Email Letter 28 September 2009

Hey Fam,

So I’m in my new area, I got here last Thursday afternoon. The place is called ESTANISLADO DEL CAMPO and it’s in the middle of nowhere. We don’t even have a place with computers to write so we come every week to the zone leader’s area which is IBARRETA just a half hour away to write and have p-day. My zone is really small but it should be good. I’m district leader which I really didn’t want, I wanted to just be nice and without commitment for the rest of my mission but I guess it’s what the lord wants so that’s what I’m going to do.

My comp is Elder Hogge and he’s from Sacramento, California. I just don’t get blessed with the Latino elders I guess. He’s a good kid and he’s pretty new. He’s got 4 months in the mission and you can tell that he’s really new. It’s going to take a lot of patience on my part to keep things going. We shall see how it goes. I think that we will have a ton of success here though and I think that I should be training next transfer so that’s something to look forward to. Our branch varies from 45-70 people in church every week which is awesome and there are a lot of priesthood holders which is something I haven’t had in awhile. I’m going to be doing a lot of changing here though with the way things are run. They are just kind of sloppy and I had to be Mr. Bad guy yesterday to get things going right. It should be a fun task though for sure. I’m going to try to clean up the list of members like Elder Rapp and I did in Pasos and that’s going to keep me busy. We have four Baptismal dates for the next two weeks and that’s exciting and we have lots of other investigators that have lots of potential to make it to baptism as well. The people are a little bit lazier here so I’m going to have to kick them all in the butt to get them going but it will be good.

So over the weekend there was a Stake President here from Buenos Aires and we got to work with him a little bit. He was here on business and he was like another missionary. Every time we ran into him in the street he wanted to take us to another house of people that he was working with to teach them the gospel. He was so cool. He opened a lot of doors for us and he was just so excited to do the work and it gave me a big boost and got me really excited to get things going in CAMPO.

Well that’s about it for this week. I miss you guys and think about you often. Just four more short months and we will be talking about how amazing my mission was and how much I miss it but for now know that I’m doing well and that the work is progressing. Love you guys!!

Tay

Pictures 21 September 2009

Behold your littles ones...

Pictures 21 September 2009

Baptism Time

Pictures 21 September 2009

Little Karen - Clearly a Florida fan too.

Email Letter 21 September 2009

Hey Fam,

It’s been a pretty good week. We have had a lot of work to do which has helped me focus more on the fact that I’m still here more than that I’m going to be having to leave soon. We find out about transfers tomorrow and we are almost positive that I’m leaving. I think that it’s been a hard thing for everyone. President dos Santos our district president feels like he’s losing a secretary and our branch president feels the same way. I think that they feel a little bit lost. I’ve had to do a lot for them in the last week to get everything ready for when I leave. We have also been going around to all of the members to give them the chance to write in my journal and it’s been really fun to just spend some time and talk about the gospel with the members. We have also been working hard in trying to find people to teach as well so it’s just been crazy.

Yesterday we spoke in church because it was the third Sunday and that’s missionary Sunday. When they announced the order of the talks the first counselor said that I would be speaking last and that I would also take some time to say goodbye which didn’t help at all I might add.  My comp spoke about reactivation and I spoke about how amazing the Book of Mormon is and how we can use it better to help those that need it. In between the two talks my comp played Joseph Smiths first prayer and it helped me a lot to have the spirit with me while I spoke. My talk was going great and I was closing and bearing my testimony and I felt normal and when I say normal I mean I felt like I was going to make it through without crying…boy was I wrong. I made the mistake of looking up at one of the Sisters in the branch and I knew from the beginning that if I were to look at her or at the Navarro’s I would lose it and I still looked up at her and I just lost it. I think of these people as family. I’ve been here for so long that it’s too hard to say goodbye. I pray for a miracle that maybe the Lord will let me stay, that maybe there’s more for me to do here but I think that my time is up. It was a really good meeting none the less and I somehow made it through it. Today we are going to be going to see a few more families and then tomorrow we will have dinner with the dos Santos to finish my time here.

Not much else has happened. We have been working and waiting to see what will happen. I know that if I leave that the Lord has prepared someone for me in my new area. I love you guys and think about you often. Take care!

Tay

Football Video - 14 September 2009

TK Plays Football with the kids in Argentina

Football Pics - 14 September 2009

Email Letter 14 September 2009

Hey Fam,

It’s been a good week. We had our interviews on Wednesday and I just couldn’t ask Pres where I would go but I think he’s made it pretty clear that I’m leaving. Let me explain…

I called Elder Avalos (aka mi papi) and he had just gone to the mission office where President del Castillo has an office. In Presidents office there are pictures of all of the missionaries and where they are in the mission. Elder Avalos told me that President had already taken my picture out of my zone so I’m pretty sure that I’m done here. He said that he looked for me all over the board but President hadn’t put me back up anywhere so I still don’t know where I will be going.

It seems like things are going well at home though! I love hearing that the boys are doing well in their games and of course that Florida and BYU are still doing well as well. It’s sad that I’m not there to be a part of this time of year but I will send some pics of me showing the youth here how to play football. We went to the church this morning to play some soccer with them because they had the day off from school and I took my football. So after we all got sick of playing soccer I showed them how to throw the ball and we had a little game (no worries, my team won of course) I think that they liked it and it for sure was a lot of fun for me.

This week is going to be a week of visiting a lot of families to tell them goodbye. I think that this will be the hardest week of my mission because it will be like leaving home. These people are like my family and I’m sure that there will be some tears shed…BY THEM. Ha-ha.

Well I love you all! I’m glad to hear that all is well. Take care!

Tay

Ramdom Pics 07 September 2009

Email Letter 07 September 2009

Hey Fam,

It’s been a good week I guess. Last Wednesday we were walking home and it started raining. And when I say raining I mean pouring. We didn’t have jackets or umbrellas so we got soaked. It was a lot of fun until that night when we went to bed the other elders that we live with decided that it was hot so they turned on the fan and when I woke up…you guessed it SICK!! It’s just so wonderful. I have decided that I won’t be healthy until I’m back at home in the states. I thought for sure that it was pneumonia but I called the church doctor and he told me that I should be just fine and that he doesn’t think its pneumonia and that in a few days I'll be better. That would be ideal but I have to travel again tomorrow and the busses just kill me. We shall see how it all turns out I guess.

The work is moving along nicely. We are going to have a lot of changes in the branch this week because I finally talked our branch president into changing around some callings and I guess the lord agreed with me. We are going to have the Relief Society Presidency full which is a first I think for the northern part of Argentina and we will have a new Young Womens president and a first and second counselor for her too and two new counselors in the Primary. They are all great changes and I’m excited for it on Sunday. We have had so much help from the members here and it’s just been a good experience.

We have our interviews on Wednesday with President del Castillo and it will be interesting to hear what he will tell me. I’m going to try to get him to tell me where or if I’ll be going anywhere but I’m sure he’s not going to say a word. It sure would be nice to know though. That’s the thing about the mission though, always with the surprises.

Other than all of that things are good here. I love the work and time is just flying. I love you guys so much and miss you lots but it will be too soon before I see you all. Take care!

Tay

P.S. I’m calling it now…FLORIDA vs. BYU in the national championship. Ha-ha. We all know Florida will be there but I’m not convinced on the BYU part yet.