Week Thirteen

Short email this week, but things have been going well here in Argentina. My new companion and I have been getting along really well and we actually like to go about missionary work in similar ways so things have been going fairly smooth (even if without too much going on as far as investigators go). Since I have been in the area though longer, I have had to take lead in getting from one appointment to another, planning for different people we are teaching, and various other small things and it has really helped me to have a lot more confidence in the work and have a lot more time to practice my language skills (via talking with members, investigators, people in the street and on the phone, etc.) I am getting a whole lot more confident in the language too and everybody I talk to is always way surprised that I have only been in Argentina for 7 weeks. I can speak well enough to hold a conversation, get around, talk to people and buy tickets for travel, and coordinate with leaders but I still have a little bit of a hard time telling longer stories in spanish or explaining certain things but I read the church magazines exclusively in Spanish which helps a lot and I can actually feel my comprehension and ability to speak grow from week to week which is really cool. Other than that, there hasn't been too much new other than one of the Hermana companionships in my district had a baptism this past weekend and the member that was supposed to perform the baptism didn't show up and so I had to go back to our pension last minute to get my baptismal clothes so that I could perform the baptism. It wasn't my investigator but it was awesome nonetheless to be able to perform the baptism and be there for that very special moment in Pablo's life. A picture of me and him, as well as the Hermanas that taught him is the picture I attached and he looks way young (40s) but I was freaked out to find out he is actually 61. As I said though, a slow week so nothing else new. I hope all is well with everyone and I keep you all in my thoughts and prayers! 

Until next week,

Elder McCollum