San Valentino

Thank you, thank you, for those of you that congratulated us on our baptism this week (that we did not have, but will be this following week, the 18th.)  But feel free to send the Congrats next week, too, if you´d like. ;)  With the Leadership Broadcast, the schedule was just a little too complicated to have the baptism.  The week started off extremely hot, but has taken a turn for the better, at weeks end.  I think we´re in the 80s now.  It´s been nice.  One can only hope that it doesn´t go up again.

 

The highlight of the week has got to go to Zone Conference, this Friday.  It´s always great to learn and be edified by leaders of the mission.  It´s proof that Mission Presidents are inspired of God.  We had a big part of the Conference devoted to, ¨The Rescue.¨  And what did they teach about in the Broadcast? --  The Rescue.  One of the things that I liked most that was said by President Heyman was this:  (Background info first:  We´ve been stressing more lessons that are shorter, but efficient.)  Who always speaks last in the last session of General Conference?  The prophet.  How long does he usually speak for?  20 or 25 minutes.  What could be the very last time that he could bear his testimony or tell the world one last bit of advice -- and he does it in 20 or 25 minutes.  Don´t you think that we could teach an entire lesson in about the same length of time?  Food for thought.  You guys can apply that in another way...  Do you really think that you need to tell you friend or family member everything about the Church for them to know that it is true?  A simple testimony can go a long ways.

 

Well, I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day.  If you want to make it an even better, more loveable, day, do something for someone else.

 

Elder McMurray

Diluvio

BYU is 20-6, and a ¨Bubble-Team¨? How??  It´s cool to hear that they are still doing well after Jimmermania.  Sad news for the week:  River lost to Boca for the second time in two weeks.  It´s even harder to bare when you live in a city of mainly Boca fans...  But life goes on.

This week was fairly calm.  The work continues on.  I ate tongue this week.  I think it was of cow.  It wasn´t half bad, actually.  Exciting news for the week: Another baptism this coming Saturday!  We´re really excited for Olga.  The elders found her a few months ago, but due to a few issues, she didn´t get baptized then.  We had the luck (blessing) of finding her a few weeks ago, again.  Things are looking very promising for Saturday.

If you ever have the chance to help in the conversion process of an 80 year-old...DO IT.  You see things so differently.  Amelia Peralta has changed a little bit of my outlook on life.  She´s been going through some rough times, financially.  She heard about Priesthood Blessings.  She asked us if we could do it.  After giving the blessing, before we had time to say anything, she was like, ¨What are you guys feeling?¨  To be honest I felt pretty good.  She then said, ¨Do you guys feel that?  I feel really good.¨  80 year-olds are so honest.  She recognized that this was something special; she felt the Spirit.

I know I´ve commented about Chango Más a bazillion times, but that place is just so amazing.  I always find something that tastes of home.  This week's find.  Frosted Flakes.  Can you say ¨excited to eat breakfast??¨ Peanut butter is a rarity in the mission.  Yep, Chango Más has got that too.  You gotta love Walmart partnerships...

Jacob 5?  Been there. Done that.

Well, I love you all.  Manden saludos a todo.  Un abrazo.

Elder McMurray

 

Chango Más...the pride and joy of this area.

 Elder Sanchez(mini), Amelia, Luis Borda(baptizer), Me.

 With the Vargas Family (the Branch President´s family)

 

Back in Black.

So...with all of this sun that I´m soaking in, is it alright if I come back African American?  I think it will help my odds at going pro in something when I get home.  It´s hot, but I hear rain is coming this week.  My fingers are crossed.

 

We had a Royal Changing of the Guards this week, so to speak.  I am now with Mini Number 2.  The last one had to go to EFY.  So... here I am, with Elder Sanchez.  He hails from the mighty providence of Chaco, in the town of Saenz Peña.  He´s left handed.  This makes three companions in a row that have been left handed.  Overall, this make 4 of 6, in favor of the South Paws.  Who would have guessed??

 

Well.  It happened.  The baptism of Amelia Peralta went over very well.  She came walking in to the baptism with a solid white dress and her stunner shades.  I gotta hand it to her, she came dressed to impress.  Being 80 years old, she officially holds the title of, ¨the oldest member of the Branch.¨  She´s so awesome.  If this blasted computer would just work, I would send you a photo.  I guess you are going to have to wait until next week.

 

This weekend was the first weekend of Carnival (Mardi Gras?).  Though we were not awake, the festival was celebrated with dancers from Midnight until 5am.  They sure know how to celebrate.

 

My time is coming to an end (that sounded a little dramatic...my hour is coming to an end).  I just finished reading 2 Nephi this week.  Those last few chapters are such Grand slams.  You can learn a lot about life in those few chapters.

 

I love you all,

 

Elder McMurray

Death...H.O.T.

Family,

 

It´s really been another week?  Man, that was fast.  It´s good to hear from you all, you guys are really hitting your stride with writing me these days.  Keep ´em comin´.

 

This week has been a fairly calm week.  Other than the fact that I´m a full-time decision maker, these days.  Let me tell ya, talking, sleeping, and breathing Spanish takes a little bit of getting adjusted to.  But I know that it´s helping out my learning of the language just that much more.  It´s been rather fun having a native (literally) companion this week and a half.  I´ve learned a lot of Spanish AND stuff about the area that I´m serving in.  Oh, so do you remember that article/random facts that you sent me about Goya, bro?  Well, I´ve found all of the places to visit (or should I say, where those birds visit).  I didn´t realize it until Elder Nuñez pointed it out, but I´ve walked past a huge wall painting of the world with birds flying between California and Goya.  Don´t worry, I took a picture.  How many of you knew that Goya, Corrientes Argentina and a city in California had an official pact of Brotherhood?  I´m going to go ahead and say not too many of you.

 

This week had been hot.  In case I haven´t mentioned that before.  I´ve never prayed for my birthday to come quicker. (March 19 is the official last day of summer, here).  I´ve developed a new appreciation for those 20 cows that you see out in the middle of a big open field, with only one little shade tree.  I´m quickly becoming a master of managing our walking routes to accommodate the shade that is available.

 

We´re going to have a baptism this week on Saturday!  Amelia is an all systems ¨Go.¨  I´ll have to send photos of it in my next email.

 

There´s only one thing greater than Conference weekend in April and October --- Conference edition of the Liahona.  Ohhh yeah.  We just got our English copies and I can´t get enough of it.  ¨It´s better to look up!¨  Read them again if you have a chance this week.

 

I love you all,

 

un abrazo por todos,

 

Elder McMurray

 

 

Sharp rocks at the bottom? Most likely. Bring it on.

Thank you for all of the updates this week!  You guys are awesome.

 

So, I´ll just get right down to it.  This week might easily have been the craziest week of the mission (and maybe my life...Finals Week is a tough competitor).  Just like every other six weeks that come and pass, this last week was transfers.  Let it be written that I have had ONE transfer without something happening. Just one.  Tuesday night is when the call comes.  The call came.  We are both staying.  I´m down with that.  Due to things that have happened lately, I told Elder Bustillos Wednesday that I had a feeling that we were going to be a result of some drastic change.  Well... four missed calls from the APs later...  Elder Bustillos is now a current Trainer.  He´s also opening up a new area.  A new challenge for him, I´m sure.  They then proceeded to tell us that us that I´m the new senior companion.  Alright.  Next, they told me that I don´t have a companion.  Um...what?  In our mission, they don´t do threesomes very often.  Instead, they give you a 17-19-year-old, prospective missionary, that lives in the mission boundaries.  People call them a ¨Mini¨ (mini missionary)  So... here I am, with my current Mini.  He´s a 17-year-old from here in Goya.  Ironically, he was a mini missionary in my last area.  So I already knew him.  We´ll only be together for two weeks max, though.  He has EFY in two weeks (EFY is held in Paraguay for like 3 different countries).  That means I´ll probably have another mini after.  Definitely adds a little spice to the mission.

 

And if there wasn´t already enough spice...  I´m now the new Second Counselor in the Branch; to go along with my calling as Secretary.  Fun!

 

But, now to the real good news.  We are nearly set for a baptism!  Remember the 80-year-old lady I told you about a few weeks ago?  She came again!  She´s set for the 28th of this month.  She only needs to quit smoking her daily cigarette.  She can do it.  She´s really funny, too.  She´s telling everyone that she´s getting baptized in two weeks.  What a Champ!  It´s proof, you're never too old to change.

 

So I´ve been reading in the Bible a little bit these days.  It amazes me just how in a matter of 30 or 40 pages you can read about the entire life of Christ.  For someone that did so much, you´d think that there´d be more.  If you´ve got a minute, take some time to read just a chapter in Matthew.  It´s crazy just how much you´ll find out.

 

I love you all!

 

Elder McMurray

 

 

If you are interested in learning more about the Gospel, click here to contact missionaries in your area!

Gauchito Gil

The word of the week: Calor - Signifying the act of melting to the cement; Only attainable when you are nearing death. origin: Argentine.

Of late, it´s hit as high as 40 degrees Celsius (if you check your nearby thermometer you can see that that is 104ºF).  Tomorrow´s forcaust: 41º....wonderful.   What makes it even more ¨fun¨ is when the city cuts the power off on your side of town, regularly.  I can´t think of anything more ¨fun¨ than being in a house that already doesn´t have air conditioning, that now has no fans.  Needless to say, we better start drinking/eating stuff out of the refrigerator pretty quickly.

Interesting fact of Goya, Corrientes: Home of the world´s largest yerba plant.  Yep, you aren´t going to find one bigger.  It´s a plant, but I mistakenly took it for a Huge Oak/Grandmother Willow hybrid.

I hope all of you took a moment of silence for our dear, Gauchito Gil.  Yesterday, was Gauchito Gil Day.  Thousands of thousands, from places as far as Spain, made their trip to Mecca...uhhh uhh... I mean...Mercedes, Corrientes (I´ve been there!) to pay their respects to him and ask for whatever they please.  Gauchito Gil is the Argentine version of Robin Hood...steal from the rich, give to the poor.  For that, he is a saint in the Catholic Church.

Well, as I walked over here to email you, I nearly lost my life.  We have this huge dog right by our house.  He´s lazy and never does anything to us.  He is the spitting image of Fang from Harry Potter...as in, he´s HUGE.  Well, anyways, I saw him when I was about 4 feet in front of him, just laying there.  So I stopped.  Turned to my companion to be like, ¨look at him!¨ Before I knew what was happening, he was running at me.  I´ve never said such a quick prayer in my heart that a dog´s chain would only be 3 3/4th feet long.  My prayers were answered.  His chain was short.  I don´t think I´ve ever been so scared of something in my life...  I provided nice entertainment for the family sitting under the shade tree, across the street.

2 Nephi 9.  Study it for a week.  Have a dictionary, pad of paper and pen at your disposal.  You´ll learn so much.  I promise.

I love you all,

Elder McMurray

Quedáte Quieto, Che.

Can you believe another week has come and passed already?  Thank you for your continuous updates.  I hope everyone has made it, or will be making it, safely to their after-holiday destinations.  So Josh already got home??  For some reason I thought he had another two or three months left..  Somebody should tell him to write me...in Spanish.

 

So... I survived my first New Years in a Latino nation.  It was definitely worth the hype and anticipation.  The entire month of December has been firework-ridden.  But the climax definitely came with the New Year.  We happen to live in a house that has another 200 houses within 200 yards of us.  ¨Attempting¨ to sleep wasn´t going to happen.  The blaring music for our street was so kindly provided by our neighbors.  At exactly 12, midnight, the fireworks went wild.  Every which direction had something happening.  Our second-story window provided a nice place to see the Show.  The music carried on until 2 or 3 am.  Luckily, I can sleep through some pretty tough stuff.  Credit goes to growing up in a family of eight kids, I would have to say.

 

This week, we found a rather hip, 80-year-old woman.  She certainly has the mobility and face of a person much younger than what she really is.  And guess what-- she came to church this week!  (Also, I can´t forget, I played the piano this week...it was much needed..)  Also, we do a lot of work with less active members.  This week we found a really cool lady, Mabel, who hasn´t come to church for several years.  (We actually found her with the help of another member; another testament that missionaries really need to work with members.)  She came, as well, this past week.  Yesterday,  we did a Family Home Evening (Noche de Hogar) with her entire family.  My companion and I provided the food: Tacos. Ohh, yeah.  That may not sound like that big of a deal, but nobody has heard of a taco, here.  Overall, it went really well.

 

Not that you need hardcore proof that the Book of Mormon is true, but 2 Nephi 3 will help you out.  Check it out.

 

Love you all,

 

Elder McMurray