| show details 11:24 AM (23 minutes ago) |
Hola Mis Amigos!!!
Wow I have had the craziest week. My traveling started on Monday Feb. 28th. We had 9 missionaries that were all scheduled to leave for Argentina that same day. Everyone had a straight flight to Atlanta, and then to Buenos Aries. I however, had to fly to Denver, then meet up with then in Atlanta and we would all fly down together. If all went well we would be arriving in Argentina the next morning.... Unfortunately there was a big storm in Georgia so we all ended up missing our connecting flights. We wouldn't be able to fly out for two more days. At this point it was like 11:30 P.M. so the church just put us is a hotel that was close. The next day we went back to the airport to figure out what we were going to do. The Atlanta Georgia South Mission President ( President Satterfield) came and picked us up. We were going to stay at their house for a day then catch the flight tomorrow. It basically felt like I was one vacation for two days. We went on a few nature walks, and watched Book of Mormon movies. I found it humorous that my mission was starting with a vacation as opposed to being thrown into to the field like I had always expected... I knew my time would come. The next day we said goodbye to our Georgia mission Mom and Dad and boarded the plane. 10 hours later I was walking around the Buenos Aries airport without a clue of what was going on. Luckily we had Hermana Brown with us who was really good with her Spanish and translated whenever we needed. I boarded another plan and was headed to Mendoza. I don’t know if the church felt bad for my situation, but I sat first class. It was fun, but I would never spend the money for it. My stomach did a leap of joy as we landed in Mendoza. I was finally here. I met Sister Lindahl ( President’s wife) and we became fast friends. I got to the office and met my Companion Hermana Wilde she and I were meant to be together! We have so many similarities I love her to death. I am the first greenie she has every trained, so she is a little nervous, but we are both the type of people that just go with the flow so things are going to be great. We have already gotten a bunch of new investigators, and we have a lot of great goals for our time together. I am so grateful for her. The people here have been pretty good for the most part. I don´t understand over half of what they are saying, but they are willing to keep repeating and helping me till I get more of the Language down. The ward is especially nice. Everyone came up and greeted me at the end of Sacrament Meeting. I can’t tell you how many kisses I have received since I have been here... That was something that I was warned about, but didn,t really understand until I experienced it. Every Woman you greet will kiss you on the cheek. I have already had two guys pull me in and kiss me as well (they were both old, and a little smelly haha :)). I need to get firmer with my handshakes so they understand that I can’t do that... to them it is just normal. My pench (apartment) is actually the nicest one in the mission, but there are already things that I have come to appreciate in America that they don´t have here. Some are: carpet, couches, water pressure (our shower just drizzles, but I am grateful for it!) all condiments (mustard, ketchup, soy sauce everything is diluted so it doesn´t have a ton of taste at least the things I have eaten so far) toilet paper (they don´t have any in public restrooms... so I don´t use them haha)among many other things. I have loved my experiences so far and am loving being a missionary. I can´t wait till I have the language a little better and I can really express to these people the love I have for my Savior.
So my crazy experience for the week. Well the whole week was crazy, but this definitely tops the list. I had been in Argentina for less that 24 hrs. Hermana Wilde and I had taught a new investigator that morning, and she was so touched by our message that she wanted us to go teach her Boyfriend after lunch. On the way to his house there was this guy walking behind us. I looked back at him a few times. I got this uneasy feeling, but didn´t say anything to Hermana Wilde because she had told me yesterday that theft wasn´t really a problem in this area, and that she had not had any problems her entire mission. About a minute later the man runs past Hermana Wilde and tries to take her bag. She was holding on to it while pleading ¨Mi Biblia! Mi Biblia!¨ hoping he wouldn´t take it. The next thing we know he pulls out a gun and points it at us yelling ¨Teno Arma! Tengo Arma! Dame Sus Cosas!¨(I am armed! Give me your things) She immediately handed over her stuff, and the man was gone. We spent the next few hours at the police station, and then had to go to the mission office to file out a report at well. All the Elders where teasing me saying it wasn´t fair that on my first really day in the field I go robbed at gun point, while some of them are leaving in a few months, and still don´t have an experience like that to talk about. The story gets even better.... The next evening. Hermana Roas, and Hermana Ochoa (the other sisters in our Apartment) were on their way home when the same exact thing happened to them in the exact spot. We are pretty sure that it was the same guy as well. However, this time the situation was a little different. Before he took their things he just stood there. Hermana Roas knew something was keeping him possibly the spirit we don´t know. When she asked him why he was doing these things, and told him that we had nothing and that we were just trying to spread the Word of God she could tell he had something going on inside of him. He told her that it was for his kids and that he had no other choice. He let then keep their cell phone and scriptures. Hermana Roas gave Him (Nahuel he told them his name earlier on) the money and invited him to come to church. Before he left with tears streaming down his face he hugged both Hermanas begging them for forgiveness and then he was gone. We couldn´t believe that this had happened. None of us feel that he will bother us again. If any of us see him we hope that the spirit has continued to testify to him, and that maybe he will open his heart to Christ.
Well that was about it this week. No big deal. Haha ya it was nuts. I´m sure my experiences over the next few weeks will not be nearly as exciting, but I think I will be ok with that. Ha Ha
Chou,
Hermana Ricks
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