Week 14 - Frias

Monday, January 13, 2014

So first I will start out answering your questions.

Frias is pronounced like Free-us. Elder Ramirez lives in the state Sanora or something like that. He lives about 5-10 minutes from the ocean that comes up between Mexico and the California-Mexico part. At the top of that part. My shoes are fine, they dont need to be fixed or anything; and yes there are plenty of places that can fix them if I will need too. Yes I can buy sunscreen here. I just recently started using it. 

That is weird about the weather. This last week many people have been telling us that the U.S. is super super cold. They are saying -50 below zero. I dont know if that is in F° or C°. But that people have been found frozen to death and its just abnormally cold.

So, I will try to remember what I did this last week. I need to start writing stuff down again to remember. I keep forgetting. But we have had lessons with the Zingales family. They are super cool. We talked about the plan of salvation, well they pretty much taught the lesson to us again. They read the pamphlets and just take everything in. It all makes sense to them. Yesterday for the second time they came to church, and really enjoyed it. They all participated in the classes and the members think that they are great. He has study materials from the church and they study that in preparation for church. He has even gone on the internet and studied stuff and obviously saw what other people say about the church but he didnt care. He loves us, he has invited us to stay the night at his house if we ever needed to, swim in their pool if we feel like taking a break, and we are going to eat and their house with them soon. But they are a cool family. 

The cool thing is that yesterday at church we had 11 investigators come. It was a fourth of the whole attendance of 45 people. We were excited and the members are getting a little more excited too. 

That is pretty much about all I can remember. I will do better this week to write stuff down. 

But anyway, I will see you again next week. I love you all and hope you have a good week. Love you!!!

Elder Alec Dawson

Week 13 - Frias

Monday, January 6, 2014

So this week has been pretty nuts. Monday we had Pday and transfers. Elder Moreno and I left Frias at about 5:30 AM and arrived in Santiago at about 8 AM.  He then left with some other missionaries. He is now in Tucuman as a Zone Leader, his first leadership calling in the mission besides Senior Comp. Then from there I stayed with Elder Trinidad for the day. He is one of the ZL´s (his companion left too). We went to his apartment and stayed there until about 4 PM when we returned to the Bus Station and our companions arrived. My Companion came from Salta and so it was a 7 hour bus ride.

Elder Ramirez is my companion and he is from Mexico. He lives about 30 minutes from the border beneath Arizona. He knows a good bit of English. I really like him a lot. He has 13 months in his mission . . . 5 months older than I.

After they arrived we then hurried to some computers in the Bus Station to write you guys. Then at about 4:30 PM we left on our bus back to Frias. It was a common bus which means they have stopping points. The direct bus doesnt go around in the afternoon. It was a 3 hour ride back. It was hot, hot air, and full of people. We arrived at about 7:30 PM or so. Then from there to the apartment and then we worked.

Tuesday and Wednesday there was rain storms. Everything in Frias was fine. A little rain, cool wind, cloudy skies; but in Santiago they had tornados. Super bad rain, wind, and hail. But there was nothing in Frias.

But this week we have worked pretty hard. We are teaching a family named the Zingales Family (Parents and 3 little kids - two over 8 yrs), and one day we left them the pamphlet for Lesson 1 of the Restoration to read and also the introduction to the Book of Mormon. When we came back he showed us a power point that he made of what they had learned and read. He pretty much taught us the complete lesson. Talked about everything, including the testimonies of the three witnesses and the eight witnesses. It was super awesome. They also came to church last night! Pretty awesome week.

I read and copied your letter to print so that I could read it again later. I will talk to you guys again next week. I love you!!

Elder Dawson

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