It's the start of a great new transfer!

Hey fam!

Well I assume that you all want to know about my new companion and how all the traveling went and all that. Last Wednesday I traveled to Resistencia to pick up Elder Cranford. It took a long time and a lot of energy. So I left for Posadas which took about 2 hours travel and then we caught a bus to Resistencia. Elder Gustafson left for Mercedes, Corrientes a half hour early all by himself. There weren´t other people headed in that direction. The ride to Resistencia took about 5 hours travel and it was kind of tiring, but I had a lot of fun talking with Elder Fielding and Elder Patterson. Elder Patterson was coming with me to do some training and Elder Fielding (our previous zone leader) went to Resistencia to end his last six weeks of his mission. Kind of weird. There was a new movie playing on the bus and it was hard to block out completely as it was right in front of our faces. We managed all right by talking and trying to sleep. Of course they always play loud, violent movies though and there is no way to block it completely out. Anyways, at 11:30 we got to Resistencia and were met by a bunch of Elders. I felt so out of place because I didn´t know anybody. They sent me by myself in a Taxi to some random address to sleep for the night. Luckily it ended up being the pension of my former zone leader Elder Ramos. It was really weird traveling by myself for that 20 minutes. Really weird. Especially since Resistencia seemed so different from the last time I was there. It is really a nice city though I would not have said that when I first arrived in Argentina. I would love to serve there one day, but we will have to see.

I got to sleep for about 5 hours (it was really less because I was thinking too much). It was hot and very difficult to sleep. At 5:30 we got up and showered and got all ready to leave for the mission home. There at 7:00 we had a short training meeting with President Shakespear on our responsibility as trainers. I got to see hermana Funk from my MTC district who was also training and my trainer Elder Costa who was also going to train again (kind of weird). I don’t know if I ever told you but he is the one who started a band called “scary kids scaring kids.” Yeah kind of sketchy I know. Still he is way awesome and a hard worker. Taught me a lot of stuff. So it was fun to see a few familiar faces like that. Soon enough we went to meet our new companions, our “nuevitos.” It was fun being on the other line this time as we faced each other and President Shakespear called out companionships. I had to wait until almost the end just like when I was a new missionary. That is when we met each other. Then we had breakfast and another training meeting by the assistants and president shakespear. After that it was time to catch buses. We traveled all the way back to Jardín America. It took all day and rained a bit. It was fun and we got to know each other a bit Elder Cranford and I. It all tired me out though. Still I made sure we used our last 15 minutes of prosylyting to take my comp out doing a few contacts (after we got food for the week). I want him to start out doing things right.

The week has been really busy as I find myself with a few new responsibilities now. As a trainer my companion still is learning EVERYTHING. Also I am now a district leader and have my district that lives an hour and 15 minutes away. We are going to have to think about meetings and divisions. Not easy when we have to travel so far to do them. One cool thing is that my companion from the MTC, Elder Fletcher, is one of our zone leaders and I have gotten to talk with him a few times. I can´t wait until zone conference to see him in person. I am seeing everyone all at once after having about a year without seeing anyone! It is fun. Anyway, me and Elder Cranford are working really hard and he is amazing with his desires to share the gospel with people even though he can´t understand the language very well yet. We are going to have a lot of success I hope. I am really finding myself quite the talker when I need to be. I know that has got to be hard to imagine but it is true. I can really hold my own with the best of them, even in Castellano.

I am a bit saddened to hear about Josh. I can probably relate with him more than he can imagine at this point. I must honestly admit that I have really thought the same thing several times in my mission. “How long can one do his best?” I had some really similar struggles I think. That is where we must be tried the hardest and keep plugging away even when nothing seems to be going quite like we would like it too. I can honestly say that through the heartache and tears I probably learned the most, more than I could have possibly learned otherwise. I will make sure to try and write Josh a letter, but let him know that I am thinking about him and hope all is well.

I know that I have really grown a lot in the past year and it all seems like so long ago and at the same time just like yesterday that I was starting out. Thanks family for all your support and help.

Love you all!

Elder Aaron McDonald