August 30, 2010 No jam please! I'll just scoop up everything on my plate with this bread. Thanks.

Hello Everyone!

I hope everything is going oh so well back in Utah. Let me fill you in on Argtentino life. I realized this week how Argentine I really am. We had the new couple missionaries that we have been training this week, Elder and Hermana Nope, invite Elder Quebbeman and I over to their house Saturday night for dinner (number 1 realization, it was different to get a dinner invitation and not a big lunch invite). After teaching during the day we went over to their house that night and opened the door and (realization number 2) started speaking English with them. We had crock pot meat with potatoes and carrots (that was pretty much normal, the Argentines generally speaking love their meat). It was really good though! There was gravy and everything. The other thing that contributed to realizing that I really have become pretty Argentine was when Hermana Nope offered to put jam on my bread. I thought in my head that that just wasn´t right. Bread is supposed to be used for scooping food and cleaning off your plate, not to put butter and jam on. It was so much fun just to have that kind of cultural experience and realize how much Argentina has rubbed off on me. I love it!

This week was incredible. We were trying to get a hold of Antonio all week but weren´t able to get through on his phone. He lives outside of our area and his landlord doesn´t like the church so we weren´t able to visit him this week. We weren´t able to contact the member he lives with either. We were praying during the week that he would get to church when lo and behold a miracle happened and he showed up at church on Sunday early and so happy to be there. I think this happened early this week, but just to share an experience about him, there was one night where I was calling him to set up an appointment for the following day and he told me he was reading the Book of Mormon. I told him that was awesome and asked him if he had any questions. We proceeded to talk for a little bit and I bore my testimony to him of the Book of Mormon. He feels something and he knows it´s special. Keep praying for him! We want to put a baptismal date with him this week.

New Missionary Couples!
This week has really been all about helping the new Matrimonios feel comfortable here. It´s been really fun as we´ve taken a few trips outside the office and given them their first tastes of Argentine life. Hermana Nope is who I am training to do my job and it´s been so fun! She loves organizing and cleaning so that is what we have been doing to the office. It looks tons better! Her husband, Elder Nope is an incredible missionary! We were in a furniture/appliance store in a meeting with one of the head guys there and started to talk about the family. Elder Nope grabbed just enough of the conversation to know that we were talking about the family and bore his simple and powerful testimony on his family and his purpose here as a missionary (3 Nephi 5:13): It was incredible! The guy said that I wasn´t going to change and he wasn´t going to change but we gave him a phamphlet on the proclamation to the world on the family and he very anxiously accepted it. It was so much fun! He also talked with a few people in the street and bore simple testimony. Simplicity and sincerity is just at the bottom of it all. Just make it simple.

We´ve been working with a man named Hugo. He really wants to change his life. He´s lived a pretty difficult life and wants to change. I know that it´s going to come about a little bit at a time, but as long as it comes about a little bit at a time, it´s coming. That is what´s important, that we change a little bit at a time. I think of the scripture Alma 34:16- it really is by small and simple means that great things come to pass. I guess that´s more true than I know.

Ok, so I tried to find my camera cord, but I couldn´t find it this morning. I don´t know where it is, I really need to find this camera cord. I thought I had another way to get around it by using an SD USB adapter that we have here in the offices, but my XD card doesn´t fit. Don´t worry, we´ll find out about what´s going on and I´ll find some way to send pictures to you.

I learn so much here every single day. I´m learning to look for opportunties to learn at every moment and find moments to improve. I love the mission, I love life!

Have an awesome week this week!

Love,
Elder Hoglund