1-14-16 (Week 20)

Hola,

 

This week has been pretty fun so far. Let’s see I wrote last Thursday so I guess I will start with Friday. 

Friday was just a normal day contacting teaching I don’t remember what we had for lunch. It was a normal day. 

Saturday same thing normal teaching finding looking for people kind of day. Had torillas and chorizo with potatoes. Studied then the night was pretty normal just trying to find new investigators or new people to teach. 

Sunday was church I was really tired I don’t know why; fell asleep a little in priesthood then Sunday school is about the Book of Mormon and that is always fun. Sacrament meeting was good I have to give a talk in like 2 Sundays though. Returned to the house and had ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch studied and then proselyted at night like always. 

Monday was normal wake up eat breakfast went out to contact and we were walking along when a boy comes up to us and says I have an amiga that wants to talk to you guys. So we are like okay follow him to a house and then meet these amigas that want to talk they are sitting in the corner like in the shadows with a beer in one hand and smoking cigarette in the other. And they are like ohh the Mormons and we talk and they ask all these weird questions did we come from Adam and Eve or did we come from monkeys. And I said Adam and Eve were our first parents and we came from them but I don’t deny the fact that science exists and God created animals with the potential to evolve. That is true, evolution exists but we didn’t evolve from monkeys, we are the descendants of Adam and Eve. Then they asked what other stuff we believe in and why and how are we different from other churches. They then talked about their church un banda. Or known as bandistas quimbanda and umbanda. Look it up. It is stuff like magic. And then we talked about the Bible and they read something and I read something and when it didn’t match they were super mad and like, we have the bible of god, your bible is not the word of god, then I was like let me see your bible. Their bible was Reina Valera 1960 and the bible we use to Reina Valera 2009. I told them we have the same bible same reina same edition everything just theirs is old from 1960 and ours is recent from 2009. Then we left. It was a weird and interesting experience.

 

Then we went home and had lunch which was gnocchi like fideos with potato inside. Then the rest of the day was normal after lunch the other elders made banana bread. 

Tuesday went to Santa Rosa for the normal zone meeting. We tye dyed shirts for the zone. That was good stayed here in Santa Rosa, proselyted in the area of the zone leaders. Then that night slept in their apartment and they said I had a package handed me a box I opened it and it was my Minion PJs and my stockings from Christmas with two little ornaments and I think bottles of hand sanitizer. My box came and I love my PJs. Thanks!!! 

Wednesday still here went to the church and cleaned the church I washed windows because Wednesdays are our service days and we cleaned for service. Then afterwards went out for burgers. Then went back to the apartment and proselyted in the area of the zone leaders again actually found three good people for them. 

Thursday or today here in Santa Rosa we stayed here because today is zone p day we are going to the Laguna to play futbol and roast hot dogs and just have fun as a zone on p day. 

We are emailing right now and we leave for the Laguna in like 30 minutes so I better be going. It was good to email and talk to you guys. Have a good week. I will tell you all about today and the p day next Thursday. Talk to you then! And thanks again for the package.

 

Love,

Elder Frampton

 

 

1-7-16

Family,

Okay so Sunday was the first Sunday of this year and we had 9 church and priesthood first and sacrament last; it was a little different but I didn’t mind. We did a little contacting that night and found a guy who was super interested and has been looking into different religions taking the discussions from other churches and he was like I think your message and you two elders are better and on a different level than those Jehovah witnesses and the evangelical or evangelists missionaries.

Lunes or ex P day was good; we had a normal day working in the morning looking for people and then lunch; we had I think ham and cheese sandwiches. Then studied the afternoon and then went out at night and looked for people and contacted the street of the church and found another good guy who is interested and yeah I’ve passed church and seen it when I walk past.

Tuesday we went to Santa Rosa for zone meeting and that was good. We got on the bus at 9 45 in the morning then rode it to Castex and the other elders got on and we met (who they are the Elder Caseres from Paraguay has about a year in the mission and Elder Alverez from Costa Rica who is brand new elder). Then we all went to Santa Rosa, got off found the zone leaders, had lunch milanesas. Then we walked forever to the church on the other side of town and got a little lost but got there eventually had the meeting and then finished and then walked to the terminal and got on the bus, bought some food luckily they sell sandwiches for 10 pesos in the terminal so 1 US dollar. Got on the bus back to Pico got here at 9 at night and then planned talked and went to sleep. 

Wednesday had a lesson in the morning our investigator has read all the way to Helaman 8. Then we talked with the neighbor who is this guy who owns like 5 dogs and he was real nice and told us about his life and childhood and poverty and family and talked to us for like 50 minutes and then said he wanted to pass by our church on Sunday ,when do we have services and we said 9 and he said what am I supposed to wear. Just long pants and a shirt. And we talked to his neighbor who was interested and said we could come back another day because he had company over but he wants to hear our message but we should return tomorrow.  

Then we went home and had lunch fideos with meat and vegetables it was like a stew kind of thing. Then we studied and planned for the week because Wednesdays are weekly planning sessions. Then went out last night and I went to the bank big federal building of Argentina and used the ATM machine there and took out 500 pesos. So in the past the rate when I got here was 10 pesos to 1 dollar but now the rate has gone up which is good for me because right now the rate is 14 pesos for every dollar. So I took out 500 pesos which is about 35 or 36 dollars. Had no problem. Then we went and bought cereal so we have breakfasts in the mornings.  

Then we went and taught our one investigator who is really great and he asked tons of questions and has lots of questions but we were able to answer all of them and he told us that in the past the other missionaries of other religions didn’t have answers and couldn’t answer his questions but we were able to. We taught the restoration and he said he remembered a little bit of it - the part about Joseph Smith and the First Vision but didn’t remember the Book of Mormon. And he asked him how do you know this already and he said when he was little like 12 years old he would go to the church to play soccer and went to a couple of church Sundays because that is how it worked to play soccer you had to have attended church that past Sunday or promise to come and attend the next Sunday. Then at the end he asked a question about the plan of Salvation and I was like that’s funny you would ask that because that is next lesson the Plan of Salvation we will talk all about that next time.

Then we left and then we went to the church for correlation meeting with the branch president and one of the counselors. Branch president told me I have another talk in 3 weeks. Then went home and ate a little cereal for dinner and went to bed. 

Today this morning woke up and came to write and email here.

This week I have been eating a lot of yogurt and fruit like apples and pears and peaches I bought a bunch of those and then bananas I eat all the time so I’ve been eating a lot of fruit and buying yogurt that is good too. 

That was practically our week and now it is Thursday a little past half week it is a little different to be writing on Thursday. That is all for this week. I will probably send pictures next week talk to you guys next Thursday. I hope everyone is doing good! Have fun

 

Love,

Elder Frampton

 

12-31-15 (1-2-16) Week 18

Hello all,

Yes I did stayed here in Pico with the same companion. 

The other two elders of the ward left because they both had been here like 6 months. New elders came in one from Utah and one from Chile and they both speak English. 

This letter will be short because not much happened and the computer I’m using stinks like is old and the keyboard is so hard to type and such. 

So every day this week was normal proselyting except new years and yesterday.

Everything is closed here for those two days. We watched fireworks, that was like all that happened. 

They are kicking us out now. I will write more next week. Talk to you Thursday. 

Love,

Elder Frampton 

Skype for Christmas

Elder Frampton/Elder Riveros

12-21-15

Family,

Tuesday was a normal day to Santa Rosa and zone meeting and we are doing a secret Santa with the zone. 

Wednesday was contacting and proselyting and appointments, regular day. Not really having luck finding referrals people give us. Addresses are confusing.

Thursday we just looked for people old investigators and people taught by the missionaries before us. 

Friday was lunch picked up from a members house and brought it back to the pension was milanesa and mashed potatoes and then went and visited an investigator and they couldn’t meet with us and felt bad so they said they would give us a ride to wherever we needed to go next and next we had to go to another investigator across town and they drove us there and save us from walking like 2 miles. 

Saturday was a chill day, we did just a little proselyting and studied and read stuff in the house and I wrote my talk for Sunday. Then we got calls during the day that the district leader wants to do exchanges or divisiones. So that night my companion hopped on a bus to Castex and the companion of the district leader came here with me - Elder Rickeberg. And then we got to sleep late because just waiting in the terminal for him to arrive and then walking back from the terminal. So got to sleep like 11:30 or 12.

Woke up the next morning now Sunday and ate breakfast showered got ready for church. Walked to church and it was so empty. Took attendance and we had 28 people that is soo little. Last week the Sunday before we had 45. But it’s okay. The first speaker talked for like 20 or 25 minutes and left me and the third guy with like 10 minutes each. So I had to give a short talk about the Plan of Salvation even though I could have talked for like 20 minutes I went fast and gave a 10 minute talk and the third guy also gave like 10 minutes. Then they also reminded everyone that come the New Year the branch has the 9 o’clock start in classes so we are switching with the ward schedules when the New Year begins. Then afterwards we had lunch with the branch president and his family said they went and saw the new Star Wars movie. Then we came back to the pension studied and then when it was night time I took him to the terminal and sent him on a bus and then waited for Elder Riveros my companion to return.

Today is P day, tomorrow we go to Santa Rosa, Wednesday we are in Bahia Blanca, and Thursday we are in Santa Rosa, Friday is Christmas here in Pico, then Saturday is transfer calls and Sunday is when people leave for new area.

Then today President sent a letter saying this: Empezando la semana de Diciembre 28 los días de P-Day cambian al igual que los días de servicio. Estos son: P-day de todos los misioneros son los Jueves y el día de servicio es el Miércoles. Por favor díganle a todos sus padres sobre el cambio para que no se preocupen

Now are P day is going to be Thursdays and service day is Wednesdays.

Hope all of you have a great Christmas have fun and remember the real meaning is Jesus!!

Love,

Elder Frampton

12-14-15

Family,        

Tuesday was a normal day we went to Santa Rosa like always and had zone meeting and that was good played games -Pictionary and charades and a memory card game stuff like that talked about the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel. I still have been lucky and not been assigned to do anything or be in charge of any of the games so I’m off the hook until next week. Returned from Santa Rosa that night.

Wednesday visited an investigator in the morning and then went and picked up our lunch from one of the sisters in the branch. Ate at our pension and then studied. Then went to an appointment and the lady wasn’t there so then went to find another lady that was a referral and the address we were given doesn’t exist, so we didn’t find the house or the lady or nothing. Then we went to find another referral we had and the lady wasn’t home either. Then we had a correlation meeting at the church and the president asked me to give a talk on the 20th in two Sundays. And he said I just want you to teach the congregation the Plan of Salvation like as if you are teaching a bunch of investigators. It is a little bizarre but I’ll do it. It is the same lesson as if I’m teaching an investigator but I’m teaching everyone during sacrament meeting.

Thursday visited a referral in the morning who wasn’t home, then went home and fixed almuerzo. I forget what we made. Then we went to visit two more referrals and didn’t find them either. So we went to a less active member’s house and he was kinda old like 70 or 80 and he talked about Zion and the city of Enoch and Nephi and Laban and then about Jesus and he just had such a good knowledge of scriptures. And then he talked about Joseph Smith and the Doctrine of Covenants and how the Articles of Faith came about but I already knew this from seminary it was a newspaper asking what Mormons believe in and Joseph Smith told him these 13 articles we believe in. Simple but sincere.

Friday was exchanges again and this time Elder Rosario the district leader came here and Elder Riveros my companion went to Castex. So this day we went to a referral and found it and talked with the couple and they seemed interested and then walk really far to go pick up our lunch and got there and got our lunch then walked all the way back to our house and ate it then rested a little then went to go visit this one lady really far and she wasn’t home so we visited a man that lived on the same street but he wasn’t home neither. So we walked all the way back home and rested again and took a break and then left again to go visit this other lady and she was home and we talked to her and she said she was going to come to church this Sunday and then next Saturday or the next she would be baptized but this Sunday she didn’t show up so we will have to talk to her again and get here to come this Sunday. Then we left and went to this place that sells Choripan and it was so good I got mine with picante and it was so good. I really like choripan. Then we went home and he packed his stuff and then we walked to the terminal for him to catch the bus. Then I waited there at the terminal for Elder Riveros to come back like 45 minutes later. Then we walked home and went to bed. 

Saturday we visited another old guy and he gave us referrals and told us about scriptures and we just talked about how the branch is doing and about our missionary efforts. Then we went to have lunch at a member’s house and they fixed like these burrito cheesy things with vegetables and fideos which is pasta or noodles or whatever. It was good though. Then we went back to the house and studied and then after our studies we stayed in the house because Elder Riveros needed to write his talk for Sunday about the Obra Misional.

Sunday he gave his talk and it was good and then the final speaker was a man from the stake and he gave a great talk that I really liked. and also we always have like around 30 members in the branch and this Sunday we had 45 members and it was fantastic like everyone showed up minus any of our investigators. Then we went to lunch at the president’s house and that was fideos and meat. And then we went to find 3 investigators, old referrals. And we found the right house but they weren’t home but the daughter was and told us to come back on Monday. Then the second we found the house but they didn’t answer the door or something. Then the last, the 3^rd, we didn’t found the house. Then we went back to the pension and rested and then went out later to find 2 investigators but the first wasn’t home and the second guy we went to but he had just left and his wife said oh you just missed him. So we went back to the house and made a small dinner and then went to bed.

Today Monday we woke up went for lunch at a members, came here to write and email and then we are going back tonight later for dinner and for this lady to give us haircuts. This family is from Peru. And they are pretty nice. 

So in general this week has been hot I sweat every day and am always super exhausted because the sun just beats down on me and drains my energy. And then I can’t sleep at night because it is so hot in our pension and I just sit there in my bed sweating and sleeping in a puddle of sweat. Then like two nights this week in rained a little while we were sleeping and there was like big flashes of lightning and stuff. That is pretty much everything that happened this week. I look forward to writing next week because it is like 4 days before Christmas and then I can see all you guys and then 2 days later the 27 is transfers and we will see if I stay or if I go. So thanks and have a good final week before Christmas!!

Love, Elder Frampton