¿Qué tal? - July 9th

Hey family,

Well to start out with, I need a piano piece. The four of us missionaries in our branch are organizing a talent show for the members and investigators. I was thinking that I would play something on the piano because I really don’t feel like acting out something. What can I say I am just not Jonathan. Anyways, I need it really quick so I was thinking that you could use the scanner to scan the song into the computer and then attach it to an email. So Jonathan if you could pick out a final fantasy song when you are home to send me. Something awesome, but not too hard to play because I won’t really get to practice it. Final fantasy 9 or 10. If you could do it I would really appreciate it.

Yes, today we went to the waterfalls again. I wasn’t way enthusiastic about it this time, but it turned out fairly well especially since it was sunny. Actually the past week and a bit have been really hot. They call it the veranillo de San Juan. It is a mini summer that comes in winter. I don’t know if it is a one time thing or something that happens every year or few years. It is hot though! I got some more pictures, but not really anything new. It was a holiday in Argentina (their independence day) so it was fairly crowded too. We saw a missionary and his parents that just finished his mission in south Buenos Aires. We always seem to see someone who knows the missionaries that speaks English there. It is fun.

I am glad you found the Shakespears and their homecoming date. Should be fun for you guys to go visit I suppose. Tell them hi for me.

As far as the pictures with Elder Ward and me and other missionaries. He and I are on complete opposite sides of the mission (a days travel), but the zone leaders all come together every transfer in Resistencia. So if that explains that for you.

The Morel family is making progress I think. Franco ran away from home and went to his grandmas for a few days like he does from time to time. The hno. Pantaleon Morel has mentioned that he would like to be baptized like his wife. We have not been able to talk with him though to set a date due to the Franco problems. They went to go pick him up, but only after making sure that they went to church in the morning. The hno. Is making some good changes. We have set a baptismal date with Franco for the 9 of August as well (before he ran away). Tonight we are going to see if we can’t talk with the whole family. It would be great to see the family sealed in the temple one day. Members do manage traveling to the temple in Paraguay (9 hours away from here) by making planned trips to the temple as a district. They have to save their money a bit to do it though. I am not sure how difficult it would be for a family as big as the Morel Family. Honestly there are still few members that manage to get endowed and sealed in our mission. Those who do are usually great leaders in the church.

All right, I don’t have lots of time today, but I wanted to see if you all knew when school starts for when I get home. I was thinking that I get back a little after school starts, but I need to finish my associates degree at Weber State still. There should be a 17 credit class course that I can take to get my last class. If that is the case I believe that I can pull out my scholarship that is on hold and take that class to be done. Maybe I will take some other fun classes as well (gym, music, etc.). I wouldn’t be starting very late or anything I don’t think.

Also I would love it if you guys could come see the mission when it is time to go home. However, if I want to start school I would just have to go home I think. I don’t know if it would be possible to come during the summer to pass by my old areas or something. I don’t know. Let me know your thoughts on the matter.

Right now I am just trying not to be too ornery. I don’t know if I am sick of my area, my companion, my small crappy cramped pensión or a bit of everything. I love my area though and I know it is going to be harder than any other area of mine to leave the people here. I have grown to really love the people here. So I need to try to concentrate on being positive and happy I suppose. It is harder than it should be for me in this moment and I don’t like it. I just have to keep plugging away. I think one of the frustrations here is that I have worked so hard with so many great investigators and still they don’t show signs of consistencia. We have a few that say they will be baptized at years end, marriages and divorces in the way, word of wisdom, everything. Great people though and I still have confidence that there are going to be many more baptisms in the next six months to a year. Just planting lots of seeds to grow for those who come to reap. Like the selfless saints that labored and planted at winter quarters for the groups of pioneers that came later.

Well I hope you all have a great week.

Love you,

Elder Aaron McDonald