WAHOO!!

IT CAME!!!
And it was the best package a sister missionary could possibly receive in the whole World! I lined everything up and took pictures just like Christmas… because it is Christmas! I was so happy and relieved to see that you made away like a bandit with lots of the shirts. Way to go! I love them so. Please pass along my gratitude to all who took part in my perfect package!

When the hour changed it was Sunday, so we had to leave the pension at 8:30 to walk to church. But we survived and I've got about as much energy as can be expected for working the way we do in the climate we endure!

Carrying two pairs of shoes would solve the rain problem… but that's asking to be robbed. Plus we aren´t allowed to walk around with back packs… again… because we´d get robbed. A few years ago an Elder here was killed because as he was getting on a train someone grabbed his backpack. As he was trying to take it off to hand it over he couldn´t do it-- or took too long doing it and the guy freaked out and shot him. So we don´t use backpacks now.

Halloween… we´ll see how they celebrate it here. I think there is a ward dance that night. Everyone asks us about this holiday. They are very curious and rarely satisfied with our answers of why we do it and if we are really worshipping Satan and the like. We explain that it´s a holiday centered on cool costumes and candy. The concept of trick or treating is literally beyond their comprehension-- that you go begging for candy from your neighbors-- and it obviously shocked them when I told them I did it as a sophomore and junior in college… hehe

Daddy- your letter was so long… I was super impressed! Thank heavens BYU won again, but I guess that loss to TCU killed the hope of a BCS bowl, right ? Bummer. I laughed out loud when you said you and mommy were going to dress up for Halloween! Good one. I miss you. I´m glad you remember playing in the snow with me! I love you tons.

NataJasa – I got all of your letters from dearelder! Thank heavens… I was afraid you had forgotten about me… psyche! I loved what you sent me and think about your family all the time… in a good non-trunky way of course!

Interesting facts about ARGENTINA:

There are vans with giant speakers on top of them that drive around town playing commercials… it´s like a way of advertising on the radio but different. It´s really distracting when you´re teaching someone on the street, but it´s just a bonus!

The transfer ends on the 10th of November and I´m pretty sure I¨m leaving Castelar. Which is what I want. I'm ready for a change of scenery, members, investigators, less actives and streets! I will have been here for 4 months and yeah, I'm ready for something new. I can´t decide if I want to go to "campo" yet or not. I´m bound to be sent to the outskirts sooner or later, but when?

This past week my companion and I received the award "capos de oeste" which means like "awesome of the West" it doesn´t translate, but it means that for week 4 in the transfer we had the best numbers for the 5 key indicators of all the companionships in the zone of Castelar… which is like 10 or 12. Not bad! We won a certificate and alfajores! Yet again, you may rest assured that we are working hard!

On Sunday Raul received the Aaronic Priesthood and we were invited to witness the ordinance. It was cool and I cried a little, but I was already a bit emotional because not 5 minutes before Fernando came up to me to say goodbye and he informed us that that afternoon he was leaving for Misiones which is a whole other province of Buenos Aires! He doesn´t know when he´s coming back. We told him to keep reading his BOM and this morning he called us to ask if anyone in the ward needs free baby clothes and so we´re still in contact with him and we´re going to make sure he knows where the chapel is there and send the missionaries for him, but I´m sad because obviously I wanted to be a part of the whole story and see him get baptized! Maybe he´ll come back this week and surprise us and ask to be baptized on the 8th before I leave the area… you never know. That is one thing I am sure of… you never know anything in the mission.

Yesterday after District Meeting "the tapa lady" came and we were all able to place our orders to buy those cool leather scripture cases with pictures of Christ and temples and stuff burned into them! It was so hard to pick which pictures I wanted… It took 45 minutes for me to decide! Anyway… if you guys want I could order you some the next time she comes… which is every few months. I could buy everyone little cases for their mini hymn books… it´s a thought. If you really don´t want one or wouldn´t use it, then tell me and I won´t do it, but if you want something tell me and I can get them. It takes months to get them, but mine are ordered and so in a few months I´ll be able to take pictures and send them home to show you!

Sorry if this email was empty of the good stuff. I tried to touch all the bases. The most important thing is that you know that the package arrived and it was more than I could have ever hoped for in a million years! I was sad that it cost so much to send it, but that sure showed me how loved I am! Thanks for being willing to pay extra to make sure that I would actually get it! I love you so much and pray for you all daily… and for Sunwood, and of course for Davy!

ETTE (Endure To The End) and I can´t wait to be with you all again! But for now, there is work to be done, and I´m ready to get my hands dirty in the vineyard of the Lord!

WUBBA!
Hermana Jensen!