Word of the Week: “Panty Medias” (tights/nylons)

This was a unique week for many reasons. First, Hna. Cuello and I went to Mendoza and spent a couple of days there before she got on the plane to go home to Buenos Aires. Before she left though, we had dinner with President Avila and his family in his home. It was so nice! President Avila is here in the mission with his wife and 3 of his five children, the oldest of which are two, teenaged girls, so, needless to say, we talked about the recent good movies, Twilight, and EFY. It was so fun to be in a family setting with people more American than Argentine. It was so fun! I got to help them cook dinner and get things ready while Hna. Cuello met with Pres. Avila. It was quite the privilege for me to get a one-on-one with the President’s wife and his daughters. It was so fun! Hna. Cuello and I had fun making waffles for all the incoming missionaries the morning after they got here to Mendoza. Waffles aren’t common here, but latins just love them! So, we made some syrups and lots of waffles to feed everybody in the office. It was so delicious!!!! I can’t even remember the last time I ate a waffle! Hna. Goddard, my new companion, came on Tuesday night and since Hna. Cuello and I were staying in the mission office over night, we got to meet her and get to know her a little bit before we were “formally” introduced. Only 4 American missionaries came in, and Hna. Goddard was the only hermana, so it was obvious who was going to be companions. The best part of the day was lunch with Hna. Rastelli (the wife of one of the men in the mission presidency). She always cooks for these sorts of events in the mission and, by now, has come to recognize me (because I’m always trying to help her…so she gives me an extra dessert and because I’m just used to always helping in the kitchen!) She told me that my accent has gotten lots better and that I speak really well now, even from just a few months ago. I sure hope I’ve gotten better after nearly 6 months straight with latin companions! She made delicious ravioli with red and white sauce mixed (try it, so YUMMY!!!) After lunch, the eight of us missionaries participated in a training meeting with President Avila and the two assistants. The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Apostles have recently released a new training program for all incoming missionaries. It is a 12 week program (meaning the trainer and the missionary are together for 2 transfers) and each week, you study, essentially, one of the chapters from Preach My Gospel. We have an extra hour of study time every morning to really go into depth and to do some one-on-one training and practices according to the specific needs of the missionary and the investigators in the area. It is truly an inspired program. I feel like I’m probably benefiting more from the program than Hna. Goddard! The program also outlines specific “tasks” to practice during the week so that by the end of the 12 weeks, the new missionary would be prepared to train another new missionary if it were necessary. It is a program geared towards helping new missionaries be full, actively-participating missionaries from day 1 in the mission field. We are still adjusting to it, but it seems great! After the training, Hna. Goddard and I scored a ride in the mission van with the Assistants and one of President Avila’s daughters back to San Luis, rather than taking the bus. The following day, we had a FABULOUS meeting with President Avila and his family, in order to meet them and get to know them, since they are still new in the mission. President Avila is very loving and sincere and has a great laugh that makes you smile on the inside. He is quite different from President Lindahl, but a great leader for the mission. I’m excited to work with him and his family over the next few months before my mission ends. In terms of teaching this week, we were greatly blessed to find investigators and new people to teach, even though we only had a shortened week to work. We found one woman who the elders taught last year a number of times (though there is no record in the area book). I had talked with her sister in the street, and when we went over to her house, she let us right in without hesitating. She told us of the great experience she’d had the past year in listening to the missionaries. We visited her another time during the week as well and got to know her better and about her situation. She seems to be more concerned about her sister’s spiritual welfare than her own, so we will have to be more direct in teaching her this week so we make it clear that we are there to teach her and we can help her sister in another moment. She is really friendly and has a very loving heart. She even whipped out her Book of Mormon when we got there the first time. It was a great first lesson to introduce Hna. Goddard to missionary work in Argentina. Leonela, our other investigator, is coming along slowly. We are really trying to work with her to help her understand better about the Priesthood and the authority of God. As a result, I’ve been studying lots about the Old Testament prophets and the prophets of the Book of Mormon. My testimony of prophets has been greatly strengthened and I am able to testify with more clarity and assurance that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that President Monson is His chosen spokesman during this day and age. Winter has really moved in here to San Luis over the past couple of days, so I had to go and buy some nun tights so my legs don’t freeze. I compensate for the nun tights by wearing earrings or really colorful shirts so people don’t think I’m a nun since I’m sporting their tights! Hahaha. Love to you all! Enjoy the summer weather! Eat some yummy BBQ hamburgers with bacon for me! Hahaha Hna. Pelton