Monday, June 17, 2013

Hola from Trevelin! (pretty sure that's how you spell it...)


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

P.S. sorry for all the typing mistakes. were in some cafe thing and the computers aren't the best.




Here I come Neuquen!


Hola familia!

I only have a couple minutes, but just wanted to let you know I am heading off to Neuquen tomorrow. I will be traveling with one other Norte Armericana Hermana, and 4 Latino Elderes. We leave the CCM at 1pm tomorrow and our flight leaves at 4:55pm (this is all argentina time). If you care to know so you can follow me on my trip, my flight number is LA 4276.

I love you all so much and I'll write you more when I get to the great penguin land of Neuquen. Which by the way- every time I tell someone that my mission is Neuquen, they just talk about how freezing it is haha. Hopefully my skin is thick enough to hold up.
Lots of love!
Hermana Ashcroft