Dear Mom and Dad,
Mom: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I sang to you this morning. A couple of times. I dont´think you could hear me, and it was really really early in the morning, so I didn´t want to sing too loud and wake up the neighbors. Sorry about that.
This week was really really long. Hermana Salas and I had a lot of things to get done in not a lot of time. The most important things first, Maxi and Rodri got baptized this week!!! It was seriously one of the most stressful weeks ever. First problem. We did not have the mothers permission, nor could we the missionaries, or Cristian the father get ahold of her. She had said that she would give permission when they were ready, but she thought it would be more time. So we had the eternal stress of waiting to find out if she would give permission.
The boys had their interviews with our district leader, and that went smashingly. They passed with flying colors, they are both so awesome. Then Elder Horton (yes, we had Elder Horton and Hermana Orton in the same district. Yes, just about the whole transfer everyone was saying our names incorrectly) talked to Cristian about how important it was, and how as the priesthood holder, and the father, he had the responsibility to talk to the mom and help his sons be baptized.
We then found out that we did not need the mothers permission for Maxi and Rodri to be baptized, so it turned into a "how can I respectfully tell my ex wife that our sons are going to be baptized this weekend whether she likes it or not" sort of thing. Luckily it all turned out well, and she was on board.
We had various problems getting the program figured out, tryped and printed. What normally takes a half an hour took two and a half. The weather Saturday was horrid. Seriously. It started rainy and windy. It ended with, you guessed it, volcanic ash. Now some of you might be wondering why in the world there would be ash when I haven´t mentioned it for months. Well, the truth is, I just keep forgetting. We are still with volcanic ash. And not just a little bit. A lot. One of the pictures I am going to send is our footprints in the ash. It was like snow. Normally we can´t see when it is falling, it is just everywhere. But on Saturday, we could literally see flakes of ash falling from the sky. It seems that ash will be my constant companion in the mission as the volcano in Chile will keep errupting for the next two years. Do you know what is absolutely horrible for your hair+ Volcanic ash. Seriously, my hair is seriously burned and dried from the ash. But I digress. The point of the story is, the weather was really really bad.
Second major problem. The hose to fill up the font was not working. We did not know why. We could not fix it. President and Hna Dominguez had their baby the previous day so it was basically impossible to get ahold of him, and no one else in the branch was answering. So we did what any good missionaries would do. We started heating up water on the stove (the only hot water int he chruch is where we can pump water for the font) and started hauling it out one pot at a time. It was a very long hour and a half until we could get a hold of presidente. But he came, and helped. Left and then we fixed things more, and we had the hose working!!!! What a blessing!
Everything went uphill from there. Every person that we asked to do something for the program came to the baptism. It was the first time that had ever happed in my mission. Also a blessing! Cristian was really nervous to baptize his sons, but he knew that it was somthing important, and he did it beautifully! There were zero problems, and afterward he said that he felt really great! And he is feeling more confidant with his pristhood duties. In the next week Maxi, who has 12 years will recieve the Aaronic Priesthood. Miracles are happening in San Antonio Oeste!
Another miracle that we had this week, was TRANFERS!! We are going to have 4 hermanas in SAO! Thank goodness, we have had so much work the last couple of weeks we really havent been able to focus on our investigators individually. And now we can!!! And, are you dying, do you want to know who my next companion will be? Sorry about that, I really cant tell you. I want to, I really do. But you see, I still dont know who my companion will be. Because I will be training this transfer. Thats right. You guessed it. My worst nightmare. The good news is now its sinking in a little more and I am feeling a little more confidant. I will meet my hija on Wednesday or Thursday. We will see what happens!
Hermana Salas and I left SAO last night at nine thirty, and we got to Bahia Blanca at three thirty in the morning, where we had to say goodbye. It was really really difficult to say goodbye to her, she was much much more than just a companion. I know that I am going to be okay training because of the time I had with her. I would not be prepared for this without her.
After we said goodbye Presidente Detlefsen took me to the house where I will be staying for the better part of this week. My companion till Wednesday is named Hermana Araya, and she will also be training. Haha, because of this we took the "pregnant" pictures, because we are going to have daughters this week. She is from Chile, and she is great! We are going to have an awesome time waiting anxiously, very very anxiously, for our companions to arrive. She only has a little bit more time in the mission than I do, and we both feel very very young to be training. Pero bueno. It will all be okay!
If someone else is eating my conference candy I am going to be so upset. Seriously though. I hope that is not the case. Normally right before transfers, they dont send out very many things since there are so many changes and things get lost, or the things that people ordered, or their mail never makes it to them. So I am going to hold out hope that it is in the office waiting for me and that I will get it this Wedesday when I am the officina igual or next tuesday in district meeting.
I would love 3 Nefi 22:7-8, 10. Hands down my favorite scripture. It has been for a really really long time. The longest I have had a favorite scripture. I love it because it helps me remember that the Lord knows who I am, and He will never forget me.
There are still bats, but there are no more entering our apartment. Presidente knows about the problem, as does the landlord. Unfortunantly I dont think there is much that Presidente can do, as he is a good seven or eight hours away. Our landlord is only so so helpful. We are going to keep working with him to see what we can do about that whole problem.
Mate celestial is delicious. It is milk (really really hot), with sugar, and vanilla. You pour that in the mate with shredded coconut and then you drink it. It might not sound really good since we dont have anything really similar to it in the states, but dont judge, it really good. And with the bombilla none of the coconut actually makes it into your mouth, just the delicious flavor does. With Hermana Salas, I have become mildly addicted. She is used to drinking mate 24 hours a day seven days a week. And mate celestial was her replacement for the regular mate. Now we didnt drink it every day or anything, but some of the members started serving it to us since they are all sad that we cant drink regular mate with them. So Ive gotten used to drinking it. And I like it!!! It really is that good.
I am glad that the missionary fireside was THAT GOOD!! I am also glad that the YW are now invited. I will start crashing other priesthood only events if it will helps YW get excited about their missions. When Mir and I went it was last year, and we got to stand up when they asked who was waiting for a mission call. It was pretty awesome. And if I remember right, Murphy spoke and it was really good. Are the elders who spoke the elders in our stake or recently returned missionaries?
Mom, I love you so much. Thank you so much for all that you do for everyone you meet. I do not know one person who knows you that has not been blessed by you. You are my ultimate example, and I hope that one day I can be the kind of woman, wife, mother, leader, and friend that you are to every one you meet. You truly are an example to me, and I would not be where I am today without you.
How are you doing Dad? I hope that everything is going well with you!
What did you do for your birthday? Cafe Rio? Oh goodness. What I woudnt give to eat cafe rio right now. That is absolutely on the list of thigns we have to do quickly after I get home. How was your day? Did you get to relax at all?
My spiritual thought is the link on the church website, Todays Families, Women Have Great Influence. It is great! Sometimes we just need to remember how close to heaven we really are!
How are things going for the second Provo Temple? Has anything started yet? Will you send pictures of the progress? I still cant believe that we are going to have two temples in the same city!
Well Mom, I love you like crazy! I hope that you have had a great day and that it ends just as fantastic! Since I couldnt send you anything for your birthday, I tried to send you an extra long email with more details than ususal. Hopefully it worked, I really dont pay much attention to the lenght, I just try to write as much as possible! I love you and I am praying for you! Happy Birthday!!!!!!!
Corinne
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