3-31-16

Okay so this week was a little different but I´ll get there eventually.

Friday we went on divisions with the district leader so my companion was with him and I was with the companion of our district leader Elder Rodriguez. And we went to the family of our mission leader and we pulled out grass and dug up some dirt and stuff kind of just prepping when they will put flowers in the dirt later. Then we went over to the church and we brought this investigator Michael and he had a baptism interview with the zone leaders at the church and he passed so he was to get baptized the next day. Then we went back the mission leaders house talked some more played with his kids a little then went home lunched studied then the afternoon we went and taught an English class at the church and that was good but I’m not super great at explaining English or teaching it so I just came up with games to help them practice. Then we went home and changed and came back to the church in sport clothes because we were going to play futbol (soccer) with some guys there because we had brought an investigator to play and if one of our investigators goes to play we are allowed to accompany and play too so played soccer like all night long until we had to be back at the house at 9.

Saturday woke up taught some people in the morning came home we were to have a lesson with Marco this investigator that comes to church every week and he says his leg is broken. We were to have a lesson with him at the church right before the baptisms and then we would all just watch the baptisms together because this boy Michael was being baptized and the zone leaders had this one lady Debora also being baptized. So we are walking home and the zone leaders call me and told me there was this guy who has been investigating the church for like almost 3 years and he is always riding around town on his bike talking to us missionaries saying like when am I going to be baptized this guy named David so I know the guy because I’ve seen him around and we’ve talked to him a few times. And for all this years he hasn’t been baptized his because he still smokes a little and drinks his coffee and when he is with his friends he has just a little wine just to wash the food down.  However up to like 3 months ago he gave it all up hasn’t smoked in even longer his last coffee was like 3 weeks ago and he has stopped drinking wine. So the zone leaders found him today talked with him took him into the church and conducted a baptismal interview and the guy passed he has always had a strong testimony and knows all the answers he just didn’t keep the word of wisdom but because he has given all of that up as of 3 months ago he was able to pass the interview because now he is keeping the word of wisdom law. And he was to be baptized today that is why the zone leaders called me was to get my clothes ready and come on over to the church to baptize David. And he wasn’t my investigator or anything I talked with him a few times but they said they just needed someone to baptize him (also like all members are gone because the temple trip to buenos Aires was this Saturday) So they needed an elder to baptize and the district leader and his companion (los Uruguayos because they are both from there) already had Michael to be baptized for today and the zone leaders had Debora being baptized today so our companionship was free so I was given the honor to baptize David. I dug out my white clothes dropped them off at the church and then ended over the Marco´s house to teach him and bring him to watch the baptisms.

So we get there and he comes stumbling out I thought it was because his broken leg until we realized he was completely drunk. So he starts yelling at us and saying a bunch of stuff and we are like Marco we can’t bring you into the church to watch the baptisms if you are wasted and have been drinking wine like crazy and he is like but I want to go and take me I want to go to church and we told him he couldn’t come and then by this point he stood up out of his chair and takes a step toward us and we take a step backwards because it seemed like he was about to hit us or something so we backed up slowly and he started yelling again and crying and saying all kinds of weird stuff and we just told him we will come back tomorrow for Sunday church and hope you are sober and we left. Then went to the church got in the waters at the service. I baptized David, the other baptisms happened it was a super spiritual experience and I loved to baptize. it was such a good feeling I described it like I felt my sins were being washed away but really they weren’t the sins of him were being washed I was just performing the ordinance and then I dunked him and gave him a hug then we went to change and had the rest of the service in the chapel and then once that ended we had banana bread and ice cream and then the assistants called the zone leaders and they told us that we were staying both of us and that we had the boundaries of our area changed.

Sunday we woke up went to look for Marco found him at his house he didn’t remember anything from yesterday he was completely normal again and he said he just needed to shower and change clothes and he would walk to church by himself. So we get to church have a normal three hours of church but Marco never showed up I don’t know what happen to him.  Then we went home lunch studied and then went out and visited some people didn’t really find many people. It was just a normal Sunday but now I’m preparing for this Sunday because it is conference.

Monday this was our first new day in this new area. So how it worked before was that the six of us in Guemes all shared like just one area I think I explained this before so we all proselyte and all work in the same area but not they have divided it. And the Uruguayos have everything from the church up so from 94 up is their area. The zone leaders have from the church 94 down until 74. And then my companion and I get this new area that is 74 and down until the beach or the port on the right side of street 59. So we are only on half the avenue the side that is close to and against the river. Which also means know our area covers two branches Guemes and Necochea. So Monday we took a bus all the way down to the port and then started really low and contacted our way up back towards the house. And that was just a normal day because we have no investigators so we just contacted all day just trying to find new people. 

Tuesday we contacted had lunch then went the zone meeting where we did our monthly planning. Then afterwards we stayed longer to talk with the hermanas because the hermanas are also over branch Necochea but their area is on the other side of avenue 59 so they cover everything in the branch that isn’t our area. So we talked with them they gave us a couple people that live in our area and then we had meeting with the mission leader and we talked about getting us started up and working then after that we had ward council with all the leaders and we talked some more so the whole afternoon and night we spent just in the church in branch Necochea.

Wednesday the zone leaders said the hermanas that lived in branch Centro had been transferred we already knew that from when they called about transfers on Saturday but the point is that house in Centro is vacant so we were allowed to move in there. So we packed up all our bags and stuff and now we moved over to a house in Centro over there and no we don’t have such a far walk to work in our area. Yesterday we literally spent all day moving our stuff cleaning the house getting our area book worked out setting up a map getting everything up and running so we can start to really work looking in the area book and everything. 

Today Thursday we had arroz con leche for breakfast and then we went and are writing and emailing this morning. I think we will go grocery shopping later today. So for now we got a newish area well the boundaries of our old area moved so we have a new area new branch to work with just got a new house and moved in. How is everyone back home and preparing for the spring and summer. Hope all of you guys are doing well and having fun. Thanks!!!

Love,

Elder Frampton