WEEK 2

Hey everyone!!!

Well, first to answer some of your questions mom. We are only allowed to take pictures once every three Sundays. It´s one of the rules here, so I´ll send you some pictures before I leave the mtc, but i won´t have as much pictures to show you till then. It´s still going really good here, I love missionary work! As I told you before, I now have two companions and it´s going great! We are really trying to come together as an actual companionship and it´s getting a lot easier.

So.... proselyting this weekend was interesting, hahaha. Me and my two companions set out in the streets around the CCM in Buenas Aires and started talking, with what little Spanish we knew... which wasn´t much at all... and so we started talking to people in the street. My companions totally forgot all the Spanish they had learned and were scared to talk to anyone because they were so nervous, so this left me to do pretty much all of the talking and teaching of the first half of lesson one to people. Half the time I had no idea what the people were saying, so i just shook my head and smiled, but i was surprised how much i could actually pick up!!! It was amazing!

In those 2 hours that we were allowed to go out and teach, we taught 9 street contacts, 3 lessons, and gave out about 5 Joseph Smith pamphlets. It was such a great experience and I can´t wait for this weeks lesson. I have now successfully been able to teach the entire first lesson in Spanish and I think my companions are going to be able to say a few things this time. Not only that but this week, our trainer, Hermano Malerio, said we get to stay out for 4 hours instead of the usual 2 hours people do here on their 2nd week! I´m sooooo excited and a little nervous..

I heard about the earthquakes in Chile, but I never felt anything in Buenas Aires... but there were about 5 missionaries here from Chile whose families felt it! But just as another example of how the Lord blesses missionaries and their families, none of the missionaries lost any family members to the earthquake and even the mission president of Chile predicted it coming and was able to make preparations for all the missionaries in the area, so I believe that everyone is alright that we were all worried about. I´m sure there are more to come but I know that the Lord will protect me and my fellow missionaries!

On an average Pday here in the CCM I get to wake up and have personal and companion study, then have one class in the morning, then another class, then lunch, then we usually all play ultimate frisbee or soccer or something like that, then I´ll play the piano for a little (which the Latino missionaries love to hear me play, they all gather around the piano when they here me playing), write a letter or two, then take a 30 min nap, then study for a little bit, do laundry, and anything else I need to do.

And finally, I love my mom, because she is the best mom in the whole world!!!

In this week, I´ve learned a lot of what it means to be a true companionship and teaching in unity. I have learned how to teach the entire first lesson in Spanish and have memorized the first vision and D&C 4 in Spanish. Time is weird here still. I´ve adjusted to the difference in time but some days seem like weeks and others only like hours.

I love you all and hope everything is going well with you. I pray for you every day and please continue to send pictures, I loved your letter and pictures. I miss you all, but the Lord has blessed me not to feel homesick. Keep me updated with what´s going on at home. I love you!

Got to go now, adios!

Elder Gardner