Week 073 - Smart People Take Precaution Of Such Things As Mind Control And Eyeball Possession

Hey Fam,

I’m super sorry that the last letter did not arrive, that’s super lame. It’s weird because I don’t know how to tell if the letter arrived, because on my emails it says that the letters were sent. But don’t worry I’m doing great!

In fact I’m doing too great, the demons have not been able to control me lately because I’ve been wearing my glasses. We have been teaching a man who wears sunglasses inside his dark home. I never questioned it until he mentioned that we were smart people. I was flattered of course and then I asked, why? Apparently demons only can control you through your eyes, so we have to wear glasses to protect our eyes from the demons. To me that sounds reasonable of course, because we do the same by putting tinfoil on our heads to protect us from the aliens trying to read our minds. Us smart people take precaution of such things as mind control and eyeball possession.

We’ve been recently working in neighborhood called The 17 de Octubre. For some reason most neighborhoods are named after a special Argentine date. This is the same in every city, street, and neighborhood. But 17 de Octubre is the coolest of neighborhoods. I would actually define it as a Brazilian New Orleans. The houses first off are just built like Brazilian houses; if you look up Brazilian neighborhoods online you would probably get the picture. But every time I go down the streets of 17 de Octubre, jazz is playing from all directions. There’s this fella that’s always playing the saxophone on is 2nd story apartment. But it’s not really jazz that’s playing, its bossa nova. Guys you got to get into bossa nova. Its Brazilian jazz, and it’s tooooo fresh. And everyone that lives in bossa nova town is so cool. They just give us food and stuff all the time. I’m a bossa novian. There’s like no graffiti laws, or no one cares, because there’s so much graffiti there too, but it’s not that crappy graffiti, it’s the good stuff, and a lot of it is racist.

Speaking of music. Somehow I got a new "calling" in the branch and I’m now the designated music conductor in the branch. The first day I showed up to church I was asked to direct the music. And because of mom, I’m way good at waving my arm around, and everyone was so impressed that I am now forever the guy who waves his hand around while singing great tunes.

Osvaldo passed his interview for baptism and should be baptized this Saturday, he asked me to baptize him because apparently my companion can’t lift up that kind of weight and everyone in the branch is way old, so it was unanimous… only Elder Greene’s long arms could baptize a man such as Osvaldo. But I am happy to do so. He’s really excited. It’s really weird because he understands all the doctrine, but at the same time cannot answer basic questions such as, what did Jesus do? The thing is though, he does know what Jesus did because he tells us, just not when you ask him in a question.  He actually has not told his wife and kids that he is going to be baptized, so it’s kind of questionable if he will be baptized if he doesn’t tell them. Because we think it’s a very good idea not be baptized in secret. He’s got some family issues and is scared to tell them, so that’s what we are working with this next week.

That’s all the good stuff this past week I’ll send you some great picks.

I’m totally psyched out of my mind to be getting some Torchys Tacos when I get back, hopefully the line still isn’t too big!

I love you guys!

Elder Greene

Week 072 - He Thinks He´ll Get An Answer In His Dreams. He’s A Dream Type Of Guy.

Buen dia my fine American family,

There are so many great American holidays, and I’m sad that I can’t be there to celebrate all the memories. We did though just have the Argentine Memorial Day on the 25th. But it wasn’t anything special like last year’s locro. I guess once you leave the farming town, no one wants to make a locro. Because I made it clear to almost everyone that I’m down for some locro and everyone in Rafaela says that they don’t like the locro. Boooooo Rafaela. Anyways it was still a great day with lots of drunkards in the street.

Its true dad about Miami. If anyone here knows anything about the US, they know about Miami. People think they can relate with me because they know all about Miami, but turns out all I know about Miami is that close to Disneyworld. It’s true though that everyone does eat really late. Normally no one invites us over for dinner, just lunch. Lunch is normally the biggest meal here. Usually people just drink mate and eat crackers for breakfast, eat a huge lunch, then have pre dinner at like 6 and then eat dinner at like 10. So if people do invite us over for dinner they just eat early. And pre-dinner is actually a meal though. I’ve gotten used to eating huge lunches though. On Saturdays and Sundays we go eat with Juancito. He’s a stud. But for some reason wants me to eat myself to death , by making me eat 5 plates of spaghetti every time I reach the point of throwing, he says "Elder why aren’t you eating more" so you know what, I eat more, because I’m not one to back down.

We had some great lessons this past week. For one, Osvaldo is doing great. He hasn’t really figured out everything knowledge wise, but he is very up to doing what he can to be baptized. He actually had a baptismal interview, but questions are pretty rough on his brain. He was really sad though that he had to push back his baptismal date a few weeks, and hates Elder Andrew’s guts because he gave the interview. It’s super funny. All he talks about is how "the blonde guy really gave it to me hard, next time I see him, there will be a storm a brewin".

We met this super spiritual guy name Marcos the other day. He’s had a huge change in his life from a life of drugs and stuff to begin following god. He’s kind of brainwashed by the Iglesias universal but, is totally trying to look for an answer in his prayers if the restoration is true. He thinks he´ll get an answer in his dreams, he’s a dream type of guy.

Another great catholic couple we met, also had a same spiritual change in their lives and now work for the Catholic Church. But they took the time to listen to us and their remarks were very heart warming. They were obviously a couple that are able to recognize the spirit. And it’s a very cool experience when people from other religions actually take the time to listen and be opened about their beliefs and listen to ours because you can feel a spirit that is super strong. But of course these are all people firm in their faith, but we are hoping that they can soon realize that god has prepared them people spiritually for the moment they can receive the restored gospel.

We had a zone conference, and it was so good to hear from our mission president, and have good eats and all. And now we’re supposed to have a zone conference every transfer. So free eats every transfer right.  It’s always great to hear and talk to my mission president, because I always think his messages are what I need at the time.

I love you guys and am so glad that all is well in the United States!

Good Night and God Bless America!

I talked with my president and he’s pretty sure I’ll go home on the 14th. What happens is that missionaries can’t go home between the 18th and the 28th so they send us home before with the homies.