Elder Garrett Allen-- April 8, 2012

Dear Mom and Friends
It is pretty great here. Basically very day is a new adventure and a new experience so that is great. The people here are about half receptive and half hostly. So we always walk fast and say hello to everyone and are friends with the few people that have guns haha. That is kinda of a joke don´t worry to much. I have gone into some bad places but everyone here is a little afraid of me here for some reason. I think it is because i am a lot taller then all of them but who knows. All i know is that the members ask me if i am a fighter. So that is good, needless to say that my companion is greatful for the extra protection that I offer haha. Anyways the work here is actually pretty good. We had a baptism this week for a guy named Juan that we have been teaching and we have an other one set up for next week. The standard of excellence here is one baptism a week so basically the work is good. We teach a lot of people and we walk to a lot of places. It is a pretty good experience. I have been in some pretty interesting house and talk to some interesting people. The challenges here are completly different then what they were in New Mexico. Everyone here beliefs in Christ but the all have these different ideas about things and a lot of them don´t want to change what they think so it is. They always say yes to everything that we say but they don´t really want to act so it makes things interesting. We are working on that and trying to get them to see the difference between are church and other churches around here. So that is just one challenge, but it is all good. the work is still going forward and we are still teaching so I always have something to do.
So to answer your questions yes I do have a mattress but I sleep on this wood thing that kinda looks like a latter so it is like an inch off the ground. so it isn´t super awful but it isn´t super great haha i can feel all of the boards on my back so that is a lot of fun. Honestly it´s not bad. Are housing is actually pretty nice. (the time i didn´t have water i was in the DL´s house) We live in the next level of a house in a prett nice pention. We have one of the better pentions out of all of the Elders. The kicthen is super small and everything runs of gas but my pention has running hot water and basically is nice. It was super dirty at first but i talk my companion into cleaning it and know it isn´t to bad. It will never stay clean just cause it is impossilble with things here in Argentina. Nothing is ever really ¨`clean` but it is not to bad. So no are floors aren´t dirt just tile. So basically we always have water...Not always super clean water but we have water haha. We also have a shower so that is super nice. The only thing is that it has two temps. Super hot or cold. There is no middle ground haha. So some people can read and right. It is a little different here cause reading is easier i think. But there are some people that can´t so that makes introducing the Book of Mormon a little interesting. The people here aren´t super smart. They are great people but there is kinda something missing but the are good people. I also am in a area where there are a lot of drugs and drinking problems so that might have a affect. Elder G. has been out for 10 months on his mission. He is a good kid and all of that good stuff. Some things bug me but i think that is just part of life it is really no big deal. He works hard and really cares for the people. Now the rat is a problem haha. we think that it is still in are house but today me bought this big old crazy rat trap and hopefully we are going to get it tonight. It cost like 10 peso so it was worth it haha. It has sharp points and everything on it so hopefully it will work. The good news is that it hasn´t been on my chest again haha.
So i hope that answers some of your questions. It is alright here. I am working hard and trying to not think about how long two years is haha. so yea... I am just going to work cause that is basically all that There is to do. Honestly the mission life is good. Nothing is painfully hard and the rules aren´t crazy most of the time and basically it is good. Life is good. Life is really good. I am having some fun times and making memories haha
So here are just a few things that i can remember about this week. First we had a baptism and that was super nice. It is way to to see people want to change and start to be better. An other thing is my companion got hit by a moto! it wasn´t anything bad cause the people weren´t going super fast but i happened. The traffic here is crazy and crossing the road is a whole different adventure haha. Cars do not stop for anything. Also I got a picture with a Dog that looks like a pony. It is huge! it went to my hip and was huge haha. I got to see the streets turn into rivers and then walk in it so that was fun haha. When it rains here, it rains. Really that is all that i can think of. Sorry, I will try to be better next week.
Anyways I love you guys a lot and miss you all. I know now the importance of family and i am so very greatful for mine. I true can look back at my home as a place of love and safety and i can´t wait to be there again with you guys. I am starting to love the work and to get a hang of spanish. I wish that I could just know the language. Honestly the Language is the hardest part. I wish I know it and could actually talk to people. That will come with time though so that is fine. I love you guys and wish all of my family and friends alot and pray for you every night. I wish the best for you!!! LOVE YOU ALL
Con Amor
Elder Allen