Hola, how is everyone!
I am doing good in Olavarria for another transfer! Our whole zone is staying not one person is getting transfered. We had quite the fun week,
Monday
We were going to visit one of the recent converts, on the way 3 guys asked us for money and it was really scary but funny at the same time. We were walking through a big field. These guys were trying to catch up with us and we gave them some money then they asked for a hug. They said not a lot of people will just give them money. Then they left. We had a great lesson with the member and his mom. His mom is not a member but she wants to get baptized. At the end of that lesson we gave her the baptism challenge and she said "yes" she would like to work towards baptism.
Tuesday
We had another zone meeting because we though someone would be transferred this week. It’s really funny because we are all here for another transfer, no one was transferred. Everyone was signing my journal because the next time we figured we would see each other would be state side. I received a package from the Carn side and I read all the notes and hung up the cute decorations and the poster. I loved all the cards they were so great!!! They filled me with so much joy and love from back home! We have a new investigator that wants to get baptized. We meet on Tuesday and he wanted us to come back every day to talk to him. He is missing an eye becasue when he was twenty he got hit by a train. He is really nice and lives in a shack he built himself about a 45 min walk away so it’s really fun going to visit him.
Wednesday
My comp had to go to Bahia for a day so I was comps with another elder and it was really fun, we worked in his area for half the day and mine for the latter half. We contacted a missionary but sadly it was from another faith and I am sure they practice scenarios for when the MORMON missionaries knock on their door. She was so excited to see us and then she just let us have it! With all of these bible references and she loved to tell us about the "el libro de Jose Smith is a crazy book" and it was crazy! We talked for about 30 min before I just thanked her for sharing her beliefs then said that we needed to get going. Haha it was so crazy! We tried so hard to share our beliefs but she wasn’t to interested yet. We left a pamphlet about the restoration but I hope she will one day be ready to recieve the fullness of the gospel.
Thursday.
We had to travel to the bus terminal at 3:30 am to get our comps because there bus broke down twice on the way here. The rest of the day was great! We had a great day we made some great contacts in the street and had a great lesson with the man missing an eye, his name Es Enrika, and he asked why women could not have the priesthood becasue he feels that this should be changed. He felt we should ask our mission president if he would change it. We explained to him that everything is from God and that all things are a certain way for a reason. It was really good he learned a lot in that lesson. We ate lunch at an english teacher house. She brought us an english test that local high school students are required to pass her English class and earn a certificate stating they speak english. It was like I was in third grade the first question was "I like eating... A) trees B) cats C) bread" so english class is a very easy class to pass here.
Friday
We did service this day for most of the day. We tore up a concrete pad in one of our members yards and it took forever. The work reminded me of remodeling the duplex in cedar city. It was really fun to do physical work. In the afternoon they poured concrete back in the same area we just took it out . I am not quite sure what our goal was but I didn’t complain I was just glad to be able to work up a sweat! That night we were walking home and in the streets they were having a crazy fiesta for the founding of our city. They had live bands and street dancers and booths everywhere and it just came out of nowhere. We walked around for a little bit then headed home but it was super fun to see!
Saturday
We had an "open chapel" this day so we were in the hermanas area all day setting up booths and banera for the open house and passing out flyers on the street all day. It was really great. My comp and I were in the baptismal font area all day dressed in white explaining what baptism is to all who stopped by and it was super fun!!! We got a lot of people whom have never been in a chapel and wanted to come in, it was so great!!! We are spending all day tomorrow going to the references they left for us!
Sunday
We had a great classes and we had some of our investigator come to church so that is always great!!! We had ALL the elders come to our house for the zone meeting today so it was really fun to hang out with a whole bunch of people. It was kind of like high school with that many guys just hanging out in one house. Thats really been it for this week.
Love you all so much and thanks for all the letters they were the highlight of my week!
Elder Vance
