EL PADRASTRO (THE STEP-FATHER)

Hola familia y amigos,

I got my companion this week. Elder Garcia, he is from Guatemala Capital. He´s got 4 months in the mission. He just finished his training and I am his second companion in the mission field. Your first companion in the mission field is called your Papi (Dad) and your second companion is called your Padrastro (Stepdad). So I am a Stepdad, and Elder Garcia is my hijastro (stepson).  We get along really well, he was a seminary teacher before he left on the mission. HE IS ONLY 19 YEARS OLD. He´s a stud. He knows his stuff. It seems like his training did him well.

Elder Black, who lives in the pension with us, became a Papi this transfer and is training his hijo(son) Elder Ferreira from Sao Paolo, Brasil. I understand about 80 percent of what he is saying because some words he says is in Portugues. He´s a stud though. 

We will have a baptism this week, Santiago Argañaraz. A chico that is 9 years old. He´s the son of a hermana that is less active. She is trying to come back to church, and is excited that her son will be baptized. I will be baptizing him and I am excited. He likes the church.

Santiago Santucho that was baptized recently will recieve the Priesthood with his Dad, Miguel. I am so happy for them and there decisions to live the Gospel. They are progressing really well.

I had the opportunity to visit Monteros today. I visited Leonel, My first convert, and his family the Famila sanchez. And Jose, the first person that I baptized. They are doing great and I really missed them. The Familia Sanchez knew I was coming but it was a suprise for Jose. I showed up and he looked at me like he saw a ghost. He started crying and ran at me and almost tackled me the way he hugged me and hugged for like a solid minute. I almost cried. I have heard that he has been really firm in the gospel. He has the Priesthood and is doing very well. I am so happy for him. His mom said that ´´if I I try to ground him from the playing futbol or friends he doesn´t care, but if I try to ground him from church he will ball his eyes out´´ He loves church that much. I am so proud of him, his mom is getting close to be baptized. He talks all the time about how he wants to serve a mission in the future. This is what missionary work is about. Changing the lives of others. Helping others to become closer to the teachings and way of Jesus Christ. I love the experiences of this mission, I know I am changing the lives of others with my testimony, but also I know I AM changing in the mission also. I testify that God is alive and among us and when we come closer to him he will bless his in ways especifcally in our needs and desires.

Funny Things

I was cleaning the other day and I took my sneakers out from outside and put them inside and I put them by my bed. I put something else away and there was a SCORPION BY MY FOOT. IT CAME OUT OF MY SHOE. IT WAS SO CLOSE TO STINGING ME. I moved away and killed it with the shoe. It was TINY, but the tiny ones are apparently the more poisonous. IT DIDNT GET ME THOUGH. Tucuman man..

I got sick Thursday and went to the bathroom like 40 times and threw up all day. Fun stuff.

We ran 15 blocks to arrive in time to the pension. The dogs like to chase when you run. I kicked a lot dogs that night.

FOTOS

Elder Garcia

Mayra Caceres

La Familia Sanchez

TODO BIEN ACÁ LES QUIERO MUCHO. CIAO CON AMOR Y CARIÑO, 

Élder Batman

Barrio Universitario

San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina

Catchin' My Stride

Yeah I don´t have much time but this week was good. SANTIAGO WAS BAPTIZED. Elder Corbalan, baptized him. It was his first time, he was nervous and had to do it over 4 times. But it was awesome. Joaquin wasnt baptized, we need a little more time to prepare him. 

Elder Corbalan finished his mini mission and returned to Oran. Im gonna miss the guy. It was like having a little brother. Hes a stud.

My new companion comes at 930 and his name Is Elder Garcia. I dont know where he is from but he just finished his training, so hes really new.

I gotta go much love I will write better next week.

CIAO CIAO

Elder Batman

1/3 of my mission gone just like that.....

Wow, I have completed 8 months of my mission today. The time flies man, it´s crazy. The times really goes when you´re enjoying the moment.

SO FINALLY AFTER MONTHS OF INVITING AN INVESITGADOR TO CHURCH, SHE FINALLY CAME. MAYRA CACERES, (one of the daughters in the beloved familia caceres) FINALLY ATTENDED CHURCH WITH HER FAMILY. She said she had a great experience and wants to keep coming! (still doesn´t want to be baptized) but little by little we are getting that progress.

Santiago and Joaquin Santucho will be baptized this Saturday: They are studs. They want to serve missions in the future, I know they will be strong and be examples to many. They played futbol with us today with the other missionaries. They have skills. I will baptize Joaquin, and Elder Corbalan will baptize Santiago. He´s excited to baptize someone for the first time.

I have really come to see Elder Corbalan like a brother. I will miss him when he goes this Monday. He has learned a lot and I have learned a lot from him. I know he will be a good missionary in the future. I feel like I have been training this transfer which makes me really excited for the future. I´m not sure what will happen this next transfer, if I am going to train or not, If I´m going to go a different place. I´m not sure. I hope I will keep here in Universitario because there is still work to be done here. I haven´t finished leaving my mark here, however I am good with whatever Presidente Chaparro has in plan.

I have learned a lot this week, and the little things for others really can make a grand difference in the days of others. If we have our eyes, mind, and heart open for opportunities to serve others, we can make a big difference in their days and we can also finda great peace and joy in our lives. Charity is the pure love of Christ and when we try to show charity for others we become more and more like our Savior. I invite you to look for opportunities to help others and do good thing for someone today.

FUNNY THINGS

Saturday Night we were in the house of Miguel Santucho, we were drinking mate and listening to Boca game on the TV that was in the other room. We wanted to start with a prayer before we wanted to share something of the scriptures. Elder Corbalan started to pray and in the middle of the prayer we hear ´´GOALLLLLLLLLLLLL´´ and MIGUEL, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRAYER, gets up and starts to run for the TV and then remembers that we are praying and stands in front of the TV praying with the face like ´´oh just hurry up please´´ Elder Corbalan finishes his prayer and Miguel says YOU SHOULD HAVE CUT THE PRAYER SHORT MAN! it was so funny. Argentines and their futbol.

Speaking of Argentines and their futbol. THERE IS TWO TEAMS. BOCA JUNIORS AND RIVER PLATE. YOU HAVE TO BE ONE OR THE OTHER IN ARGENTINA. ITS A BIG RIVALRY.  We knocked a door and we talked with a man named Jorge. He invited us in, we shared a little bit of the lesson (he didnt seem that interested), and he started talking about futbol and he asked if I was for Boca or River. And I said I am a fan of Boca. And he said almost with anger in his face for us to get out of his house, and I laughed and thought he was joking and he said no seriously get out of here with your cold heart. WE GOT KICKED OUT BECAUSE I WAS A FAN OF BOCA. MAN FUTBOL IS EVERYTHING HERE.

Fotos

MY DOPE SCRIPTURES (The Portland Temple, David and Goliath, Moroni and The Standard of Liberty, Jesus saving a boy in the river, Philipians 4/13 and Ether 12/27, and The Angel Moroni drinking Mate.) 

My Ward Mission Leader, Exequiel Trejo

Walking and Walking and Walking...

Elder Wilkes, Victor, Elder Solis, and Elder Corbalan

Elder Boveda (Mini)

Elder Black,  Elder Corbalan, and Elder Boveda (I was pinching him that´s why he is like that)

Con amor y cariño,

Elder Batman

It's What To Expect In Tucumán

Hola familia,

This week was pretty good not gonna lie.

We are finding new people, and people are progressing!

Patricio, the new investigador from last week, is progressing well.

We are helping him to quit smoking, and he is doing well. He still smokes one every one or two days, but hey its a lot of progress. I am confident that he will leave it this next week!

Santiago, who will be baptized the 18th of March, will return from Buenos Aires tomorrow. HE IS A STUD AND HAS BEEN ATTENDING CHURCH IN BUENOS AIRES! QUE CAPO! I am excited to teach him more and progress him more for his baptism!

This week my faith grew a lot with fasting and prayer.

It was so weird. We started a fast the other day to improve ourselves and during the fast I have never felt so powerful in my teaching. Like my words had so much power and feeling. It was incredible, I felt like I really was a vessel of the Spirit. Like the words were not mine, but rather of the Spirit. It was incredible, and was an answer to my prayer through fasting and prayer. I have a lot to improve on, and I know I can do a whole lot better. I still lack so much, but I know if we humble ourselves and we can become better, he can make our weaknesses become stronger.

Interesting things

I was ALMOST ROBBED this week. I was walking and a guy on a motorcycle tried to grab my backpack but couldnt get a grip and zoomed past. Its happening a lot here. They are robbing a lot of peoples bags, purses, and backpacks, on motos. They sell them for 100 pesos for drugs. They didnt get me this time.

I talked with some dude in the street and he said that he doesnt believe in God but he believes that Maradona is God. (Diego Maradona is a legendary soccer player of Argentina in the past) Futbol is a religion here folks.

Someone threw a waterballoon at me for Carnaval. I was riding soaked all day. dang changos

FOTOS​​

I am awkward

Selfies with Barbi

Unity

Victor wants an empanada

CIAO TODO BIEN ACA CIAO CON CARIÑO Y AMOR

Elder Batman

Baptisms Inbound

                                                   

Hola,

Well this week was good! We are finding new people to teach and have people lined up to be baptized for the weeks to come. We have two investigators named Santiago that will be baptized one after the other.

We received a reference this week for a Patricio Vazquez, He is 30 and really wants to come closer to God. He already had read the Book of Mormon a little and really liked it. He believes it to really be the word of God. This testifies to me that 15 pages of the Book Of Mormon still has power. He wants to be baptized already, but we got some work to do. He has been to Jail a few times and was a cocaine addict. He has cleaned up his life and that is why he wants to be closer to God. He had a dream that he and his family will walk together in a place of happiness. He believes this church is the way to achieve that dream. We taught him Thursday and Saturday and he attended Church! He loved the classes and the talks. He is excited and wants to put the work in to be baptized. He will need to be married, and will need to quit smoking. He really is a investigator of Gold.

We were walking in the street Saturday when I saw a women that said Hola to us. We said Hola back and kept walking, after 2 or 3 blocks we felt that we needed to go back and talk to her. We talked to her, her name is Florencia. She is 18, and when we asked if we can share something with her about Jesus Christ she said yes immediately. We shared the first lesson and she seemed very interested, her eyes never looked another direction. She had a lot of questions, that we answered and was satisfied with the answer. We will return Tuesday. I believe there is a lot of potential there. This really testifies to me that the Spirit really guides us. That we are nothing without it, we must find the people that are prepared by listening to the Spirit and acting on the impressions we recieve. We wouldn´t have found her if we didn´t listen and act on our impression.

Santiago Santucho is progressing a lot. He went with his Mom, Melina, to Buenos Aires this week. He called me and told me that he has been reading every day and that they went to a ward in Buenos Aires. He is progressing very well. He will be baptized the 18th!

We are doing well here. My companion is progressing a lot and participating more in the lessons and we are teaching a lot of lessons, finding people, and doing a lot of service. I feel satisfied wih the work we are doing, but I know there is a lot more we lack. WE CAN ALWAYS DO MORE.

FUNNY MOMENTS,

Atletico Tucumán had a game thursday in the Copa Libertadores. We couldnt enter in any houses that afternoon. Atletico Tucumán won 3 to 1 with the first three goals in primer tiempo. Los Argentinos love their fútbol.

I got offered weed like 3 times Wednesday. During contacts, It doesnt´really bother me to talk to people drugged or drunk. They asked me if Snoop Dogg really does smoke weed everyday. I said I wouldn´t doubt it.

Todo bien acá,

Con amor y cariño,

Elder Batman

(insert clever title here...)

U

 
 

I dont have a alot of time, but this week was really good. We are finding new people. We are teaching people that didn´t want us to teach them at first, but now are receptive to us. They are progressing now and it´s an amazing sight to see.

At church this week we invited a lot of people and no one showed up. We tried to help them get to church and no one showed up. It was so frustrating. We prayed hard for some investigator a show up and have a spiritual experience in the church. It seemed that no one would show up, I was a little disappointed. And in the final hour, right before sacrament meeting, SANTIAGO SHOWED UP. Santiago is the son of Miguel Santucho. He is 12, and showed up after playing futbol with his amigos. After church we talked with him and He had a good experience in the church and asked us if he can be baptized just like his dad. Miguel said to him that this is your decision and I dont want you to feel obligated. He said I have been thinking about this for a long time and I feel ready, I want to do this.

I was shocked! It´s truly a blessing. The Lord listens to our desires of our hearts and if we work for what we want he will bless us

Fotos

​​I dont know what Im doing

After Futbol (Shoutout to the homie Will Allen, still rock the headband)

The planner

Bautismo de Martina

Elder Corbalan

Sorry this is short no time! ciao con amor,

Elder Batman

 
 
 
 
 
 

La FUERRRRRRRRRZZZAAAAAAA (roll the r)

Hola familia,

This week was really really good. We are working like dogs. 27 lessons this week. The most I´ve had in my mission. AND TOTAL WITH MEMBERS PRESENT. Our ward is now trying to help a lot in the work of the missionary. It really makes a huge difference to have a member with you. A third person testifying the truth of this gospel. We have noticed the progress in our investigadores and how much more receptive they are when we have members helping us. 

Elder Corbalan, is a stud. My companion is a mini missionary. A mini missionary doesn´t serve for 18 months to 2 years.  A mini missionary serves only for 6 weeks to try out the mission, and when we don´t have sufficient missionaries. Elder Corbalan has only 17 years. I feel old, being 20. His testimony is really strong and is a very spiritual guy. We get along well. I feel like he´s like a little brother. He´s got a very good attitude and is very humble. He really showed me his faith and strength this week. His aunt that he was really close to passed away the Wednesday before. IN HIS THIRD DAY IN THE MISSION. He was very sad and distressed, and he was given the option to go home. He called his family and told them that he had a work to do here in Tucumán for the Lord. I asked if he wanted time to recuperate and he said no, lets get to work. I was shocked. The Faith that this 17 year old kid has. He doesn´t really know how to teach and is still trying to learn I am basically training him, but his willingness to serve is tremendously strong. People told me before that having a mini missionary as a companion is really hard and that a lot is put on your back. But really I can say that I am learning from him as well, its not important that I teach 95 percent in the lessons or that he doesn´t know how to do a street contact. But he´s out here trying to serve the Lord.

We have been praying and trying really hard to find new investigadores that can progress. And we´ve had to change somethings and try harder. And the blessings came at the very end. We found Saturday and Sunday and two that asked if they can be baptized. Thiago and Micaela. They will be baptized the 25th. They are part of the Santucho Family and have listened but didn´t really want anything. Now, they are ready. I think it´s how it is, the Lord wants us to try harder sometimes for the things we want. And when we are willing to put in the work and  show our faith he will bless us. We found 9 this week. And there is a lot of potential here. I hope we can help these investigadores to be baptized and find the blessings the Lord has in store for them.

Funny Things

A drunk guy stopped us in the street and was talking about how God strengthens him to lift weights? He kept saying La FUERRRRRRRRRZZZAAAAAAA. Rolling the R way too much. Not to mention that his breath reeked of liquor.

Its apparently my fault the BAD THINGS that we do in America, because I´m from the United States and that because I´m from there.....

Muchas gracias, Toda bien acà. Ciao con amor,

Élder Batman