We found out this week that Elder Hughes and I will be together for the next 6 weeks. Neither of us are sad about it, at least to my knowledge… Elder Hughes has been having some problems with his feet, so we’ve spent a couple mornings inside to let his body rest. I found some curry seasoning, so I made some curry. Unfortunately, the only sauce we had was pumpkin based, so the whole curry had an underlying taste of pumpkin spice. It was still good though. We’re working hard to get some momentum in La Loma again and we’ve been finding a lot of interested people. We’re excited for the opportunity to use this […]
Back in Salta
t’s so crazy being back in Salta. I miss being able to hear donkeys from our apartment in Cafayate, but it is so nice being able to find things like frozen chicken breast. Our area hasn’t really been worked in since Elder Schaub got sick a month ago, so we’ve got a lot of work to do, but Elder Hughes and I are ready for it! Sorry for the short note again, but have a great week! Elder Hansen
Leaving Cafayate
This morning I left Cafayate. It was bittersweet, but I’m excited for the new opportunities that I’m going to have in my new area: La Loma, right next to my old area in downtown Salta. Sorry for the short note (short on time), but here are some photos from my last day in Cafayate yesterday. Elder Hansen
Hard Work and Gratification
When I first got to Cafayate, I was able to help Josue get baptized. Since then, Josue was ordained a priest and has helped us teach 2 of his nephews, Bruce and Uriel. This weekend, Josue was able to baptize both of them. Watching Josue’s joy was genuinely one of the most gratifying experiences that I’ve ever had. It means more to me than even my proudest accomplishments in the army or my other life endeavors. I read a quote from Elder Eyring recently that has become very meaningful for me. He states that the Lord’s work and glory aren’t to run an efficient organization. His work and glory are our progress. I have been […]
Time is Flying
These week came and went relatively uneventfully. Nothing super crazy happened, but some brief highlights include: – Despite pouring rain, Josue came with us to make visits all afternoon on Saturday. – Elder Espinoza and Elder Tarawa got food poisoning. Somehow Elder Kinghorn and I were fine, so we went out and visited people while they slept. – I made brownies for a game night we had on Friday. Everyone loved them! – We got to ordain Tiago as a priest. He’s hoping to be able to baptize his best friend soon. – We visited a member who works at a wine cellar and she gave us a tour. -Church this week
La Serenata a Cafayate
This week a huge folk music festival called The Serenade at Cafayate happened. Unfortunately, the park where the festival happens in about 2 blocks from our house. Needless to say, it has been a pretty loud weekend. A fun tradition with The Serenade is that everyone throws water balloons and buckets of water at people walking in the street throughout Cafayate. This led to some fun moments this week trying to keep our heads on a swivel and outrunning those trying to soak us. People were crammed into the houses of friends and relatives, tents put up in empty lots, or sleeping in their cars on the side of the road. In another series of […]
Change: The Only Constant
I’m writing this while sitting at the bus terminal, waiting for my new companion to arrive. Elder Shelley finished his mission and is on his way home. Elder Miller got on a bus at 4am heading to northern Salta. What I know about my new companion is that his name is Elder Espinoza, he has a little less than a year on the mission, and I think he is from Chile. It’s a big change, but I’m excited for the opportunity to improve my Spanish.
Salta with a Big Interview
The biggest thing that happened this week was a series of conferences throughout the mission with Elder Gavarett and his wife. He currently serves in the presidency of the Church’s South America South area, with responsibility over congregations and missionaries in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. After a trecherous 4-hour ride through the winding canyon on the second story of a bus 🤢, we met with a third of the mission in Salta to hear from the Gavarrets about how to help our friends and converts continue progressing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After the main meetings, I had an interview with Elder Gavarret to talk about the progress and future of the church here […]
Progress: Slow but Steady
Our small group here in Cafayate has been growing slowly, but steadily. The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ promises that we can live with our families in the presence of God and Jesus Christ. I have been able to watch members share this message with their families and see them progress in the Gospel together. One example is Maria, who was baptized several weeks ago by her son. They learned about the Gospel from Jesus’s older sisters, who in turn shared the joy they had found with their family. This week another family, the Molina’s, took a huge step together. After more than 10 years, Eduardo, the dad of the family, decided to make the […]
Getting Walked Like Dogs
I’ve never walked so much in my life. I can count on my fingers how many times we sat down this week to share a message or scripture with someone. Between festivals and parties leading up to Carnaval and the Argentine college semester starting next week, most people are not home or just don’t want to talk with us about Jesus. Despite the struggles, awesome things are still happening and the Lord’s work is moving forward! Our friend Maria was baptized by her son Jesus who got the priesthood just a couple of weeks ago. Their family first met the missionionaries 4 months ago, and now 5 members of the family have joined the Church. […]