Week 12 - Frias

Monday, December 30, 2013

I dont have a lot of time to write you today. Right now I am in the bus station waiting for our bus to head back to Frias with my new companion. We will be arriving back in my area at about 8 [pm] or so my time.

Next week I will be able to write to you a little more about transfers and your week. I really enjoyed talking to you for Christmas. I am excited for when I can talk to you again in May. 

But my new companion is from Mexico and his name is Elder Ramirez. He has about a year on his mission. I am excited to work with him and to be able to learn. 

I hope that you had a great week and that you will have a good one this week too. Happy New Years mom and Dad. I love you so Much!!! 

Elder Dawson

Week 11 - Frias (Christmas)

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Alec’s P-day was on Christmas this week. We waited all day and finally heard from Alec about 3:45 pm our time.  We were able to SKYPE with him for about 45 minutes.  The connection was not as good as we’d hoped, but we were SO glad to see him and talk to him. He was using a computer at a part-member’s house in a small room.  Alec and his companion, Elder Moreno, and a part-member was in the same room with him the whole time.  Alec looked thinner and his face was sunburned. He said that he gained 15+ pounds while he was in the MTC and was down to his normal weight, and he and his companion actually get to wear a straw cowboy hat to keep the sun off. 

Week 10 - Frias

Monday, December 16, 2013

So I will start off with my week.

Monday: That morning we went and played soccer with some youth. Some of Claudias kids, a few members, and friends. It was a lot of fun. I am okay at soccer. All the kids can do tricks and stuff but I cant. I still can do enough to be able to score some goals! It was a lot of fun and it was hot too. Afterwards we went to a Members house and had lunch. Empenadas! So good! I think it is my favorite food so far! I am going to make them all the time when I get home! Then later we went to the church and did emails, later bought our groceries and finished washing clothes! That night was slow. We had two lessons. One with an investigator, and one was a RC/LA lesson. 

Tuesday was good. We had 5 lessons with investigators. We found a couple new people to teach, received some referrals and all. 

Wednesday we traveled to Santiago for the conference with Presidente Levrino, Sis. Levrino, and Elder Ferreira from the 70 with Sis Ferreira! It was an awesome conference! We learned a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, also of the role of the Holy Ghost. A lot of why recent converts are so important, just different things that we can do to help accelerate the work in our zone… members, church attendance, a lot. It was a great experience. Elder Ferreira was the first AP in the Salta mission and he also served in Santiago.

Thursday we had weekly planning morning and half of the afternoon, and that night we had 3 lessons with a member present. We hadnt been able to have a member come with us until this day. 

Friday and Saturday were also days with not a whole lots of lessons. We were able to go by a few more RC [recent converts] and LA [less active] members. Some were home and some were not which left us with a whole lot of walking. Contacted a lot of our referrals and received some more. They weren´t way bad days.

Sunday we had some lessons in the morning and committed them to church in the afternoon. We have church at 7pm now instead of 6 pm. Its a little bit better because everybody complains that its so hot and people come late most of the time anyway. There is literally like no one in the streets, and if they dont have to, people would rather not leave their houses. At church we had 31 people in Sacrament meeting. We had 3 investigators there. It was a pretty good meeting. 

And then now it is today and I am writing you. Now I will answer your questions.

We are making sure this week that the members have skype. But if not and I wont be able to use it I will be able to contact you one way or another. Our PDay will be on Christmas next week. I would have to just be able to send you an email to let you know about when.

So the package, the APs sent out an email talking about packages that are sent through DHL and all, and I thought that they probably sent it because of mom and dad. Then I read your email and Dad had called them. hahaha But I am sure he told you guys the same things he said in the email. That it is safer to send packages through normal mail. 

It sounds like you guys have had a pretty good week. I hope your Christmas program goes well! 

Its just going to be getting even more hotter. I hear that the province of Santiago is one of the hottest in Argentina, and I am going to be here all Summer long. Well for you all winter. 

Anyway it is time for me to go now! I hope that you have an awesome week! I love you guys!

Merry early Christmas!!! 

Elder Dawson

Week 9 - Frias

                                                                                                        Monday, December 9, 2013

So for the Mate tea...we can drink it but it depends on how we drink it. We cannot drink it in Bombia´s which are like a cup-type thing that the people put the herb in. They put water and sugar in it then drink it with a metal straw thing that has holes in the end to keep the herb out and only let the water through. We cannot drink it this way but we can drink it from tea bags. We can have the herb, but we have to filter it.

So this week has been hot and we worked hard. We have a lot of people that we are working with. Some are progressing and some are not. We are finding different people around our area. some are interested and some are not. This past Sunday we didnt have any investigators in the church. This is the first week that we havent had anybody. We dont know why. We had people committed for sure. At least 6 or so were supposed to come for sure but no one did. We set some goals last night so that we could work harder to do it. We feel that we are losing time trying to talk to those that arent chosen or prepared and arent ready for the gospel just yet. One of the goals that we set is we are going to try harder to find by the Spirit the people that are prepared and are willing to act on the message that we share, to be able to recognize with the people that we are working with in one way or another are ready and are willing to act and progress. Its hard work, but its necessary. 

Today we played Soccer with a couple members and some of Claudia´s kids and friends. I am alright, but all the kids are younger and can do all sorts of tricks. It was tiring. I am a little burnt in some of the places that are usually covered by my church clothes. It helps so that I wont be looking completely like a hillbilly when I get back. I have a tan line all the way up my neck. It looks weird when I wear a t-shirt. Afterwards we went and ate empanadas with a PM [part member] family. Also the family of Maxi. We are still trying to work with him. This last week was hard to be able to talk to him and really have a lesson. 

By the way today is Ben Hadlocks birthday! 

On Wednesday we are traveling to Santiago in the afternoon. We are having a conference with a member of the 70. I dont remember his name but he served in this mission a long time ago also. I am looking forward to this opportunity I have to learn more about the gospel and what the Lord needs of me right now. 

That is my week! Im happy that your week was good! Thank you for the recipes! [deviled eggs and egg nog]  I will see what I can do with them. Translate them first. ha 

I hope that you have great week with work and school. I dont remember if I told you but here they just got out of school. Its weird cause back home its winter and chilly, but here its hot and summer break. But anyway I love you all! Hi Jared!

Elder Dawson

Week 8 - Frias

                                                                                                        Monday, December 2, 2013

So yes we still go by that family [the family in his last email where the boyfriend and girlfriend had a confrontation]. Its not awkward or anything. We go by that area a ton. This family is a part member family and the mom is probably going to be baptized this month. 

So your question on food. Hispanic food in Texas is spicy! They love things that are hot. Tortillas, meat, cooking out and all. Here in Argentina is more kind of like European style stuff. Noodles and meat. Almost everything has some sort of meat in it. Its hard to find something here that is spicy. They think something is hot if they eat a little ball of pepper. 

So today I was finally able to send a couple of letters that I had written like 3 or 4 weeks ago for Uncle Dale and Aunt Cheryl and Grandma Walker. Tomorrow they will be sent to Salta. Then from there I dont know where they will go. I also sent one for Grandma Dawson. 

Yesterday morning we were in Claudia´s house (Recent Convert) and we were all talking about different things. We started talking about halloween. They asked me what is the meaning of halloween. Why do we celebrate it. I didnt know why. haha 

So this week I was on exchanges with Elder Poettcker. I stayed in Frias. We traveled to Santiago on Tuesday, had District Meeting, I also exchanged $40 into Pesos. It was an exchange of 8.5 pesos for $1. So I got 340 pesos. That is a good rate. But then we traveled back to Frias and he stayed with me that day and all day Wednesday.

Also yesterday we were able to confirm Eliana. She wasnt able to come last week but this week yes.

Saturday we were suppose to have a baptism but we didnt. His name is Maxi. This last week he had some doubts and then there was elections and so things got complicated. He isnt sure about baptism anymore but he also knows that things we have taught and that he has learned are true. We are going to talk to him today. He is a great kid and really has great desires. He will be baptized. We just need a little help from the Lord and the Holy Ghost! 

So thats about all I have for this week. I dont have anymore time left for today. I hope that you guys all have a great week! I love you tons!

Elder Dawson