Hello family! I don't have much time cause I
couldn't print out my letters this week, and I wanted to be able to read your
letters.
My new companion and trainer is Hermana Obando
from Columbia and she's super nice! She doesn't really speak any English
though, so it's been a bit of an adjustment haha. I'm having a hard time even
remembering how to speak english anymore... so I'm typing super slow haha. I
wish this meant that I know could speak Spanish, but it more just really means
that I don't know how to speak at all now. I'm like an awkward mute. It's all
good though and I'm slowly learning.... I hope at least haha.
Our area is a town called trevelin in
Barriloche. Which means that when the mission splits next month, I will be
staing in the Neuquen mission which is the northern half, so I won't be seeing
any penguins it looks like haha. Right now we are in the coldest area in our
mission though. It's super pretty though and looks a lot like Utah with the
mountains, but our city is really small and pretty poor. Not like the more
touristy parts of Bariloche i think...
I'll be honest, it's hard work... cause I can't
talk, but people look at me like I should be talking haha. Won't lie, I cried
for the first time yesterday after church during planning. I'd already had to
prepare a lesson for the young women in spanish (did end up having to do it
though) and my companion and I were trying to plan our lessons for 2
investigators and she kept asking me what I wanted to teach and say and I just
kept thinking "I don't even know who this person is or how to talk to
them". And I ended up crying for like 5 minutes, but I don't even know why
hahah cause really everything was okay and that's what I just kept telling my
companion while I was crying "esta bien esta bien!" hahha. Our area
has nearly all less actives... yesterday was a really good turn out for church
and there was only about 23 people there including me and my companion and the
adult missionary couple.
I invited my first person to be baptised
though! It was super awesome and I don't even know how I did it. AND he
actually said yes! or atleast that's what my companion told me he siad
afterwards hahah. Now we just have to teach him some more and hope he follows
through. also, we are going to baptise a girl named ambar next month!
It's definiitely hard and my right foot is
killing me cause of this weird bone i have that sticks out in the back so
everytime I walk with my shoes on it aches so bad. we walk faster than mom for
miles and miles a day. On the good side though, I've definitely already lost
any weight I gained in the CCM haha. the members feed us luch every day, we usually
eat corn flakes with fruit for breakfast and we don't eat dinner cause we get
back at 9 and have lots more planning to do. Our planning takes a long time
cause we have to go so slow so I can understand the language.
I really do still love it though! I just hope
that within not too long I can beginto remember who is who and start to
actually have conversations with the people. The people are way nice though and
I've got a really nice pension in comparison to normal I think. We have good
water pressure and hot water too!! Super nice! Almost all the streets are dirt
and super mudy, so it's definitely a good thing I've got boots! It's pretty
cold here already and the wind is sharp, but some days are pretty nice and only
breezy. I am loving the area and am so happy to be here and can't wait to be
able to learn more evey day and teach people what I learn!
I really hope all is well!
Send any lettters to the mission home and they
forward them to me through a green pouch. Including family pictures!
Let me know if you guys have any good ideas to
get the ward involved in some Book of Mormon kick of program we are doing... I
don't really understand it cause of the language barrier, but i just know that
I am suppose to come up with an Idea and I'm kinda in charge of it I think
hahah hopefully I figure out soon what it is I have to do. also, if you have
nay good home evening ideas. i have to teach the home evening for the ward and
it's kinda hard for me to come up with ideas and do it in a diufferent language
haha.
LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!
I'm so happy here and I hope that you all are
just as happy!
Love,
Hermana Ashcroft
