I played the part of Santa Clause

Well... I feel old in the mission now. Every missionary will call home 4 times and see 4 general conferences. By those you can see how much time they have left. I only have one call and one conference left... It`s all over man... I'm basically home. How sad is that?

Christmas was GREAT! I love talking to all of you. I'm sorry I couldn't talk to all. I had to leave early because my ride home was taking off. But the good news is that the car worked fine this time and we got home easily. Well it has been two weeks since I’ve written anything. I guess I should fill you in as to why and then what happened the week before.

My companion got sick... really sick. So we basically didn't leave the pench for 4 days. So... I didn't really have time to write. But I'm here for you all now. I know that you were all waiting with baited breath for 2 weeks to hear about me. I know that you still haven’t opened your presents and all, because you are all still waiting by your computers for my update. So here it is:

Two weeks ago... nothing happened...
Just kidding. We had interviews and also a fun trip to the offices. On Tuesday we woke up at 4 to go out to the offices and get my companion`s paperwork done. That was fun... NOT. I'm still tired from that trip. The really great thing about that week was finding these two great families:

Maria and Cintia are sisters. We showed them the Book of Mormon and taught a really great lesson about why it is important. Then we came back a few days after. Cintia had read the book and felt something. Maria had felt good, but nothing powerful. We taught them about Joseph Smith and what he did for us. Then connected it to the Book of Mormon and what our feelings mean. We asked Cintia to pray. As she did we prayed for her that she might know the truth. She asked God for a surety of his will for her. She stopped for a moment and then quickly finished the pray. The Spirit was so strong with us. We waited a few moments and then I asked her how she felt. It was one of those questions I knew the answers too. Everyone in the room had felt the power of the Spirit and Cintia took notice of that in herself. It was a wonderful chat.

Adrean and Veronica are a young couple. He looks like a metal rocker and she looks like a kindergarten teacher. They are an interesting mix. They had a lot of questions and we have answered many of them. They don't believe in God really, but they know they need something. So they are looking and trying to find the truth. I don't know how to explain this one, but just know that we found a wonderful family who is interesting and growing spiritually.

We also had the Ward Christmas party. I played the part of Santa Clause. Believe you me, I am a great Santa. We also stayed up way to late... a big regret of mine.

Well, this week was craziness. My companion was sick and I was stuck in the apartment all day. Now that everyone knows because my mother had to go and tell everyone... I was sick too. But just sick enough to make me sound sick. Anyway, I got board in the apartment, so I started writing a book with my companion about Dragons. It has been fun. With all the time we spent in the apartment we have got pretty far with it. We needed to be inside the entire time he was sick... then in by 6 PM on the 24th and 25th. We played a lot of funny card games with my Uno cards, and grew together as a companionship. It is weird how when you are together working and together sitting you learn different things. Elder Mortensen is a wonderful elder... but also a wonderful friend of mine now. I really appreciate the opportunity God gave me to learn and grow with him. I often forget who I’m with as I focus so much on the people. It was nice to get to know the man who is always with me.

Just so everyone knows... it has been really hot. I’m dying from the heat. It was a crazily hot week. My companion and I are back in full steam. Life is good and I am happy. I now miss everyone back at home a lot more... but there is nothing I can do about that. I just hope and pray that everyone truly is as well as they sound.

In this letter and especially this time of year... I send you all my purest love. I miss you all and love you all. I am extremely glad to have you all behind me supporting me and cheering us on.

All my love,
Tommy

PS Happy New Years!

I'll be calling home

Well, no update this week... I'll be calling home. It was a complicated week. My comp got sick and I have no time. I'm sorry, I'll try to do better. I love you all... 2 PM home time is when I should be calling home. I'll try to make that punctual. If not... 2:30 at the latest. Love you all.
Tommy

We eat and call a taxi.

This week was CRAZINESS!!!! I hope you all got the photos... there are photos of my new favorite flowers... they are double layered!?!?!?! The coolest dumbest dog ever. A few baptisms. My friends. And the new edition of the Bible that my father sent to me... and I changed a little bit. Well, I got board and gave it a covering (I want to meet the person who looked at a toilet and said... that needs a hat... or furry seat coverings)


So, the baptism was great. HORRIBLE, but great. Let’s just go through the steps. First of all, our bishopric promised to come, but none of them showed up. Well, we went to the church to start filling up the font at about 10:30. I know it takes about 2 hours... so the OTHER elders were going to turn it off at 12:30. We get to our lunch appointment and sit down to eat when my phone goes off and the other elders are screaming that we need to get back to the church (not an easy feat). The member offers to drive us in his car (one of 3 members with cars). We hop in and drive off... then break down. So we get out, try to fix the car... but eventually take a bus and get to the church. There we find that the other elders got there later then we were expecting and the water had overflowed. Fortunately all Argentine chapels are made out of tile floors... so we clean it up and take off back to the lunch appointment about an hour later. On the way back we see the member pushing his car home, so we jump out and push it all the way home... a lot longer then I remembered. We eat and call a taxi. That taxi never showed up... so we run over to a taxi guy and he brings us to the house of the family that is to be baptized. By the time we get there we were suppose to have started the baptism already. They get in the car... and fill it up. So my companion and I RUN back to the church and almost died on the way. We showed up about 2 minutes after the taxi... We get the baptism underway and at this point we notice that the bishopric is not there... so we go on anyway. While we are changing our clothes, we were going to watch a movie... but the controller was locked in the bishoprics office... so Elder Coats sang instead. The funny thing is that NO ONE in the room knew the songs, except Elder Coats... so he basically sang like 4 hymns all by himself. HAHAHA. But it all got done and we were very tired by the end of it all. Baptism days are SO hard.

new apartment mates

the OTHER apartment mate

Fun little story. We went over to an investigators house and she was being visited by a few friends. They were all drunk, but we had already sat down... so we chatted for a bit. We shared a bit with them because they had a lot of questions. They straight up told us that they were not in the condition to receive us, but that they wanted to learn more. So we set up an appointment with the wife of one because she wasn't drunk. On Sunday we came by and she came out with this puzzled look on her face. We asked to chat with her and her husband... and she just says... wow, you came. I didn't think you would come. Anyway, they didn't have time. So we are going back another day. My favorite part of this story is that they told us where the house was by the fact that they have two pigs in the front lawn. Ha ha... I'm teaching pig people. Go figure.

flower power

One last cool thing... we went to church one Sunday and see this man dressed up and looking alert. I figured he was with the other elders... they thought the same. Turns out he just passed by in front of the chapel and walked in. He was amazing. We gave him a Book of Mormon and are going to go by later this week.

Well, I don’t know when exactly, but I won’t be emailing next week. Our p-day is going to change for the next two weeks. I’m excited for Christmas. I don’t know when Ill call... we are going to do a service project as a zone, so I’ll let you know when I find out when the service starts. But for anyone who can or wants to go... I’ll be there... I hope you are too.

Next week I’ll have more time to chat because I won’t be sending photos again. So Ill try to write more spiritual experiences. I love you all.

Tommy

baptism from last transfer

We are the Friendly Giants of Mayol

I’ve been informed that I’ll be completing day 500 of the mission this week. Hiza for Israel. This week was a wonderful one. We worked really hard and got a lot done... but there is still so much to do. It is SO hard to get up in the morning. But it is just as hard to turn around at night and return to the apartment. I find the hardest rule for me to follow is to get home on time. We almost never make it within the right time frame. I talked to the president about it and he told me to be careful. There are dangerous people out at night. Fortunately they all come up to the bottom of my elbow... and everyone knows us... and loves us. Okay, not EVERYONE, but the majority. It is so funny. Elder Jones (from the MTC) was in Mayol for a long time as well. So everyone thinks I'm him, because I'm huge and lovable (and humble). We are the Friendly Giants of Mayol. It`s good being me.

Well, I had some wonderful questions asked to me that I would like to share with all. First of all... I had inquires of how Argentina really is. Well... the baptismal pictures are all taken from within church walls. The churches are not that different from the states. They are a little smaller and have no carpet (carpet is almost non-existent in Argentina). But the homes are mostly huts or small cement boxes. It is very humbling. The roads are mostly dirt and flat. There are often mud holes, and dirt holes... and animals, or carcasses. It is a different world. Some day I’ll come down here again and take pictures of all the... different things. Until that day... imaginense.

Speaking of which... fun little update, I’ll be speaking only Spanish after the Christmas phone call home (ET phone home (Elder Tommy) it just fits too perfectly). Which will be taking place about Christmas Day... mas o menos. Be there or be square.

So, next question: How do you "train"?
I don’t really train. I just kind of be a good example and guide us to do the right things. I teach my companion the rules and how to follow them correctly. I explain any mission specific rules (like no matè). I invite him to be the best missionary possible and then leave him to experiment for himself. I know that sounds a little weird, but it’s true. One thing I’ve learned from all my teachings and all my learnings is that teachers suck! Teachers don’t ever do anything. They can explain new ideas or what have you. The real teacher is the self, accompanied by the Holy Ghost. So I explain and INVITE... then leave him to pick his own path. I try to guide him to the best path if at all possible, but it’s not always possible. So, I’d say training is more of a guiding process. Never should a trainer try to crush what is already good. So I just push here, or pull there. I don’t do much.

All I can think of to say about this week is that it was crazy. We will be having 3 baptisms next week... so we’ve been working our tails off all day, every day. It is kinda like running on a roller coaster, you just try not to get hit by the train as you run around in circles. Hey, that is a good analogy. I feel like I’m running on a roller coaster track. YEAH!!! IM BRILLIANT!!! Anyway, it was a good week. My companion is amazing. He is getting better and better every day. We are working harder and harder every day. We are teaching better and better. My father sent me a bible recently and I’ve been putting it to use. I haven’t taught from the Bible in a very long time. I took an hour to get some numbers back in my head and I’ve been trying to use it daily since. I love the Book of Mormon, and it is hard for me to pull away from it. But I need to help people understand all of God's words.

Noche de Luz was this week. It was the Nativity choir from the mission. It was great!

And... I’m gone. I’ll send photos next week. I couldn’t do it today, computers here suck.

Love you all,
Tommy