Hola family

Hola everyone!!!

This was quite the busy week for us. But, more important than how busy it was.... we had baptisms this week! We did the baptismal service together with the zone leaders. It was a big baptismal service. :) As you can see by the photo. Then yesterday, there really wasn´t that much time to listen to the talks in Sacrament Meeting, because there were alot of confirmations to do. But, all in all it was an amazing experience for everyone involved. :) Including me. :) The other interesting thing that happened during this past week was that I had to do my first baptismal interviews. Which was crazy, and made me really nervous, but I got through it all right. It was just something new for me to have to do as district leader. I hadn´t really ever thought of exactly what is involved in a baptismal interview. I was, and I guess am, used to just getting people ready for their interviews, never having to actually do one. So, on Thursday night, I sat down with Elder Hilario, our zone leader, and he helped me prepare a little bit for them. Made me do some practices with him for a little while, about what I would do during certain situations. I had to travel to Jardín America to do a couple of the interviews, which kind of cut out all of my time Friday night, travelling and stuff. On the trip up there, I had to stand up the whole bus ride - second time that I have had to to that - so I had a sore neck for a little while.

Hmm... what else interesting. Oh! The other photos that I included are from last week´s Pday. We went up to the top floor of where the Institute is here in Posadas and took pictures. It´s pretty cool, you can see lots of Paraguay from the top. How many places in the States can you see another country just looking across a river. Well... actually I guess lots, but you can´t from Utah. Hahaha. Then the photo is of us six missionaries walking along the coast of the river. Just relaxing as we walked and talked. So.. we decided to take a picture of it. This Pday we are planning on playing soccer. That´s all. Oh! And last Pday we went to this all you can eat buffet thing.... but the people were like annoyed that we were there. The cooks weren´t happy to be cooking, and we didn´t even eat that much... it was odd. So it was the first and last time we went to that particular restaurant. I did have the experience of trying blood sausage for the first time. And cow intestine, and pig stomach. Ew..... Never again. At least the way that they had cooked it all.

Moving on.... So, as everybody knows, transfers are this Wednesday. So, who knows where I will be writing from next week, it really could be anywhere, any city in these four provinces of the mission. :) We just have to wait and see what happens.... Well, I gotta run for now, I love life, and the mission. I´ll try and get back on a little bit later. love you all!!!!!!

Well family, here I am again. I decided to come back a little bit, well, more than anything because we have a little bit more time. So I figured that I would come back and answer a few more questions and talk a little bit more about the week.

So, on Saturday, the branch was audited.... again. I´m pretty sure there are just doing it because two General Authorities are coming in a week, and the stake doesn´t want there to be any problems when they are here. The two authorities - Seventies will be doing the stake conference this coming weekend, then the following few days they will be doing the zone conferences. Elder Bradley D. Foster to be exact. We got an email telling us about how we all need to make sure we are well groomed; that we come in clean, not red clothes, and other such fun advice, like greet him in a formal manner. I thought it was kind of funny, makes it look like President doesn´t want to get embarrassed either.

What else... so, as we end this Pday we played alot of soccer, ate at an all you can eat Chinese place... strange, I know. We are here in Argentina, and we eat at a Chinese place. But, what can I say, we are kind of strange people.

Well I can´t really think of much more to say... I love you and miss you all. I´ll be writing next week. But, if I´m still here in Misiones, I´ll be writing a bit late, being that the conference with Elder Foster is on Monday for Misiones. Just to let you know. ;)

I love you all!!!
-Matthew