That was a mini blessing from the Lord

Hey there family!!! 
I can't believe that another week has passed and that we are super close to August already, once again... this second year is passing by faster then the first.

How's it going? :) always have to ask.

 

Well like you can imagine from the pics the second pair of shoes are starting to wear down and I'm holding on to the end.

 

 

I was able to glue it and it looks better now, but it's just a sign of oldness. But I'm enjoying the days that I have and I'm taking advantage of the time that we have left to baptize everybody!! So thanks once again for the notes, I love hearing from you every week without missing a beat. 

 

Well to tell you about my week, it was super normal. We had a normal pday but we had a fun experience on Tues at the Zone Conference. So we got up early and we were on the train that leaves from JCP and we took that to Palermo and then we were able to take the subte to the church, I remembered how to get there perfectly, I still recognize how to get almost everywhere. It has changed a lot though, just the faces of the buildings and the ads. But the conference was nice. We were able to listen to Pres and we talked about the pioneers and their sacrifice and that how we were out here to find pioneers and that some of the missionaries out here are pioneers in their families.

 

Then Pres has been talking a lot about thinking about the future, he's all about planning and thinking ahead. He had the office couple share their experience of how they met and how they knew it was the right one and all that sort of stuff. Pres has been talking a lot about marriage and preparing for that day and for finding the right one. I don't even want to think about that right now, it scares me that the light in the tunnel is bigger and bigger haha. I like the simple life that the mission is, responsibility is just around the corner and I'm going to have to prepare for that.

 

Then Pres gave the ZL's a time to share something, we were together with Zone Belgrano. So we were able to share and it was cool to think about where I'm at right now and how far I've come. Then we got a surprise, we were informed that we were going to go and take a bus and travel out to the 3 de Febrero park in Palermo where South America was dedicated for the work in 1925 by Melvin J Ballard. I didn't know that that was in my old area, of course I had been to the park before but it's not called that right now because they divided it up into lots of smaller parks, but we all took the bus and got there and then Pres read the words that were said in the dedicatory prayer and then we sang a couple of hymns, we were like 40 missionaries in the middle of the park. It was a sweet spirit to think that we are part of the fulfillment of those prophecies and that we are hastening the work down here where it all started in BsAs.

 

Then Wednesday I had to go to San Fernando to help Elder Popoca, the elder from Mexico, do some paperwork stuff for his Arg ID. Elder Gonzales didn't know how to get there so I had to go. We were able to get back home by 12:30pm so it was a quicker process. We ate lentejas with the Patriarch and his wife. Then walking home from lunch I found 25 pesos in the middle of the street and there was nobody around and so that was a mini blessing from the Lord, I hadn't been asking for money but he just blessed us with enough to survive the week to where I didn't need to take out more personal money. The ward was also nice enough to help us out and we had big lunches all week, but we had to teach the newer elders to learn not to think with their stomach and hold back on how much that they eat so that everyone can eat and so that we have enough to make it through. We did and we will be fine for this next week and month.

 

Thursday, so throughout the week so far we had been teaching G--, the tortilla lady that sells on the corner of the street right across the street from the church. She actually came to church yesterday and we are super excited for her. She has read a little bit and says her prayers. We believe that she's married and we have been teaching her at her stand on the side of the road, sometimes it's hard to teach right there but she has a tough schedule. But we were actually able to teach her once in her house, and she has a date for August 11th.

 

Friday, a member, P--, made us (actually we helped form most of them) but she made us 120 empanadas in the church. There were 6 there eating and so everyone had to eat 20 for their portion, I got there, everyone else, no. There was a ton that was left over, but I was super hungry and I ate a lot, I was stuffed, it was fun... :) Then just 2 hours later we were talking with G-- and having the daily contact with her to make sure that she got confirmed, and her mom who is totally supportive, invited us in to eat a plate of oven cooked chicken, over full!! haha Her mom can't be baptized because she isn't married and her "husband" has to get divorced as well, they don't want to do the paperwork right now.  G-- can be a really strong member but we just have to help her make the friends in the ward and have her family come to church as well, she's a pioneer for her family. We are also working with the cousin, B-- and he came to church on Sunday and we were able to put the date with him for this next Sunday. He will have to commit to stop drinking but I think that he'll get there.

 

Saturday, I had to go and do 3 interviews for a couple of areas, but we had a good weekend as a zone with people coming unto Christ and being baptized. It's fun to talk to people and to see the conversion that they have had.

 

Yesterday, I got to do something that I've never had the chance to do down here. We were asked to bless the sacrament for an older lady in the ward that has trouble walking and seeing and so we were able to do that in her home yesterday. Then I showered last night to be able to get up early to go to Retiro for the paperwork and now I'm back home writing you guys. :)

 

Oh, also in choir, the choir teacher wants us to sing a verse of Called to Serve in English, all of the missionaries, idk but I like singing in English again.

 

Alex, that's totally awesome that you enjoyed EFY so much!! Any cow's? ;) I'm glad that you were able to go with friends and that you enjoyed the dances. Don't eat a ton of junk food, counsel of the week... haha

 

Jason, thanks for writing to me and Tanner we appreciate the notes and the support from home. Thanks also for the inspired question, to answer that: blessing the sacrament for the older lady in the ward, it was super simple but super special at the same time. It was nice to know that we were instruments in the hands of the Lord to bring that saving ordinance to her so that we could help her out. That's too bad about being sick at your state meet, but you'll get it next time.

 

Braden, don't worry its a good lesson that you are going to learn and then you'll be able to look back on the experience later on and laugh, just like when I went golfing in the back yard in TN. Yeah you shouldn't be hitting golf balls at the house, yeah I wasn't thinking in that moment. haha Funny now, not back then when I had to pay for the broken window.

 

Camryn, thanks for the cute note, yes we have enough food, not as much as I wish we could have, but we are good, and yes I like the food down here. What's your favorite food? oh and thanks for the pic that you drew me when your primary class all sent me a note. I loved your note and flowers that you drew, and yes there are a lot of flowers here, not in the fields but lots of people have flowers in their front yards.

 

Rachel, thats awesome that you didn't break your head and that you had fun playing card games.
I played a version of Uno this last week with G-- and her friends, they were being rowdy and to calm them down we decided to play a game with them with their face cards that they had. We were able to talk to them as we played, of course I lost, they were cheating haha. Also that's cool that you get to sing almost a solo in the primary program, when is that again?

 

Tanner... oh wait he's not there anymore, but don't worry we've already written. It's fun to have another brother on a mission and having the same experiences that I've had. :) It's been 20 months since i've seen him face to face, what's another 20? haha

 

Dad, time traveler! Thanks for the love and support and for upping my self confidence. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm apt to be a leader, but the Lord helps and lifts me up. Thanks for the faith Dad. :) Enjoy the trip and take lots of cool pics, I want to see one next week. :)

 

Mom, she's not trunky, haha I didn't realize that today was the 100th day left. I remember the day before I was to enter the MTC and I was writing on facebook for the last time, I saw that Jordan Smith's mom had posted that her son had hit the 100 days left and was the next one to come home, haha. Oh how the time has passed by! And now he's married and on with his life. What will the next 2 years bring, it's fun and exciting.

 

That sounds like a great idea, I can help with the new deck with the new carpenter skills that I've acquired on the mission, also the computer programming skills and house building skills and language translation skills and the electricity skills and breaking things skills and cooking skills, lots of stuff that I've learned on the mission. haha

 

Wow, school in 3 weeks, crazy, and football in a month!!!

 

Well that's it from me this week and I hope that you all have a great week. Stay safe and get the tv back soon!! ;) haha

 

Love,

Elder Ryan Pittard

 

On the train this morning heading back home after a long day of paperwork, for him, I was just there. It was funny, there was a group of new American missionaries that were from the west mission that were there to start all of the paperwork and they were having trouble with their paperwork, so I was able to be there to speak with the guy that was kind of frustrated because he couldn't help them understand. I was able to help out, the issue wasn't resolved, but it was funny that they were all out there all on their own and that I remember when I was in their shoes, and so I'm glad that I was able to help them out. I was able to brag that I personally know Pres Carter haha. We had an hour and 15 min bus ride to the mission offices, leaving at 6:30am, and then we were standing in the train for another 50 min and then we were in lines for like 2 hours in the immigrations building and then we got onto the train that would take us straight to Jose C Paz. So the adventures of paperwork, I'm glad that I'm all done with mine. I've been in that building like 6 or 7 times.

Well here I am making pancakes for the band. Every morning I'm like this in my chair, sometimes I write in my journal, other times I'm talking to elders in the zone on the phone, or I'm reading the Liahona or just watching my pancakes rise, but it's been a year straight that I've had a hot breakfast, so I'm glad that I was able to acquire this life saving skill while I was down here. :)

Well after a long tough day we are still rocking and rolling. Haha. This is the tie that I bought in an out door market in Savio for 3 pesos, which is like less than a dollar.

We are surviving the deadly cold, a little exagerration but still...haha

Hey there, how's it going? :)  We are fine down here and we are surviving the deadly cold, alright exagerration but still... haha

Well, I'm doing great and I have some crazy news as well. So Tuesday night we got a call from the assistants informing us that Pres wanted every companionship of ZL`s to train the new incoming elders that were waiting for their visas and so for at least three weeks we are going to be cramped in our tiny pension with two more elder, buy they are great, Elder Calderon is my trainee for three weeks and he is from Santa Cruz, Bolivia and was waiting in the Cochebamba mission for 4 months. Elder Popoca from Puebla, Mexico is with Elder Gonzales, we are still comps but we are basically doing divisions everyday with them.

So now that brings up new problems that were not forseen. We first have two hungry mouths in the pension and all of the snacks quickly went away and we now are having to save the little food that we have until the end of the month, we have lunches almost everyday but we will have to hold out until the end of the month, also we will have to clean the clothes and be walking a lot more. So this will either be a very long week or a short week, depends on the attitude, right? haha So hopefully I have money to write to you guys next week. haha I think that I should.

Also, we received a second phone but the other group of elders frankly unwilling lost the other cell phone that very same night, so we still have one phone for the 4 of us, and then we are having two elders shower at night and two in the morning so that everyone can have a hot shower. So a lot changed this last week, haha but I'm learning how to handle the new situation and then analize it and then make the best decisions, just like in life right? This is reminding me a lot of living 4 elders in one tiny apartment in Juncal and Constitucion, so we should be fine.

So crazy story mom, that's awesome that you were able to see Tanner walking by, haha. I'm sure that you were happy about that. I'm glad that everyone had a great week and enjoyed the weather and activities. That's awesome that Tanner called so early, but I'm sure that he sounds really great and that he's ready for the challenges that will meet him in just a couple of hours. But he'll do fine and succeed. And yes he responded to my email that I sent him and he sounded fine, but I can't wait to see pics and read his first email home

So to tell you about the area. So we are not dividing the area, except that we are 4 missionaries in the same area and we can go where ever and work with whomever, but we do have areas where we are working more, I've been sticking more around the church and Elder Gonzales has been in the back woods area, like 30 blocks behind the church. But I still could go back there to help them out in a cita and they have been here helping us out. We aren't using the bikes because of the weather, it was raining off and on last week and the cold just enters our clothes haha, but we are blessed to be in the houses of the people next to their heaters teaching them.

 

We prepared R-- and G-- for their baptisms and I went to a couple of areas to do interviews, as a zone there was 6 baptisms and so that was a great weekend for our zone. We had a productive week here because we were combing numbers because we are still the same area. Out of the 15 new inestigators, none of them are progressing, we have been finding alot but we need to find the prepared people. It was funny Saturday we had a tiny lunch with the bishop and then in our three visits that day we were fed something and so that was a small blessing from the Lord. This week we have our zone conference in Palermo, so I get to go back at least once more.

 

Well, I sure hope that you all have a great week and that you are enjoying the heat, I'm actually grateful for the cold because I don't like the heat as a missionary. haha

 

Have a great week and know that I'm fine. I love you all so so much!!

 

I know that the Church is true and I know that Jesus Christ himself leads and guides this church. I know that the prophet has the power and authority from God and that as we read, pray and go to church we will always be in the right path.

 

Enjoy the week and take care, love the pics that you sent!!

 

Love,

Elder Ryan Pittard  

So this is the baptism of R--, and yup as you can see we are 4 missionaries in JCP2, so we are enjoying that. Luckily the water was warm and so it wasn't super cold. The wind was killing me in this picture.

  

The baptism of G--, we were super excited for her because she was a contact in the street when we were lost heading to lunch, but she was super prepared and she's only 12 and I had the privilege to baptize her and luckily once again in warm water. :)

 

Here I am walking through the neighborhoods of JCP, a cloudy Sunday morning with the wind bearing down, it was a cold day. They said that at noon it was -4 degrees C so we are fine, but a lot colder than last year.

 

We ate lunch yesterday with them, she is member and he is not. They are from Peru but have been in BsAs for a long time. They live in a tiny wooden house in the middle of a field, really far away from the main route. We got lost trying to find this house yesterday, because they are all like that and we had never been before. But we ate some really good rice with chicken and salad and all topped in Peruvian hot sauce, but the Mexican elder says that there's even hotter hot sauce in Mexico. Yeah I'm kind of taller then everyone, that's pretty normal down here. Oh and it was there that we saw "snow flakes", it was also just starting to rain as well. We quickly went home and changed for the rest of the day, but we are surviving in this deadly weather. ;)

                                                              

The Lord was trying our faith as every single one fell through

Well hey there :)  Thanks for the note and letters and I loved hearing from you all. :)  I sure hope that you all had a splendid week.

Well to first explain my week...

We had another great week! But it didn't start out like that haha (that's for Rachel) I know I use that a lot, because I want you all to know that I'm happy!

 

Anyways, Monday night was a crazy night, we didn't find anybody new and we received a call from the elders that live right around the corner from us that they were locked out of their pension. Well technically, the key wasn't working or turning to let them in. It's not the first time that it's happened. So we returned home and we got our key and we tried it but it wasn't working. So we tried cutting down the thin metal bars in the door window with some tools that a neighbor had lent them, nope. And it was 10 pm at night and the next day was 9 de julio, or their independence day and so there wasn't any locksmith open or avaiable at that time. So we had to have a sleepover Monday night. I offered up my bed and I slept on a mattress on the floor and we were able to make it work out. They left in the morning and were able to miracously find a locksmith to help them out and get back into their apartment.

 

Tuesday, long day, long story, so it's Independence Day and it rained almost all day. But when we left the pension there was no thought of rain or cold. So by the time that we were able to head over to lunch it started to rain, not pouring but it wasn't sprinkling either. I had on my rain coat and then just a sweater underneath. I was fine, or so I thought. So we get to lunch and we start eating these really good raviolies and then we sat by the open fire to share a spiritual thought, we were nice and warm and dry. But then I had to put back on my wet coat and by this time it was pouring and I got soaked, the rain coat was soaked through and it was starting to get cold. I thought that I was fine, that we would be in the houses of the people and that I could survive the day. Well we were able to teach R-- right there, but then the rest of the day it was a lot of walking in the cold while I was freezing. We were on the bus heading out to A-- and that's when my head started hurting. So we were walking around in the cold and mud for an hour and a half, A-- wasn't there, the crazy uncle was watching our every move and then another person that I knew over there wasn't home. So as we were heading back, my whole body was aching and I didn't feel good.

 

So I told my companion and we decided to quickly have a contact with G-- to have daily contact. Haha, I was out of that lesson, and as we were walking back to the bus stop in front of the church, I threw up right around the corner from the church, luckily in a field away from people, but I wasn't able to wash out my mouth because we took the first bus that was heading home and then we walked into the door, I changed out of everything into warm clothes and then I went to bed early. I was so cold, but I slept good throughout the night and I woke up the next morning feeling fine, or so I thought. I ate the pancakes fine and half way through my studying my head started hurting and I was just really weak. So I went and lied down and that was my story for most of Wednesday.

 

Yeah Iwas resting in bed when Tanner entered the MTC, I wasn't able to sleep much, but I remember looking down at the clock and it saying 4:32pm and that was a weird thought thinking that Tanner had just entered the MTC. But my companion was able to work it out so a member could come stay with me and his younger brother went with him to go and work. I felt a little bit better and I left at 6:30 pm to go and meet up with my companion. It was only my head hurting and I was able to eat whatever I wanted. I think that it was the combination of the food, cold and wetness all day that just had a negative effect on my body, but I'm good now. :)  I had lots of energy on Thursday to go and work. So don't worry Mom, I'm fine. ;)

 

So on Thursday we officially figured out that A-- lives just outside the official mission boundary. There had been a confusion on the ward and stake boundaries. So we weren't able to baptize him this last Sunday, he lives in the west mission. You need to ask Hermana Carter if the elders of the ward Jardines went and contacted the referral, haha, and tell her hi from me and that I'm just in Jose C Paz on the the other side of Moreno. So we were pretty sad about that.

 

Friday I went on divisions with a Colombian, Elder Florez, and we had a good day, but up until that point we hadn't found anyone in the whole week. So we went into Saturday with the determination to find lots of people, which the Lord blessed us with. We found 15 people in an hour and a half that all live on the same street, so a big miracle. Friday I had asked for a referral from a young boy and he set me up with these two kids that lived on the corner on his street, So we passed by and set up a cita for Saturday at 5. We passed by and we were able to teach the kid, his mom and like 5 of his friends that were there whom we invited. Then we wanted to talk to all of the kids' parents if possible and so we were able to find a couple people through that. We contacted this one kid's aunt and we left her a pamphlet and then we went to go and contact a couple that we had stopped on the street just 5 min before. We talked a little bit with that couple and they committed to come to church. Then we were walking back and I saw through the window, L-- with her sisters looking through the pamphlet that we had left her so we clapped and they let us in to share. 6 more new investigators right there and they all committed to come to church. So as we were leaving the cita we had found 15 news just like that. So it just goes to show that the Lord really is preparing people to listen. But he also is testing us for our ability to find them.

 

So we were super excited for Sunday, we were waiting for like 20 people to come to church and so we get out there to go look for them, because they all lived within 3 min walking to the church. But then the Lord was trying our faith as every single one fell through. G--, when we passed by, said that she was sick, but we were able to convince her that she would feel better if she at least came to the first hour of church. So G-- showed great faith and came to sacrament meeting and kept her fecha for this next Sunday. Then the Lord blessed us with 3 members who brought friends to church and then a boy showed up all on his own, so we ended up with 5 in church and lots of blessings. We were able to reschedule fechas with R-- and R-- who didn't come and so now we ended the week still with 5 fechas and 5 in church. We also found a 9 yr old boy that needs baptism and he will be baptized this Saturday, so we are waiting for two for this next weekend.

 

So now a little bit about your week...

 

Hey there Dad of two missionaries, you fit the title. That's cool that everything went smoothly for dropping Tanner off, sounds fun eating at Costa Vida, oh how I miss Mexican food! I loved the pics in front of the Mt Timp temple, super green!

 

haha of course Mom would want to try and see Tanner again haha, I'm sure that he is doing fine. That's fun that you and Jason are so involved in coin collecting. I'm glad that someone picked up your hobby to do it with you. Of course I already have the whole collection picked out and packed away, one step ahead of ya.

 

I'm glad that I'm a missionary now and not back then, (early Church history) it would be 100% different. Remember not to send anything after the middle of Sept, just because it might get here after I have left. Oh and two weeks ago I received the packages with the shirts and stuff, thanks for the nice new shirt what a gift!

 

To my wonderful mother who has prepared two missionaries that are currently serving the Lord, sup?

When I trained Elder Johnson, me and Elder Gonzales were training together and he came over for one night to stay with me and then we went and picked up our kids together. That was January 1st, so a long time ago. We leave at the same time so we both have lots of experience.  Elder Brown left the jacket and I picked it up, oh I forgot to mention it also poured on Thursday afternoon and I was wearing that jacket and it got my white shirt dirty underneath.

 

So out of all of the new investigators, only a couple are really progressing but that's what it requires to find the really ready people in Jose C Paz.

 

Yeah we haven't heard anything about the new dress standards, but some of the poorer Latin missionaries were already wearing whatever thing that they could bring or find, I think that's why they decided to make the change. Yeah I wouldn't want to wear sandles down here, that first would be weird and yes lots of mud. Don't worry I'm taking better care of my other pair of shoes and I'm cleaning off the mud everynight. So these ones should last longer.

 

That's nice to know that you are adjusting good to having another son gone, but don't worry mom, I'll be home soon enough and I'll bring back the balance, but yeah that would be weird not having Tanner around, I'm going to miss that guy.  I wrote Tanner a small note and sent him the pics as well. I'm thinking that I'll have to wait until next week to read his response, so anyways I hope that you all are doing great today and that you all have a great week!

 

I know that this is the true church and everyday my testimony is strengthened because of what I learn and the examples in the lives of others that aren't of our church. I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon and the words of the modern day prophets. Take care and I love you all so so much!!!

 

Love,

Elder Ryan Pittard

We found a lot of new investigators this week!

Hey there Family of mine :) How's it going? Thanks for the letters like always. :)  Wow, what a crazy week!!  First to describe the pic :)

Good memory, Mom, yes last year I was with Elder Carlson, who is finishing in August, and we belted the national anthem and so I decided to keep in form and belt out the anthem in my patriotc shirt. haha I think it's funny.

So I was having fun this last week and yes, we did missionary work. So to start off, we had a great numbers week, 18 lessons with a member present and we found 24 new investigators! :) So that was great. I was on divisions on Friday and me and this Paraguayan elder, Elder Peralta, capo, we found a family of 6 and they all accepted fechas!! We had found the family through this one girl who was outside of her house and we were lost trying to find lunch, we asked her what street we were on and then we contacted her. She came with her mom and her cousin to church all by themselves yesterday and we are super excited for them!!

Also on Monday we contacted a referral from this one member and we contacted the girl and then her mom walked up. We have been passing by ever since and they are super ready for this message right now. They also have fechas for the 21!!

Then we have been working with A--, the kid that came to church like 3 weeks ago with his older sister, he has a fecha for this weekend!!! So we are super excited for that. But we might have a problem from the crazy uncle that lives on the opposite corner, he must think that we are spies or something and we are here trying to steal away his family, idk but he ran us away, not with any weapon or anything, but he said that he would call the police (that's not such a big threat down here) but still. His mom loves the church, she came late yesterday to church, but she already signed the baptismal registry so he can't stop the work of God. :) Oh the things people do when they don't understand.

So yes, I did pass July 4th in the mission house, once again, it's just my lucky day haha. I was the only one that really remembered the day and who wore a red tie. Haha, even Pres had forgotten and he was just in the states. It was an awesome meeting with Pres, he spent a little bit of time to tell us basically his life story, from experiences on his mission to the after mission life and then getting married and then starting his own brokering business at like 26 yrs of age and then all of the success and failures that he has been through in his life. He is an awesome and inspired man and he was able to apply everything that he told us to mission principles and life principles. He told us, we are all going to die one day, so why not do something big?  We ate hawaiian chicken with white rice for lunch with a brownie with ice cream, so really great!! It's different being down here and not really celebrating the normal holidays but it's all good.

So for your letter...

Thanks Camryn for the letter and thanks for the day count haha, now I don't have to do that. ;) Yes I'm excited to see you guys again, but it'll come soon enough, just keep playing and having fun. It did rain a little bit this last week, but right now it's sunny and cold. I'm glad that you love going to church! Don't worry, I'm having fun! and yes I'm hungry and thirsty, we are going to go and eat a little something before we go and play soccer.

 

Hi there Rachel, I'm glad that you aren't stinky haha funny story. Alright here we go... my week was good and busy, yes it sprinkled in the night time, yes lots of sun and the weather was really nice and warm, weird for July, yes I shower daily, yes I wash my hands... most of the time, jk, yes I like my apartment, yes I like my companion, we have like 15 investigators right now, lots of work to do. My bike has a flat tire and we haven't been able to go and get it pumped up just quite yet, it gets super muddy out here and we get super dirty as well. Yes I like Argentina, but I'm glad that I'm just visiting haha, yes I'm having a blast!! Yes I like yams, in fact we just ate boiled yams this last week. This last week we were teaching like 3 new people everyday!! Yes I love my family with all of my heart. and yes I love you, you are one of my 6 favorite siblings. ;)

 

 

Braden, thanks for sharing that with me, I always loved EFY and I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much!! it's like going on a mission for a week haha, yeah isn't it amazing the difference between always being with the spirit and not and the importance of reading our scriptures daily and saying our prayers morning and night? I'm glad that you are realizing that right now, keep up the committment to keep reading daily!!

 

Alex, that's awesome that you did service with Dad and Rachel, I'm glad that you were able to do that. Well have a great week at high adventure and give Tanner a big hug for me. :)

 

Jason, 768 and 1024! and thanks for the note about swiming :) keep it up!!

 

Tanner!! congrats on finally making it to the mission!! good luck with the last day and packing up the room, it's a crazy feeling and then have fun watching your last movie and updating your facebook for the last time, and watching TV for the last time and eating dinner with your family for the last time, and there are lots of lasts but don't worry you'll be hitting lots of firsts real soon, just enjoy the moment and the MTC, you only pass through once and live it up, don't do anything too stupid, but have fun. Remember that you should do everything to get along with your companion and remember first observe then serve, that's a great thing to remember. Eat lots of MTC food!! and enjoy the devotionals that you actually get to go to, try and sit on the floor of the gym because the bleachers weren't made with us tall people in mind. Write in your journal everyday, it's worth it and I love the memories that I have from the first couple of weeks because I wrote every night in my journal, also take lots of pics. Remember that 30 min. writing time is a suggestion haha, just enjoy it to it's fullest. Remember, Mom, to send him a little note everyday just to say hi and the cookies that the dearelder can send are good too. :) Well all I can say now is that I Love You and thanks for the example that you have given me and I hope that you have a great mission and you'll be surprised how fast it passes, but you can't be thinking about how many days are left, you just have to take it one day at a time and just focus on the work and the people. Talk to you on the other side :) good luck!!

 

Dad and Mom, wow the time has flown by and now I need to go, but thanks for the notes and questions. I'm loving my new companion, it's a different style then Elder Brown but we are working really well together. We just had a zone meeting where we were able to pass the vision to the elders in our zone. 12 companionships is a normal number down here. I'm glad that you were able to have those moments mom and I loved the pic of everyone studying! Thanks for the love and I'm glad that you are my parents. :) If there were any questions that I didn't answer that you wanted answered, send them again next week and I'll try my best to respond. Say hi to gma and gpa, both sides and to Gma Wayment. :)

 

Have a great week and enjoy the weather, and don't cry too much, because they leave boys and they come back men.

 

Love,
Elder Ryan Pittard

 

Last Sunday with Elder Brown, there are lots of great people in this ward and they are super funny. I love the small town communities because they have really close wards. Hopefully I can stay here to finish my mission, that'll be fun. I don't really want to have to get to know an area again for just a little bit, but we will see. :)

Here I am standing outside waiting for N--  to get ready to come to church on the day of his baptism. It was cold and a member in the ward made me that blue yarn scarf and it's super comfy and long and it keeps me warm. This point of view is facing away from N--'s house and it's super close to the church. That is sand in the bag and there are building supplies lying around, like lots of yards in Argentina.

We were encouraged to go and find the miracles

Well as you all know, transfter pdays are crazy and I have 5 min to write to you all. I love you all so much and thanks for the notes of love and confidence.

 

So we baptized an 8 yr kid whose brothers were baptized like 8 months ago, so we had found him the last week and Pres Gulbrandsen in his last training encouraged us to go and find the miracles. So that was a great miracle, next week I'll send you all pics.

 

So I'm staying at least one more transfer, Elder Brown left, and Elder Gonzales came, he`s from Mendoza, Argentina and has the same time that I have, he has a little bit more time as ZL but it should be a good transfer. I definitely will miss Elder Brown, he`s a stud and we had a great time together. :) But now we are focusing a lot on getting the baptisms, we have new motivation and spirit in the zone. Two areas were opened again and now we are 12 companionships out here, so more missionaries and more baptisms.

 

Yes we did meet Pres and Sis Ayre yesterday and we all shook their hands and had a minute to get to know them better, They are awesome and I love them already. They are super laid back and easy going and have a great vision for the mission. This Thursday we have a ZL meeting with Pres so another opportunity to get to know him.

 

Well I know that this is the true work and I'm glad that you are all being blessed by this service. I'm glad that we have the gospel in our lives. :)

 

Have a great week.

 

Love,

Elder Ryan Pittard

Thanks to prayer we will know to which houses to go to find prepared people

Well hey there family of mine :)  Great to hear from you all again, and I'm glad that everything is going great back home as usual. :)

So when I say that it wasn't the week that we were expecting is because M-- was taken against her will with her mom to Paraguay, oh when we found that out, we were out of our minds, it's like the devil just shipped her out of our reach. That was on Thursday, so a tough day to deal with, but oh well it's already passed. We will just have to try and find out where she lives to send the missionaries over to her house.

So yesterday it rained, well actually it rained for like 5 min and then it was sprinkling a little bit the rest of the morning, so that means it's an excuse for the whole world down here not to go to church, it's the most frustrating thing in the world. Yeah it might be a little muddy but you still have to go to church. So the missionaries are really pushing people and helping their faith. So we just need to keep loving them and realize that they are learning just as we are. But the culture sometimes doesn't help haha. So we have this one investigator that will be married this Friday and then baptized on this Saturday.  We passed by right before church and she was up and ready and said that she was on her way, so we continued to church and we helped with the sacrament. I helped pass and Elder Brown helped bless. Then after the sacrament, she still hadn't come, so we decided to take matters into our own hands, so we went and got her and brought her with her kids to church, so by our faith we were able to have at least somebody at church. The zone struggled yesterday with the church attendance. So we are trying to help the missionaries to increase their faith to do everything possible to have people in church.

Then funny note, in choir practice, I'm one of the two tenors, and the other one thinks that he sings really good, sometimes he does, but other times I catch him singing the soprano part down an octive, and it's funny that he doesn't want to sing some parts because he doesn't like how they sound. It was just funny because the director was like, no, you have to sing your part. Elder Brown helped with the sopranos because there was only one and the other two ladies there were learning how to sing alto, so I'm once again grateful for our wonderful ward choir.

Anyways, we had a great afternoon yesterday. We were struggling all week to find new investigaters and to have actual lessons that didn't fall through on us. We went yesterday after lunch and contacted this part-member family and we were actually able to do some service for them. They were putting up new electrical wire posts, well they were actually logs that they were burying into the ground and nailing on some wood up above to help guide the lines. We were way out in the campo, and you can do whatever you want out in the country. So that was a great way to win the hearts of the family. Then we got talking to the moms, they all lived together. They were all members, except one of their 9 yr old sons, they really wanted to come back to church, and with our pushing we can help them have enough faith to go to church this week. We put a fecha with B--, the 9 yr old boy, for the 23rd of June for his baptism, so that's totally a blessing from the Lord.

Then it was almost time to go home and we decided to go really far away to try and contact the sister of A-- whom we had met on Saturday. We took the trip, finally found the right house,--down here they have street numbers but sometimes they aren't in the right order, like we were looking for 5450 and on the same block there was a number of 5200, so it's just whatever down here.

We found the house and we were able to meet the family really fast. She has 5 kids, 4 of which were there and they kind of accepted a fecha for the 30th, but we will be going back on Tuesday to set the fecha really good. They have lots of faith and want us to pass by again. It's fun to just meet people and to challenge them on the spot to be baptized after bearing testimony of the need of that saving ordinance by the proper authority.

So then this morning we spent like 45 min walking around trying to find a ciber that had 2 computers available, all of the teenagers are in here on facebook, so we are fighting against that every Monday. We are in a cheaper place right now and the computers are slower and my mouse has trouble left clicking haha, but we are going to play soccer again here at our church, so that will be fun. Last week I exerted myself a lot to win the games and Ithought that I had stretched enough but I forgot that im getting older and I haven't been running around for like 2 weeks, so my calves really tightened up and for the next three days it was awkward walking around because it was hard to walk. But now I'm fine :)

I made the chocolate chip cake mix cookies from the recipe that Gma Hilbig had sent me, I used butter instead of oil with the chips and they were delicious, thanks grandma. :)

My beloved mother, thanks for the wonderful notes and for the love.  Yeah I love messing with the dogs here, they are funny sometimes, when they aren't attacking you haha. Oh that reminds me, on Wednesday Elder Brown's bike chain broke and so we have been without bikes since then, but it's alright.

Yeah our goal is 204, and we are on that path, we just need to find more prepared people right now to be able to be baptized within these next three weeks. The best are the part member families, they already have the background and most of them have already been to church before. So we have lots of those to work with. Right now on the ward list there are 1018 members listed with like 75 coming every Sunday on average, so we have lots of work to do. But thanks to prayer we will be able to know which house to go to to find the prepared people to be baptized.

This Thursday we have our interviews with President, our last ones. It'll be interesting being a ZL to see what we talk about. I really do love President and I know that I came to this mission for him, so now we will see with the new president, I'm sure he´ll be just fine.

So thanks for the love and the notes, I can't believe that the weeks are just flying by, soon there will be two Pittards in the mission field! Best of luck to everyone and hugs and kisses to all!!

Love,

Elder Ryan Pittard

 

                                                  At the temple as a mission last week.

 

 

                                                       Elder Brown and Elder Pittard

 

 

I'm just so happy right now

Hey there family :) I love you so much :)  Thanks for your wonderful letter and all of the love that I felt as I read your letter. :)  I'm just so happy right now because the Lord really has blessed us, let me tell you about it. :)

So we were working with this girl named M--, she was the niece of this one sister in the ward and she was from Paraguay. She doesn't speak that well in spanish, well she does but she´s just super shy. So we were passing by and teaching her and we were trying to prepare her baptism for this last weekend. So we went on Saturday with the faith that we were able to finish her teaching and have the interview.

So lets just say that the devil didnt want us to have this baptism, he stuck in his tail (a spanish saying) in almost every part of a baptism and the service. So Friday night we received a call from our DL saying that his lock on his pension´s door broke as they were trying to leave, so they were locked in their house. And he was supposed to do the interview for us the next day. So we went over early in the morning and we tried with the copy key that we have. The keys that they have here are different from the ones that the states have. They are skinny until the head which has teath sticking out (i think that i sent you a pic in my first area of the keys) so anyways it still wasnt working and so we went in search of a locksmith, and we were in a hurry because we had our cita with M-- to finish teaching her everything and going over the questions. So we luckily found a locksmith right next door and we left to catch the bus to get there on time.

So we get there and we go over everything and she´s all good and wanting to be baptized, but the only thing is that the aunt whom she lives with still hadnt received the permission from the mom, technically the aunt was the guardian but to make the aunt feel better she wanted that the mom that is living in Paraguay knows and is doing this. So then the other elders showed up and he was able to do the interview. So we left the interview not knowing if we were going to be able to go through with it or not. So lunch fell through on us and so we bought stuff to make empanadas de los cielos, (Heavenly Empanadas) ;) haha and as we were eating those we received a message from the aunt that she had talked to the mom and everything was great :) so we were really happy.

So then after going to the moon and back, a place really far away that's in our area, but it's all the way in Moreno. Anyways we came back from that and we went to check out the font in the church and we were having problems getting it to fill up with hot water, we were trying everything because the hot water was running in the bathrooms and everywhere else but not into the font. Then we had trouble with the pump pumping out the cold water that we had put in there. So basically all sorts of problems with the font, so we decided that we would worry about it on Sunday the next day, the 1st counselor who is acting as bishop knows how to work it.

So we go to bed all happy and excited to be missionaries, you know how it is, a baptism! And we get up the next day, i shower and get dressed and then i sent a message to the aunt asking her who M-- wanted to baptize her. I get a message back saying that at like 11 pm the night before M-- didn't want to get baptized. So we were freaking out!! haha, we called her right then to find out what happened. Turns out the devil was working through another crazy aunt to scare her about stuff like how the church was only going to control her and she wasn't going to have fun in her life. She probably was just nervous and wasn't sure what to do. So we pray for help and we decide to show our faith and go and start filling out the font. We get to the church and we start it, the hot water wasn't running out as fast as we needed it to be, it was trickling out. So we call them and now she´s not wanting to come to church. She had to come to church to have her 3rd attendance to even have a chance to baptize her on Sunday.

So we were pleading with the aunt to take her to church at all costs. So every other investigator fell through on us and so we get to church after looking for somebody, and they come walking up with M--!! first miracle haha. So yesterday was fast sunday and we were sitting by her in the meeting wanting her to feel the spirit in the testimony meeting. But halfway through the lights cut out and the little kids were being relentless, loud and rowdy. Here it's not a custom to take out crying kids, idk why it's not like that, but it's just the culture. So the mic wasn't working and you couldn't hear the old sweet ladies giving their testimonies. The devil was really not helping us, but luckily we have the MVP on our side, the lights came back on and the kids shut up and then her cousin got up and shared his testimony to finish the meeting and it was really powerful and the spirit returned.

Then we invited M-- to the next class that we were teaching. We were praying to know what to teach before the lesson and we were looking down the list of subjects and we both thought in faith. So as we were going through the lesson, the spirit was really guiding this lesson. It somehow got to baptism and an older less-active lady bore powerful testimony of her baptism and how it really made her a happier person. So then we were able to ask inspired questions and after the hour had passed, we were like straight up in the lesson, we are preparing everything to baptize you today, will you be baptized today? she paused and thought about it and in her Paraguayan accent, yes I will get baptized today. yeah!!! another great moment! and another miracle from the Lord. So then we went to check the font and it hadn't changed, we had asked the 1st counselor to look at it and it just wasn't wanting to work. So we called up Jose C Paz 1, the other ward in this city but meets in another building, and we asked them to start filling up their font.

Then we asked her who do you want to baptize her and she picked me and so we had to go with Elder Farnsworth, the couple missionary in our ward and we went in his car back to our place and we got the clothes and then we get back to the church and the aunt that originally wanted the baptism to happen, after hearing that we needed to do it in JCP1, she was like no, better that we wait till next week. what!? that's the worst thing to do, another week for satan to stick in his tail. So the Lord was able to soften her heart and we had to call a remis (on-demand car) and that took us over to the other church and a couple of members came over to support her and we had a great service. The water was half cold and half warm but at least it was working and it felt great to show our faith and having the Lord fulfill his part. So I would send you pics, but the computer doesn't want to accept this cord, stupid haha.

So that's my novel for the week. :) I really felt the Lord´s love in all of that process, I was constantly praying and all that I ever felt was peace and a comfort that everything was going to work out.

So that was just an end to a crazy week. With the temple on Monday, that wasn't the end of our travels. On Tuesday we took an hour and 15 min bus to San Fernando and then the train to the mission home for a leadership counsel with the ZL´s AP´s and Pres, it was awesome and we set the goal for this month for baptisms at 204 like Mosiah 18:16. We are super excited for that goal, it would be the most that the mission has had in one month ever. We are going to need more miracles like what we just experienced yesterday. Then Wednesday was another crazy travel day. So we were waiting for a bus for 45 min and it wasn't coming, the line was 30 people long and we had to leave right then. I don't know but there was a problem with traffic everywhere in BsAs, idk what happened with the other missions, but they were supposed to come to Belgrano in our mission, in capital, or really far away and they ended up not being able to come after all. So we had to take this on-demand car to virreyes where we ate some lunch, our first real lunch in a couple of days. We had eaten fast food on Monday and Tuesday, and then the train wasn't coming, but we waited it out and we took the 45 min train to capital then we walked the 10 min to the church. Yeah we were able to meet up again as a mission and yes we were able to shake the hand of an apostle and the South America South Area presidency. We were able to hear Elder Cook, Elder Acosta from the local 70, then Elder Zeballos and Elder Gonzalez from the 70. It was awesome hearing the voice of Elder Cook in person. He looks a lot older in person than on tv haha. but his voice was strong and the way we do missionary work is slowly changing and the apostles and authorities are receiving the vision, Pres G has been teaching us the same thing this whole time, so I received another testimony about how this church and work is run on revelation.

So then we had to take the same route back home afterwards and we didn't make it home until 8:30pm, so we weren't in our area for the first part of the week. So that's why the baptism is a miracle because the Lord was preparing her when we weren't able to be there.

This morning we received a call from Pres and we talked about the zone and the numbers, so it was fun to see that Pres really does care and he was wanting us to succeed and was giving up sugesstions to tell the missionaries. Our zone isn't the most successful in the mission but we are trying to transmit the vision to the rest of them. I feel like me and Elder Brown are together for a purpose, we both are great leaders, in different ways, but we both have the vision and we are here to share it with the rest of the zone. This morning we had a conference call with the zone, we told them that we aren't perfect as missionaries but that we need to change some stuff that we are doing so that we can reach the goals that we have placed as a mission and as a zone. We are going to be doing divisions this week and trying to lead by example and to love them, that's why we are saying the things that we say, because we love them and we just want them to have success.

 

Well we are off to play soccer, I love playing soccer now, it's just the only thing to do to get exericise. the bikes, yeah but it's not the same. Oh the bikes here are different then in Savio. It's a low rider haha, made for a Latin, oh well we will make do, we don't use them everyday, but it'll be fine, hopefully all of my pants can make it through haha.

 

Well I hope that you all have a great week and enjoy the summer. I can't believe that it has finally arrived for you, that just means that it will be getting a lot colder down here. I love every single one of you so much and I want you all to know that I'm loving my mission and it's just going to go up from here.

 

Random mission prep counsel: Tanner bring lots of ties, ones that you really like too, youll get bored of some. bring some to trade to. Bring darker sheets, bring a smaller extra pillow if you like sleeping with two. get a really flashy watch, thats the style now, i heard especially in Georgia. Get to know lots about the area, the history and the sports, anything that you can use to make quick friends with the people. bring lots of garments, wow it's going to be so easy to send and receive packages in the states, and buying stuff for cheap. takes lots of pics on the mission, even if they are crazy, it doesn't matter, sometimes you will get really bored. The misson isn't easy, there is lots of stress and doubt, but in the long run you will only remember the good stuff. Get Ecco shoes, they are the most long-lasting of all of the shoes that I have seen on the mission. Music, as much as you can! even if you think that EFY songs are super cheesy, bring them, you will want to listen to something. Bring all sorts of genres and beats and styles that are in the guidelines. ;) Get the email address of all of the friends that you want to write, get the address of the girls that you want to write hand written letters, it's better that way haha and it's more fun to wait for it. Don't leave with any regrets, you have 2 years to think about that and talk about that. Bring lots of pics that you can carry around and show to everyone, pics of the family and of your history, like sports pics, dance pics, trips pics, you will want to see those after a couple of months.

 

Well that's enough for now, I will let you know if I come up with more this next month.

 

Love,

Elder Ryan Pittard