Dear Mom and Dad,
Am I a bad American if I forgot that today was a holiday? Hehe...The funny thing is that today was also a holiday in Argentina! Actually the holiday is wednesday, but they pass most of the holiday´s to the weekend so they can have long weekends.
Sad news, Miguel did not get baptized. The saddest part is he is completely ready. He has a testimony. He is reading the Book of Mormon everyday, praying, everything else, and he wants to be baptized, but he wants to have more time attending church before he gets baptized. If any former missionaries, or anyone for that matter has advice, I would love to hear it! We have tried just about everything we can think of, but nothing seems to be working.
Diana isn´t progressing as well. Its half our fault since we are hardly ever in her neck of the woods, she is reading and praying a little bit, and also wants to get baptized, but she lacks the motivation to come to church on Sunday. We´ll see what we can do with her this week, we are really hoping that she will come to church this Sunday, because if not, we will have to let her go for a little bit. And I really really don´t want to do that.
Is another package coming? I got the one with the tootsie rolls and the shirt from Kami (and the other thing from Mom and Kami, don´t worry you too, I´m looking for one in Spanish for you two hehe...), and the letter from Summer. Is that the package you are talking about?
Do you want to hear a funny story? Its called, There Once Was a Bat in My Apartment Part 4. Yup. We have a part 4. We have no idea how this one made it into our apartment. We thought that we had put things up nice and secure, so nothing could get in. We now live in constant fear because we have no idea how this one got in. We are still looking for where it could have possibly entered. I hope we find it soon. This is the story.
It was five thirty in the morning yesterday. I was sleeping, as I usually am at five thirty in the morning. And I heard Hna Salas say, "Hna Orton, Hna Orton" So I said, "What?" And she said "There´s a bat." (Except she said it in Spanish) And I said "I don´t think I understand" (Okay, to be fair, I was speaking Spanish too.) Anyways. She was right. There was another bat. After it left our bedroom, I ran to the kitchen, turned on a couple of lights so it would want to leave to where it is dark. (with my blanket over my head like last time), opened the biggest window, and ran back to our room where we pretended to sleep, hoping and praying (seriously) that it would just fly away. At six thirty we left our room, and started looking for the bat, which we couldn´t find. It smelled like bat (they really do have a distinctive odor, really really musty), but we figured its because it had been flying around.
We went to chruch and came back home for lunch. And the bat way laying on our counter. So we did what any sensible, adult would do. We dropped out stuff and ran out of the apartment looking for Noelia (one of the Hnas in our branch, who is an animal fanatic). She came over and removed the bat for us. At first we thought it was dead, but when we came back to the apartment with Noelia, it was NOT in the same place that it was when we left, so we knew it was still alive!!! Noe took it back to her house so it wouldn´t die, and when it was dark, she let it go.
Our landlord has been out of town for the past week, but he got back today so we are going to talk to him tomorrow about what we can do to solve this little problem that we have. And I would like to say that when the other Hnas come they won´t know about it, but apparently the entire mission knows that we have bats. Or at least all the Hnas know. Well alot of people know. I´m not exactly sure how. Haha.
Ahh!!! I am so glad that the Caspersons are okay! I will sure keep them in my prayers! Chris is in the MTC?! How crazy is that? How is Sister Casperson doing? When does Dallin enter the MTC, its this month too isn´t it?
This week was so much better than the past couple of weeks have been, I am not sure what made the difference, but I hope that it sticks! Hna Salas and I have always gotten along great, but this week has just been so much better! We are teaching better, and we are meeting so many more of our daily and weekly goals! I am feeling more confidant and more capable as a teacher and with the language.
I am starting to get nervous about the next tranfer. I am sure that I have already said somthing about this, but we are going to get 5 new hermanas, and I have about a 99% chance of training. I simply do not feel ready for that so we´ll see what happens. If I train, I train, although I feel bad for the poor new misionera that will have to endure that experience. Haha. I´ll find out this Friday, and you will find out on your birthday Mom! I hope that I get to stay in SAO for one more transfer, I feel like I still have work to do.
Today Hna Salas and I went to Las Grutas! It was awesome! I felt very Argentine. We took a thermos with us so we could drink Mate Celestial. We arent´allowed to drink Mate during our misisons, (which I am okay with, because I tried it before my mission and I am not the biggest fan), but I am a big fan of Mate Celestial. Argentine´s are mildly addicted to thier Mate, and they are more than willing to admit that. They go nearly EVERYWHERE with a thermos so they can enjoy Mate whenever they want. So we took a thermos with milk in it so we could have Mate Celestial. I fully plan on drinking Mate Celestial after my mission, so don´t worry, you can all try it. It is very delicious. If you like the flavor of coconut, you are going to love it, just wait.
In response to your question about which scripture I am pondering today, I read this morning in Alma 55:17 (maybe chapter 56). This is during the war chapters and Helaman is writing to Moroni about what it going on in that part of the country. Helman says that he and his "sons" were a great relief to Lehi (Í think it was Lehi) and his army because they had covenanted to win in that area or die trying to defend thier country. And I was thinking what a great thing it is that we don´t have to make a covenant like that, (most of us, and those who do I am EXTREMELY grateful). But I was thinking that we need to make those sort of promises regarding our standards. There shouldn´t be anything more important than our standars, and there should never be a reason to justify doing something that is below our standards for any reason. I was thinking that those sorts of promises, while they may only be to ourselves are the kind that are most important.
Happy week before your birthday Mom! I am glad that you had a good time on the roundup Dad! I love you so much!!! I am praying for you!
Corinne
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