Six Months Down...18 months to Go!

Well its official that this week will mark my six month anniversary into the mission field. I must say that time has definitely flown by and I can´t believe that I have been out of the country for the past 4 months! I am finally starting to feel somewhat comfortable in talking to people but I still have a long way to go, but the journey is half the fun now isn´t it.

Special Delivery

Elder Hawks and I enjoy the pizza that was prepared for us by the young women. The box that the pizza came in says, "Pizza young women, ward La Gloria, Elders thank you for your business, enjoy your meal."

First Zone Conference with President and Hermana Lindahl

Also earlier this week we had our first zone conference with our new President, President Lindahl. Hermana Lindahl gave great talk on being obedient and encouraged us to try our best to obey all the rules. She also started a new tradition. Every zone conference she is picking an apartment from every district to inspect right after the conference. Lets just say that a lot of missionaries will be cleaning their places before every zone conference.President Lindahl was not able to speak much because he was busy getting to know everyone. He was only able to bear his testimony and that was all that time would allow. I got to know him really well in my interview and I was surprised at how many similar interests that we have. He too was a swim coach and loves the ocean. He grew up in Hunington Beach, CA area and loves to surf and be on the beach. Also he is in the health care profession and was excited to hear that I too had an interested in that field. He is a great man, a truly inspired man, and I am very grateful to have him guiding us in this work.

Sweet Treat

I had to buy a Kinder Chocolate Egg. I remember how good they were when Cameron sent them to us when he was serving his mission in Italy.

La Gloria Ward Activity

This was my first day in La Gloria!

Also we went to a house and knocked the door and, of course, to Elder Hawk´s and my luck, we found a house full of teenage girls. Thankfully their parents weren´t home, but before they shut the door they shouted,"Que hermoso" which basically means they were calling us handsome. It was funny because as we walked away, you could see about 4 girls sticking there head from inbetween the curtains watching our every move as we walked away. Its one thing I have learned is that if people find you attractive down here, they don´t hesitate to tell you so. The guessing games of dating are definitely removed in Argentina, haha!

Transferred Again with a Twist!

Well last Monday I got a call from the new president, Pres. Lindahl asking me if I am ready to take things to the next step, to which I responded yes. He then told me that I would be transferred to the area La Gloria in Mendoza, not too far from where I was in Pascual Segura. He said I would be companions with, are you ready, Elder Hawks! Yes the same Elder Hawks that was with me in the MTC in my district. Apparently Pres. Lindahl is trying an experiment as he calls it. He wants to start getting more leaders in the mission and he has put Elder Hawks and I on a crash course. Apparently the same thing happened when he was a missionary and is trying the same thing again with us. It has been a crazy week and many people in the mission are betting against us. I talked to one of the assistants to the president and he told me that it was all President´s idea to put us together and that he would never do such a thing. Everyone is betting that we will fail, but we are working are hardest to prove them wrong and I can´t wait to do just that. The Lord works with all of those that serve him, especially the ones with less experience because they need more help, ha ha! We are having to rely more heavily on the Lord and it is paying off. He truly does bless us in our weaknesses and this has truly been a humbling experience in so many different ways. Pictured from left to right: Elder Hawks, Armstrong, and Whiteford. A NOTE FROM HIS MADRE: We did not find out that Elder Armstrong had been made a Senior Companion during this transfer. You can imagine our surprise when we received a letter from President Lindahl. The very next Monday we emailed Elder Armstrong about the exciting news that arrived in the mail. This was his response: "Sorry, I forgot to mention that I had been bumped up to Senior Companion, so surprise! Ha ha, you know me. I always seem to forget mentioning details like that."

A Snap Shot of Pascual Segura

The Sepuvede Family, Bishop Moyana and his family, Gustavo's Montoya (Ward Mission Leader), Elder Morris and Gustavo's brother, a view of the Andes, Augustuna and her family, Elder Armstrong, Hermana Pance, Elder Morris, and Hermana Pance. I loved this family. Hermana Pance was like a mother to me. The view from our apartment in Pascual Segura as we left.

President and Hermana Lindahl Arrive

Well this last Saturday we were officially introduced to our new mission president, President Lindahl and his wife and I must say that they are great. We all met as a zone and the Lindahls gave a brief introduction and shared their testimonies and what there expectations of the mission are. Hermana Lindahl gave a great testimony and tried her hardest to say everything in Spanish, but to express everything as she wanted, she switched to English midway through and gave a wonderful testimony about missionary work. You can really tell that she is trying hard to adjust to her new lifestyle and trying to learn the language. She is truly a motivating force in my life as I try as well to adjust to the culture and learn the language.Pres. Lindahl, who served in Paraguay for his mission was able to give his talk entirely in Spanish. You can tell he is a little rusty from his missionary days, but I am sure that he will progress rapidly. He interviewed us afterwards and he took me aside and ask me how my Spanish was coming, to which I responded, good...I think, ha ha! You can just really tell that he cares about each and everyone of his missionaries, especially the ones who are trying to learn the language still...probably because he can sympathize with us as he is kind of in the same boat.

A Mouse In the House

We have had mice problems in our apartment. In fact, we stayed up one night to the wee hours of the morning trying to rid ourselves of that problem, but the mouse out maneuvered us. It was really funny because at one point we had the mouse cornered and we were about to rid ourselves of our problem, when the mouse darted directly at me and we were surprised at how fast and how bold he was. In the moment of shock that Elder Morris and I had, he was able to get away. The mouse definitely got my heart racing and he went flying directly towards me, ha ha! So to help us out, the mission hired someone one to take care of the mouse and needless to say, we are now mouse free.

Surprise Talk!

Also this Sunday, I awoke to a surprise. Elder Morris forgot to tell me that we had a talk in church. So I managed to wing a talk in Spanish, and guess what, it wasn't a train wreck. Pretty cool huh? At least I thought so. The crazy thing is that I wasn't even nervous. For my farewell talk, I almost passed out because I was so nervous, but this time…it was nothing. I guess that comes with just having so much practice in talking in front of people about the gospel.

Asucena's Baptism

Asucena was baptized last Saturday and it was lovely ceremony. It was simple, but you could definitely feel the spirit and I was glad to witness it. Asucena is so excited about the gospel and is willing to tell anyone about her testimony and it is refreshing to see for me. Her sister gave a talk on the importance of baptism and by the end of her talk, there was hardly a dry eye in the room. It was hard to explain, but Asucena´s sister gave such a powerful talk that it was hard for anyone to keep composure. It was definitely because the spirit was so strong, testify to everyone that this gospel is true and through it, we can receive forgiveness of our sins and become better through the mercy of Christ. It was simple magnificent.

Saying Goodbye to President Avila

We had our very last zone conference with President Avila. He is such a great man and I am privileged to say that I got to know him. In the Zone Conference, we prepared for President Lindahl and for the change over to a new presidency. Hermana Avila said how lucky we were to get to know two different presidencies and should take the opportunity to grow from this experience. Pres. Avila said that we are lucky to have a new president like Lindahl and on the 30th of this month, he will be set apart by a prophet of God and will be the one in charge of receiving revelation for the Mendoza mission. It was a great conference that was energizing that's for sure.

Pascual Segura

I am now in Mendoza Pascual Segura area with a new companion, Elder Morris, who will be going home after this transfer. We live in a two man apartment and I now realize how good I had it in San Luis as far as living conditions go. The heater doesn´t work and the weather here has just taken a turn for the worse. It snowed last Wednesday as we were leaving San Luis and made me disappointed and discouraged about my upcoming year of winter, ha ha!Besides the living conditions, the ward and area is great. The people are still friendly and I can see the Andes from where I am. I can even see Mt. Aconcagua from my area. The Andes are gorgeous and they remind me of the mountains in Utah, only slightly larger. Even a greater blessing is the fact that the sidewalks are smooth and I am able to walk without fear of spraining my ankle again. The members provide lunch every day for us and except for Mondays and they are just over all great.

Saying Goodbye To San Luis

May 28, 2008...Last Tuesday, Elder Park and I got the surprise of the week when it was announced that we would be transferred. We left San Luis at 6:30 in the morning and it was snowing, and it was coming down quite hard. As Elder Park and I hauled our bags into the bus terminal, we heard a familiar voice call our name. It was Noelia and she had come to see us off. It made me want to cry because she walked up in her little coat, her jeans and shoes completely soaked from walking in the snow and said that she just wanted to see us one last time. Later on I saw that she wasn't wearing any socks and I could see her feet through the holes in her shoes, which had turned a purplish color because her feet was so cold. She refused to leave and even when we got on the bus, she refused to go. She just looked at us through the bus window and said thank you, over and over. As we pulled away from the bus terminal and saw her waving goodbye I couldn´t help but think of the symbolism. Here is a person that two weeks ago had lost everything, her family, her job, her house, etc. and now she still hasn´t got any of those things back, but she still says that she has gained everything. As we pulled away, I couldn´t help but realize that she maybe be standing in the freezing cold, but she was no longer left in the cold. She had found the gospel and had received her testimony and now she is fueled by the loving warmth of the Lord. She now has an inner light that she didn´t have before and you can see the change literally in her countenance and it is so rewarding to see. Noelia is now warmed by the love of our Lord and she no longer fears what lies ahead, because she knows...she knows that the Lord will bless her and guide her back to Him as she continues to make the decisions in her life that align her life with the life of the Lord. It was beautiful to see and I will never forget the impact Noelia had on my life and testimony.

The Twin Towers

No wonder the members call Elder Parks and I the Twin Towers. Standing on the chair is Noelia.

The Plaza In San Luis

Elder Armstrong's First Zone

May 27, 2008

San Luis District

May 27, 2008...This was our last district meeting together. From left to right: Hermana Ehlert, Hermana Walker, Elder Armstrong, and Elder Park.

The Church In San Luis

Downtown San Luis

San Luis or New York? Elder Armstrong, Park, West, and Avalos check out a casino in San Luis. Or, did the foursome really grab a flight to New York?

Fiesta In San Luis

People work at eating. Locro is considered a national dish and is often served on May25, the anniversary of the May Revolution. Locro is a stew that can be prepared with either wheat or corn, beans, chorizo, pork trotters and ears, and the traditional sweet fried sauce made with onions, tomatoes, pepper, and paprika. This sauce is added to the Locro a few minutes before it is served. The ward members celebrate their Independence Day with eating, singing, and traditional dancing. Elder West and Avalos enjoy the festivities, while Elder Parks is overcome with fatigue.