...it makes the week's worth of work worth it

Well hey there :)  How's it going?

First to explaining the pics, the first one is of me and Elder Kuettel, he got here in the group with Elder Stewart and is from Orem and went to Timpanogos High, when I told him that I was from Lehi he asked me if I had a cousin in Orem? I was like, um, yeah haha. Yeah he knows Courtney. Small world.  He´s a funny guy and he went on divisions with Maschwitz and so we got to talk more about bball and football. He was at the Timpanogos/Lehi bball games and I guess Courtney always told him about her cousin that plays bball for Lehi.

 

 

The second pic is on the 9th, I was wanting to see the difference in my face and how I've changed in a year haha, I'm growing up... uh oh! haha I have a belly but it's not too bad... and my muscles are bulging. ;) My face is filling out and my hair is shorter. So it´ll be interesting to see myself in a year.

 

Wow! what a fun weekend for all of you! Wow what a cabin and sledding hills! :) I loved seeing all of the pics, haha I loved the photos of the sledding, especially of all of the jumps and faces haha, Dad's ;) and all of the gingerbread houses. Yes, that's something that I would do for my own house, ;) why open the packaging?

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving, yeah it doesn't even exist down here, they don't even have turkeys down here...but honestly I didn't even really think about it being Thanksgiving and by the end of the day I had forgotten that it was that day. Well, at least they celebrate Christmas, but it won't be the same. It will be nice though to speak to you all and see you all. :) If me and Elder Stewart stay we are going to skype and find a good comfortable place to do it, like a member's computer, to make sure that we don't have any problems like last time and so that we can talk for a little bit longer.

Um... well, that's exciting that the bball season already is starting this Tuesday and Friday. I'll make sure to be cheering for you all down here, and yes, good luck!! I'm excited for you all and make sure to send me the schedule!! I want to know beforehand who and when you're playing. Thanks for the packages! I love you so much, not for them but for the love that you show to me through them, wow! One month to Christmas! and they haven't started putting up the decorations yet, but I've heard that they do.

 

Rachel I loved your picture of you flying off of the jump and looking like superman! Your are crazy, Camrym, for going off the jump and yes, I did make new friends this week, actually 3. :)

So now about the week of mine... :) oh, and Elder Pinkston from my group, who is standing here right next to me right now, he went to Simi Valley High School, interesting!

The pday last week was different, we went to work after lunch, not playing soccer or other things.

Tuesday was also a first and weird day. I started with the normal studies, I watched The Testaments in Spanish, and we tried to make empanadas in the oven but they didn't turn out. Then I read all of the family history stories that you sent me at the beginning of my mission and that was fun to read them again and learn about my family and the past. I really loved reading all about Grandpa Pittard and the struggles that he went through and then over coming them to be baptized and now be a faithful member in the church. Then me and Elder Stewart played a game of Scrabble, I won 283 to 273 after two hours of playing! Then I got to sewing my gray pants, it had been like 3 weeks since they ripped really bad in the croch area and so I took two hours sewing both sides of the pants and sewing a sock in the part that was rubbing away. Then we got a call at 7:45pm telling us that we could leave and work. Nothing happened all day, there weren't any riots in Savio but I'm sure that there were in Capital. I don't know why they took away from us a pday but we didn't have the chance to play soccer haha, oh the sacrifices that one makes on the mission! ;)

 

Then on Wednesday we found out that President was coming to our district meeting and he taught us for like an hour about receiving the vision of the things on the mission, like how Nefi and Alma and Jose Smith all received the vision after they were reading the words of God and meditating profoundly and then they recieved the revelations and visions. We need to receive this revelation to be able to successfully do this work in the way that he wants it done. It was cool having President there, it was just like 12 missionaries, so it felt really personal. Then later that day we decided to contact a referral that we just recently received from a youth through his facebook. We knocked on the door and a 12 yr old boy leaves, Fedrico, and we talk about the Restoration and leave him the pamphlet and set up another cita for Friday night to talk with him and his family. They are an answer to our prayers, more on them later...

 

Then Thursday we had the weekly planning. That night we had dinner with the flia Sanchez and they made us a delicious soup with chicken, they are Peruvian. We got talking and I found out that Savio was Elder Collie´s last area and that he promised to come and visit them but he hasn't been in contact with them, they were one of his converts. I explained that being a football player especially in the NFL is hard to even think about anything else. But it helped me realize how much an impact we make on these people. The people that we find and help lead them to the gospel, we really are now a part of their family forever. So I really want to make a good effort in at least keeping in contact with the families and people that I want to remember. So that was our Thanksgiving, soup. :)

 

On Friday, we went to Fedrico's house, the family Parats, and we were knocking on the door (clapping our hands) haha and the mom walked up and we started talking to her, she kind of accepted a return appointment for the following day, and so now they were in the hands of God.

 

Saturday, awesome day, we first really committed Hermano Alegre to try and reactivate himself to be able to baptize his son Dan, then we were at the church waiting for the bishop to show up, we were going to talk with him. And the primary was practicing for their program on Sunday. The thing is they don't have a pianist and they had been using a CD, but they are still learning the songs and the director as well. They asked me for help and so I started to try to help them with He Sent His Son, they were singing it way too fast and then I started playing the melody on the piano. I couldn't play the song completely, I haven't practiced in awhile. They wanted me to play for them on Sunday but I couldn't play the song, maybe if they had given me time to practice and work with them. But it was fun helping them out. Then we went all the way out to the family Parats, they live far away, haha, but the whole family of four was there and we were able to teach them all about the Restoration. It's a mom and dad, Melina (15) and Fedrico (12). They are a great family and the mom had lots of questions. The dad was sitting there listening. He's Catholic and she isn't associateed with any religion, she doesn't beleive in a church. So we introduced the BoM to them and challenged them to read and pray. Melina, she had a friend that moved to another ward, the way that we recieved the referral. She had recieved a Book of Mormon from him and had it there and had been reading a little bit and had some questions, but she is really interested. The boy had read a couple of the pages from the pamphlet and understood it. They committed to come to church the next day. We also finally met Eduardo that day in the morning, we got talking to him and put the fecha with him for the 9th. We also put the fecha with Dan. Then that night the elders of the church were playing soccer at the church when we got to the church to put away the bikes for the night and I kicked a couple of balls and on the last kick my breaking shoe, that the bottom was peeling away, caught onto the ball and ripped halfway off, haha. So I'm now wearing the other pair. I'll see if I can get them fixed. I feel like such an old missionary! haha

 

So then Sunday, Dan and his family came to church and Melina and Fedrico came!! Their parents dropped them off, they actually have a car, which is a miracle down here, well not that drastic, but it definitely helps them come to church. The parents didn't want to but the kids stayed and they loved it!!! yeah!! We got them in their classes and the youth just got right along with them and they want to continue learning more and we have a cita with them tonght and we are going to put the fecha! The program went good, let's just say that they all have sweet spirits and one could feel their testimony, they had scriptures shared and little talks given. They also sang, it wasn't the full on Broadway production that mom put on in Lehi, but it was cute seeing all of them up there. It was sad that the chorister didn't really understand the principle of rests and changing the speed, haha. Oh well, it's the thought that counts. Then we had a ward council for like 3 hours, the bishop was making sure that everyone understood their duties as the leaders of their groups. Then we had a good day having 6 lessons with a member. But I'm just happy that we have fechas and people in church, it makes the week's worth of work worth it.

 

So now it's another week and another time to end up another email. It's going to be weird when I don't have to email you to communicate everything but I do know that this is the work of the Lord and that what I'm doing is so important and that I can sacrifice 2 years of my life in helping the Lord. :)

 

Take care and I'll talk to you later. :)

 

Love,

Elder Ryan Pittard

It was cool seeing the Spirit teach the soul of the person

Hi there :)

haha I miss the computers in Capital where I could send pics every week. Oh well, I'm doing great. :)(Ryan was able to email several pictures today...fun. :)  I've attached them at the end of this post.)
 

Thanks for your letters. I loved reading from them and feeling your spirit!

 

So to start off, thanks girls for your letters, I do love you and that's awesome that you all are going to a mansion ;) for thanksgiving and that you had fun in primary haha. I loved all of the little pics that you sent me. :)

 

Alright, now some news to you. We don't have pday today, because apparently there is going to be major riots in all of the country and especially in Capital so we have to stay inside the apartment all day tomorrow and we can't leave. We found out yesterday at lunch and the members say that it shouldn't be dangerous out here only in the downtown areas. It's a national protest, people are saying that the transportation is going to stop for a day. I honestly don't understand why but oh well, at least they let us write home. :) We have to work today instead of tomorrow and we have just enough time to write to the family and buy food and then it's off to work on a Monday. haha So a little different, but I'll be fine tomorrow and they are doing this for precautionary purposes.

 

 

Good luck in your first bball game Tanner and Alex, send pics and scores. And good luck against LP, you get them once in your gym, prepare yourselves for them. oh and practice harder!! I'm just so excited for you and the success that you'll have if you really try your hardest. I'm going to be your coach from Argentina. ;)  (we are in the gas station writing and there are a lot of 80´s songs playing and Journey just came on, haha mom, Separate Ways) anyways American culture in Argentina. :)

 

That's awesome Dad that you had a great week in China and Korea. I want to ride on a speed train, because the best we got here is the Savio train, aka ``the space train.´´ I've only ridden on it once and it was like a speed train, but just from the 60´s haha. Yeah it's interesting being in another country other than the states. We have been so blessed to have all of the technology and comforts of life and we already live in a technologically advanced country and don't have to worry about driving in the streets. Haha they get crazy outside of the States. (King of Rain -- Sting, I think) I was able to help a couple of people in Palermo that were there for visits in church. So it's fun that the sister missionaries were able to help you out, that's what I would do. :) One day I'll be able to lead you through in Spanish if you ever have to travel to a Spanish speaking place, that's if I can remember. :) Send pics of China and Korea and of the family reunion. :)

 

So about the toes, they're great, the other one is healed and doesn't give me any sort of pain. I'm trying to protect the other toe so that it doesn't do the same. My shoes are on the last leg of their journey, I still have the other pair in great condition, I rarely wear them. I'm going to wear my first pair as long as possible so that I can have some awesome missionary shoes to show everybody. :) This last week we weren't able to ride our bikes alot because my front tire was flat and we didn't have time to take them in to get fixed until Friday, so we did a lot of walking this last week.

 

Me and Elder Stewart get along great and we work well together. He doesn't want to talk like an Argentine, haha. He grew up understanding Spanish, his dad served in Ecuador, the same time as his mom, in the same zone of the same mission, and after the mission they got married. So they speak Spanish often and all of his uncles and aunts and grandparents on his mom's side always speak in Spanish. So he understands almost everything, he is learning how to speak, he just can't understand the Argentine slang and words because they change a lot of things. He doesn't want to change his accent from the normal Spanish to the Argentine Spanish, haha, but that's alright. (King of Pain again :) )

 

So about my week, it was a good week but we struggled finding new investigators. We talked to people but nobody wanted to listen or were drunk when we talked to them. We received a referral from a neighboring area named Eduardo and he had a fecha before, but he didn't come to church and we have only talked with him over the phone but we have a cita with him tonight so we are excited to meet him.

 

On Wednesday we had a zone conference in Escobar and it was an awesome meeting and I learned a lot. We learned that we are the light of the world and that we are the lighthouses that are leading our brothers and sisters that are in the darkness back to the shore of the restored Gospel. Then we learned a lot about the attribute of Christ of Charity. Then I received some letters and the pedidos, or the stuff that we ask for every transfer. I finally got my Libro de Mormón hard cover and now I'm studying that in depth. I'm now leaving my nice set of scriptures that have a year's worth of markings back home so that they don't get stolen or damaged, which I've been lucky enough that neither of those have happened in this last year or so.

 

So then that night we went to Dan and his family and only Dan and Ayelen was there, his older sister (18) who was baptized two years ago but is now inactive. So applying what I learned in the meeting, I was asking for the charity throughout the lesson and that the Spirit would teach them what we are trying to teach them. Because He is the real teacher and we are just the vessels that carry the word to the souls of the people. We had a really great lesson using the 3 nefi 11: 11,14 where Jesus is like I'm Jesus Christ and I have died for the sins of the world, then He's like come unto Me. We then, using inspired questions, were able to have the spirit teach Ayelen what she should do. We didn't even mention coming to church, but when we asked what the spirit was teaching her, she answered saying that she needed to come to church. It was so cool seeing the spirit teach the soul of the person and telling them the truth that they should do. She didn't come to church because she fell to the temptations of the devil to sleep in, we did our part and now people have their agency, haha oh agency can be so frustrating at times. I can't imagine how our Heavenly Father feels.

 

Friday was Elder Stewart's bday, he turned 20 and we had 4 cakes. I was full by the end of that day. Also we ate some really good Peruvian food, rice, rabbit and a super spicy hot sauce that was tolerable and it was really good. Rabbit tasted like chicken... haha

 

Yesterday it rained and we got soaked, but we are not getting discouraged. What I do to keep myself up is just talking to people, and visiting with people. Sometimes seeing a recent convert family following so strong in the gospel gives me animo to keep going to find the next person and family that can be like them. Then studying every morning gets me pumped to go share what I've learned. Then our Zone conferences get me pumped as well. Yes, it's true, sometimes we do get discouraged but we just need to develop the ability to not allow it to keep us down.

 

Just this morning I was studying in the Bible about the nature of God, part of Lesson 1, and I read in Matthew 6, or the same as 3 nefi 13. And I did read that same scripture and I was thinking about how we shouldn't really worry about tomorrow, as long as we are doing the things that the Lord wants us to do then the Lord will provide. I love the line, consider the lilies. The Father provides for them and He will definitely provide for us. :)

 

So now I'm going to be trying to find stuff to do tomorrow haha, stuck in the house with three other grown males. I want to clean and sew and wash the clothes. So it will be an interesting day, but you guys have fun now. :) Don't forget that someone in the family is down south. :) Being a missionary really is fun. :) The experiences that I have I'll remember for the rest of my life. That's fun to hear about everyone from Lehi that's leaving and serving missions. I wish them the best of luck and that's awesome that more sisters are choosing to serve. I received a letter from Kilee like 4 months ago and she was wanting to serve back then so that's exciting. I'm expecting more to choose to serve, how exciting!!!

 

Well, I love you all so so much. Have a great day!! :)

 

Love,

Elder Ryan Pittard

with Elder Barragan

 

with Elder Stewart

 

We still have the hope that this is the week that we find new people

Hey there hows it going? :)

Thanks for the pics, those were fun to see. :) I loved seeing them, I'm glad that you have them now. Yeah the big group pic in the church was right before we were going to leave to listen to the three apostles that came. Then the other big group pic is us right after a rehearsal at the stadium, then we ate a bag lunch and waited until the program started. Then the other one of all of the new trainers sitting in the back room waiting to meet our new comps. Then the one of me and E Stewart is right after we met each other and we walked off down a hallway to get to know each other better. Then Hermana Gulbrandsen walked by and took a picture of us on their iPad.

 

About the election I found out the next day, we were at our lunch and the hermano was like "so, Obama won." I was like, no! Oh well all is in God's hands. I liked the Santa Claus comparision, haha. And about the riots, no I haven't heard anything about that. I don't hear much here in Savio about the Capital. But I wouldn't be surprised of it. The govt is corrupt down here, but I think that's the same for all the world. Cristina, the president, from what I hear is a lot alike Obama. Last year she gave all of the elementary school kids mini laptops. They have all of the villas down here and the police force isn't that strong. That's sad about the stuff that the states are voting for.

 

Yay bball again! haha that's awesome that Tanner and Alex both made it!! That's totally awesome! Wow, Tanner, 3 yrs straight on Varsity. And yay for Alex to be playing awesome and receiving the recognition of the other players, tha'ts going to help. I want to hear all about all of the games! I'm down hear to support you and go Lehi!! Oh yah, and don't let the cheerleaders distract you while out on the court. ;)
 

That's awesome that Braden is in two plays at the same time! haha It's going to be fun going to his high school plays, and to go to Jason's swim meets. :)

 

Thanks Rachel and Camryn for everything, I received the package with the ranch and pb and the pics and they were awesome!! :) haha That's so sweet. :) One day we are going to look back and wish to have the younger Rachel and Camryn back. haha

 

Wow, China and Korea, why not Buenos Aires? haha ;)  That's awesome, I hope that you take lots of pics and bring everybody something from China, enjoy the flights and the time in another world!

 

I'm glad that school is going good for everybody especially for Mom. :) Thanks for all that you do Mom. :) Yah this last week I didn't think a lot about you all and I was looking on the MTC entrance pics on Friday and I was remembering all that happened and how crazy it is to already have been a missionary for a year now. It's weird to think back to one year ago.  I have been reading my old journal entries to remember what happened exactly a year ago haha. I can definitely see a difference in myself, in my body and how I look. I was skinny entering into the MTC and now I'm filling in the hollow spots ;) haha, and now I know Spanish a lot better compared to a year ago haha. Everybody at home has changed a ton from a year ago, everyone looks a lot older and mature. Now we are here on the second run around, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, the last time in the mission type of days. Well now I have a year to make the best of it and to continue the work of the Lord.

 

So this last week was about the same as the last week. On Monday I did the tramites in Capital, we got back after 3 hours of traveling and we were able to go out to see Dan and Sasha. Sasha's mom just died of cancer and she was struggling with the reality.

 

Tuesday we had a training meeting for all of the leaders in the mission and trainers were invited. It was a good day of learning about our purpose as missionaries and how to ask better questions to help the investigators to understand the why of the stuff that we leave them to do. Then I got the package and I got to see all of my mission friends, it's weird to think that Elder Secretan will go home in January and Elder Rickert is going home in December. It was fun to see Elder Carlson again, he is now a DL and Elder Solum was there as well. Then we were in a hot crowded bus for an hour and a half going back home to Savio. Traveling out of and to Savio is really hard and there aren't a lot of options to take. So lots of traveling for the first two days.

Wednesday we had the district meeting and then we had a good lesson with Franco, a friend of Karina. She came with us and we got talking to him about the church and the L1 pamphlet and when he saw the pic of Jose Smith and the first vision he asked about our beliefs in the trinity and he agreed in what we think, which is the truth. He was thinking that it was a little strange in the Bible that Jesus prays to himself, it just doesn't work. He didn't come to church but we are working with him. As always it was awesome to bring Karina to the cita. She just has a fire to share the gospel and is the right member for all of our investigators.
 

It was hot all week, hitting in the 90´s a couple of times and super humid. Then on Friday a thunderstorm hit! and it was a freak rain storm. We were looking for the vianda to take it back home and we had just got to the hermana's house and it started pouring hard and it was a fun adventure traveling back through the muddy roads back home haha. We got soaked.
 

Oh, big news for me, haha, on Thursday when we got home we decided to change up the living quarters. We had been sleeping all four of us in the same room and then studying in the same other room, separated by the kitchen in the middle. So we took apart a bunk bed and put a study table and a big shelf in the other room and we separated the living space. Now me and Elder Stewart are in the old study room with a lot of more room for our stuff, it was a good year mark present to change up the living space. So now we are sleeping a lot more comfortably and now that it's hotter at night we aren't sleeping sweaty. Oh and thanks for the BYU shirt! It looks so awesome and I love it. :) That's good that BYU won :) So who might they be playing in the MWC in the Poinsetta Bowl?
 

Sunday we had two surprises come to church, Maira, a daughter of Beatriz and a friend of Anchi. Then we had ward council. I love this ward, the members are awesome and the missionaries have the support of the ward and the recent converts are really strong and want to help in the work. So we struggled finding new investigators again and all of the investigators that we have didn't come to church. The flia Alegre didn't come, we had daily contact with them and everything but still fell through. So we still have the hope that this is the week that we find new people.
 

I love you all so much and thanks for all of your support and I hope that you all have a great week in Lehi. :)
 

umm.... that's it :) until next week!

Love,

Elder Ryan Pittard

Last week we had a miracle happen

Hi there :)

How's it going?

It's amazing how that week flew! and a lot happened inbetween last week and right now :) I'm now sitting in a ciber right off 9 de Julio right next to the big obilisco thingy. Today we had to come to downtown to do a backround check, in preparation to start the process of renewing our visa to Argentina. We had to be at the offices at 8:00 so we got up at 5:30 am to get there on time. We took an hour and a half bus ride from Savio to San Fernando and I missed the stop by like 10 blocks but we still had time. There we met with lots of elders of my group, and then we took the train all the way down to Retiro and then the Subté to the oblisco. There we had to fill out some paper work and then they digitally scanned our finger prints and then that was it we were done. So we just went to Burger King, something that's not in Savio, and then we are doing email right now. I miss these really nice cibers. haha

So that's wonderful to hear from you all! I'm glad that Halloween went well and that everyone came up with great costumes. I liked Alex´s and also Tanner's creativity. That looked like a fun party that you all had, how many girlfriends do you have Tanner? ;) And ouch, I'm sorry Alex, that would really hurt. I think that you'll do great in tryouts, just have fun and play your hardest. and that goes for you too Tanner, just relax and have fun playing but play hard, always play hard, that's how you're going to be able to start. You both can do it, just be a good team player and make plays on defense, because on offense anybody can pass the ball or score a lay up but on defense if you can shut down your player, cause some turnovers and play smart, then that's what coach will recognize. I'm not worried for either of you.

So you all want to hear about my new comp?

So on Tuesday we get to the mission house and then we had to wait in the back room, waiting to walk out singing Called to Serve in Spanish and getting to know our new comps. So I led the group out singing and it was a big group, 19, and so there was a lot of people in the house.

 But my new comp is Elder Stewart and he is from Kansas City, KS he has 6 months already in the mission and he served in Denver, Colorado for 4 and a half months. He loves basketball and is the oldest in his family. He´s awesome, all that he faults is getting used to Argentina and the culture and the church down here. The work and the experience as a missionary are way different than in the states. He's quiet around people he doesn't know but once you get to know him he opens up. His mom is from Ecuador but he is white, he is 6´3" and around my weight. So we then took a remis back home and went out to work Tuesday afternoon.

This last week we had a miracle happen, Wednesday night we were walking to our last cita of the night and we were walking down a street that I don't normally take to get to this house but I felt like we should. We were walking and talking and a lady pushing a stroller with a cigarette in her hand starts walking behind us and asks us really quietly, what do you believe in? I started explaing to her, while walking, that we believe in God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. We got talking about her life and it was a sad story, I felt really bad for her. She's addicted to smoking and drinking and so is her husband and he doesn't help her in being a mom, they aren't married but her parents don't want her separating from the guy. She has had suicidal thoughts and she told me that she wants the happiness that we have, in the way that we carry ourselves. We left her some pamphlets and the direction to the church. She said that she would come but we weren't able to find her again. We tried going past her house a couple of times but I have faith that we will find her again some day. Then this last week we also got to know some more friends of Karina Cubilla, she has shared the gospel with all of her friends and she only has a year in this gospel. She is an awesome missionary and she's 17 yrs old and wants to serve a mission. She helps us a lot in the work and I wish that every youth was like her. haha Elder Rickert, my comp from Lugano, baptized her when he was in Savio. Rickert is going home this transfer in December.

We had success this week in helping the flia Alegre come to church for the first time in a long, long time. Their son, Dan, just barely turned 9 and his family is inactive, and we are trying to help the father reactivate so that he can baptize his own son, they are progressing wonderfully. :)  The mosquitos are so horrible down here!!! Sorry, I just have a million bites on me. I put on the Off spray and they still somehow get underneath all of my clothes. haha  I'll survive. That's cool that Ryan Bell and Brad got their calls. The Cordoba mission is northwest of our mission and it is lots of country, super hot but I have known alot of Argentines that have served there and they loved it. Too bad that he couldn't have come here with me in the city.

So last week I got your letter with all of the scripture references, I really liked that, also the letters from my friends, they sound like they are doing great!

Well I do hit a year this Friday. It has been a quick but long year, but a good year and it's weird to be hitting this stage in the mission, where I can look back a year. I'm so old now. haha

On Saturday I cut the weeds in the front part of the Cubilla's house for service and I got a blister on my finger from the machette. haha Oh well, it was loving service. Oh and Monday night there was a thunder storm and we got wet. haha I was in Matheu and my bike was a little girl's bike. haha

So this week we are focusing on finding more new investigators that are willing to come to church and to make that sacrifice, so we will see with that.

Good luck with the tryouts and the week of work, and yes I will be praying on Tuesday for the election. It's making news down here, so I'm sure that I'll find out, but keep me updated!

I love you all so so much. This is the true church and this is the Lord's work!!

Con todo mi amor (ryan pittard accent ;) )

Elder Ryan Pittard