Email Letter 25 January 2010

Hey Fam,

This is the last email i will be sending from the mission field. Its been a fast two years and sometimes it doesn't really feel real that its over. I don't think that it will hit me until I'm on the plane leaving Argentina. We all went from not really knowing what to expect to this. Its unreal and I'm going to miss the work.

We have had a good week. Im glad that i got a super good comp to help me finish the mission exactly how i wanted to...WORKING. we have had a lot of success and I'm leaving my area happy. We have 7 baptismal dates for the next few weeks and i know that the lord with help Elder Wald and his new comp to finish what has been started. There are so many great people in Las Lomitas that I'm sad to be leaving but they will be taken care of.

I've already packed and moved to the zone leaders area for the next few days. We decided that it would be less traveling and less stress to come a day early and to just work here with them until i leave on Wednesday. I have my last district meeting tonight and my last day of work tomorrow. We will be leaving to Resistencia on Wednesday and be having our last interview with President on Thursday. We’ll have dinner on Thursday night at the mission home and then they will put us on our bus to Buenos Aires that night. Its going to be a long week with all of the traveling and having to say goodbye to people that i might not ever see again. I think that thats the hardest part of the mission is having to say goodbyes but its something that we have to do.

I just want to leave you all with my testimony that i know this is the one true church, that Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet and to restore the church to the earth in these the last days. I know that because of that that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet that has been called by revelation to guide us today. I know that President Monson knows Our father in heaven and his son Jesus Christ on a personal level because he is their chief representative in the world today. I know that the book of mormon is true from personal indescribable experiences. It's the word of God and it was written for our day. I know that the Lord Jesus Christ is our redeemer and that he makes is possible for us to be perfect through his Atonement. I love this church and this work with my whole heart and gaining that testimony during these two years had made me my best convert.

I love you all so much and thank you for your support. Take care and i will see you this week.

Elder Taylor A. B. King

Mision Argentina, Resistencia

January 23, 2008- January 27, 2010

Email Letter 18 January 2010

Hey fam,

It's been an interesting week. I spent two nights sleeping in my own bed and that was on Friday and Saturday. We were working a lot in all of the areas. We had all of the missionaries in my area on Tuesday and on the other days of the week we working in the other areas of the zone. It was a fast week but it was a week with very little sleep. Sleeping on the floor just isn't what I want to be doing but I guess thats the life of a missionary in my mission. We had a lot of success in all of the areas though which was nice. We found a lot of people everywhere and now there is a lot to do for all of us.

We had a pretty good Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in our area though. We put 5 baptismal dates with a few different people and they all accepted. There are two that we could have done this Saturday so that I could be there but we decided to wait one more week so that the whole family could be there. It will be good for Elder Wald and his new comp to start off the next transfer well so I'm excited even though I wont be here for it.

It's just such a good feeling to be able to go out every day and teach people about the gospel. You can see when its helping someone to change and its even better when they realize it in themselves. We are finding all the right people it seems like and its going to be hard to have to give it all up. It has come too quickly...at least for me anyway.

Well fam I love you guys andI'm excited to see you. Take care and before you know it I'll be there.

Tay

Email Letter 11 January 2010

Hey Fam,

So this is going to be short this week. Sorry but we had our interviews with President del Castillo today and we are out of time to write and everything. Its been a super good week and we find new people every day that are so ready to hear the gospel. I'm excited to be here and there is a lot of work to get done before I leave. We have two baptismal dates already for the 30th. I know that I won't be here to see it but it will be a good thing anyway. I'm grateful for the way that the Lord is blessing us in his work and its going to be a fun few more weeks.

The family that I told you all about a few weeks ago are progressing greatly. They are going to go to the activity this Friday where we are going to be watching the Joseph Smith movie. I don't think that there is a more powerful movie that the church has made, so i hope it all goes well and that it will help them and the members progress.

Well like I said I don't have much time but I love you guys and think about you often. Take care and know that I love you all. Just a few more weeks mom!!

Tay

Email Letter 5 January 2010

Hey Fam,

So once again one day late but look at it this way...better late than never, right? I had forgotten to tell you that I wouldn’t be having pday yesterday due to my last zone conference. I think that it really kinda hit me yesterday that things are coming to an end. In conference they ask the elders that are going home to give their testimonies. It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my mission. It was a very spiritual meeting. It was weird saying goodbye to the elders that I wont see before I leave and may never see again. It was hard to be there really. Haha.

This whole last week I spent in my bed. I was pretty sick. I don’t know with what but it seemed to be a different thing every day. I feel bad for my comp because he had to just sit around and read but he got to catch up on some sleep so I’m sure he enjoyed that. It will be good to get back to work tonight now that I’m feeling a bit better.

After that week on being in bed I’m not really sure how our investigators are so we will have to see about that. All week I have felt good about that family that I have told you about last week. I just think about them and feel okay that we haven’t been able to go but that when we will that they will be there and ready to listen.

On Sunday we had 9 people in church. Its different being in a small branch and not even having a chapel to meet in. We have a house that’s rented by the church where we meet. The spirit is still very strong with them because its much more reverent but I still like having lots of people around me and its always nice to have the help. We have been working with the members to understand things better and to help them progress and its nice to see that they are accepting it and applying it.

I love this work and yesterday like I said I’ve realized that I don’t have much time left. I’m going to make the best of it I can because there’s nothing better than being able to help others as a servant of the lord. Yesterday President del Castillo challenged the mission to read the Book of Mormon again from beginning to end marking all of the parts where the lord talks or it talks about him between now and ending right before Easter. It’s amazing the testimony that he bore that he’s already started and just within the title page, introduction, and the testimonies how many spiritual experiences he’s had. He promised all of us many blessings as we do the same. It’s going to be fun to do that at home but I’m sad that it wont be here. I love this work and I love the lord. Take care everyone and I’ll be seeing ya soon.

Tay

P.s. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE ONE!!! Love you!

Email Letter 28 December 2009

Hey Fam,

Well it awesome to talk to you, it seems like it’s been so long but this time we won’t have to wait quite as long. Sounds like Christmas went by really well and that everyone is all doing so well. I don’t think that there is anything more important than to have your family around you for the holidays and I’m happy that I don’t have to miss that again. There are so many things that I’m grateful for and family is number one on that list so I’m happy that things are going so well.

The week went by really fast. We had a lot of success in finding people to teach. I think that I’m at an advantage because I’m opening this area where there hasn’t been missionaries for the last 3 years almost so there are a lot of people that haven’t ever listened to or even seen the missionaries so just about everyone we talk to is interested in listening to us. The other day we were a little bit late for an appointment but I saw this young family sitting outside their house and I looked at my comp and said we are late but we have to talk to these people first or I will regret it forever so we went and talked to them and they were so excited to listen. We didn’t have any Book of Mormons to give them but we told them that we would be passing by to give on to them a little bit later on so we left them with a pamphlet and went on to our other lesson. After the lesson we went back by to give them the book and we gave it to the wife and explained the part that we had marked and left, later on that night we saw them walking around and the dad asked when they had to read it by and when we were going to pass by to take the book back, I told him that it was theirs and that we didn’t want it back. I wish that you all could have seen the way his face lit up. He asked us when we could go by and talk to them a little bit more then and they went on their way. I’m super excited about this family and I can’t wait to talk to them again. There are so many awesome experiences like that that I won’t ever forget.

We are being so blessed in this area and I love it. We are getting the members excited to have missionaries back and to get back into the swing of working with us. It’s going to be a fun 4 more weeks! Other than that there’s not much else to say because we talked just a few days ago. It’s been super, super hot and it’s hard to sleep but we make do. I love this work! Take care.

Tay

Email Letter 21 December 2009

 Hey Fam,

Well once again I’m writing from a new area and with a new companion. Who would have thought? Not me to be honest. I didn’t think that the lord would move me for my last transfer but it looks like I thought wrong. I’m training again for the second transfer in a row and I’m opening that area that I told you about “LAS LOMITAS” it’s just a little further east than my last area. It’s weird because both of my newbies are in the same district together. I’m going to be able to work with Elder Hansen in divisions and he will be able to work with his new brother Elder Wald.

Elder Wald is from Orem. Right close to home for me. He went to Timpanogos and he’s a good kid. He actually knows a lot of Spanish which is nice and he’s really ready to work. He’s going to keep me on my toes I think. It should be fun and we have already found some really good people to teach. He has a sister that just started her mission as well in Texas which is pretty cool. He’s my second companion with a sibling serving a mission at the same time (Elder Hogge had two sisters serving along with him) crazy stuff.

Well like I said, we opened up an area and that means we got here with an empty apartment. It’s been fun to go shopping though. When I got to Resistencia to pick Elder Wald up they gave me an envelope with 4500 pesos in it to buy everything. It’s so fun to just go out and buy a bunch of stuff and especially when it’s not your money. I actually feel bad with how much stuff costs because I know where the money comes from and so we have been buying the least expensive stuff but things that will last a long time. It’s been interesting to have to think about what exactly we need to be able to live and then go to a bunch of different stores to price things out to get the best price. I feel like such an adult.

So on the way here we got stuck in a really crappy bus. The air conditioners don’t work half the time in the busses out here in the middle of nowhere and it just so happened that on this horribly hot day that the air didn’t work on the bus we had to take. It was full of people so I had to stand the whole ride and it was like an oven inside. I think that I lost about 10lbs just in that hour and a half. It was a fun experience for my comps first few days in the mission. Ha-ha. But other than that traveling wasn’t too bad all things considered. I had to sleep on the floor for two nights in a row but I just look at it like you win some and you lose some and I only have a little over a month left so I can take one for the team now and then.

Yesterday in church we had 12 people and one of them was an investigator which was pretty cool. I gave a talk about the birth of Christ and how important it is to think about others at this time of year and not think so much about ourselves. It was a good meeting. And then last night we went out and found some really nice people, we actually taught a lesson in English which was a first for me in my mission. I have high hopes for this place and I know the Lord has put me here for a reason.

Well that’s about it for this week. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! I love you all very much and I’m excited to be able to talk to some of you in a few days and the rest of you in uh....let’s see...let me think...oh yeah 39 DAYS AND COUNTING!

Tay

Pics

Me and Elder Hansen

Me and Elder Wald

My little friend Cinthia

Email Letter 14 December 2009

Hey Fam,

Well it’s been a good week I guess. Not too eventful but nice and calm. I got an awesome birthday present from President del Castillo. He called me and started asking me about the other area that I’ve been working in. It’s called Las Lomitas and I have been begging him to put missionaries there. It’s been my dream to open and area and he is going to at least open it. We will find out tomorrow night if it’s going to be me or another missionary. I have a feeling that it’s not going to be me but it would be so cool if it is. I think that president finally got sick of my asking and decided to open it because there are enough missionaries coming that he will be able to do it. It’s going to be an interesting wait for sure. The cool thing was that I don’t think he even knew it was my birthday!

So today I officially started my last transfer. It’s an interesting feeling to think that in less than 7 weeks I will be home and in the freezing cold snow! I love that thought. I try not to think about it so much and I don’t really like talking about it to my comp, I think it might make him think about home even more than he already does and that makes me feel bad so I’m trying to do better. It’s pretty fun with Elder Hansen, he’s a riot! It’s going to be sad if I leave him this transfer.

So a few weeks ago my comp and I went around to all of the members houses and told them that I had to humble myself and ask for help from all of you. I told them that I really thought that I could go house to house and find baptisms which I really do believe but that it wasn’t the way that things needed to be done and that I needed their help. I gave them all goal sheets and told them all that they needed to find me a family to baptize this month. I told them that they didn’t have to do it if they didn’t want to but that if they said they would that they really needed to start looking. To be honest I think that it was the best idea I’ve had in my mission. I was thinking back to my last area and how I had so much success and realized that it was all the help from the members so I’m trying to do the same thing here and all of them are so excited to be helping. Every time I go to their houses my first question is... “Have you found someone that we can baptize yet” and they have all said yes!!! It’s been great. They are all excited and they are finding people like crazy. We have a few really good families that I’m really excited about but there is a lot of work to do with them until they are ready. I’m excited for the work and it keeps me thinking in the mission and not in home. We shall see what happens but like I always say to the members “hay algo dificil para dios?” or in English “is there anything hard for god to do?” the answer to that would be NO. It helps them realize that anything is possible. As long as I can keep them excited we should have lots of success.

Not much else has been going on. We are all excited for transfers and for Christmas for sure and I think about you guys all the time. Love you guys. Take care.

Tay

Email Letter 07 December 2009

Hey Fam,

It was a good week. We had our interviews with Pres. and it was awesome. I was waiting outside for him to finish an interview with a member and when he came out he just smile and hugged me and then pulled me into the office. We sat down and he just told me how much he loves me and appreciates me and the work I’m doing. He said that he knows wherever he puts me there will be results and that he completely trusts me in whatever I do. It was really quite awesome to hear that. I don’t think that I’ve had an interview quite like that. He was really happy because we had 116 baptisms in November which is a record a think for our mission. He’s just so happy and everyone can tell. It’s pretty cool to be honest. We just sat there for a few minutes and laughed and that was about it. He’s such a cool guy.

Other than that it rained a lot yesterday and there were only six of us in church! It was kinda sad and really hurt us as far as getting investigators in church because no one goes anywhere when it rains. The streets are flooded and muddy and it just hurt us as far as people in church. We had high hopes of having quite a few but when I woke up I told me comp that there wouldn’t be anyone there and that it would be us and four others and that’s exactly how it was.

We went to a member’s birthday party on Saturday, he turned 6 and it was a spider man party so my comp was a hit. It’s really funny how much he looks like “Peter Parker” that’s what the members call him. They all say “HEY! Elder Peter Parker” they love him. He’s famous!! All the little kids wanted to take their picture with him. It’s pretty funny. I told them all that I was going to start making people pay 5 pesos to shake hands with him and if they wanted a picture that it would be an additional 10 pesos. The funny thing is that I think they would all be willing to do it. Ha-ha!

Things are going slow but I’m loving my time here. I know that its short but I wouldn’t trade it for anything! We are having a lot of fun and I think that we are going to have a lot of success with the members this month. It’s hard to think that I turn 21 on Wednesday!!! And even more that I’m going home in less than two months. It’s just so crazy! I never thought that I would actually turn 21 or that my mission would ever end but here it is coming up quick. I love you guys and I’m excited to talk to you in a few weeks. Take care! Love you!

Tay

Email Letter 30 November 2009

Hey Fam,

So it sounds like Thanksgiving was a hit. I’m very happy to hear that. I woke up on Thanksgiving and looked at my comp and said... “Its thanksgiving” and he looked at me and said... “Thanks for reminding me” it was funny. I felt bad for reminding him about his family since he just got here but to be honest after that I think we both just forgot about it all and went on out to work. It was just a normal day for us but it was a good day. It has been super hot here and the power gets cut sometimes during the night which makes it so much fun to try to sleep because that means that the fans don’t work and neither does our air conditioner that’s from the 70s that only works half the time anyway. You just roll around like you're in a swimming pool of your own sweat. It’s really nasty but it’s so true. We couldn’t sleep very well last night and I told my comp that he just needed to get used to it and he looked at me and said that it’s impossible to get used to it. He’s oh so right but I think that I can go without two months of sleep if it means that I can sleep in my waterbed again!! Ha-ha.

Like I told you all last week that we had a baptism and here are the promised pictures...

It was a pretty fun day. He was confirmed yesterday and he’s just super awesome.

To be honest nothing else has really happened this last week. Nothing ever really happens when you’re out in the middle of nowhere but we try to make things fun. We have our interviews with president del Castillo this week and those are always fun but other than that again this week with be another boring one. Next week is my birthday though! How cool is that. I’m not really that excited but it will be fun anyway. Well Fam I love you guys and I think about you often. Take care!

Tay

Other fun pics...

This is my friend Victoria.

TELL ME THAT HE DOESNT LOOK MY PETER PARKER FROM SPIDERMAN!!! Toby McGuire

He fell asleep.

Email Letter 23 November 2009

Hey Fam,

So it’s been a pretty good week. Last Friday we had out zone conference in Formosa and it was a lot different. There is a new way that the first presidency and the quorum of the twelve want things to be taught and it was a little bit disappointing because it just wasn’t the same as it used to be. For example President del Castillo can’t get up and teach us doctrine from what he has studied like he has always done. He can’t just give us answers; we have to answer our own questions. It’s like a group discussion. Its different and he admitted that he doesn’t really like it because he doesn’t feel like he can teach us anything because that’s just not what he’s used to but we are all very supportive of the first presidency and we will learn to use it better and better every time. It was a very very spiritual conference though. At one point president asked us all to stand one by one and bear our testimony which is something he’s never done. It invited the spirit though and I think that we all loved it.

Yesterday we had our district conference and right after we had a baptism. I forgot my camera so you’re going to have to wait for pictures until tomorrow but it was very cool. We baptized a kid named Juan and he’s 20 years old. He’s so cool and he understands so well. He’s going to be a great asset to the church and the branch. We are all very excited and we are trying to find the people that are ready to listen so that we can help more people come to unto Christ and his true church.

Elder Hansen is progressing very quickly. He has learned a lot and is catching on to things pretty fast. I think he just needs a little bit more common sense and he would be perfect. Ha-ha. I think that it’s just from the shock of being here in Argentina because it’s just so different. I remember when I first started like it was yesterday. I was just so tired all the time from trying to understand and work in the heat and everything but it comes with time and he will figure it out.

Things are moving along and I find myself just loving the work and the people. It’s going to be hard to leave and just thinking about how I just have 9 weeks left is crazy!! It kinda makes me sad and happy at the same time. Its bittersweet but I really don’t think that it has hit me yet. I hope that all is well and know that I love you and think about you all often. Take care and Happy Thanksgiving!

Tay

Email Letter 16 November 2009

Hey Fam,

So it’s been a good week. We have been working hard and trying to get some baptisms going on. We have been going through some rough times though with all of our investigators. It seems like they are so close and then they just fall away. It has been really hard for me. We will keep on keepin on though and see what we can get done.

To be honest there isn’t really anything to tell you. Not much has been going on. Things are good with my new little boy and he is learning quite quickly. We spoke in church yesterday and I’m not sure what the branch presidency was thinking making my comp speak in his second week here but he did a good job. I helped him write it out and he did well. He speaks so softly because he’s pretty shy but he got his point across. He spoke about missionary work and I spoke about talents and how all of us have certain ones that the lord has given us and we will lose them if we don’t work to get perfect. The lord wants us to progress and if we don’t he will take what he has given away and give it to someone else.

To be honest there hasn’t been anything big going on and I am out of things to say. I love you guys and I hope all is well. Take care and just think...10 more weeks!!!

Tay

Email Letter 09 November 2009

Hey Fam,

So this week has been pretty hectic for sure. On Tuesday night we found out about transfers and as it turns out I was so right about what was going to happen. Elder Hogge left to Resistencia and I’m training!! I finally have a kid. His name is Elder Hansen and he’s from Cache Valley.

We are completely different as I’m sure you can tell from the pictures but it will be fun. He’s kind of a nerd and is super shell-shocked and it’s hilarious. You can just tell he is so scared and worried about everything. He seems a little clueless and sometimes I have to tell him something like five times before it clicks in his head but it will be all good. He doesn’t know any Spanish. I honestly don’t know what they teach anymore in the MTC because I’m pretty sure I knew a lot more Spanish before I got here. The members are trying to help him out though. I made him sit down with a ten year old kid and teach him about Joseph Smith just so that he could practice. I remember my first week or two in Argentina so I feel for him but it’s just really funny. Sometimes the members will mess with him and start talking Guarani which is a language from Paraguay. It’s pretty hilarious.

It’s still really hot here. It got up to 117 degrees the other day and the sun was killer but it rained pretty hard the other day and it’s been cloudy so the heat is bearable...for now. The weather here is just weird. Overnight it just changes from no clouds at all to rainy and humid with the streets covered in water to the knees almost and then the next day back to super hot and no clouds. I just don’t understand.

Overall things are just going normal. We have a few people that are getting close to baptism and I’m getting pretty excited. I’m doing everything possible to make sure that President has to open an area next transfer by trying to baptize a bunch there as well. I think that’s what keeps me going. And it’s pretty good incentive for me I guess.

I love all of you so much and think about you often. It’s not too much longer until we will all be sitting together talking about all the fun things that have happened over the last few years. Pray for me and know that I’m praying for you. Love you!

Tay

Email Letter 03 November 2009

Hey Fam,

 Well as you know once again I’m writing a day late. Let me explain...yesterday was our p-day as you know but it was also another holiday here in Argentina. It was “Dia de los muertos” or day of the dead. It’s not the Halloween but they all go to the cemetery and stuff like that. I don’t really understand the whole concept but that’s just what they do. Since it was a holiday the cyber was closed and we didn’t have any way at all to write. Sorry!

Today we are on divisions and we went out the Indian colony that is here close to the zone leaders area and there is a family there that has to cougars as pets

This is just one of them but it’s pretty sweet that they can say they have little cougars like other people have dogs!! It’s nice to know that most of you are not alone in being BYU fans because it would seem as though they like the cougars as well.

We did some service on Saturday and we helped the Hermana make some lunch afterwards...nioquis (gnocchi) are my favorite of course...

The food turned out great!

So now that I’m not in Libres I’m not with my little friend Karren anymore. On the bright side of things I have found a new little friend and her name is Cinthia

 

She’s the cutest little thing isn’t she!

Well on a side note I just went and threw up. Ha-ha I thought you all might want to know that. I think it’s just because of something I ate because the other elder that I ate the same thing with isn’t feeling very good either.

So tonight are transfers and I’m pretty excited. I think that I might train and that would be awesome since I haven’t done it yet.

We have been having a lot of success lately and we have a baptismal date for this Saturday. She is an awesome 23 year old girl and I think that I’ve told you about but we are so excited for her. I’m not sure that it will happen this Saturday because we still have a few things to teach her and not very much time to do it in especially if I have to train because I would be out of my area for 2 days with traveling and stuff but if it’s not this Saturday it will be the next. The lord has been blessing us like crazy and I can’t explain how blessed I feel. It’s been over 100 degrees the last few days and it has been killer but I know that because we keep working through it the lord is taking care of us as we take care of his work. It’s only getting hotter and hotter as we go though.

I love this work and I love being here. I miss you all and I know that this is the Lord's work and that we are all being blessed because I’m here. Take care and I’ll let you all know what goes on in transfers and the baptism next week.

Tay

P.s. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARTER!!!!

Email Letter 26 October 2009

Hey Fam,

So it’s been another good week. I passed the 21 month mark on Friday! It was actually the worst day of my mission. I’ll explain. So we had to travel for a District meeting and the bus was supposed to leave at 9am so we got the place at a quarter til and it had already left. They said that it decided to leave at 8:30am for some reason. So we went out to the highway and hitched a ride after trying to get someone to stop and take us for a half hour. So we went and had the meeting at it went really well. Very spiritual and I loved it. After we got done with the meeting we all went to lunch and we had to catch a bus going back to my area at 2pm. So we got done eating and went to the terminal to catch the bus that never showed up. We were waiting for 3 hours until a bus arrived. It was a long wait and it made for a very long day. My comp wasn’t very happy at all and I told him that he just needs to get used to it because that’s just how the busses here in Argentina are...VERY UNRELIABLE. All and all it wasn’t that great of a day.

We spoke yesterday in church and I talked about how if the church is really true then nothing else should matter. We have problems with people being the only members in their families and they complain about how hard it is and how tired they are and how this and how that, now don’t get me wrong I understand where they are coming from because I’m sure it’s not easy but I spoke about how its shouldn’t matter if it’s really true. Just like the lord said in Matthew, seek ye first the lord and all the rest will be added. That’s not exactly how it goes but close enough. This is the true church and nothing else should matter if we just put our thoughts and actions in doing what he would have us do so that he can bless us.

So on Saturday there were two baptisms of ward members kids that turned 8. It was a lot of fun to be there and see how happy they were. There were 60 people there and we couldn’t all fit into the kitchen to see the baptisms. It was crazy. We had some investigators there and they loved it. We actually put a baptismal date with one of them and she is so excited. We put the date for the 7th of November. She’s a really nice girl and she’s studying English in college. We are excited to help with that as well.

On the upside of things my comp and I started running today. I’m pretty excited to get back into that. It’s been since my time with Elder Rapp since I’ve been running and it was pretty difficult but at the same time very refreshing. I’ve made the goal to go home in shape and I’m for sure going to get it done.

Well Fam that’s it for this week. I love you guys lot and think about you all the time. Hope things are going well and not too much longer before I get home.

Tay

Pictures 19 October 2009

King on the Tower

King with Pokemon

King and Hogge

Email Letter 19 October 2009

Hey Fam,

So it’s been a good week. We had interviews with President del Castillo yesterday and he gave me hope that I might open the area that I want to badly to open. I talked to Elder Eliason who is one of the assistants and he came with me so we are good friends and I told him that I wanted to open this area and it looks like he talked to President for me. He also told me that President trusts what I think and that if it’s possible he will let me do it. Ha-ha. I love being loved. Interviews were good though and I also got my new Temple recommend because mine expires this month. Pres stayed for church and spoke about how important mothers are in our lives and how much they affect what we do in the future. It was awesome and very fitting because yesterday was mother’s day in Argentina.

We have been working hard and to honest even though it’s hot and I’m in the middle of nowhere and I’m getting to the end of my mission I want to work more now than I have my whole mission. It’s like I put it into 5th gear and I love it. I thought that I had worked pretty hard before but now I just have a love for it that can’t be stopped. My comp asked me why I wanna work so much and so hard in the heat at the end of my mission because his last comp was going home and didn’t really want to work at all. I just told him that I felt like there’s lots to do and that people need us and he said that he was happy that I wanted to work. It seems like it’s just easier and lots more fun to talk to people. I think that at the beginning of my mission I was scared but in Libres that all changed and now I’m just a Bold, direct missionary that won’t take a now from anybody. It’s an amazing thing to be able to speak in the name of the lord and the personal revelations that come to me from just talking to people. The promised blessings just flow out of my mouth and I don’t know where they come from or why I say them but I know that it’s not me talking.

Things are going well and even though I count down the months and transfers and p-days and everything I just feel good being here and I don’t really want to leave. I miss you guys and I love you. Know that I think about you often and pray for you always. Take care.

Tay

P.S. Mom I did know that Amber is engaged because Matt told me and I would love to see pictures of Tess and Paisley.

Pictures 13 October 2009

Cinthia

Dinner before the Priesthood Session

Me and Elder Hogge

At the Baptism

Email Letter 13 October 2009

Hey Fam,

So I’m a day late on writing. I forgot to tell you last week that I would be writing today due to the zone conference we had in Formosa Capital yesterday. The conference was amazing. The drive wasn’t so amazing but it was worth it like always. President del Castillo talked about God the Father and Jesus Christ. He explained how Christ could also be called the father and used so many scriptures to explain why. It’s a question that most people bring up because they get confused and think that they are one and not two different people but he was amazing in explaining it to us and the spirit like always was so strong. He bore testimony at the end that he knows that President Monson knows Christ and knows him in a way that can’t be explained. That he knows him so personally because he is his head representative here on earth and that he holds all the keys for our salvation. It’s unexplainable how powerfully he testifies. I love this gospel!

So back to last week. We had service and I learned how to build a house out of bricks and cement. They don’t use wood here, all of the houses and built with bricks. It was a lot of fun to learn. My comp and I built a wall much, much taller than I am and they said at the end that we had done a pretty good job for our first time. I got all dirty and stuff but it was worth it.

It’s been really, really hot lately and I just don’t like it. It’s incredible how hot it’s been and it’s just going to get much, much worse. Being out here in the middle of a desert isn’t quite what I had in mind to finish my mission but it should be fun. We eat dirt all day because of all the loose dirt and wind that we always have. I asked one of the members what the normal temperature is in summer here and they told me that it’s around 40º C which is converted is around 104º F. How fun huh. They said that it gets up to around 50º C sometimes which could kill someone for sure. Ha-ha. It’s just something to look forward to.

This Sunday are our interviews with President and I’m looking forward to them. I’m going to ask him if I can open an area and train. I’ll let you know what he says next week. It’s been a good week. I love you guys and miss you lots. Take care and stop getting sick!!

Tay

Email Letter 05 October 2009

Hey Fam,

Well it’s been a good week. Last Monday we went and had a lesson at one of the Sisters houses with one of her neighbors and it was one of the most spiritual lessons of my mission. It was amazing and you can really tell when they are paying attention and when they can feel the spirit as well. I can’t really explain it because it’s just one of those things but we focused a lot on the Book of Mormon and I can only testify of my love for it. It might not be as convincing as Elder Holland’s testimony but I do love that book with all my heart.

On to much better news...we baptized three people on Saturday! They are an amazing family that should have been baptized a long time ago but because of their travels they never could. Well we got them in the water and they were so happy. They even asked me how long they have to wait to go through the temple (Another Navarro family!) ha-ha. The dad is from Corrientes so we would talk like the Correntinos do and it was so fun. I love them already.

Conference was amazing! At least what I saw of it. We got most of it but the power kept cutting out. (Welcome to the middle of nowhere Formosa, Argentina) ha-ha. I especially like Elder Ballard's talk in priesthood. He talked about the three most important things are for both fathers and sons. It was amazing and its things that I’m going to try to work on as much as I can for the rest of my life. It was funny to listen and to say to myself, but that’s exactly how my communication is with my dad. I think that that’s why I have always said that Dad and I are more like friends that father and son and I feel the same way with Mom and that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing today. Thanks mom and dad!

Not much else to report. It’s been a good week and I’m still working with Elder Hogge to see how we can work better together. I love you guys and I love this work. Don’t be Trunky!!

Tay

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