July 18, 2016 - The new barrio

July 18, 2016

(We asked about whether he got the packages we sent)

I did get the package!!! And I loved it! Well... am loving it! In the pension there is Elder Benitez and he likes to cook for us, and we have plans to make some tacos and I’m sure we will start using more of it also. The packages came just in time for Elder Guzman! He loved his socks and was super excited!!

My companion is awesome! Elder Fereirra! He is from Buenos Aires and he speaks a little fast sometimes but that’s gonna help me a lot. He is district leader, and he is a good example to me.

I absolutely love being in Salta. I feel better. My eyes are actually better here (allergies), and there is less smoke. I love the people and the barrio. Truly. One of my goals was to make better relationships with the people faster, and I feel like it’s working. We had a lot of activities this week. We went to invite people to the open chapel on Wednesday with the youth. The youth are so amazing! 

In the pension we are 4, and we are in the same barrio. The barrio is so big that they split the area, and we share the area with the other elders. Right now we are a little dry. We need to find more people to teach and sometimes that is the hardest, but we plan to involve the ward, and we have some ideas in mind.

We had what’s called an open chapel this Saturday and it was good. It was an opportunity for the public to know what the Mormons are about.

Other than that, I am trying to learn the area quickly but it’s a little bit difficult for me. 

This morning we played soccer with President Chapparo y the assistants. Apparently that happens a lot here! It was fun!

We ate asado (steak) with the bishop. They apparently eat that a lot here because the meat is so cheap. Again, I love the members and am grateful for their help.

We are working with a couple who needs to get married before they are baptized. They are really good and are progressing well. Gaston is a member, and Rita wants to get baptized and we are just helping them out with their papers for that.

I think that’s about it!  

I love you all. Love seeing pictures!

Love the Mooneys too!  (Since we were with the Mooney family when we wrote our last letter, we included some greetings and pictures from them, too.)

We played soccer with the president today!

This is a picture we a member who is moving.

This is in the back of our pension.

This is some of the young men in the activity open chapel. I love the barrio!