Argentina: Week 1
BBAAAHHH!!! I'm here!!! And still getting used to the keyboard!
This week has been interesting. A)I can't speak Spanish! B) I have really bad allergies right now so I can't really hear anyone, let alone people speaking Spanish so I can try to understand them! C) Well, yeah. That's probably as bad as it gets. I can, though, do some contacts in the street. I did several yesterday with my companion. With my companion of course.
The flights took about 24 hrs total to get to Neuquén, with all the delays and everything. Muy largo, no? But meh, it didn't really bother me all that much. And can I just say, I LOVE FLYING!!!! Our Elder Johnson was so right.
Anyway, my mission president and his wife met me at the airport at around 8 Argentina time (we are 4 hrs ahead of mountain standard time), ate my first empeñadas, then went to bed. And it was so nice getting to Argentina because it's all nice and humid here! Me encanta (I love it)!!!!!! It's still summer here, so it's a nice break from cold Utah and Idaho (you can laugh at me in a couple of months, Winter really starts in June-ish).
The next morning they put me on a 11 hour (at least) bus ride to my area. I was all alone, on a bus surrounded by Spanish speakers, and I totally didn't know what they were saying most of the time! But I'm still alive, so it's all good :)
I met my companion at my first area, Puerto Madryn, which is about in the middle of the gulf south of the peninsula in the middle-ish of the country. I know the Peninsula has a name, but what it is, I don't remember. It's a decent size city, but it's pretty different. Argentina is very different from most South American country. We're right on the beach so there are a lot of tourists and those from cruise ships around. A LOT of people smoke around here. And as I said, Argentina is WAY different from any other South American country.
My trainer is Hna. LeGrow. It's a hoot because when I first got here, when I met the assistants to the President, they were like "Oh, you're in for a treat." She has a lovely reputation. They only said that out of love of course :) But ya know what, she's awesome. She's someone who'll tell someone how it is, which is a pretty good thing when it comes to being a missionary. She's been really patient because she has to take care of a gringa, and teach lessons, and work to accomplish all the mission goals by the end of the day. I really appreciate her. But she's also trying to get me to stretch, which has been hard. Yesterday at church it was really hard because she had all these other different responsibilities and I was left all alone going, "Ma- Eh- Wha-?" They were all talking, and I can't hear anything... Oy vey. But it's not to bad. Most of the time I do understand most of what they're saying. Sometimes I can understand all of it. Maybe it's only because I have my companion. She speaks way more clear than they do here, and It's way easier to understand what she's saying.
Hmmm... I don't really know what else to tell you, except that although it's been an interesting ride these past few days, I'm totally fine. Even the past two days where I was like " How can you people say no to this message! This is the word of God here!!!" I'm totally okay. I know why I'm here, and I promised God I would work my tuckahs off, so that's what I'm going to do. All the walking, all the talking, all the everything, doesn't really bother me. I know why I'm here. It's going to be a really hard, heart-breaking two years, but I know it's going to be worth it. Mi compañera said that the mission really is a test of fire and faith, and I believe it. But you don't get a diamond if you just let the coal sit on your counter.
Gotta go! Love all of you and pray for you often! Turn to the Lord, and He won't leave you. Please. Don't turn away from the God who gave you everything, including Christ- a way to eternal life. Please.
xoxoxo,
Hna. Georgeson
I have posted a copy of the letter she sent us via the mission president when she first arrived in Argentina at Emily's family web page. Also I have put up a letter with instructions for mailing to Argentina.
This week has been interesting. A)I can't speak Spanish! B) I have really bad allergies right now so I can't really hear anyone, let alone people speaking Spanish so I can try to understand them! C) Well, yeah. That's probably as bad as it gets. I can, though, do some contacts in the street. I did several yesterday with my companion. With my companion of course.
The flights took about 24 hrs total to get to Neuquén, with all the delays and everything. Muy largo, no? But meh, it didn't really bother me all that much. And can I just say, I LOVE FLYING!!!! Our Elder Johnson was so right.
Anyway, my mission president and his wife met me at the airport at around 8 Argentina time (we are 4 hrs ahead of mountain standard time), ate my first empeñadas, then went to bed. And it was so nice getting to Argentina because it's all nice and humid here! Me encanta (I love it)!!!!!! It's still summer here, so it's a nice break from cold Utah and Idaho (you can laugh at me in a couple of months, Winter really starts in June-ish).
The next morning they put me on a 11 hour (at least) bus ride to my area. I was all alone, on a bus surrounded by Spanish speakers, and I totally didn't know what they were saying most of the time! But I'm still alive, so it's all good :)
I met my companion at my first area, Puerto Madryn, which is about in the middle of the gulf south of the peninsula in the middle-ish of the country. I know the Peninsula has a name, but what it is, I don't remember. It's a decent size city, but it's pretty different. Argentina is very different from most South American country. We're right on the beach so there are a lot of tourists and those from cruise ships around. A LOT of people smoke around here. And as I said, Argentina is WAY different from any other South American country.
My trainer is Hna. LeGrow. It's a hoot because when I first got here, when I met the assistants to the President, they were like "Oh, you're in for a treat." She has a lovely reputation. They only said that out of love of course :) But ya know what, she's awesome. She's someone who'll tell someone how it is, which is a pretty good thing when it comes to being a missionary. She's been really patient because she has to take care of a gringa, and teach lessons, and work to accomplish all the mission goals by the end of the day. I really appreciate her. But she's also trying to get me to stretch, which has been hard. Yesterday at church it was really hard because she had all these other different responsibilities and I was left all alone going, "Ma- Eh- Wha-?" They were all talking, and I can't hear anything... Oy vey. But it's not to bad. Most of the time I do understand most of what they're saying. Sometimes I can understand all of it. Maybe it's only because I have my companion. She speaks way more clear than they do here, and It's way easier to understand what she's saying.
Hmmm... I don't really know what else to tell you, except that although it's been an interesting ride these past few days, I'm totally fine. Even the past two days where I was like " How can you people say no to this message! This is the word of God here!!!" I'm totally okay. I know why I'm here, and I promised God I would work my tuckahs off, so that's what I'm going to do. All the walking, all the talking, all the everything, doesn't really bother me. I know why I'm here. It's going to be a really hard, heart-breaking two years, but I know it's going to be worth it. Mi compañera said that the mission really is a test of fire and faith, and I believe it. But you don't get a diamond if you just let the coal sit on your counter.
Gotta go! Love all of you and pray for you often! Turn to the Lord, and He won't leave you. Please. Don't turn away from the God who gave you everything, including Christ- a way to eternal life. Please.
xoxoxo,
Hna. Georgeson
I have posted a copy of the letter she sent us via the mission president when she first arrived in Argentina at Emily's family web page. Also I have put up a letter with instructions for mailing to Argentina.
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