:) :) :) :) :) - November 5th

Hey family,

Well, the hair has come back and is looking pretty normal by now. That was pretty painful, but oh well, what you gonna do? So you asked about what we do on a rainy day like that when it isn’t pday. Well, we go out and work of course! I have found some of the greatest people on rainy days. Actually we just got caught out in a rain storm this past week as well, without umbrellas too! We left in the morning and it was pleasantly refreshing out and then around lunch it started to rain. Once again clouds from no where. We took shelter at a members house for a second while we waited for the rain to settle down and then we went to our next appointment. Upon leaving that appointment it started raining again and we took shelter under a tree. The family in front invited us under their roof overhang and we got to talk with them. Turns out they talked to missionaries before about 5 years back and never got baptized after listening for 6 months because they had some confusion over the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. I was glad to clarify some doubts right there and hopefully we get a chance to come back. We were late for a lunch cita so when the rain settled we ran over there just fine and ate while it rained still harder. It cleared up and we decided to break for home even thought the hna. Benitez said it looked like another wave of rain was coming. We couldn’t really wait so we went. It started pouring and we took off our ties and bagged our things (I always have plastic bags on me for the surprise rain) and then we ran to the family Ruiz Diaz for shelter. The daughter was out watching the rain and shouted, “mamá! Los elderes!” They gave us a towel and we called a remise to get the rest of the way home. You might have guessed it, but all this happened last Saturday for the baptism of Fulvio Nosalve. There is always opposition for baptisms and this was the one thing that I dreaded happening. So we got ready for the baptism and decided we would go and pick up Fulvio in taxi, but he surprised us and showed up at five under a black tarp. So from there the baptism went smoothly except the hno. Soria that was way nervous to perform the baptism. The bishop had to chant the baptismal prayer with him and then he managed to awkwardly get hno. Nosalve under the water after the second go. Pobrecito. It was alright though. The bishop baptized his son, 8 year old Mattias, as well. Afterward the members all befriended Fulvio and he thoroughly enjoyed the attention I think. He got confirmed the following day and came to all the meetings for the first time, even thought the weather continued to look ugly. He has great desires to do things right though. All his prayers express his desires to follow firmly in the path he has chosen. Good for him. He turned 76 on the day of his confirmation (Nov. 2) but he is still going quite strong.

Anyways, like I said we always work rain or shine (unless their is hail the size of golf balls or bigger). The people always sleep basically, hardly anyone works. We didn’t help our dueño with the water because it kept raining and their was no point until later. We had to go though, but they have a lot of boys in the family to help out. Usually people are too stubborn to accept help anyways and so we hardly ever get to do service. We offer at basically every appointment and pass by at members, investigators, contacts, etc.

Flia. Custidio seems to be doing pretty good. We asked Silvio to do a fast and he was all for it. Following the fast he said that he had received a lot of help doing it. He has lost a lot of desire to smoke and is now smoking 1 or none a day. We asked him and Seferino to continue in fasting and prayer and they seem all for it. Seferino is doing good as well as far as I can tell. I hope he can make it for the 6th of December. It would be a huge boost for the family. I don’t know if I will get the chance to see the rest enter into the waters of baptism due to the marriage thing with Silvio and Roxana. They want to get married, but on their own time table. We talked about how they are living in sin now and the sooner the better and they are seriously thinking about speeding it up. We shall see though.

Mail usually gets to me in a month. Sometimes a little quicker or slower. The zone leaders give it to us every two weeks or so, sometimes more often.

Maybe not so surprising, but I first heard of the elections here in Argentina. Everyone told us and asks our opinion on the new president, but I am just like, “I have been here for two years now and really don’t know what is going on!” Everyone here is just glad that Bush is gone. Everyone hated him, and therefore, many people hate us. Not exactly any sort of intelligent reason, but that is how the people are, just because we are from the U.S. I always explain to people that the missionaries are not all from there and that there are people from all South America as well. It surprises some people for some reason, but I don’t know why. The people only see what they want to see.

Anyways, the work has been going alright here in Miguel Lanús. I can contact and speak with anyone if I put my mind too it, but it seems like I can automatically tell a lot of the people’s responses having heard all the same things for so long. But we are trying to rededicate ourselves to speaking with everyone and it is giving some fruits, though not in the form of new investigators so much for now. I have faith that we will have the opportunity to teach a lot of the contacts we have made though. One of the families is one we are going to teach tonight. They listened before to the missionaries and they were going to church and everything. The missionaries changed and they lost contact or someone decided not to pass by any more. Anyway, we talked with the mom the other night and she said, “wouldn’t it be better if you could pass by when my husband and daughter are here?” We said, “sí of course!” Then she said, “and then we will come to church on Sunday! Your meetings are so good and special. I like the way your church is!” So please pray for the family Florentín. I am really looking to baptize a family before the end of my mission. I have gotten close several times in the mission but something always seems to happen. Satan really is working hard on the families! We are working with a couple though.

Juan Carlos Farías is also doing way good. He seems to be accepting every principle we teach. His family may be tricky, but he is reading and figured out the no worshiping idols thing. He said he went to the catholic church with his wife before and something just didn’t sit well with him with that. We explained all the ten commandments to him and he followed well enough. Please pray for the family Farías too! I have a feeling that if the dad comes, the rest of the family will soften and follow suit. The wife is the main one to soften, but she seems fairly open, at least on letting her husband choose.

So yeah, it is hot and I am surprised at how little it bothers me now, but I don’t want to get my skin messed up any more than it is so I will have to try and be careful. Luckily I only have a half a summer to endure this time around.

We played soccer today at 1030 since the president makes us study until that time now and it was hot. We sweat really bad, but it felt good to work out like that. I am well known among the elders for my left foot shot and they fear me, but we had a really good streak as a district and then we started letting up. It is alright though. I think that my more outgoing attitude has effected my soccer abilities for the better.

Well, I don’t have much more to say other than that I need to find ice cream today. It has been a month or so so I am overdo. Way overdo. So wish me luck. I am going to find ice cream si o si. First maybe I will send some pictures real quick.

Have a way great week!

Elder Aaron McDonald