May 30, 2016

Familia!

This week was good! I have one transfer now, however I feel that this week was a little longer than normal.

(Isabella asked Jacob how his Spanish is) Isabella, Creo que mi español es mejor. Aquí se llama castellano! Yo todavía necesito practicar, pero cada día es un oportunidad para aprender! (Isabella, I think my Spanish is better.  (Here, it's called Castellano.  I still need to practice, but every day is an opportunity to learn! - Norma translated for me   Thanks, Hon!.)

I'm doing alright. I think the change in the climate is kinda hard for my allergies. I reacted to something and got hives. Luckily I have my medicine for the bad reactions. I might need to find a antihistamine here. But we´ll see how it goes. I washed my covers and am trying to pinpoint what I am reacting to.

Nuestro investigadores (our investigators) are good! We have a couple people that I think are listo! (Ready) One is Belen. She is a student. She likes the church and is coming to church, but it is hard for her schedule because she has work and school. Another investigator is Norma Moyano. She is in her 50´s. She is the sister of a member who has been recently reactivated. The last leccion (lesson) I know that she felt the spirit strong as we talked about the plan of salvation. Her husband had passed away. This principal is a very strong principal. Life after death, and this evangelo (gospel) is full of hope! That is a reason why I love to share it! This principal is for everyone. It is a tough thing for people when their loved ones pass on, but there isn't anything better that could be shared except your testimonies on the subject of the plan of salvation and the peace it brings.

We had the baptism of Mauro Reinaga! He always comes to church with his friend, (also Mauro, haha). He is a good example to his family. He is the third in his family and he likes soccer obviously haha. He is 11 years old. We teach his family also. His cousin is the little girl that asked if we could talk to her mom. He was excited to be baptized and we are excited for him! The baptism went well! His family showed up to support him.

Like I said there is a group of kids that we teach. I showed them my beat-boxing and now all they do is try to learn how to beat-box haha.  It's kinda funny. One friend of Mauro, Fernanda, wants to be baptized. But her dad doesn't want her to be baptized. We just pray that the Lord can soften his heart.

I have a newborn fear for dogs... haha. There was a couple days this week where dogs were a little more aggressive around me. Nothing happened but it's clear when they don't like you, and you always have to watch to see if the dog tries to go behind you because the dogs know that you can't kick as well in the back.

This week I had fideo like you make, Mom! It was a nice little reminder of you! I told the hermana (sister) that it reminded me of the fideo you make and it made her happy. Also here there is no such thing as a little more food. If you want more it's a plate more haha.

This week I took the lead in a leccion (lesson). It was interesting because we were with a family who usually just likes to share drama with us, but this time was different.  They asked me about my testimony and I was able to share my testimony of my savior, Jesucristo. I was able to understand them clearly (which is a struggle right now) I know it was because the spirit helped me understand.

We had transfers today and Elder Rudder left the pension (apartment). He was only here for a month and a half, which is rare. His companion is district leader and is training now, so Wednesday we get a new missionary!

That's about it, as always I love you all!

Elder Wolf

It was raining a lot here.

This is the baptism of mauro reinaga! I got the opportunity to baptize him. He is a good kid and is a good example to his family!

We teach a group of kids. In the group one, (now dos) are members! Here is a picture of some of the kids! They have a huge dog, too.

May 23, 2016

Awe familia! Estoy agradecidos por ustedes! Enserio! I’m so grateful for you guys! Seriously!  I’m glad that those experiences were good! I hope my Castellano is getting better. I have noticed that even now while I write I am thinking of the Spanish words that I want to say. I’m glad that my testimony and messages are helping. It’s hard sometimes because I don’t know what to say. The week is full of little experiences but they go by so fast.

This week was a little frustrating because I had to take the lead in planning and I am still getting used to it, haha but I did it and it was good. 

Right now our goal is to reactivate members with our branch. There are members but we only have a few active. It’s so interesting to me because it’s so easy to go back to your old life. It’s so easy, and Satan knows that. He uses that and it’s really hard to reactivate people sometimes because once they go back to their old lives it’s more of an effort to return to this gospel. One thing that we preach a lot is action with your faith. In this gospel we need to act in our faith. It’s a constant effort. Fe sin obras es muerta. (Faith, without works, is dead, James 2:26)

We went on divisiones (splits) this week two times. I am always scared to do them but when I’m doing it, it’s such a great opportunity for me to take the lead and get to know the people better. I went on divisiones with the president of the rama (the branch) and then yesterday I went with an Elder! It really helps us when we can do that.

Sundays usually are the highlight of our weeks unless we have a baptism, but this Sunday was really awesome. We had 9 investigators in church and there are some really awesome people. 

This week we had to take a remis (taxi) and I was paying so I was in front. Usually the person in front is the one that talks to the person. I started to talk with him and have a conversation, and talk about religion and family and my companion helped me invite him to church. It was an amazing experience for me because, when I got here I thought, “Wow how am I ever going to be able to do that?” And now I can do that better.

In this gospel, families are so important, and I know that when you share with people that our gospel is about families they listen. Family is something that is so close to us. It’s close to us because it’s such a divine unit. familias son de Dios. Families are of god. After all we have a celestial family. I know that it’s true.

Mauro and Pablo are brothers and their baptism is this Saturday. They really like going to church. Pablo is about 13 and Mauro is 11. They are good most of the times, but sometimes they are a little wild. But it’s always fun getting to know the children.

Other than that, that was my week. I love you all and am so grateful for your examples and your testimonies!

Elder Wolf

The jersey that I have is a river jersey. Here you are either River or Boca and I just chose one to choose one haha.

Also a family gave us avocados! I am still in awe with how big they are!!

A sunset

This is churrizo on the grill.  Se llama churripan! We eat it like a hotdog.

Elder Vonasek, I got to see him today.

This is a picture of both the zones.

May 16, 2016 - Part 3

A picture on a bus.  A selfie of us in front of our pension.


A sandwich milonesa.  My first zone conference.


Pictures of Tucuman

May 16, 2016 - Part 2

Pictures of the church building.
Me cleaning my shoes. (it has been raining a lot and the mud gets everywhere)

Some hymnbooks (I don't ask why he took this picture.  I'm just the dad that posts what he sends.)

We had to get a new lava ropa (clothes washer) and we fit it in the taxi with all of us.
The new lava ropa, in our pension (apartment).


At our pension.

May 16, 2016
This week's entry had to be broken up.  Jacob sent so many pictures that blogspot can't handle them all in one post.

So another thing here they say "de diez" a lot. Like "el bautismo fue de diez." It means "out of 10," like "10 out of 10"! its fun to use!

The baptisms did happen! Two hermanas! It was a little stressful because the president forgot and his counselors, and we had been announcing it so we had to wait for them before we could start. But after that it was good! I got to baptize an 11 year old girl named Estela Acosta. She is really sweet and has a lot of faith. She is very mature for her age, and it amazes me that some of these kids here are forced to be more grown up. I messed up the first time I did the prayer and I was a little bummed because I memorized it and knew it perfectly, but I just did it again and nonetheless It was an amazing experience. After we had so dulces (sweets) and gaseoso (soda).

Elder Guzman got to baptize Hermana Myriam Grecco who is a mother of 10. She is amazing and has taken to the gospel.

We have another investigator named Daniel, and he is so ready. The only thing left is that he has to resolve some things with his ex esposa (ex wife) and he is ready.

We have been teaching Familia Reinaga (the Reinaga family). They have a 13 year-old and an 11 year-old who have baptismal dates, but they keep getting pushed back.

Most of our investigators are women. Daniel is the only male. It is hard to get male investigators because they aren't as receptive as the women here. although...

I went on splits this week and Elder Moore and I had a great experience. It was raining and nobody was home and our plannes (plans) fell through for about an hour and a half. Then we turned around in an apartment complex and there was a door cracked. He said, "Let's contact these people!" So we knocked, and a woman answered the door and shortly after a man came to the door, and right when he got there, Elder Moore had started talking about how the gospel can bless families. Right after that he told us to come in and we got to teach the 1st lesson. Afterward Elder Moore asked if they would be baptized and they said yes! The man literally asked,"What do i have to do to be baptized?"  It was amazing.

This week we saw a motorcycle crash into a car, and the kid flew off of the bike. He broke his leg but immediately stood up! It was the weirdest thing I had ever seen. He then just hopped on another motorcycle with someone else and rode off. I asked Elder Guzman why he would do that. He said, probably cuz he stole the motorcycle. He said that that is pretty normal. haha.

Everything has been pretty good this week. It is still hard for me to understand, but I'm working on it. haha. I have been reading through the Book of Mormon and the Bible - in Spanish, obviously haha - and it has been good. I'm understanding more and more I feel.

I love you all

Elder, son, brother,

Jacob Wolf :)

This is how big their avacados are.  They call them paltas.  This is a jersey I got.


Pictures of the baptism, and afterward:

May 9, 2016

We got to Skype with Jacob on Sunday.  It took a long time and many tries to connect, but we were finally able to talk to him.  It was wonderful to see him and so hard to hang up when it was time to end the call. Here's the letter he wrote the next day.

Hola Familia! I love you all and yesterday was so much fun!

This week was good. Like I said yesterday we have two investigators that are ready for baptism. 

One is Estella, she is 11 and she was able to come to church. She is really mature for her age and she likes to learn about what we teach her. She always has friends over when we teach her which is so cool. She is ready to be baptized on the 14th and we are excited for her.

 

The other is Hermana Myriam Grecco. She is a mother of 10 and is really happy with how the gospel can help her family. Like I said these people constantly have problems and its hard sometimes to get them to commit, because these problems just pop up randomly.

I have noticed that the closer these people get to their baptism, the more Satan tries to work on them,.

 

This sunday we got in a 4 seater taxi with 6 seats. It was very funy. Tan divertido!! Haha

We have more investigators that we have started working with. Belen is a college student and she has started taking the lessons. 

We have been working with another girl named Flor. She is about 15 and when we asked her if she had faith in God, she said no. We explained the importance of faith and the role that god has in our life. Its hard to hear someone say no. Usually people have some faith, even if it is small. Well their family had to send their other daughter to the hospital for something, and they said they started praying a lot. This shows us that they have faith in something and we can sure work with that.

Other than investigators this week was good.Not too much change.

A lot of people gave us food just randomly this week and we are always appreciative. Its always a nice gesture and we always appreciate it.

I noticed that whatever these people have they turn it into their work. If they have a car, its a taxi. If they have a house its a kiosko. Interesting things.

 

Much love!

Elder Wolf

May 1, 2016

The context you don't see here is that Isabella and Shaun asked Jacob what his favorite thing to do and favorite food are.

Jacob writes:

My favorite thing to do.... hhhmmmm I like to play football or futball on P-days. I love being with the families of the ward. There are at least 4 really strong families in the ward and I love how welcoming they are. I like to play a game with rocks when we are walking. You try and kick it between your companion's legs. When it goes through its called a caño!

My favorite dish from a family has been papas bombas, I think its what it is called. It is fried potatoes with meat inside! From what I bought, I like the sandwich milonesa. It is fried meat con ham in a sandwich! yum yum! ooooooohyuuuuuum haha

We do walk everywhere! We take a taxi sometimes and bus sometimes but mainly walking. We are in a really poor area. This week we were walking and a man told us to watch out for these two teens in from of us. We were walking and they kept looking back at us. We then stalled and went into a members house nearby. It can be dangerous sometimes, but I know the lord watches over us.

This week has been a little more frustrating but I also have seen the daily blessings from Heavenly Father.

Like I have said I just wish I knew Spanish and I know more of the vocabulary - it's just conjugating and structuring the sentence. Anyway this week hhhhhmmm teaching is good, we teach a lot of people, mainly Elder guzman, haha. But they are good and receptive. 

It was kind of sad this week also because the culture is really welcoming but its also really tough sometimes. It makes me appreciate more where I live and what kind of things I had. They live pretty dirty, and they burn their trash. Saturday and Sunday people play music all day. I couldn't sleep one night because our neighbors had blaring music the whole night. It's a different culture for sure. The showers are funny because it's literally just a spigot coming out of the wall, haha. But I am doing good.  Toda bien! I still love it. People ask me if I like Tucuman, and I say yes! I tell them it is different for me but I like it. Ultimately it is about the people here and I love the people. The little kids make fun of us sometimes, haha. One member says my name like "Wallf. Elder Wallf." I love it! haha

A blessing this week was that we needed to take the bus and it was late. We got on and we forgot our bus card, my comp asked if anyone had one and literally 3 different people stood up and were willing to help pay for us, after that the bus driver said, "No no, it's okay, you can just ride for free." I know that was another time where Heavenly Father looked out for us.

Sundays are always good! we had 6 investigators at church but some didn't show up and it makes us sad because it delays their baptism date. I can definitely see the trials getting stronger for some of the investigators because they are so close to baptism. It's really interesting, but I know why that happens and I know we can help.

Que mas? I am going to send some pictures and if I think of more I will email!