3-24-16

Hello all,

Well not much happened this week but I do have some good news at the end. But that doesn’t mean not reading the email and skipping to the end. Anyway...

Friday was normal woke up went to find people in the morning. Found a few people, had lunch studied, left, went to a reference the other elders gave us that they didn’t have time to visit so we would go as replacements. So we go to an address looking for a red house and a lady named Olga. And we get there have a little trouble finding the house but then finally encountered it and we knock and no one is home so we leave and go knock some other house and come back in about an hour and we knock again and man opens the door and we say we are wondering if Olga is home and he says no there is no Olga or nobody like that who lives at that house that address. He is Damian and there is no Olga. So we call the other elders and they repeat the address and the what the house looks like and everything and the description and address matches this house perfectly so we knock again and ask is there anyone home that is a woman or anyone who sounds like Olga or Rorga or Torga or una tortuga or something and no. Only this guy Damian and he lives with his mom; she is Mercedes. So we left and go home and the other elders had the right house and everything they just had the wrong name. So we were supposed to talk with Mercedes so we will have to go back some other time.

Saturday we did like nothing; went to the river in the morning found like one person and then the afternoon was talked to like 3 people it was a pretty slow and uneventful day. 

Sunday woke up and went and looked for an investigator and he said he wasn’t ready; he still needs to shower and get ready so he said he would just show up late to church which we said that is fine. So we went to church alone and then he walked there himself and showed up like right after we finished the Sacrament so he got to hear the talks given. Then he also stayed for Gospel Principles and for Priesthood and he said he liked them both. And then we asked if we could come by later in the week or come teach him like in two days or so and he was like he needs to go to the doctor this week and has to get some pills because his leg is broken and we were just like whoa what Marco your leg is broken and you are just going to take some medicine that’s it okay. So we will see how he is doing. Then after church was normal we actually didn’t talk to like anyone so the whole night was just rejection and walking around and not teaching or talking to anyone it was a little weird. It has been a long time since we have had to put down 0 for people talked to. 

Monday the zone leaders and the district leader was supposed to go to Bahia Blanca for a little conference for leaders to talk to President so it would have just been my companion and I with the house to ourselves because the other 4 were to leave but then the district leader over slept and missed his bus so then him and his companion stayed and it was just the four of us. And other then that it was just a normal day nothing really happened. But then that night we past for that Olga/ Mercedes whatever her name is and we taught her a little bit and talked with her son Damian who says he wants to eventually move and live in the US and he just doesn’t know if there is much work if he could find a job super easily. 

Tuesday woke up and visited a few people didn’t really find anyone but then that afternoon we had zone meeting and we gathered together like we do every Tuesday and the zone leaders get it started with announcements and they announced some new changes in the mission.

First that President is letting all Americans able to vote. So somewhere in the future he is going to work that out and we will have to take our absentee ballots back and he wants all of us to vote in the November elections. Because we can’t watch any debates or interesting stuff about the race he will send us stuff through email about the candidates and what is going on in the race and all and then once November comes around we will be able to vote. So that was first that all the American missionaries we can now vote.

Second is we have to organize and make carpetas de área so folders or binders with everything in the area: all investigators we have and just make things nice and organized. Because there have been many times that two missionaries get to a new area and there is like no work or history left for them so these two new elders start what we call blind knowing nothing about the area. Because the last elders didn’t leave a list or papers or anything of the investigators in the area. So now we have to be keeping track of everyone and have records or teaching and people and stuff so stuff like two elders coming into an area new and blind don’t have nothing to work with and don’t have any records or investigators  and they don’t have to start all over from scratch. That will eliminate that from happening anymore.

Third was he is changing transfers from every 6 weeks to he wants us to be and stay in our areas longer so that we can work more and get more done and know the people better and baptize more. He has changed it to we stay and transfers are every 6 months. Which is kind of crazy and also long but that will ensure that people can like get a lot done in 6 months and they don’t just go to an area 6 weeks, leave go to another get transferred in 6 weeks, leave go somewhere else, leave. Now we will start staying in places for 6 months.

Fourth or last we will start doing monthly planning in addition to our weekly and daily planning. And that was what the zone meeting was and everyone asked questions and people were confused, some were mad, so we talked a lot about the new changes to happen. Then we left and we went and taught a lesson at a new member family’s house and it went super well and their son had questions but then their grandmother came home and she hates missionaries and she gave us a dirty look and ignored us and just went straight to her room. 

Wednesday we went and did service digging holes at someone´s house and that was fun and interesting I felt like the movie Holes digging up them holes digging. It was fun and then we went and had lunch and then studied and did weekly planning and then we went and taught a lesson and it went super well. The lady understood everything and had great questions. “I have a 3 month baby, he is not able to sin why does he have to be baptized” and we responded he doesn’t our church baptizes at 8 years old and accountability and all that and Moroni 8. And she asks about plan of salvation we go after this life and why is the Catholic Church rich and it is really just a big business just all for the money and she asked about baptism and how catholic priests study to be priests but you don’t choose to be prophet or priest of God. God will choose you like he chooses Joseph Smith and all his prophets and Hebrews 5. And all of that it was so good best lesson we ever had with anyone lots of inspired questions and all.

Today Thursday we played basketball this morning and now we are here writing and emailing after we just finished lunch.

Transfers are this Sunday we find out where we are going this Saturday and either I’ll stay here in Guemes or I may get transferred somewhere else and then I will stay in wherever I go for the next 6 months. So I may only have 3 more areas in my mission. Easter we aren’t doing anything here. It was a good week and now fall or autumn is here and the weather is great a little cold but I like it. Thanks to all of y´all and have a good week.

Love,

Elder Frampton

3-17-16

Hello family and friends,

Friday, the morning we woke up and went to the river to talk to this one guy and he just brought up all the facts and maps and he just has a lot of problems with praying and the Book of Mormon and the total Restoration so we just asked him what he wanted to get from our lessons and why we were here and what does he really want to learn more, be baptized, what are his desires in listening to us. And he was like oh just to argue and listen to a couple of kids. Something on the lines of that so we just told him if you have no true desires or interest in any of this then we will just leave you alone. So we pretty much just dropped him as an investigator, but we are still really good friends and he said whenever we want to come over we are welcome and if we need juice or lunch or to use to the bathroom or just to rest or sleep for a little bit we are allowed to come over to his house and just chill. Then the afternoon and the night was just a normal day with lunch studies and working at night at stuff, nothing much else happened that day.

Saturday we woke up and went to a shoe smith kind of place because my companion´s shoes were like ripping at the toes and just breaking, but then the guys there sewed them all up and fixed them and they are all good now. Then we made some photo copies of the Proclamation of the Family document. Then the rest of the morning was normal; we didn’t really find or teach anyone. Then the afternoon we had the youth session of district conference so we went to that and President Cifuentes and his wife spoke and they said lots of good things to animate and excite the youth to start talking to their friends and work with the missionaries so we can strengthen the church and the youth and that we just need to work together. Then after we went contacting and we found one house that a guy answered the door just smiling then called his wife and she came to the door and she was a member but her husband isn’t and he doesn’t seem to have real interest but the wife said she wants to start coming back to church; she is inactive for the past like 6 years.

Sunday was the normal morning session of district conference and this time President talked about when he went to Sri Lanka and there were problems with his visa. So long story short he landed in jail for customs visa problems and just had to wait there until everything got worked out and he was free to go. But then he tied it in with how we have spiritual visas and don’t get caught without your visa. It is our temple recommend and everyone should have one even if they can never attend the temple and never will go. It’s the piece of paper that you are worthy and ready to go to the temple that really matters and it is true. Then that ended and we went home had lunch and studied then left in the afternoon and went to look for people and found the father of this one couple we were looking for and then we have this one lady who is a Jehovah Witness but she wasn’t home. But instead we found her son and we talked with him for a little and then we found some other people and then we worked into the night and it was just about time to go home so we just knocked one last house and come to found out it was a property rent dealer place that works with like selling buying properties I don’t know how to describe it a business type place and the guy invites us in and we are sitting at like his work desk just talking and we share like one scripture and he said he had talked with missionaries before. But that was a cool last house before we went home. 

Monday we woke up went to the river to contact. And we found like a couple people but no one super interested but we did clap outside this one house and a lady walks out and over to us and starts talking in Russian and of course me not thinking tell her in Spanish that we don’t speak Russian and then a girl comes out of the house and runs over to us and she translates for the grandma and we are talking to this lady as her granddaughter acts as the interpreter. Then after that we went home for lunch and studied then we went and taught this one girl the restoration and she said she will come to church to just check it out but let’s see if she actually holds to her word and comes this Sunday. Then the rest of the afternoon we just knocked around but didn’t really find anyone.

Tuesday we woke up and contacted around and then at 11 we went to Centro because the other elders had a wedding of these two members that they having been working with to get their siblings baptized it is kind of confusing but yeah the other elders have a couple that was getting married so we got to go to that and just be camera man and take pictures and it was literally like walk in say some words sign some papers do some more paperwork the other two elders were the witnesses and they signed and then all of a sudden they were married they we went outside and threw rice at them. It was an interesting experience but it just made me want to know what a temple marriage or it is more of a sealing is like because I have never got to see one. Then we went home and ate and then had zone meeting and we met and talked about book of Mormon and the missionary work and I had to say the opening prayer so nothing big. Then that was a normal meeting and then we quickly went home and left again because we had correlation at the church soon after with the mission leader and we talked about our investigators and certain needs and just chatted about the mission work then we left and went to a member’s house and taught them.

Wednesday we woke up and went and did service went to a members house; dug some holes in the ground then sanded and cleaned up the window shutters and door and stuff and sanded them down then re painted them and that was fun but it was hot out. To be honest all of a sudden this week it has been really hot here and I have no clue why. Then we left went home I got a haircut and then showered then ate lunch then studied and went to a lesson but the person was sleeping so we left. Then contacted around and then went home and planned and we did weekly planning and talked and then that was the day. Felt kind of short day and a short week because I remember planning last week too. 

Today Thursday woke up played soccer, made pancakes left went to do a little shopping and went to the bank I took out 600 pesos which is about 40 dollars because I need to buy some stuff. Recently I’ve been looking at getting some bedding or something like sheets because my legs are all red and have like all these little red bites all over them so I’m thinking my bed may have something or it is dirty, but then point is I should be getting some bed sheets soon so I took out a little money to do that and do some other stuff. Then we went to the river and we took pictures there and we found all these crabs and saw the bridge. I don’t know if I will be able to send those this time I might need to wait until next time. Then we went and had asado and a really good lunch and then we came here and are writing. Also my nose has been runny this week and I took some Claritin D and some stuff to help with that but it hasn’t really done anything. My nose is still runny.

I think that is everything I have to say for now I hope I didn’t forget anything. I did get that package a few weeks back with the Valentines stuff. Thanks to everyone and have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Frampton

 

3-10-16

Dear everyone,

Friday was a normal day we just contacted people, lunched, studied, contacted more and found this one blind lady who was being assisted by her daughter they both seemed pretty nice so I think we will go back in the future. Then we went for an old lady that is one of the other elders investigator but they didn’t have time that night to go by or visit her so they sent us in their place and we get down there and knock on a door and no one answers how funny the house we knocked on was street 67 number 2125. But the address we needed to be at was street 66 so we were a little off and we had to walk like a little ways and then found the house and she answered and said she was busy with company over or something so then we left. 

Saturday was also another day nothing really special the morning was just contacting and then the afternoon we looked for some people and didn’t really find anyone except for this one kind of soft spoken kind guy that we talked too and just extended an invitation to go to church tomorrow and that was like about it for the day.

Sunday we woke up went to church and then one random guy from the day before was there and we were like wow you came you aren’t even like our investigator or anything just some man that we contacted and invited yesterday. He seemed kind of out of place and confused the whole time because people were going up and bearing testimonies of plan of salvation and Book of Mormon and other like stuff that a normal guy wouldn’t know if this was his first time in our church. Then we went home and had lunch and normal afternoon and we contacted and visited people and like everyone was busy watching the game because supposedly there was a big game on even like we contacted this one house and there was a bunch of teen girls watching the soccer game and I was like whoa this isn’t normally normal for a group of girls to be doing on a Sunday afternoon. But whatever it’s Argentina everyone loves soccer no matter who you are. Then we were walking past another house and a guy invited us in and we walk into the house and sitting there is the Hermanas the Misioneras from Necochea central and we are like whoops are we in your area right now and we were a little lost so we apologized and left. Haha

 

Monday we went and taught this one guy in the morning that just analyzes everything he pulls out all these maps and papers and research and why doesn’t the universal history of the world go along with the history of the book of Mormon and where is the evidence for it and who is Joseph Smith and we told him to pray and read and he tells us he read the whole book of Mormon from the last time we saw him like 5 days ago and the book didn’t convince him and he is super stubborn and the way he prays he only prays using Our Father prayer and he refuses to change or pray any other way. And because it says like that to pray in the Bible that is the only way we can by reciting Our Father prayer over and over and over. There is no feeling, no conversation with God that way. He just struggles with praying believing the book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith is a prophet because there is no historical evidence of it and there isn’t any artifacts or maps or anything it just doesn’t make sense with world history. After we left his house after arguing for like 2 hours the rest of the day was normal a normal afternoon and night.

Tuesday the morning was normal; we contacted down by the river and found these nice resort and restaurant and log cabins and vacation spot and all this stuff and the rowing club and wild horses and cattle. One lady said we can come back another morning because she was busy this morning bathing her little boy and I didn’t believe her until the little youngster kid walked out of the house naked; I was like okay we will come back another morning go bathe your kid. So we will probably pass by for her again in the future. Then the afternoon we found a guy and talked and talked because he didn’t believe in life after death. And we discussed and talked and then he showed us the stuff he has been working on. He is like a wood worker and he has a chimenea and a chair and a bench and a table and wind chimes and made all kinds of stuff and he brings out his guitar and my companion just jams out on it and the guy gets his harmonica and so my companion is playing the guitar and he on the harmonica and I just sit there clapping and playing my scriptures like drums. Then we are walking back to the house at night and it starts pouring out of nowhere and like a hard down drizzle like a storm so we start sprinting and you know Argentine streets dirt roads so we are running through mud and lots of puddles of water and we got completely soaked - my shirt, my pants, my tie, even down to my under wear were soaked from running like 10 cuadras or blocks in the heavy rain. So then I took everything off when I got home and they have been air drying  for the past 2 days

Yesterday, Wednesday we cleaned the church for service then had lunch, studied, planned for the week and then left in the afternoon, almost night found this family that are almost members they have took all the discussions from the missionaries before us and they are just waiting to get married but they were super nice gave us like homemade bread or torta or something with orange soda. Then that night we went to the church because we had meeting with the mission leader and that was okay we kind of just chatted, didn’t really talk that much about certain problems we just talked about like progress and people we are teaching right now that was about it. Then we went home after that.

 

Today, Thursday played soccer this morning then made French Toast for breakfast then came into Centro to shop for books or something the other elders needed and some book my companion wanted and then we ate hamburgers at a Shell gas station and now we are emailing and writing. 
 
But it is almost time to go I have 12 minutes left so I better start wrapping up. Thanks for all your emails this week have a good rest of the week. Have fun and love you all.

 

Love,

Elder Frampton