Writing from a new city in Argentina

NOTE FROM LAST WEEK THAT COULDN"T BE SENT UNTIL THIS WEEK:

Transfers are going to happen this weekend. I won't say much today (because I don't know anything yet) other than that I'm going to Bariloche as a zone leader and I'm going to be with elder Argueta again! Wow. What a surprise. Bariloche hit the fan these past two transfers and completely fell apart. Elder Argueta basically shut down because he didn't like his comp. He loves me, and when we were out there he told me he was praying I'd come out there and we could run the streets again. Well, my friend, I guess God answers prayers! This is going to be a bit of a bear for me. After the first time I did divisions in that area in Bariloche, I said ´I think that is the one area in the mission I wouldn't like to be in.´´ the area is 27 kilometers long and just the rich rich richest part of all of the Patagonia. I'll be sending some pics in the coming months. It is incredible how much money people have out there. And they teach about 6 lessons per week. For the past year, they've been teaching just 6 a week. That's awful, and not how I'm going to finish my mission. It's time to go and turn that area around, and turn the zone around. The zone can be very good... and I think that's why I'm going out there--to turn it around. Cool story-- when on divisions, me and elder Argueta found a lady who had been taught before. That lady has been progressing, and they were planning on putting a fecha with her for next transfer. Is that poetic or what? I'm excited to be with elder Argueta-- he is a champ, and I feel like we really had a special bond. I think we learned a ton from each other, and I know I can be a good influence for him to turn him back to how he should be working.

 

 

May 31, 2010

 

Well, here I am, sitting next to my El Salvadorian friend, typing. It's been a strange turn of events these last couple of days. Yesterday I officially ended as AP. it was strange. Handing over the phone and keys and binder were kinda tough-- I had really grown attached to the calling and have loved serving in that capacity. But, it's definitely time to move on and to go do something else. Bariloche has really struggled the past 2 transfers and so we had a lot of changes in this zone. Almost every companionship changed. This place has the potential to baptize a ton of people-- we just need to prepare ourselves to do it. There have been big problems with disobedience and lack of focus in this zone, and now I think I've been sent here to help get this zone back together. Elder Argueta is a good guy—he's a lot different from round 1. He's not as full of faith as he once was-- he really struggled with his last companion and that has left him not as strong as he'd like to be. He couldn't be happier I'm in as his companion-- he says he's just been waiting for a companion he gets along with to get things going again. Today i got in around 4-- we spent from 4 until 745 cleaning the pension. We literally took all the furniture out and cleaned the place out. We said we were taking out all the bad and negativity-- we cleaned it so well. We then changed all the location of all the beds and desks and it looks way different. The place was a mess, but now it's pretty nice. It's a small pension, and its got a couple of mold problems in the bathroom, but oh well, we'll get through it.

I've got a lot of mixed feelings-- I already miss the office. There I lived with 5 other elders who were just so much fun. I also could call anyone in the mission, and I knew everything that was happening. Now, separating yourself from that is a bit strange. I'll get used to it. Elder Argueta and I found a lady and her daughter 3 weeks ago when I was here on divisions, and the 2 of them both have fechas already. We have another little girl who is going to get baptized as well this transfer, so we are looking pretty good. I really want this zone to turn around and become the force it needs to be. If we are going to get to 100 baptisms as a mission, we have to baptize at least 15 or 20 here in Bariloche. There are 10 companionships. you'll have to MapQuest this-- we have 2 elders in Trevelin, 2 elders and 2 hermanas in Esquel, 2 elders in el Bolson, 2 in villa la Angostura and then 4 hermanas and 6 elders here in Bariloche. It's a very big zone, so we'll be doing a decent amount of traveling to go on divisions and to district meetings and such.

I feel like I've got a big challenge right now. The zone knows why I'm here. But baptizing is what I do and that's what we've got to do here in the zone. As a mission, we only baptized 49. I am happy that Elder Crandell and I got our goal of 3-- Samuel ended up getting baptized yesterday. He was great. He was really excited--- he's come a long way from that shy scared of water little boy I first met. He asked me to baptize him, and I tried to talk him into letting a member do it but he refused, so I gladly did it. I realized that in each of my 4 areas, we've baptized the last weekend I was there. I hope that continues!

The goodbyes weren't too bad. I didn't really have a strong connection with this ward like I did in Allen or Trelew. We only had 2 of the families that lived on our side, and with our limited time we didn't pass by the members too much. With he converts it also wasn't bad at all because on Friday I go back to Neuquen for the zone leader council. The council ends at 5 ish and then we can go and visit people if we've worked there before, so I'm going to go visit Ezequiel and then go make tacos with the Sepulveda's. the goodbyes were really just `see you on Friday!` and then it will be `see you in 6 weeks!` and then it will be `see you in six more weeks!` so it really wasn't too bad.

I've got to spill the beans on something too-- this past month I've been pretty sick. I have had the runs every day for about 4 weeks now. They convinced me to go to the doctor and I did 2 weeks ago. He gave me some pills that were supposed to regulate me and help out my guts a bit. They didn't do anything. So I went back in the last Friday. He was shocked they didn't do anything, so then he gave me some antibiotics and decided it was an infection or something. The next day i couldn't even leave.  went to the bathroom more that day than some missionaries do contacts in a week! I was nervous about traveling like that, but it's settled down a lot and I'm doing a little better. Its not back to normal yet though so I think next Friday when I'm in Neuquen I'm going to go back to the doctor. It actually turns out the first pills he gave me were pills for anxiety problems---he says a lot of problems like the ones I've been having are caused by anxiety and stress. I say `hmm that's funny. Why would that happen the last couple of weeks of my 5th transfer as AP? It's got to be something else. But they relax you a whole ton, so I've slept real well this week! And I've had some pretty crazy dreams too! Haha. But just thought I'd give you the heads up so you can throw a little health line or two in your prayers so I can sprint to the finish and not to the toilet!

I'm down a little bit right now, just for the circumstances in which I've found myself. But, like I said last email, I've done this before in Allen. In Junin. In the office. So, now it's just time to write the chapter `Bariloche`

I love you all. Take care.
I love snow ;)
Elder Jensen