Transfers, almost?

Dear Family,
Thank you all so much for your letters, love, prayers, and pictures!!! This week was the last week of the transfer and just a few hours ago we found out about who was going where. To make a long story short, no one is going anywhere in our district. We already know that Elder Crunkleton and Elder Ortiz are going to end their missions in Bowen anyways but it was confirmed that Elder Wetzel is staying here and I'm still going to be his companion. It was a pretty busy P-day with activities with the other district which means I'm not going to have much time to write this week. We did a little bit of exploring this week since technically I could go 120 kilometers south or 120 kilometers east and still be in the same area. In some of the not-so-far-away areas we met a lady named Silvia when we knocked on her door. We were inviting her to church when she told us she could really use some help with her family. A close relative died recently and now all of the family members are fighting over the estate. She says the same family members are stealing from each other which makes her feel terrible about her family. She wanted to get in contact so we could come by some time that week so we're excited for a lesson with her family. We're also teaching the husband of the daughter of a less-active family. He was really receptive and we have an appointment to go back to teach more. We're all excited. Well, I hope you all have an excellent week and take luck :) . I love you all!!! Bye!!!

Love,
Elder Williams

"Emergency Baptism"

Marisol who got baptized on Saturday

Dear Family,
Thank you all so much for your prayers, pictures, love, letters, and support!!! We had what we like to call an "Emergency Baptism" this week :) . Tuesday afternoon right before a Branch Leadership meeting we were in the house of an investigator to see how they were doing. The family was there since it was the Grandma's birthday (which we had no idea of by the way). We hadn't brought anything for her so I pulled out a picture of the temple (I think the temple in Germany) to give her. We talked a little bit about the temple and the subject of baptism came up. Marisol (the investigator) said she wanted to be baptized but that the following Monday she would be having surgery on her ears, nose, and throat meaning she wouldn't be able to go underwater for a long time. She was ready and had received all of the lessons neccessary for baptism so we said she would be able to be baptized that Saturday. She accepted and so started our quick planning of the baptism service for Saturday. Right from there we ran to the chapel for the Branch meeting to let everyone know. On Wednesday Marisol had her baptismal interview which meant that the Zone Leaders in San Rafael had to race to catch a bus to get here to General Alvear on time. It's about 2 hours in bus between San Rafael and General Alvear. After the interview they ran back to San Rafael just in time to get some sleep because on Thursday we all had to go to Guaymallen for a special zone conference with President Bowen of the South America South Area. From 3:00 AM to midnight Thursday we were either traveling to and from Guaymallen or in Guaymallen. It was 4 hours to get there (a direct bus) and 5 hours to get back (not a direct bus). They did give us dinner on the way back though which was really nice. On Friday we were finally able to finish getting Marisol ready and talking with the family while preparing everything. Saturday was pretty rushed because that morning we had very little time and then by noon we already had to be on our way to Alvear so we could fill up the font in the Pacifico Chapel. We started filling it at about 12:45 and it was mostly done when we started the service at 5:00 PM. It was a really nice service though. Marisol's step-mom and dad came to her baptism to support her. Her parents want to be baptized soon too and they're getting married probably in about a month. We're all very excited :) . I hope ya'll are very excited too :) and have the most wonderful, excellent, awesome week!!! I love you!!! Bye!!!
Love,
Elder Williams

Me writing e-mails to ya'll

Meet Elder Wetzel!

Yes, I have a new companion and yes, I am getting my hair cut today.

Dear Family,

Thank you so much for your letters, pictures, prayers, and support!!! I have a new companion!!! After waiting over three weeks I am now the proud companion of the new Elder Wetzel! So I went early Wednesday morning to Godoy Cruz to go pick him up. Since I'd already trained before they said I didn't have to sit through the trainer training. Instead I went over to fix President's laptop since the network card wasn't working and it couldn't get Internet. I was expecting it to be some huge problem but I just uninstalled the card and reinstalled it and it works just fine. While I was in the offices lobby I looked at all of the new missionaries trying to guess which one would be my new companion. I looked everywhere for the other Elder Williams but I couldn't find him. After talking with President Jarvis I found out that I had OBOB'ed (off-by-one-bit (a very nerdy computer term)). It turns out the other Elder Williams will be coming next transfer, not this transfer. Then after that will be coming yet another Elder Williams! There will be three Elder Williams in the Mendoza Mission! Anyways, after waiting for a while, the assistants called us over to the chapel to meet our new companions and had us do a door-approach practice. The new missionary would practice knocking doors and then suddenly one of us would answer and we would be their new companion! It was pretty funny and it threw them off-guard, especially if they didn't understand what we said in Spanish. They then gave us all a nice lunch with chicken while we all got to know each other. After that we went to the bus terminal in Guaymallén to wait for a bus which didn't leave until 7:30 that night. Even though it was a good, long wait time, waiting for a good, long bus-ride we had a good time. On the bus they fed us milanesa with fiambres with durazno for dessert. They also gave us some alfajores which was a nice introduction for my companion though I think they gave him some the day before after getting off of the airplane. I've been helping Elder Wetzel get to know the area here in Pellegrini and all the members love him. He reminds me a lot of when I first came to the mission in San Martín, trying to learn how to communicate with everyone. He picks up a lot of what people are saying actually. We'll see if we can make a native speaker out of him :) . On his first Sunday here in Argentina, our long time investigator, Elsa, came to church for the first time! She really loves the Book of Mormon because whenever she feels bad she says she reads a passage from the Book of Mormon and feels a lot better. We're really happy for her and are going to help her so she can get baptized this month. We've met a few new families as well, including some family members of a less-active family in Compuertas Negras (the midway point between General Alvear and Bowen). Fortunately they don't live with the less-active family and actually live really close to where we work. Elder Wetzel's having all sorts of amazing experiences here in the mission field. He likes the bikes and actually used to do a lot of mountain biking. He's from Idaho Falls, really likes sports like soccer and track, and was going to BYU Idaho right before the mission. He doesn't have a major yet but he might study and work in something related to sports, he says (You mean he doesn't want to go into....pretzels?? Sorry, bad joke). Well, I hope ya'll are enjoying your weeks and know that I'm rooting for you :) . I love you all!!! Bye!!!

Love,

Elder Williams

6 Months!

I forgot to mention yesterday that Lawrence hit his SIX MONTHS TO GO mark. He is 75 % done with his mission! He may be feeling like he doesn't have a lot of time left, and nervous about coming home, but back here in the homeland, we are all SO EXCITED!!

Happy Lisa's Birthday!

Dear Family,
Thank you all so much for your letters, love, pictures, and prayers!!! My new companion is finally coming!!! The new missionaries from the United States finally received their visas and will be arriving here in Mendoza on Tuesday which means that on Wednesday I'll be in Godoy Cruz to pick-up my new companion. Just in time, the Elders from Bowen finally finished the contract on their apartment in Bowen which means they'll be moving out just as my new companion will be moving in. The new apartment is actually really big and fairly fixed-up. They're going to use the same apartment as their chapel and place to live. It's two stories with a kind of loft upstairs which is where the missionaries are going to live. I might have to stay a night over there if they've all moved over before my new companion can get here. This will just be yet-another-trip-to-Godoy-Cruz since I'll be over there again when President Bowen, President of the South America South Area, comes to talk to the missionaries next week. It's alright though. It should be fun since every time I'm by the offices they put me to work fixing things. The latest project is that the Assistants managed to burn President's laptop's network card so I'll have to look at it before they decide to call Dell and get a replacement. Fortunately it should still be covered since it's not that old. We also found an awesome family last Saturday where the father is a less-active member and the rest of the family has been looking for a good church. He was really excited when we showed up and he lives right next door to a member (right next door being a relative term when you live way out in the farms). Well, I'm running out of time but I want you to know that Pellegrini is doing well, Elder Williams is doing well, Bowen is doing well, and Bowen's missionaries are doing well. I love you all!!! Have an excellent week!!! Bye!!!
Love,
Elder Williams

Lawrence sent me a separate email for my birthday, so I'll include a little of that letter for posterity's sake...

Today for your birthday I'm kicking the Elders from Bowen out of my apartment since they are getting their new apartment today. I'd feel bad but they are getting a nicer, newer apartment. I still win because we have a better heater :) . I'm also getting my new companion finally!!! He comes on Tuesday but I'll be going to Godoy Cruz on Wednesday to actually pick him up. We're all excited because now I'll be able to work in Pellegrini full time.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

Dear Family,
Thank you all so much for your love, letters, and support!!! This has been an especially interesting week since I've been waiting for my new companion to get here. The estimated date of arrival is August 5th but we're not terribly sure right now. He might be coming August 11th. I'll let you know when the day rolls around. The work has been progressing well even though I've been working in Pellegrini and Bowen at the same time. Fortunately the Assistants came down from Godoy Cruz to help us out so we could work in both areas at the same time. Elder Miles (the new assistant) and Elder Phippen both came down and I ended up going on divisions with both of them (on different days). It brought back tons of fun memories of when Elder Miles and I were companions in the offices. The funny part was that President Lindahl called me Elder Miles a couple of times by accident, just like when I was in the offices. People always get us confused for some reason. We ended up doing a bunch of service projects as well, such as loading firewood for an Hermana in our branch. We filled three trucks about as large as the truck we used for my Eagle Scout project which is a whole lot of firewood. She'll probably be good for the rest of winter as well as next year's winter. The day after, we went to the Romero family's house to help them build the addition they were working on and help feed the pig (kinda). Pigs are pretty funny animals. I have no intention whatsoever of buying a pig ever. I'll just settle for one of those 10-cent goldfish that live for three days. They're so much easier to take care of and they don't grow to 300 kilograms. After going on divisions with each of the assistants, I ended up going on divisions with Elder Ortiz, who's in Bowen and from Hawaii. The Elders in Bowen have been working on settling the contract for their apartment which means they've been living with me. It actually works out just perfectly because I don't have a companion anyways and otherwise we'd have to live in Rama II as 5 Elders (that's a lot of Elders in the same apartment). The Assistants both left yesterday afternoon so now it's just the three of us again and normality will continue if such a thing exists. We had a really nice sacrament meeting in Bowen with six people there who are investigating the church. The work there as well is truly progressing as people are asking for themselves if God has really called a prophet. After all, God can't lie and won't lie. Have a super-mega-ultra awesome week!!! I love you all!!! Bye!!!
Love,
Elder Williams