San Salvador de Jujuy - March 4th

Hello Family!

Thank you so much for doing this blog thing! It´s so cool and I get tons of mail! I just can´t write anyone back if they don´t put their addresses in their e-mails. 

So Caitlin, on the phone the last time we talked you asked if I still broke out into song randomly and stuff like that. Well no. But since I´ve been with Elder Sant, all the time. We always start talking and it become a converstation with words of primary songs, or we´ll hear some random melody in the street and start singing broadway. And occasionally Disney. But with the later two we generally correct outselves into church music quickly. Just thought I´d share!

We made pizza!

So this week I did a couple interesting things. I cut my own hair. It looks okay. I understand better now why Criag´s hair always looks so blah in his missionary pictures. Also, I totally made empenadas. And they were delicious. Also, I learned they have Trix here. Real Trix. Not that nasty shapless stuff they sell in the states now. I also got jumped on with a dog with super muddy paws, but it was okay, because my shirt was dirty anyway and we were a block away from the apartment. I spent two days on divisions with the Zone leader this week. That was pretty nuts! It´s crazy when the other companion doesn´t know anyone you´re visiting, but really gives you a chance to learn and improve. I also showed the family photo for the first time to the members here because I had it with me for once. They said Craig looked younger than the girls. And that Libby looked 20. And that I look 3 years younger now than I did in the picture. Also mom, they guessed you looked around 30. They didn´t believe me when I told them you were 50.

So this week was full of super short lessons. No one really had time, but we still said, "Can we at least say a prayer with you?" And most people like that. Then we take the chance while we´re in their house to share a quick five minute lesson and commit them to read a pamphlet. It´s pretty great!

We talked to this family again this week. Up to this point, I think we´ve talked to all of them once, but never together. They´re all super awesome! When we talk to them about the family, the spirit is always there, and when we shared the Book of Mormon, they seem really ready to read it. I just hope we can find them in house this week!

We also found another family, and finally had the chance to talk to them this week! The dad said he likes everything the Mormons say and do, but´s just too lazy to ever go to church or do anything else. Kinda sad, but I´m thinking there´s some way to get them there. We´re thinking trying the English class approach - starting in their house, moving it to the chapel, then inviting them to go on Sunday for church. At least the daughter shows some interest! We´re also teaching their neighbors and she sometimes shows up for those lessons. I have hope!

On Thursday we went on a referral rampage! It was awesome! We started applying the parts in Preach my Gospel where it talks about talking to the neighbors if the reference isn´t home, and also making sure to ask every single person for references, not just in general to the family. We had 7 received and 5 contacted! The people we contacted just kept giving us more and it just went on and on and on! I think my favorite was when we asked this family and they gave us one, and said that all of their neighbors had already heard and rejected the gospel. When we left, their 7-year-old daugher was outside... so we asked if she had any friends to visit. She said yes, and took us a couple houses down. We asked if she knew her friend´s parents´ names. She did. We contacted them, and they were super awesome! They even asked a question or two about the church. We´re going to have a lesson with them this week. When we talked to the wife yesterday, she said, "My husband said you guys could come back? That´s weird. He never wants to talk about religion." My testimony that Preach my Gospel really was written by prophets grew so much this week. They really do know the best way to do missionarywork, and it´s all right there in PMG.

We had a really cool lesson with another reference. The spirit was really strong and she was really interested. When we got to the end, we totally felt like challenging her to baptism. Then she started by saying, "Well, a long time ago a went a lot to your church." Great! She´s already been to church! "In fact, my uncle´s a member." Even better! Family in the church! "And I was baptized when I was 12." No longer a new investigator. But it´s okay, because everyone has the same worth in the sight of God. She needed all of lesson 1 over again. So that´s what the Lord prepared for her!

Lastly, I just want to say how awesome church is. We had a couple investigators come yesterday that have been saying they´d come for a while, but until yesterday, hadn´t. I was so excited! Like the scriptures say, joy is exceeding when you help bring souls to Christ. The testimony meeting was powerful, and I realized how blessed I am to experience the church in another part of the world. I really know that this isn´t just a great organization made for one particular culture. This is the church that Jesus Christ established for every person in the world, and all can feel of His love and spirit by attending.

Well, Love you all! Have a great week!

Landon