Week 1

Hola Familia!

 

I dont have very much time because the cyber cafe in our area was closed when we got to it, so we had to take a bus all the way to downtown Resistencia, which took a really long time and we have to get back real soon because our P day ends in half an hour. But I need to tell you guys all about Argentina!!!

 

First, dad, in the MTC before I left, I had to get two shots, and I think that they need us to pay for it. So can you call or email them and see what they are charging us for? Thanks!

 

Also, familia, I just want you to know that in my letters to you guys, I dont make things sound happy and missionary like because I know that its going on my missionary blog and my friends and such will read it. I tell you how it is in these emails, I dont really care too much about my mission blog or anything, its all the truth!

 

So, traveling over here was really long, we had three plane rides. We flew to buenos aires over night, and then took a plan from buenos aires to resistencia the next night. So we got to take a bus ride through the central of buenos aires, it was a really cool experiences. Its exactly like how you think it is, and different in many ways. Everything is really really old and dirty and worn out. No two building are alike. They all have grafitti all over them and its just crazy. It was super cool. We took a pit stop in the buenos aires MTC, which is right across the street from the buenos aires temple. I didnt get to go inside but we got to walk around the outside, it was beautiful. Resistencia is like wise. My area is called Barranquerras. Its like the suberbs of Resistencia city. All the buildings are really old and worn out and dirty and falling apart. Its a city of dogs. haha. I swear there are more dogs here then humans. It would be awesome if we were baptising dogs. They all need a bath anyway. The people have the same personalities as america obviously, some really nice people, mean people, etc. The main streets are paved with worn down asphault, but all the rest is dirt roads. My shoes always have an inch of dust/dirt on them. haha. I havent seen the black of my shoes all week.

 

I dont understand a thing that people are saying right now. Its not the same language we spoke in the MTC!!!!! haha. Really, I am totally completely lost in all conversations. I can usual understand my companion pretty well becuase I talk to him all the time all day, but the locals, I dont understand one bit. Its really frustrating everyday, I want to share the gospel so bad, but my companion right now says everything in the lessons. I catch a few words, a few ideas of whats going on every now and then. Im studying hard and praying hard to start understanding espanol! Its super super hard, im having a really hard time with the spanish, but i know that everyone does. My companion says that his last companion had been out for 10 months, and I understand spanish and can speak it better than he can. So thats kind of uplifting, but also that could mean that a lot of missionaries never get the hang of it. Im trying super hard to start understanding!

 

My companion is Elder Nava, a native speaker from Mexico, no english. Which is super super hard for every single every day things. Everything is a hard to understand when he wants me to do something. But at the same time, I think it is really helping me out a lot to have a native speaker! Just about everything is different in spanish then english, they way we say everything is different. I can give you some examples next week maybe, I dont have very much time this week! But I think he is really helping me understand spanish a lot lot better, im super grateful that i have him as my companion. Also, he is the hardest working, most focused missionary that I know. I difinitely stereotyped him when I first met him. He is awesome, im so happy I have, he is a perfect companion and trainer. He teaches me so much.

 

Our apartment is mas o menos! (More or less). Its not a shack, so thats definitely a plus. It doesnt have AC of course or anything like that, but its not too bad. We have a shower head in our bathroom that has two functions: scolding hot, or extremely cold. So every morning is a struggle. We wish all the dishes by hand. Everything is done without the luxuries of America. But i love it, it is home.

 

More about the Resistencia, its just exactly what you guys imagine. Dirt roads, really old, dirty, falling apart shacks. You really have no idea the luxuries of living in America until you live in a third world country. The people are the same though, happy and very grateful and gracious for what they have.

 

My companion brought with him the mission field and ipod with all kinds of spiritual upbeat church music on it, and it is english! so we listen to that always in our free time. It is awesome, I love it. Music motivates me so much!!

 

We have next door neighborhoods, the owners of our apartment, who make us a meal almost everyday. They are the nicest people that I know!!! They are super good cooks, we are always so grateful for the food they make us!! They arent members, but they fed us almost everyday. It rocks.

 

I wasnt very shellshocked actually when I got here, its just the language barrior thats killing me right now. The culture is super different, I cant even really explain to what its like here, it doesnt fit into words. Its just so different. But I didnt get very shellshocked, after the first day, its like I was just walking around in West Valley, its all completely normal to me now.

 

It sounds like I shouldnt like it very much, right? But the strange thing is, is that ive probably never been happier. I dont understand a word people say to me, Im in a really broken down, beat up place, but I really am so happy. Sharing the gospel with people, devoting all my time to the Lord, living that lifestyle, it makes me so happy. It really doesnt matter where we live or what we have or anything, if we are living the life of the gospel and always constantly developing, we are really happy. We need struggles, mountains to climb, like spanish, in order for us to be happy in this life.

 

We have lots of investigators, I have a lot of experiences I would like share I dont think that I have enough time this week. Next week for sure.I just want you guys to make sure that you guys know that I am really happy, everything is awesome. I am more than okay. Mom can come out of her pulmonary enfarkment now haha.

 

Ill tell you guys more about it all next week! Throw out to me any questions that you guys have about Resistencia. After one week, the things that I thought were crazy when I first got here arent really crazy at all to me anymore, its just life. So there are probably tons of things that im leaving out. So you can ask questions if you have them!

 

One of the weird things here is that people still read horses here. Like horse drawn carriage things. Its crazy. And EVERY SINGLE PERSON drives a motorcycle. Not very much cars. }

 

I could probably wake up at any moment now and not be suprised that this whole mission thing has been one big dream, its so weird, but awesome!!}

 

Until next week familia!! Love you guys!

 

Love, Elder Miles