Electric Shower!!!!!!!

Hello everyone!!!

I hope that everyone back home is doing well. It´s been a pretty successful week - we were able to have our baptism!!! :) Wahoo!!!!!! So, that explains the pictures that came along with this. :) Arturo, our little miracle was able to get baptised on Saturday, and was confirmed yesterday. President Lopez did both the baptising and confirming. It was a baptism different than most that I have had, being that it took place in the morning. Generally they are getting towards the night or evening. But, being that his work is to be a kind of all night security guard, he couldn´t really have it happen at night. It made it a little bit hard on us, because almost all of the members work until noon on Saturdays. It led to us having to provide a few more of the things in the baptismal service, like talks and stuff like that. Luckily we were able to have help from the other Elders, who came and one of them was able to give a talk, and both of them became the witnesses. The other strange thing that happened with the baptism, is that there were refreshments, small sandwiches and also other assorted things. So, naturally we had to eat some of them. Then following the baptismal service, the four of us had a lunch appointment with one of the member families from the ward. The fun thing about this lunch appointment is that they generally give us three different plates of food. And with all of the refreshments that we had just gotten through eating because of the baptism, it made eating all of the food really difficult. We were full enough that we had difficulties walking back to the apartment afterward. But, after all is said and done, we were able to have a baptism, the first one for my companion as well. :)

As the title of the email says, we were able to buy and install an electric shower. Yes, I realize that it sounds a little bit stupid, but that´s what it is. Basically it uses electricity to heat the water as it comes through the shower head and then down to us. They are really common here, and as of yet I haven´t heard of anyone being electrocuted while using one. So, we have been able to enjoy hot water for the last few days. The only down side to the shower is that it makes the water extremely hot, so, at times it kind of feels like ones skin is burning a little bit. But, it´s better than really cold water. Moving on... other than that, we were able to organize the apartment a little bit more this week, which makes it alot more comfortable for us to be in. Putting things aways and getting rid of more junk was the story of the week. It´s also funny because the owner has a really big dog that he uses to protect the house. Now it´s really nice to us, but it always wants to play. So, if we aren´t careful, walking out to the bathroom it jumps on us and gets mud and dirt all over our clothes. Another fun thing that happened this week is that I am finally mastering the art of washing all of my clothes by hand. The white shirts are starting to come out really white again. And not the red-tinted version that was happening before. Wahoo!!!

Haha, hmm oh, so this Pday was a pretty fun, and busy one. We spent some time in the morning cleaning the apartment a little bit and also washing some clothes. After that we left to go play soccer with the other zone from here in Posadas. We played 5 on 5 for a couple of hours. After that we went and ate lunch together and then we came here, to write home. hahaha. After this, I have plans of trying to go and visit the Pérego family. :) I got permission again, and I´m just waiting to see if the family is going to be able to be there. :) I would be really happy if I was able to do it.

What else fun is coming up. This week is transfers, like I said last week. I really don´t think that I am going anywhere. I don´t want to leave, but there is that really small chance that I could be writing from somewhere new next week. I hope not, I like it here in Santa Clara and in Posadas. :) What else.. ah, so one of our new projects with the members is a big push to get them to buy and read the Liahona, to keep them more informed and put another element of the spirit into their lives. So we have been passing our fliers and such things this past week. The stake here is also making a push to get the members to pay their tithing and pay fast offerings. To remind them that it is an essential part of being a member of the church.

Another fun note, I´m not sure if I mentioned it last week. On Tuesday it was the 200th anniversary of Argentina being a country. It was a huge party everywhere, and everyone had two days off of work. It was hard to do missionary work in one way, because lots of people were drunk or had family and friends over. But it made it easier as well because it meant that everyone was at home, and there were some families that let us in to teach them about the gospel. As a branch we had a branch activity, a giant barbecue!!! It was really good meat, we went all out to prepare for it. The only problem being is that it appears that my companion and I ate some bad meat or uncooked meat, as we both spent Wednesday and part of Thursday throwing up and not feeling really well at all. But, I´m pretty sure it was just bad food because now I feel fine, and have recovered completely. So.. :) don´t worry mom. :)

As for the mission work here, we were able to find a couple of amazing families this week. One is a family that had heard the missionaries before but told us that this time they were ready to go to church and to get baptized. We are hoping to be able to baptize them in June. The only problem is that the husband is a truck driver that goes to other countries in his trips, which kind of makes it hard to teach the whole family together. We also found another man this week, who just couldn´t understand why God has been so cruel to him in his life. The amazing part is that in the course of the two visits we had with him this week, the spirit was incredibly strong and he is starting to realize that God really does love him. That these trials really are to make us better, that we can learn and grow from them. I guess that´s generally been my theme this week. We have been feeling the spirit an incredible amount. It´s been great.

Shoot, I gotta run, our time ran out, and we have to be obedient. Thanks for your letter Dad and Mom. Tell Heidi congrats, and tell Sheldon hi, and that he should send me a quick email, and that I hope he is doing well.

I love and miss you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!
con mucho amor,


Matthew