May 18 Letter

Hello Everyone!
Wow this week just flew right by me! It started out kinda rough, but we had a pretty cool experience on Saturday. This day started out really crazy. We had to take a remis (taxi) to visit one of our investigadors, Silvina, because she lives WAAAAY out there and it takes too long in a collectivo. We only have between 10 and 11 in the morning to see her because then her kids get all crazy and she doesn’t have time for us. The last time we went to her house, we left the questions of the soul from Preach My Gospel for her because she wasn’t there. She told us when we got to her house that she had been reading them and is TOTALLY lovin up on them! That was good to hear. She didn’t have time to let us in, but we talked a little bit more about the questions and invited her to church. She told us they would go if they had time…please…everyone has time in this country. They just need to be more efficient with it. Anyway, after we left her house we got a text from the family we were supposed to eat lunch with saying they couldn’t feed us. At his point we were in a little bit of a pickle…we only had enough money to get us back to Carlos Paz (where we live), our lunch appointment just fell through and we definitely did not enough pesos to get buy lunch. We decided it would be smart to go back to Carlos Paz, grap some money and grub and get back to our area. We went by the church to use the bathroom and found some members raking leaves. We decided to clean the inside of the church (something it DESPERATELY needed), sweep and mop and things like this. It was fun and we got a lot done and we felt good afterwards. Nobody lets us help them here. One of our recent converts, Sofia was supposed to go out with us at 2, but we got a text from her boyfriend (our ward mission leader, David, who’s 18) letting us know she wouldn’t be able to help us. We read the text in front of David’s house with David when he asked us if we had received the text he sent. We were supposed to meet Sofia there. Oh well…what are you gonna do? We did some contacting and we were NOT having any luck. We had an appointment with a less active that day and found only her daughter when we knocked on the door. We met her daughter my first night in Independencia. We didn’t know it was her daughter because we were at the neighbor’s house and she was there. We thought she was the daughter of the neighbor but…obviously not. That did explain to us, however, the reason why Amelia (the less active) is having problems. Her daughter’s not exactly anti-mormon but she wonders why we always talk about our prophet instead of God. We’re jus kinda thinking, well…if you listened, you would realized that’s not at all what we’re doing! For the love! After that I was just a little bit on the discouraged side and I suggested we sit down for a minute, talk and figure something out. We went to one of the beautiful spots here that looks out over the amazing area to think. We talked for a little bit about what we could do, how we could change what we were doing, sang a song, said a prayer and started off again. We had plans to go by a reference from the Hermanas that work in Carlos Paz, Cecelia. We found Cecelia’s mother-in-law outside doing laundry. She said she was too busy to listen to us, but that Cecelia would be back around 7. I asked her if she would mind if we sang her a song while she was working. She agreed hesitantly, I’m sure she was skeptical and we sang I Know That My Redeemer Lives, the one by President Hinckley. Hermana Brown has a wonderful voice so I ADORE singing with her WOOHOO for harmonizing! Anyway, when we were done, we talked about the restoration with her and said we would be back to teach her and Cecelia at 7. We talked to a really awesome lady outside her house that seemed really pleased that the prophet is a normal person with a job and doesn’t get paid for being the prophet. She doesn’t agree with the fact that the pope lives in the Vatican, a gorgeous humongous gold building with all these luxuries. Which was kind of funny because she lives in a HUGE house that her mother gave her. Yes, you read that correctly, her mother gave her the house that she and her husband and two boys live in. Anyway, we knocked some more doors after that and went back for our appointment with Cecelia and Alejandra. When we arrived at the house they said they were too busy, but I asked, “Can we come in for just a second and sing a song to you really quick?” They agreed and we sang Love at Home. I really really love singing. I think I’ve gotten better being here in the mission too. We talked a little bit more about what we talked about earlier and asked if we could come by again and said a prayer. We left simply elated. We did more contacting after that and once again had no luck. We were super tired at this point and had been walking forever! Hermana Brown asked me if I wanted to visit one of the older women we talked to my first night in Independencia. Her name is Blanca and she and her husband live by themselves. I agreed. When Blanca came out she told us she waited for us on Tuesday but we never came. We had been at the other point of our area and just couldn’t make it to her. We apologized and she asked when we would come back and teach her. I said we were there to teach her right then! She told us she was just about to go to bed and I asked if it would be okay if we just went in and sang a song to her. She agreed, we went in and sang I Stand All Amazed. She and her husband both really liked the song. We started talking about mission stuff and soon entered into the first discussion which turned into a longer discussion about the Book of Mormon. We explained the reason we had in so well that I re-convinced myself of the truthfulness of it. It was amazing and we left them with a lesson 1 pamphlet and a Book of Mormon. It seemed like what we told them really made sense to them and they had no rebuttles! WOOHOO! I love being a missionary! As for your questions Mom…Hermana Brown started her mission in this area. She was in Carlos Paz before then she had Carlos Paz and Villa Independencia then only had Independencia and now she has it again! Long time to be in the same spot, but we get along great and we’re workin hard! I do not talk about the elders in my mission because there is nothing to say. Believe it or not, I did not come on a mission to find my husband, which you already know, but there really isn’t much to say. When I first got to this area I thought my district leader was a stuck up know it all, but when I found out that his favorite music is pretty much the same as mine, Relient K, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Jack’s Mannequin, etc, I was convinced he was cool. He’s really jealous that I went to a Relient K concert. Thank you Race, for that experience, it was…AWESOME! There’s another elder here, Elder Kearsley, who’s not in my zone or district, but I met him at one of the zone conferences. He could totally be the stunt double for Kirby Heyborn, it’s ridiculous. He’s way funny and he called me on my birthday to play happy birthday on his trumpet for me. Hahaha he’s way cool. As for laundry…we mostly just do it ourselves unless we get desperate, then we drop it off at a Laundromat. No, we do not have a dryer so it takes FOREVER and a stinking day. Washing garments is KILLER! But, it is very therapeutic, so I enjoy it. =) We have to hang dry all our clothes which is harder now because it’s cold and windy outside. I don’t know if they’ve started on the temple here yet…nope they haven’t because they haven’t even bought the area. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to miss the dedication of it. It’s going to be beautiful and I know I’m going to miss Argentina. I’ll be dying for an excuse to get back here by the time it’s finished. I got my hair cut this morning and I went for the French bangs look. You know the ones that are like straight across? Yep, I’m going crazy in this country, I dyed my hair red and I gave it a crazy and fun cut! It looks soooo different, but I love it! I’ll take pictures when I have makeup on and send them to you! I don’t know what happened to me. I figure, I might as well try crazy things here where nobody knows me so I don’t have to be embarrassed about it when I get home. =) I sent the package this week and a letter for Carly so that should get there in a couple weeks. Oh! I’m so excited that you did Uncle Doug’s temple work for him! YAY! We’re going to be together forever! I’m sooooo happy!!!! I hope everyone is doing fantabulously! Race, I hope you’re adjusting to life at home okay. I still need your address wherever in the heck you are. I have no idea what address to write on the envelope sitting in my apartment…what ever will I do? Alicia, I hope you’re going okay in Wickenburg with the boys. I hope Steve finds someone to be his tech soon. I would love to do that! I had fun those couple days that I did it! I love you all soooo much and I’m so grateful for the support you give me. I don’t know how I was able to be so blessed with such amazing people in my life. My Heavenly Father and My savior Jesus Christ love me so much. They definitely bless their missionaries. I’m so lucky to have this gift in my life and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share it with others. It’s either true or it isn’t, and it’s absolutely true. I hope everyone’s healthy and well! Have a good week!
All my love,Hermana Shumway