:)

Hey everybody!!! 

How´s it going?? This week was pretty cool. Some fun things happened I guess. So on monday and tuesday, as I think you already know, we had to be in the apartment early at 7 for the carnival thing. It was kinda ridiculous because I never saw anything about any carnival, but I gladly accepted the extra rest. Then, on wednesday, I had to do divisions with our district leader, Elder Price. He´s from Idaho, he´s a little awkward, but he´s pretty chill I guess. We had a pretty golod day. But, we got a text at like noon that say that we had to be back in the apartment at 5 because there was going to be a nation wide protest against the government. So, we just got back and rested and played uno for awhile with the other elders that live above us. But, I don´t think there was any protest. Because, at like 7, the strongest storm I´ve ever seen in Argentina happened. It only lasted like an hour and a half, but it was SOOO windy and there wasd a ton of rain. But, everything was okay. 

Then on Thursday I found a beetle in my sock...just a fun fact haha. Oh, and I wanted to tell everyone about bag lady. She´s a crazy, old, homeless lady that lives in sáenz peña. She just walks around everywhere with a ton of bags and always asks us for money. We say no, because missionaries cant give anyone money, because then people will think that the church gives away money. So, she always asks us anyways, and when we say no, she proceeds to call us every swear word known to the spanish language. It´s kinda funny actually, because she only does it with the missionaries. And then the next day she asks us for more money haha. 

Anyways, the week of work was good. We´ve been working well with a few investigators and less actives, and they are progressing, they just can´t seem to wake up on sundays to get to church. But, we´ll keep working with them to help them overcome it. Oh, and I got to see Elder Giles this week on this last saturday. His companion had to come to the church here for some leader training since he is a branch president, so they stayed the night with us. That was pretty fun and it was cool to see him and we got some burgers from the gringo loco and it was a chill night and it sounds like he is doing well. So, it was a pretty good and successful week overall if I say so. 

The only other thing would be the quote, which comes from Quentin L. Cook this week. He said, "Many choices are not inherently evil, but if they absorb all of our time and keep us from the best choices, then they become insidious." I love this quote. It follows the good, better, and best principle. Many things we do may not be "bad" but we have so much more potential and these good things keep us from doing great things. So, just strive to make the best choices. :) Thanks to everyone who wrote me this week and I hope to hear from you all soon.

 

Les Quiero,

Elder Joshua Clarine

P.S. The computers have been bad with the pictures, sorry. We shall hope for next week.

Forgot 500

Hey everybody. 

So, last week I had noticed, but forgot to inform you guys, that I hit 500 days in the mission!! that´s a lot of days to me haha anyways, with last week and this week included, I have yet to lose a single game of ping-pong. So, I guess thats one of the nice things of Elder Giles not being here anymore since he´s the only one that could really beat me. 

So, The week went pretty well. On thursday we had our district meeting and we are trading off weeks for a companionship to bring a dessert. so, it was our week this week and we decided to get everyone little ice cream bars from grido. So, that was fun. Oh, and I realized this week that, not counting the MTC, I have now had 3 latin companions and 3 gringos. Elder Mejia is my third latin companion, and the one with the least time. He only has 3 months in the mission. He just barely finished his training. Oh, and today we are only writing for an hour at the church because everywhere else is closed today and tomorrow for some carnival thing. So, we will be writing the other hour tomorrow if possible, or wednesday or thursday depending on when places decide to open back up. 

Anyways, as far as the people of the area go, Sara Quintana is doing well. She was going to come to church and was all ready and everything, but then her son showed up to bring her to his house for something. :( so, we shall hope for next week. And, la familia ponce is still doing well. The kids are always a disaster when we go over there, but they´re a good family. and, we found a family this week that is pretty cool. The familia Sandoval. They were really interested in the lesson and I think they have potential. The only other people would be Maria and her family, the less active members. They are starting to do a lot better and they came to church this week as well. So, now they have been to church 2 of the last 3 sundays! Hopefully they keep it up. That´s pretty much it for this week I think. It was a pretty good week overall and I´m happy with the work right now in the area. Hopefully we´ll have some more success this transfer. 

But, other than that, I just had the weekly quote that I wanted to put in. This week it comes from Carlos A. Godoy who said, "We need to be prepared for the challenges that will come. The best paths in life are rarely the easiest. Often, it is exactly the opposite." I love the quote and the boldness and clarity it uses to show demonstrate a better perspective. We shouldn´t search for the easier way, because it is not the most gradifying. The things that are worth the most, are the hardest to get and I love how true that is in all that we do. Thanks to everyone who wrote me this week and I hope to hear from you all soon. You now even have an extra day or two to write me before I write the other hour! :)

Les quiero,

Elder Joshua Clarine

Transfers!!

Hey Everybody. 

 

So this week was probably one of the most interesting weeks we´ve had in awhile. So transfers were yesterday! I am in Sáenz Peña still but with an Elder Mejia. They already happened!! We got a call on Sunday that said that transfer calls would now be on Sunday instead of Tuesday. And, they sent Elder Giles off to campo largo and my companion showed up yesterday. It was sad to say goodbye to Elder Giles, even more so because it was unexpected. I will miss him for sure, but am also excited to have another latin. Not counting the MTC, I now have had 3 gringos and 3 latins as companions. And Elder Mejia is from Mexico. 

 

Anyways, more on the week. Elder Giles was still a little sick to start the week off and so we were just in the apartment while he recuperated. Then, Darian, the convert of the sisters that Elder Giles baptized, had his birthday this week. He invited us over to his house to have some cake and soda and it was pretty cool. It went well and he´s a pretty cool guy and a really solid convert. And then on Saturday we had to be in the apartment early again. They say that there are festivals and stuff in the streets, but there is absolutely nothing. But, I´m not complaining. I´ll take the rest. And then church went really well and I taught a class and I really liked it and there was a lot of participation. And, as far as the people of our area go, las familias ponce, Ramirez, and alvarenga (maria´s family) are all doing well and continuing to move forward. Oh, on a sidenote, by staying here this transfer I will officially have 1 year of my 2 year mission in Sáenz Peña haha 6 months in Ensanche Sur and 6 months in Centro. I´m lucky I don´t hate the place haha 

 

Other than that I just had the weekly quote. This week it comes from Dieter F Uchtdorf. He said, “Let us acknowledge that most often gaining a testimony is not a task of a minute, an hour, or a day. It is not once and done. The process of gathering spiritual light is the quest of a lifetime.” I love this quote. A testimony, or belief, doesn´t come or stay from one experience. We have to constantly try to grow in faith, in knowledge, and in all aspects of life.Thanks to everyone who wrote me this week and I hope to hear from you all soon.

 

Les Quiero,

Elder Joshua Clarine

P.S. Mail takes about 5-6 weeks to get to me and my birthday is in just under 6 weeks…and I put letters on the wishlist this year ;) haha

This computer doesn´t accept any device being plugged into it...we´ll hope for pictures next week.

10 months!

Hey everybody. 

I officially have 10 months of my mission in Sáenz Peña now. I´m semi hoping to get to a year just to say that I did haha. Anyways, this week went pretty well I guess. the only bad thing is that Elder Giles and I both had our times of sickness. We had district meeting on Tuesday and I wasn´t feeling crazy good. From like Tuesday to Thursday I was just feeling a little stuffed up, almost like allergies, but they weren´t allergies. But, they were never that bad so that´s the good thing. 

Amalia and her family are still doing well. Sara Quintana is progressing pretty well, it´s just hard for her to get to church; partly for her age and partly out of pure laziness. but, we´ll get her there. And, these less actives in our area, Nicolas Dezcano and a lady named Maria and her family have all started to come to church. We have been working with them and it´s awesome to see them start to come back. On top of that, a long time investigator (of like years) of the sisters got baptized this last week. It was pretty cool and he actually asked Elder Giles to baptize him. That surprised us and really came out of nowhere, but it was a nice little surprise for Elder Giles I guess. 

And, on Saturday we had to go in to the apartment early. Only, I have no idea why. There was apparently some carnival or circus or protest or something going on. I have no idea honestly. Now, the bad news. Elder Giles started to get pretty sick on Saturday and was dying at night and was so bad on Sunday morning that we couldn´t even go to church. That was the first time in my mission that we haven´t been able to go because someone was so sick. So, keep him in your prayers and hopefully he gets better soon. 

Other than that I just have the quote of the week. I´m claiming that the quote is just something that I came up with, I just thought of it and wrote it down and have it on the wall in the apartment, but if it belongs to someone else, then I´ve never read it before haha. It says, "You cannot become patient without opportunites to act impatiently." I like it and I´ll just leave it to you guys to think about :) Thank you to everyone that wrote me this last week and I hope to hear from you all soon.

Les Quiero,

Elder Joshua Clarine

 

 A Catholic Church in Cordoba.

 The city.

 The temple.

Elder Giles baptizing Darian.