The Iguazu Falls are like 8 hours away or so. It´s obviously out of the mission and the only way that one would get to see it, is if their fam picks them up and they are released into the care of them and tour around a bit. But it´s all good, maybe I´ll get back some day!
(These are pictures Stacey's friend Megan Glauser took while serving in the Argentina Resistencia Mission) Perfect timing Megan, thanks for letting me post them!
Sour cream – I read the things Hermana Benton said about it and the other tips you sent. I will look for this other brand and see if it works. Either way I'm sure I'll be able to make some ranch soon!
Peanut Butter – I like them both, but I would choose creamy. As far as the dog chaser… I guess we should just let it go. You really don´t have to send me a whistle – the dogs leave me alone. They just bark a lot when we are trying to contact people and it bugs me.
I did get the letter from Jason about training – both from you, and another copy from Hermana Benton.
I finally got the late arriving package and absolutely LOVE the bracelet and earrings. I put them on right away and feel so special and loved. There were 3 5th avenue bars, 6 cow tails, dried fruit, 2 pairs of socks, 2 magnets of Davy that I absolutely adore, and the makeup remover, another lotion, and the cuticle cream. And the card with the awesome “hump day” poem. Oh, and obviously the CDs which we will be trying out tonight after planning! I´m super excited to have new stuff to listen to! You rock. You are the best mommy ever.
I got a dearelder letter from Maurie the other day and she said she sent me a letter a few months ago that I never got. Bummer. Does it snow in Jerusalem? Or did it in Antiguity? My comp was all thrown off when Nephi talked about how the fruit was whiter than snow… maybe it used to snow back then. Who knows.
We have smelled quite a few dead dogs as of late, and it is so bad it almost knocks us off our feet!
The other day my comp and I walked past the window of a confiteria – which is like a bakery – and we stopped to gaze at all the yummy treats that were on display and I felt like one of those poor kids on that animated cartoon movie we used to watch as kids-- with the little brother and sister that dreamed about going to this candyland and then they woke up and the town had brought them food… Nata should remember. Anyway… I felt like them. It was funny and humbling… we feel pretty poor sometimes.
New ice cream flavors that I love: Tramontana, Abdo Choc, and Almendrado.
I can´t really explain them, but maybe if you google them you could find a description of them. Daddy would just die eating ice cream here.
Mommy – I changed my mind about sending me more journal paper, I can just start buying different journals here… they don´t all need to match, that´s just plain ridiculous – especially because I am going to spend the first month home from the mission transcribing them all into English and saving them on a hard drive. So if you already bought some, take em back. I don´t want you to go through the hassle to send more. I promise! I´m quite content with my future planned system.
So I´m missing March Madness. Is it off to a good start? Fill out a bracket for me… taking the cougs all the way to the end and then don´t tell me when they get out… Well ok, tell me, but I´m going to pretend that they won the tourney even when you inform me that they didn´t. hehe
I had to finally say goodbye to the Sketchers. I loved those shoes, but I realized that it just isn´t worth keeping the cool sun tan line to be in pain all day and 20 years down the road. I am now sporting the Born shoes and they are better, but let´s face it, my feet hurt no matter what… that is to be expected after almost 10 months of walking.
Daddy – I still wear my pedometer every day, but I´m not sure that it is all that accurate. The other day I could have sworn we walked like 5 miles and when I got home and took it off it said like 1.5 miles. But I will keep wearing it and I promise not to tell you the present count. I get more comments from members and investigators about that pedometer than I get about Obama being president – and let me assure you I get a lot of those!
We had interviews with the Pres. This week and I also scheduled with the APs to take the Preach my Gospel test. One of the goals in our little pamphlet thing is to study chapters 2 and 10 and pass the test with a score of a 9 or a 10. I studied and memorized and studied and memorized for 5 weeks and finally got up the guts to take it. Just like I always did at BYU I brought 2 mechanical pencils, the last of my Smarties candies and chapstick. I sat down in the mission office and took the test with all the zone in the room chatting away. I passed! They say not many do on the first try--and if you fail the first time, they make you wait like 4 months before you can take it again, but I passed on the first try and the AP Elder Kelly signed my booklet! I felt so content with myself. It was actually a little exciting for me… I missed tests. I haven´t taken one since my last final in April and I kind of missed the process of studying and then hoping to be asked what you had painstakingly memorized. I quite enjoyed the experience!
In my interview with the president I was all but told that he would be leaving me in Haedo 1 one transfer more, but after that he would be sending me to “greener pastures!” I can endure 8 more weeks. I know I can. The interview left me feeling much better. I was able to express my frustration a little bit and he counseled me to strive to feel charity for the people. It seems to be working! I´ll keep you posted.
He told me a few things when he asked about Sunwood. He said to remember this – “it is always darkest just before dawn” and then he said his motto is “if you find me dead, you won´t find an arrow left in my quiver because I´ll go down firing until I have nothing left.” He knows his stuff! I think his advice was also directed to me and the mission life. I will go down firing all I´ve got!
We found and began teaching a 19 year old that has – get this – a 6 year old daughter and a 1 year old daughter. He might progress – you never know. But imagine being a father at age 14. Wow.
We are also teaching a family: a couple named Ernesto and Andrea. Their 3 year old daughter is named Nicole and she is pretty cute and shy. He is all about coming to church on Sunday and she is a little hesitant, but we are determined to work with them. They both smoke a ton, so that will be the first stumbling block.
We keep finding people that actually have a glimmer of hope and then every single one (it seems) then tells us they live in San Justo (the area of the ZLs). It´s just not fair, but hey, life isn´t fair.
Ines doesn´t have any desire to come to church and that means that her teenage kids don´t either. It´s tough working with them because they don´t do their part and technically we should drop them if they don´t start keeping their commitments, but it´s awfully hard to drop them when you only have like 7 other investigators in the whole area. We have an appointment with them tonight, but the member cancelled – we were going to have an FHE and watch "The Restoration" in the home of the member and now we are left with just a plain old lesson and it just doesn´t have the same effect… they need more. It kills me to think that they just don´t get it – they need to read and pray. We asked them to kneel and pray with us last time and she forgot to ask if the church was true in the prayer… it was a big let down moment because I had reminded her right before she began the prayer to ask for that specifically.
We finally contacted this mom and her 3 kids that we are teaching after 2 weeks of not finding them at home. They are super great, but the dad might keep them from coming to church this week. I hope not. They are way accepting of what we teach. They don´t read either, but at least they believe what we tell them.
Basically I feel renewed and refilled with hope and faith and the drive to work again. I love you so much and pray for you all every day!
Mommy – I promise to send you pictures ASAP, my goal is next p-day. It´s been crazy today, but I´m going to work on it. I want ya'll to have pictures too.
Nata – It was so fun climbing around on those big rocks in the front yard--remember the one we named “loose tooth”?
I´m hitting 10 months on Saturday. Can you even believe it? It´s literally flying by! I still want to baptize a family. That is something I want so much.
I am recovering from all my wounds and mini-surgeries and you should see my finger nails, they do so well here!
I wish you all a wonderful week and pray that you know that I am literally, truly, blissfully happy! I will fight and win until the bitter end.
This is the best mission in the whole world and you will never convince me otherwise. I love Argentina – crazy colectivos, stray dogs, 40 degrees heat and all!
Keep up your studies and take advantage of every missionary opportunity the Lord gives you. They are gifts.
I have got to go, but I love you tons!
Next week I might be writing late again – because we have a zone activity. Shorry!
Wubba,
Hermana Stacey Jensen!
Mommy – I changed my mind about sending me more journal paper, I can just start buying different journals here… they don´t all need to match, that´s just plain ridiculous – especially because I am going to spend the first month home from the mission transcribing them all into English and saving them on a hard drive. So if you already bought some, take em back. I don´t want you to go through the hassle to send more. I promise! I´m quite content with my future planned system.
So I´m missing March Madness. Is it off to a good start? Fill out a bracket for me… taking the cougs all the way to the end and then don´t tell me when they get out… Well ok, tell me, but I´m going to pretend that they won the tourney even when you inform me that they didn´t. hehe
I had to finally say goodbye to the Sketchers. I loved those shoes, but I realized that it just isn´t worth keeping the cool sun tan line to be in pain all day and 20 years down the road. I am now sporting the Born shoes and they are better, but let´s face it, my feet hurt no matter what… that is to be expected after almost 10 months of walking.
Daddy – I still wear my pedometer every day, but I´m not sure that it is all that accurate. The other day I could have sworn we walked like 5 miles and when I got home and took it off it said like 1.5 miles. But I will keep wearing it and I promise not to tell you the present count. I get more comments from members and investigators about that pedometer than I get about Obama being president – and let me assure you I get a lot of those!
We had interviews with the Pres. This week and I also scheduled with the APs to take the Preach my Gospel test. One of the goals in our little pamphlet thing is to study chapters 2 and 10 and pass the test with a score of a 9 or a 10. I studied and memorized and studied and memorized for 5 weeks and finally got up the guts to take it. Just like I always did at BYU I brought 2 mechanical pencils, the last of my Smarties candies and chapstick. I sat down in the mission office and took the test with all the zone in the room chatting away. I passed! They say not many do on the first try--and if you fail the first time, they make you wait like 4 months before you can take it again, but I passed on the first try and the AP Elder Kelly signed my booklet! I felt so content with myself. It was actually a little exciting for me… I missed tests. I haven´t taken one since my last final in April and I kind of missed the process of studying and then hoping to be asked what you had painstakingly memorized. I quite enjoyed the experience!
In my interview with the president I was all but told that he would be leaving me in Haedo 1 one transfer more, but after that he would be sending me to “greener pastures!” I can endure 8 more weeks. I know I can. The interview left me feeling much better. I was able to express my frustration a little bit and he counseled me to strive to feel charity for the people. It seems to be working! I´ll keep you posted.
He told me a few things when he asked about Sunwood. He said to remember this – “it is always darkest just before dawn” and then he said his motto is “if you find me dead, you won´t find an arrow left in my quiver because I´ll go down firing until I have nothing left.” He knows his stuff! I think his advice was also directed to me and the mission life. I will go down firing all I´ve got!
We found and began teaching a 19 year old that has – get this – a 6 year old daughter and a 1 year old daughter. He might progress – you never know. But imagine being a father at age 14. Wow.
We are also teaching a family: a couple named Ernesto and Andrea. Their 3 year old daughter is named Nicole and she is pretty cute and shy. He is all about coming to church on Sunday and she is a little hesitant, but we are determined to work with them. They both smoke a ton, so that will be the first stumbling block.
We keep finding people that actually have a glimmer of hope and then every single one (it seems) then tells us they live in San Justo (the area of the ZLs). It´s just not fair, but hey, life isn´t fair.
Ines doesn´t have any desire to come to church and that means that her teenage kids don´t either. It´s tough working with them because they don´t do their part and technically we should drop them if they don´t start keeping their commitments, but it´s awfully hard to drop them when you only have like 7 other investigators in the whole area. We have an appointment with them tonight, but the member cancelled – we were going to have an FHE and watch "The Restoration" in the home of the member and now we are left with just a plain old lesson and it just doesn´t have the same effect… they need more. It kills me to think that they just don´t get it – they need to read and pray. We asked them to kneel and pray with us last time and she forgot to ask if the church was true in the prayer… it was a big let down moment because I had reminded her right before she began the prayer to ask for that specifically.
We finally contacted this mom and her 3 kids that we are teaching after 2 weeks of not finding them at home. They are super great, but the dad might keep them from coming to church this week. I hope not. They are way accepting of what we teach. They don´t read either, but at least they believe what we tell them.
Basically I feel renewed and refilled with hope and faith and the drive to work again. I love you so much and pray for you all every day!
Mommy – I promise to send you pictures ASAP, my goal is next p-day. It´s been crazy today, but I´m going to work on it. I want ya'll to have pictures too.
Nata – It was so fun climbing around on those big rocks in the front yard--remember the one we named “loose tooth”?
I´m hitting 10 months on Saturday. Can you even believe it? It´s literally flying by! I still want to baptize a family. That is something I want so much.
I am recovering from all my wounds and mini-surgeries and you should see my finger nails, they do so well here!
I wish you all a wonderful week and pray that you know that I am literally, truly, blissfully happy! I will fight and win until the bitter end.
This is the best mission in the whole world and you will never convince me otherwise. I love Argentina – crazy colectivos, stray dogs, 40 degrees heat and all!
Keep up your studies and take advantage of every missionary opportunity the Lord gives you. They are gifts.
I have got to go, but I love you tons!
Next week I might be writing late again – because we have a zone activity. Shorry!
Wubba,
Hermana Stacey Jensen!
