First transfer complete!

Hola!

So today marks the first day of my second transfer in the mission. I survived my first 6 weeks haha. This week we went to Bariloche for a zone conference, but we didn't really get to see much of Bariloche... we left monday in the afternoon in a colectivo and about 6 hours later we made it to Bariloche at 9pm. We spent the night with 2 other hermanas, and then tuesday morning we got up and went to the church for the conference (about 24 people) which went till about 2 and then we went straight back to the station to catch a colectivo at 3 for Esquel and from Esquel another to Trevelin. All and all it was a lot of time spent in colectivos haha. But the conference was really good, and it was great to see other missionaries. And Bariloche looked really pretty from the little bit I saw.

It was super funny trying to catch the colectivo from Trevelin to Esquel, Hermana Obando (who only has 3 months left in the mission) and I were walking to the stop and were about one block away when she says "nooo.... i hear the colectivo!" and I think she's joking cause we still had nearly 10 minutes till it was suppose to be there, but then we see it pulling away!! and Hermana Obando say's- what do we do?!? So I say- We run to the next closest stop!!! NOW!- Now keep in mind, we have our sleeping bags and bags so that we can spend the night in Bariloche and its pretty early in the day and we are running as fast as we can with all our stuff to try to beat the Colectivo to another stop all the way in the center of town like a mile away. So meanwhile the colectivo is making other stops mas a bajo and we are running so fast to cut it off and catch it mas arriba. Long story short, we're one block away with me now carrying all of my stuff plus Hermana Obando's bag cause it was too hard for her to run with it, when we see the collectivo arrive at the stop. So I start full out sprinting and reach the back of the bus when it shuts it's doors, so I start banging on the side of the bus hoping it doesn't pull out. And THANKFULLY the driver heard/saw me hahah. I looked so ridiculous as a gringo with all the bags chasing down the bus! I guess my practice of chasing busses in middle and high school really paid off though cause we made it!

Our investigator Gustavo is totally ready for his baptism this Saturday!! I am so excited for him! We had the baptism of Ambar already, but I feel like Gustavo is my first real baptism cause I was there for the whole process with him. It was my first Sunday in the area that I asked him if he would be baptised if he learned that these things were true for himself. And now not only does he know about the gosple, but his testimony is incredible! His progress has been such a miracle to witness and he will continue to be such a blessing for trevelin cause there aren't many priesthood holders here. It's so incredible to see how much this gosple blesses the lives of people.

We also are going to start teaching two sisters. I'm so happy about these 2 sisters, cause they are so nice! And they have kinda been "eternal investigators" for past missionaries, but I really think that we are going to be able to teach them now and help them to be baptised. Our tiny branch of about 12 people that come regularly on sunday is slowly but surely growing!

So we just had transfers and Esquel is a zone now! It incudes Trevelin and another place called El Bolson. So we wont be traveling to Bariloche anymore. My companion and I are both staying in Trevelin, but an Elder slavens left along with the mini missionary, so there will be 2 new elders in Esquel, and it's possible that soon there will be Elders in Trevelin with us too. Which would be so great to have more missionaries in our area!

Overall, things are going well! As always some days are better than others, but I'm loving being here. I hope you all are doing well! I'm finally sending my letter today since I wasn't able to last week.

Lots of love!

Hermana Ashcroft

P.S.- please send my regards to the Gardner Family. I loved Lisa Cook so much and she was such a great young women´s leader to me. I learned a lot from her and she was such a happy and sweet person. Please tell her daughters that I know, Kennedy and Madi, that they are in my prayers, as well as the rest of the Gardner family.