9/28/2015

Alright, this week... well, there's not really a lot to tell you. It was quite rough, because we really just can't get healthy. So, on Monday we were feeling really good. Well, health-wise. During P-day, we went to the church to play frisbee in the grass. Well, some of the Elders didn't want to hang out with us, then we watched Meet the Mormons and one was just saying racist comments the whole time, then they got going with the "bad words in English" thing again. That just makes me really, really mad. So we kinda stormed out angrily. But health wise, we were ok. Then they sent us to Bahia Blanca to go do visa papers. An update on that, the goverment guy who was working on my papers messed up, so I may or may not be sort of illegal. But don't worry, he says my ID will come, it will just take a while. We may or may not have had problems with a bus station lady for my lack of ID. So when we came back from Bahia, we were sick. I've come back from Bahia with every comp and everytime sick. This time, it was tonsilitis. I don't even know what happened. Hna Bindley got hit worse- a head cold, some digestive problems (cleanly speaking). The food just hits us bad sometimes. So then we were just really sick for the rest of the week. So that's that. 

This was our group that went to Bahia Blanca... E Megli, Utah, E Da Silva, Brasil, Hna Bindley and YO... we got to know them really well on the bus ride... it was a long bus ride... 

Now, in response to your card. Sounds like the ward's pretty great! Love the description of your vt partner. I dunno if ya know, but I'm a missionary, and the church is the most interesting thing in the world. Keep the church descriptions up!  The church here is pretty great- and attendence of between 80 and 100 every week. There's a lot of funny little kids- some like us and some (GADIEL!!!!) don't. We totally didn't buy his love with an argentine candy once. Yep, that didn't happen.

Well, my hair... I was just looking in the mirror and it had faded into a gross ashy blonde with a little carmel and I was just like "Hey comp- you wanna dye my hair tomorrow?" I think in about a month, when the "grey" roots start coming in, we're gonna dye it a lighter brown. I just wanna go around the color wheel. Side note, hair dye is really cheap here. I don't know how I didn't realize earlier!

Re: Chile and Idaho.... its not like we look to hang out with them... we just run into each other in lunch, meetings, cyber to write on monday. We just really like their stories... Follow up story: We asked more questions yesterday. We started with obviously importand obra-related questions: shared menos activos and investigators, logistical stuff. Then Hna B... favorite video games Idaho: I'll just be honest, I didn't play enough to have a favorite one. Chile: The most recent FIFA soccer. Hna. B (probably her favorite to ask the Elders... she askes every one of them)- Converse, Nike, New Balance or Vans? Idaho: New Balance... and walked away, like he'd just proved his point. Chile: I don't understand... Hna B: shoes Chile: NIKE... I'll just let you guys interpret that one... 

Alright I'll send pics. Just know that even though I don't always say it, and sometimes say I'm never gonna leave, that I love you loads and miss you. And shout out to you for not sending what are lovingly called "trunky e-mails" For example, one mom sent"what are you gonna do when you get home with school? You're over half-way done, are there any attractive elders in your zone?" Those are just bad. So shout out to you for not sendin them.

Love ya,

Hermana Long

We found Hna Risser, my compa from CCM in bahia... it had been a long day, noone looks their best, but you know, it is what it is!

This is the picture I want on my placa. Well, it's the best I've got... now I'm seeing the shoes and the microwave... she if you guys can work some good photoshopping, cropping and then put it in.

My three areas... I really haven't moved around a lot

This is what outside our house looks like at sunset. That building is a bakery that our member neighbor-landlords own. It's the best of times and the worst of times

9/21/2015

Well, this week was just an interesting week. We're trying really hard to work, but were running into lots of obstacles. We, more than anything, feel like grandmas. But we're working anyway!!! 

So a few interesting things that happened- 1, we  had lunch with the Elders for 3 days in a row. That's just always interesting. We're trying to get to know them, so my comp just starts asking random questions- Who's your favorite disney princess? Who's your favorite person from the bible? It was just really interesting. The Elders names are E' Marin and E' Topham, but we'll just call them "Chile" and "Idaho" cause it's more interesting that way. Side note, when we first all got here, we thought they wouldn't get along, but now they've got a really great bromance going. They're REALLY different, but they've found common ground. Idaho teaches Chile English and Chile teaches Idaho Spanish. They told us they walk down the street saying "O" and they looked really happy about it. Well, about the questions- Chile said "well, I don't think I have one. But I just remember watching Tangled with my little nice before the mission. Idaho- Princess Leia. That just resulted in 3 days of arguing. He says she's Disney because Disney bought the rights. We say that happened after so it doesn't count. I told him it sounded like he'd been thinking about it for a while, and he said that as soon as my comp asked he started thinking about the weirdest thing he could say. And the bible one- Chile- well, Pablo, Paul, because in the new videos of the bible it's the same as Joseph Smith. Idaho- (he's an English major. He says he wants to teach, but before he was just studing literature) Well, that depends, do you want the character development, or who's just a good character, or who would be my best friend. We'll go best friend- (thinks really hard for like three minutes.) Gideon. And then launches into some story and gets really excited. Yep, they're really interesting. 

Another story about them- Idaho is always dropping his scriptures. Always. And there's an old-wives-tale among missionaries that every time you drop your scriptures, your future spouse gains 10 pounds (or 10 kilos for our international friends. That's worse!) Once we told him and he just said "It's just more to love." He's just a really weird guy! So the other day we were talking to them and he dropped his planner. I start laughing really hard, and he says "It's a planner, it doesn't count." And his comp, Chile, says "It's just one kilo." So Idaho picks up his planner and throws it at Chile's chest. Chile picks it up and drops it. I died laughing. Also, one more story about those guys (I really could write a book. They're like our only friends here!) So, one night I'm in bed and my comp's in the shower (It was early, like 9:30, but we'd already finished planning and we don't have furniture. So the phone rings, and I go to get it. It's the Elders. Idaho says "we wanna ask you guys for a favor?" I'm thinking they want help with their investigators, or that we bring them something to church, but no. They wanted the number to Grido, the ice cream of Argentina. I started laughing so hard. My comp comes out of the shower just in time to look for the number and we hang up and laugh for like 10 more minutes. We decided we just wanted them to feel real awkward, so we didn't say anything about it. Idaho totally freaked out and spilled his guts- it was even more interesting than we'd expected- Grido started selling pizza and they just wanted pizza. We laughed again for like 10 minutes.

Umm, what else. Oh, CHILEAN INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!! E' Marin, Chile, wasn't even excited. So we made him a card (pics to follow) He was really happy.

So, we did have a couple of really great experiences this week. Once, we were walking in the street, thinking "who wants to talk to us" and we pass this lady and we say "hi" and she says "hi" and then "when are you girls gonna come to my house?" So that was just an answered prayer. Two, was with the Elders- all the Elders, not just Chile and Idaho. So, we'd been really frustrated with the way some of the Elders were acting. We felt like they weren't taking their priesthood seriously. So, as the only hermanas, we stepped up to plate. First we started studying the priesthood, and our role of keeping them in line. Then we took like ten minutes to talk to them. We talked about the priesthood. That they have to man up (see Elder Christoffersons talk in GC in October of 2012 "Brethren, we have work to do".) And that they need to listen to us. And it really got to a few of them. And now we're really focusing on that- finding our role in the mission- as women, as Hermanas, as Hermana Long and Hermana Bindley. And we like what we're finding.

Another was "Y". She's menos activa. They had been working really hard with her before I got here. She's come back to church, had a calling, and then she disappeared because her grandma had some really serious health problems. But now the grandma's ok. We went to Y's house and she shared her testimony of the church. Then she came to an FHE or NDH like it's called here, and to church two weeks in a row and brought her son and she's just really excited again.

Well, those are some of the news from this week. I want to hear your responses to everthing. I'm sending pictures now.

Love you bunches!

Hermana Long

9/14/15 Mission Con, Service Project

Our adventure in Mar Del Plata... Top From left to right: Elder Topham (aka Idaho), Dinkins (aka Dad), Da Silva, Roberts (our awesome district leader who left us for Bahia), Megli, Yeates (aka Michael Scott), Gonzoles. Bottom row: Elder Parades (i'm pretty sure he's from detroit), Perkins, Marin (aka Chile), Bellido, Landeros (just akwardly in the middle) Hna B and me :)

We had a mission con this week- we went to Mar Del Plata!!! It was the best! We enjoyed a great conference with a 70, that I can't spell or say his name (Elder Texeira.) You would have loved his accent- he's a yankee, married to a German, who was a mission president in Brazil. It almost all came out in really bad Portuguese. But he's a really good speaker. He got us all pumped for the obra! His wife talked in broken English with a great, thick German accent and our Zone leader (the crazy one who always talks about our clothes) tried to translate. It was just really funny. I got to see Hna. Lopez again. We walked around super happy all day and then it was so hard to say goodbye. She cried- twice. I guess I was a good compa. I also saw Hermana Shifler, from MTC and Hermana Fasanando, and a bunch of Elders I knew. And I met the famous Canadian Elder. And his ex comp who's in my zone made us take a picture. I don't have the pics yet, but I'll send them all to you when I have them. 

In Mar del Plata for Mission Conference

Then on the way back, the Elders were just crazy. We laughed so hard. We got to know Elder Marin a lot better, the chilano in our ward, and the dorky side of Elder Topham, the one from Idaho, came out hard core. We taught Elder Marin to say careful- and he's been saying it to everyone all week, and swag, and since then we've taught him "Yolo", "Flirt to convert", and "Dad and Mom pouch" (what we call the belly that all the missionaries get. More on that later). It's pretty great. Elder Yeates taught him "she's a hottie!" and now we're trying really hard to explain that he can't walk around calling everyone hotties! Freaking elder Yeates!!!!

So, in other news, I dyed my hair last week. That was pretty funny. We asked the Elders for their advice- Elder M got super excited and Elder T just looked like he wanted to die. They're such crackups. But now it's dark again. Hey, can you send me some more pics from the university- my hair when I first dyed it, culture night, classic selfies? Thanks :)

Ok my new area- it's literally the best area I've ever been in. Like, you know how there are areas that are big, and hard, and the members are hard to get to know and in the end you just love them? And then there are areas that aren't too big and the members are great and the people are nice? Yep, we're in one of those. We're working with a few investigators- Daniela and her family. They're a young family that want to get to know the church. Lara, an 8 year old girl who's been going to church for months, but her parents aren't really into the church. We were teaching a grandpa, but we gave him to the Elders, cause we can't go into his house but they can. We've got a few ladies that we're just starting to teach. I'll tell you more about them next week, when more has happened. The house is great- in the middle of everthing, big enough for the two of us. Its only downfall is a bunk bed- I'm on the bottom and I always chunk my head on the bed. I hit it really hard the other day and I still have a bump. But the best part, we live behind some really great members. They're the parents and grandparents of like half the ward, and they're super sweet and own a bakery in the other corner. Between not a lot of working and walking and a lot of facturas, I'm gaining a little bit of weight. But that changes now! But the Gallis (that's the members we live behind) are really great. The other day when I felt really bad (dad has more of the story) the hermano was able to give me a blessing. I just felt really safe and protected. So don't worry about me here in Olavarria. We're ok!

Well, that's all for this week. Love ya!!!

Hermana Long

This was our service project selfie. From front to back- Elder Marin (Chile), Hermana Bindley (Utah), ME, Elder Yeates (Washington), E Parades (Paraguay),  Elder Perkins (Idaho, I think), Elder Megli (Utah) and Elder Landeros (Mexico).

MARANO MORENO (My compas really short!)
​So the Elders crouched down to make her feel less short. One, they're both still taller than her. 2- Elder Topham looks like Doofenshmirtz!

9/7/2015 Still Sick

Sounds like everything's going well over there in the land of maple syrup, ice, and cold, happy people. The other day I told some Elders that Idaho just has potatoes and cold people. And the Elder from Idaho says "what do you think Canada is?" And I said "a bunch of happy, cold people in the PROMISED LAND" I'm telling everyone that Canada is the promised land, and they just don't believe me! I don't know why!!!

Given that we were in bed dying, we had a pretty good work week. We've got a pretty good group of investigators, and we're really enjoying their progress. I really love seeing the conversion process- in me and in my investigators. Me and Hna B are really enjoying being together and we're really enjoying the work and the opportunity to be a part of it! Yesterday was testimony meeting, and I really loved hearing all the testimonies. It's all true- we have the true church, the gospel is true, Jesus Christ and God live and we have prophets living and inspired.Well, that's all for this week! 

Love you so much!!!!

Hermana Long

8/31/2015 Sick Sick Sick

I can't believe how much everything is changing. My big news, I've just been really sick for a long time. It's not anything super serious, just a cold that doesn't want to go away. I was fighting it in Tandil, but then I got here, and me and Hna. Bindley were just sick all week. I think you know more about my area than I do. But I've decided we're just gonna keep working. As long as I'm not in the hospital, were gonna keep working. So if I don't write next week, it's because they put me in hospital. Well, I don't know what else to tell you about this week. Apart from having a bit of cabin fever, I'm really happy. I loving being with Hna Bindley. We're just laughing the whole time. I don't think they're gonna let us stay together too long. But, I'm just gonna enjoy our time while we have it. The area is smaller than Tandil. We're still the only two Hermanas in the Zona (boo!) but there's another area for Hnas that I think they're gonna open up again. 

I really don't have a lot of news, because, like I told mom, I've been sick all week. And I'm still sick. But we're gonna keep working! My 5 news would have to be like this:

5. Well, spring is starting here. It's a lot hotter here than in Tandil because it's really high over there and not over here.

4. I spent about 2 and a half days just sleeping and eating.

3. Hna Bindley painted my nails a "granny pink" because that's whats "acceptable" for missionaries. And then a real, live granny told us that she loved the color. It was a little awkward.

2. I went to ward council. This ward's a little weird. Everyone told me that this was the heaven of the mission and that it was just really great, but I think it's a little weird.  But that's ok, I'm gonna love it anyway.

1. Yesterday, we heard the first piece of news in a long time- Zayn left One Direction. It was weird. We still can't believe what is going on in the world.

Well, hope you have a good week. I hope I have more news from you next week. Have an awesome week :)

Love you!

Hna Long