It was a full week of working. We’ve been busy making relationships with members and trying to help a lot of inactive families come back. The temple in the providencal capital of Salta is going to be completed soon, so we have been able to get a lot of families excited about the blessing of temples and eternal families.
There were a couple hard/sad things this week. First, several of the people that both we and the missionaries before us have taught for many months have all but stopped coming to church. It’s hard to get so invested in someone’s life and well-being, then have them choose instant gratification instead of long-lasting and eternal joy and happiness. While Tartagal is far from the poorest place here, most people live far below what would be considered poverty in America. We taught a family this week whose house consisted of tarps held up by wooden beams. Even so, everyone we meet is so willing to give of what they have whether it be food, water, or time.
There were so many fun and awesome experiences this week. The best was when I got to go on exchanges with Elder Ferguson in Mosconi, the town immediately south. Exchanges happen about once a week and are where two companionships swap a person for a day. If you are struggling with your companion, you look forward to the reprieve of exchanges. If you get along with your companion, like Elder Gibbs and I do, then exchanges are a fun opportunity to see a different area and meet new people. We worked the hardest yet that day, but it was also the most fun and rewarding.
For the sake of keeping this short, I’ll just saw that I have seen the Lord’s hand constantly, especially with my Spanish abilities. Once again, I’m grateful for all of your support and I know that Jesus Christ knows you personally and loves you.
Elder Hansen
