We had the special opportunity to go to the temple as a mission

Well hey there :)

Today we had the special opportunity to go to the temple as a mission, we just found out on Friday night and it's the first time that all of the mission went to the temple together. It's not normally open on Monday, but they did a special event for our mission. So we had to get up early today, but we accidently set our alarm for 5:30pm instead of am and we woke up at 6:30, we were then running to the train station and then we took a crowded train to a station where we got off and crossed the tracks and took a really beat up bus heading towards the temple, it let us off half a mile away from the temple, so we were walking up to it. :) But we finally arrived at 9:15am and made the 10am session, it was so fun being with the other elders, all of the provincia elders went at 10 so I was able to see lots of friends and enjoy the day at the temple. The only thing is that it's so far away that it's lots of money to go by public trasport, so going back we had to take a 45 min bus to Liniers, then we took an 1 hr bus ride to San Miguel where we got off to eat BK, and then we just got back to JCP 30 minute ago haha, so we have limited time on the computer.

So I loved your letters and notes, yeah, so I will try to explain JCP (Jose C Paz), yup it's a lot like Savio, there isn't a building over 2 stories, lots of little stores here and there, that's the main street, the biggest thing is the train station that runs through it. We actually live next to the train station and then the church is 20 min down the highway, (on bike) yes we are on bikes again, so that means some new holes in the pants, not yet, but I'm sure that they will come. I had them fixed in Constitucion.  We work close to the church and our area is big with lots of fields, really different from where I was.

 

So the ward is good, one of the best in this zone, 90 came to church, though we don't have a bishop, for like 6 months now, he just got up and moved to Paraguay and the stake hasn't replaced him yet. But we have lots of older members but it's a good mix. We have a tiny church but it has a big soccer field out back. There are lots of dirt roads but there are lots of big state highways that pass through.

 

Elder Brown is a capo, stud. :) he is a really good missionary that really is passionate in being a great ZL, we actually have 10 companionships in the zone and we have some tougher areas to work with. Elder Brown is the oldest of 4 and he went to Viewmont and is from my graduating year. He played baseball and could've played college bball if he wanted to, but decided that the mission was more important. He already has been here for 3 months and the same time as a ZL. So I'm receiving some training from him and learning on the run. We have to deal with the zone money, extra money to help out the zone and for emergencies. We have to focus more on the numbers and then help them try and do it on their own. It's different from the DL because we are over the DL´s and we have to help them and then they have to help their districts. We are also more closely involved with Pres and the AP´s. Elder DeFriez has been an AP for a few weeks now, he got moved up in the middle of last transfer, so that's awesome.

 

The pension is good and clean. haha Elder Brown is a neater guy and it helps me stay more cleaner. We are finding ways to serve each other, I still make him bfast, and he finds other stuff, haha we will get a long well this transfer, now we just need to find people to baptize. We did have some people in the pool when I arrived and we had 5 come to church yesterday, 15 in 10 areas in the zone which is really low, so that's our focus this week. We do have one fecha for this weekend, M--, that just moved from Paraguay that speaks little Spanish, they normally only speak Guarani in Paraguay, the Indian language. But she should be baptized this weekend.

 

So I've been trying this whole time to upload pics but it's not connecting, so the next week. :)

 

So this week on Wednesday we are going to see and listen to Elder Cook, he is visiting the missions down here, so that will be interesting and really spiritually uplifting. Also we have a meeting with President  tomorrow just with the ZL´s. It's great to be a ZL, but still lots of eyes watching you, but it's fine, if I can have the chance to help someone improve. So I will be doing lots of divisions with all of the other elders in the zone, so I won't be in my area a lot this transfer, so it's all good. :)

 

That's weird that Michael is home already, I'm sure that he was a great elder and had a great mission. Yeah I'm glad that we can play sports.

 

The weather wasn't too cold this last week, I've been good in just a sweater or my jacket. It's different being on a bike again, my seat is loose and so we had to put metal wiring on it to tighten it down, so I'm going low rider style haha. We can use the zone money to buy a new seat, so I will learn to handle the mission´s money.

 

Oh and Saturday was the 25 de Mayo, or like one of the big national holidays, they celebrate it more like the 4th of July. But there was an activity at the church where we ate the national food Locro for the 25 de Mayo, it's just a thick greasy soup that they cooked in a huge pot, like the biggest one that I have ever seen, and they had that over the open fire and they were stirring it with the broken off end of a fence post with a nail on the end, haha Argentina. It was good but I'm glad that I don't have to eat that everyday. Then we played soccer with the youth and investigators. So that was fun to have a little break.

 

I gave a talk yesterday in sacrament meeting, a great way to introduce myself. haha, I spoke on the Sabbath Day. Then there was a lady that pulled me over after the meeting and told me that she could see me as a bishop down the line, that would be crazy. Then another lady pulled me over and "invited" pulled me into participating in the ward choir, so we practiced after church and let's just say that I miss our ward's choir, it's a little bit better, but it's the thought that counts. :)

 

We bought insense for the pension, so it smells really good in the pension as we are planning, Elder Brown is really a hippie, haha ;)

 

We put lots of fechas this last week, but only 5 came to church and then we couldn't find the dirrection to another person's house to put more fechas, but we are working good and hard together, though I had something happen to me that hasn't happened to me since Palermo. This last Saturday I actually dozed off in a lesson, I didn't even realize it till I was already waking up haha. We don't get as much sleep as a zone leader, sometimes we have to stay up later with numbers and other stuff, so I'm just getting used to it. haha.

 

So I just want to let you all know that I love you all so so much and thanks for the updates. I love you all! :) I'm glad that we will be a family together forever. :)

 

Take care this week and tell Elder Biggs vos sos capo. :)

 

Bueno, until next week :)

 

Love,

Elder Ryan Pittard

It was fun to see the excitement as she shared the gospel

Hi there :)

 

I love you so much! thanks for the wonderful letters and the love you all so so much. :) Wow what another crazy busy week, it was fun to hear the stories and what has all changed. :) haha  Thanks for your support and I know it's crazy that it's already been 18 months since I've started, it's going by fast and changes are coming fast. :)

Tanner, good luck with your AP tests, don't stress, it's just a test that's going to decide your future. ;) You'll do fine, but not as good as me, maybe almost as good as me, haha. Remember to always spend time with your family as much as possible. You only have 9 weeks, live it up and have fun but also don't forget the important stuff. :) I love The District, I have watched those dvd´s over and over again, we have the actual dvd´s and part of the trainer's booklet is showing segments, more than what's on the 3 big segments, to help and train the new missionaries. Yeah the district videos are used almost everyday down here. And yes it's exactly what I do. :) And I'm loving it. :) Every mission is different but the principles that are in those videos are the same. :) I met some of the elders and sisters from the Dictrict 2 in the MTC, idk if they would still be there working, but that was fun. They were like mini movie stars. Well take care, have fun on the campout and work hard. Love you

 

Mom, thanks for the letter and as always I loved hearing all of your insights. Actually the meeting for the leaders was only for the ZL´s but we also fortunately have a meeting tomorrow and so I'll be able to pick it up then, I sure hope that they both get there. I will let you know on Sunday. What? It's already Mother's Day this week!! Oh and it's your bday as well!! Happy birthday :) Another wonderful year of being a wonderful mother.

That was a cute idea with the ice cream and the toppings, I wish that I could have some ice cream, thinking about it, I haven't had ice cream since L--'s baptism. And yes, I will miss them, we have been like their family down here and now they are returning to R--´s family in Paraguay. It's weird to think that only in 6 months I can talk to him through facebook, that'll be a fun thing to do.

 

Yeah we will have one more interview with Pres before he leaves, but it'll be a good change, yeah it'll be hard to see him go, but I can get used to the new one haha. I do feel like I've been training alot down here, haha I guess that someone has to do it, :) but I do love it and the joy seeing them progress.

 

So this last week was difficult for some investigators, we have had to drop some of them and we are excited with the progress of A--, the 18 yr old that we found two and a half weeks ago. He still isn't too sure about his fecha for this Sunday to come, but we have had some good lessons with him and we should be able to help him receive his answer soon, hopefully by this Sunday. :) N-- is also doing alright, the smoking really is hard to stop, but we had a good lesson last night with the right member that helped him to set the goal to be smoke free by this Thursday, then he is also planning on moving out of the house, so he´s also a possibility for this Sunday. He wants to be baptized but has these things holding him back, its a trial.

 

T-- came to church this last week again, we were at her house this last week and a friend that lives far away came by and she wanted us to talk to him, he turns out that he already had communication with the elders and that his mom is reading the Book of Mormon, but it was fun to see the excitement from T-- as she shares the gospel.We had a struggle with the number of lessons this last week, people falling through and other things popping up, but overall it was a good week. We had a good fast Sunday and I didn't have a headache.

 

The weather is just perfect down here, it's not too cold or hot, but just right. In the mornings it's a little cold but by noon when we leave the pension it's nice and sunny.

 

Yeah I can't wait till Sunday to talk to you all. I think that it will be awesome to talk to you again. It's weird to think that I'll be in the same house as last time. We were there yesterday and they were like, yeah the missionaries have been coming here for the last couple of times. And I was like, I was here for Christmas, and then they were like how long have you been here? haha 5 months and counting. It's great to have this expereince to really help a ward and to see the progress.

 

Dad, that's crazy that you are in China again. Enjoy the hot and humid weather haha. I hope that everything goes over well.

 

That is weird to think that Tanner S. is back home and soon the others will follow, then it'll be me, weird! Say hi to him from me when you get a chance to see him.

Muy bién, now a little about my week.

 

Last Monday, in April, weird, we played soccer and A-- came and brought a friend to play too, it was fun. Then that night we had a good lesson with the family C--, they almost accepted a fecha for the 19th but the dad, who is less-active doesn't want to push it, but they are so ready and they need the blessings right now. They didn't come to church, they have a tough schedule to pass by and talk with them, but I think that we need to do everything that we can to see them.

 

Wednesday was Labor Day down here and so everything was closed, it made it hard on us because we rely heavily on the public transportation. But we survived the day and we didn't have to walk too far haha.

 

Friday it was raining super hard for most of the day, I did an interview for the ZL´s and then we are starting to make friends with our neighbors that live in the front of our passageway, they said that they would come to church, but we knocked and said that they were ready to leave soon Sunday morning, but they didn't make it. I also was a little sick and thankfully to medicine I was fine to work. I'm still recovering from the afteraffects of the headaches and runny noses, but I'm fine. It's just the change in the climate. My blood is definitely a lot more thicker then it would be in Utah. So I'm starting to become an Argentine that gets sick really fast haha, it's just the culture thing.

 

Saturday I did an interview for the Boca 2 at the church, then we had to go to lunch, then we went running to go back to the church to do their other interview and it turns out that the lady´s schedule was changed and so I had to do it at a later time so we had to do emergency divisions and so I was able to send Elder Kearn to go and work and I would go and work in the Boca until the interview. So that messed up our plans a little bit and we didn't have the success that we were planning on having to start the day. But the Lord will provide for the lost time in interviews.

 

Sunday The Boca 2 had 2 baptisms and President and his wife came to see that, then we had a wonderful meal to break the fast and then we had plans fall on us and we still had a decent day.

 

Now we just got back from paying some bills this morning and we got to writing you guys. :) So that was the gist of my week and we are having fun down here on the busy streets of Buenos Aires.

 

Well, I hope that you all have a wonderful week to come and I can't wait to see you all after church on Sunday. :)

 

My testimony: I know the Church is true and that's all that matters. :)

 

Love,

Elder Ryan Pittard