills, no manners. They just don’t understand.

Most people love to look for deals or sales or ofertas, lower prices and all that jazz. And here we are, Elder Boisados and I, Amanda and Sister Wallace, offering something FREE. It costs absolutely nothing! It is Eternal Life. And people reject it. They don’t want it. They won’t even listen, won’t even look at us. Elder Boisados and I have talked alot about this, how screwed up the world is. How sinful it is, and it all starts with individuals. With little wrong decisions that lead to big personal apostasies. I loved when Amanda talked about how so many of Gods children won’t even listen to their Father.

The Family is So Important. It is where we learn manners and respect. Something that is so faulting in Argentina.

So yeah, I’m with Amanda on that one. Being in the streets all the days allows you to see how the world really is. Not just cooped up in the Tricities. Or living in BYU. And imagine . . I go home at 9:30PM. The real jokers and sinners are just waking up then!!! I had quite the experience the other week teaching such a wicked man. It opened my eyes so wide as to how awful sin is, and how much power and minions the devil has.

But we are stronger. We are better. We have the Priesthood. And we will win. Wickedness never was happiness.

Happiness is only found in accepting and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Really living it. Making it a part of you. Actually remembering the Savior Jesus Christ durante la semana. Actually trying every day to follow Him. Become more like Him.

That is happiness. It’s not cosmetic happiness either, it’s real happiness.

Out of the hundreds of people we have talked with in Estanzuela, only 2 have truly accepted our message. And they are Teresa and Fernando. We have visited them many times and shared many important truths with them. Teresa is amazing, and has showed both us and the Lord fruits of Repentance. Like I said, one week without smoking. And this is a woman who has smoked 30 years. It is amazing to see a soul coming to Christ and actually repenting. I dream of moments like these.

We taught her in depth the Restoration this week and she doubted. We had her pray every night about the Book of Mormon, seeing as that is the only way anyone will ever get an answer, an answer that only comes por el poder del Espiritu Santo. God is the Giver and has been giving her the answer. The thing is that she has not been recognizing it. We asked her how she felt when she prayed. She said she felt very much at peace. And she felt like all her problems went away and felt tranquila. We showed her that that is her answer. And I think she is recognizing it. She also loves the hymns. We sing in every lesson, and in a lesson we had with the members, a sister le regaló un himnario. It was wonderful.

Fernando is struggling, and we are doing all we can to help him. The pull of sin and of Satan is strong, but I know he can overcome. Repentance is always possible. It is really the only way. I like when Amanda said, I need to repent . . but thats a good thing!! That’s how I put my will in line with Gods!

O isn’t Amanda just great. Through her simple letters, she teaches me so much. I actually apply what I learn from her letters when teaching. l think about what she says, and what she is learning. Like loving inactives back. That was cool. We did that 2 this week. Had lessons with inactives and instead of calling them to repentance with the scriptures and la la la, we just loved them, like Amanda taught me. And talked with them.

And one experience it was so cool, because after passing many open doors Sunday evening, it was killing me, so I went up and sang, not really sang, just hollered in a house, and the lady let us in. The Lord sent us to that house and this inactive member really needed us. We gave her and her brother (who actually is visiting Argentina from Australia) blessings. I gave the brother a blessing, and he was bald. That was new. Just strait up giving a blessing to a bald guy. He had the craziest Australian English accent.

A miracle happened Sunday. We had a visiting area 70. Elder Resek. I know God sent him to our little barrio to help us out. He wasn’t scheduled to speak, but after the final speaker sat down he stood up. And with so much love called our ward to action. To repentance. And EVERYONE felt it. This was what he said.

Members, what the missionaries did at the beginning of the reunino, announcing and organizing an activity, is not their job. That’s your job. They are like humidity, they just kind of get into everything, and do everything. Soon they’ll be helping your kids out with their math homework! But that’s not their job. That’s your job. He called to members to action, but with so much love it was incredible. I can’t do it justice. Just a huge man, who with so much leadership quality invited our ward to do their visitas. To be home teachers and visiting teachers. O Hallelujah. It is what I have been praying for. Something to happen, anything so the ward does something. The church in Mendoza is asleep. And I’m trying to wake them up! But an area 70 does it so much better!! So much power and authority.

Then in the pench on Sunday I just went off. And offered my strong opinion on the church in Argentina. It was a great discussion. I know the obra misional would really get moving if the members would just wake up.

Here’s some great pictures to enjoy. The first is me with a maple de huevos I bought last week. And this morning I make the best omelet, and I put katup on everything. Bytheway that’s the street I live on. The house is like 150 meters behind me.

There was a stake service project this week, and it was so fun! I’ve always wanted a helping hands thing, and finally got one. We sanded, painted and I chopped down a tree. I probably put more paint on my pants than I did on the wall. It was a GC stake activity and out of 8 wards, we only had 120 people . Real sad. But I had a blast. In the green is Elder Boisados and in the white is Elder Lounsberry. The flaco is Elder Kammerman.