Week 035 - Living In the Moment. It's Fantastic!

Wow! That’s a cake! I totally miss the good ole German chocolateness. Another really happy birthday for you day; you are really killing that 45! I totally forgot about Labor Day, and so did everyone else in Argentina. I’ll make the announcement to everyone.

I guess our family totally failed on living the SpongeBob life. No, we have just been quoting SpongeBob a lot, and especially when we have weird moments here in Galvez! So I thought every great show needed a special at one point!

We are in a new cyber today, trying it out! (the rich cyber) It’s actual an underground casino but shhhh, don’t tell the cops! No, they already know, the cops took their computers twice already and they just buy new ones right after. I guess they are doing well!

It is incredible to be here in Galvez for a whole 7 months! That’s longer than I lived in Texas and Utah. Galvez Argentina, my new home. Of course, I have no idea what it’s like to change areas. Same with Elder Hill, because we came to Galvez the same time. But it’s been incredible to know the people, and through all their good times and bad times.

We just had a wonderful testimony meeting, where the president and his secretaries couldn’t come, so... you’re looking at the new ELDER GALVENSE! I totally got to preside. It was sick! And it was testimony meeting, so I got to say the old, "the time is now yours brothers and sisters," in castellano (“the old Spanish") of course. It was a great meeting. We´ve had a few members going through a few terrible events, and it’s amazing to be able to talk to them and watch their faith grow, and to listen to testimonies of the comfort of the spirit and the reality of atonement in their lives. The first hour of church was also awesome because only Donato showed up. Stud. And so it was all Donato time. He was pumped. We asked him, "What is the plan of salvation?" and he said, “the truth, the bible" and he holds up his Book of Mormon. Exactly! It’s all in the Book of Mormon.

I decided that the Argentinian life... is the life. If I was to choose the chillest life I’ve ever seen, it’s here. People just live in the moment. Working crazy long hours (6), crazy expensive food (two large steaks= $3), and take super short naps (3 hours); it’s rough. No, it’s so funny, it’s the chillest life, and everyone I meet complains about it. By “in the moment”… here is an example. I’ll call one of our investigators to get a cita with him for tomorrow. Why? So he can plan for it, and we can too! So I’ll call, and say "hey, can we go to your house tomorrow?" And they’ll reply, "TOMMOROW! I don’t know what I’m doing tomorrow! Call me tomorrow and I’ll let you know!" Living in the moment. It’s fantastic!

I was talking to Electra yesterday and she´s awesome; talking about how Argentina is going haywire! And she asks, "Is the rest of the world like this?" I replied, “Yes, it’s the last days.” She asks, "Even Venezuela?" Yes. "Even Colombia?" Yes. "Oh no oh no oh no VENZUELA! COLOMBIA! What has happened to the world! Why? What is coming to the Americas?" Well, I don’t just think it’s the Americas Electra. "Oh Colombia!” Funny lady.

We’ve been meeting a lot of new investigators with really good understanding of authority and the feelings of the spirit. We met a women, Valedia, and we asked her what she was thinking about the restoration, and she replied saying, “It was true.” And we asked, “Why?” And she said it was, “because I’ve never felt so calm on my own before." It was a fantastic lesson where she listened intently and could feel the Holy Spirit. And I really appreciated that; her listening. And the lord allowed us to have the spirit in that lesson.

It’s sometimes hard to have people pay attention to this kind of stuff, when they think they are having their "bible class." But no, this is not just a lesson. I realized this a while ago; that this is an incredible, important, and sacred work that’s going on in the mission field; that it is not just a feel good message; but that Jesus Christ has sent us to bring more people unto him; because he leads this church.

We have been teaching a couple recently, and it has really turned into a sad situation. They had a child die a couple years ago and they haven’t received peace from the situation yet. She has tried to overcome it her own way, and not through the Church of Jesus Christ. Why? Because they are catholic, and that is who their parents were, and that is just who they are. "Que se you" the husband kept saying … “I’m catholic, what do I know?" They weren’t listening or looking for help from the church, and in the end they were not able to receive all the blessing of the gospel and atonement of Jesus Christ. Because they wouldn’t listen for the Spirit to tell them they are on the path.

So yeah, I’m grateful for those who do take the time to listen, and to know, through the Holy Spirit.

Or… you can teach a guy that just straight up understands the importance of authority in the church, like Dario Boreto. The guy is hilarious because we´ll explain something and he’ll stop us and say, "because of authority right?" Exactly. Vamos Dario. We asked him to be baptized and he said he was already baptized in the Catholic Church. I said they don’t have authority to do that. He replies "Oh yeah, that make sense, they don’t really have authority to do anything." Right on!

The Popes is a cool guy though. Man, people love the Pope here! Apparently he’s from Santa Fe. Cool.

I got accused of being an FBI agent. We were having a great lesson with this other lady, Alejandra; when her son, or her husband, came in and just went off on the bible. It kind of turned into a bible bash, which shouldn’t have been the case, but he got destroyed. VAMOS PERSONAL STUDY! But he finally realized… "Whoa what are you wearing? You aren’t men of god. You are men of the FBI! Where’s your cameras?" He totally went nuts searching through all our stuff and finally was just like, "You guys are good. I didn’t find anything." We said, “Alright. Thanks for the good times.” And we left.

I totally got called to cast out a demon. Some random guy off the street; we kind of knew him; but he wanted us to come over to get rid of the spirit. So we did… if there was one. Apparently it was a normal white guy with a sombrero. That’s how he described it.

I love Galvez!

I love you guys and hope you are all having a great time with just two in the house! And I totally received your package! It was fantastic, it’s an incredible moment when you realize how good skittles are. It was really awesome! And my companero received the same kind of package also. I totally forgot my camera to send you guys the pictures but I’ll send some next week. It will also more legitimately be my birthday. But you know it’s the birthday month. I love you guys and thank you guys so much for your emails and good times!