Last P day after we emailed, we went with other Missionaries to this place called Salto De Monday. Its spelled just like that haha. It is a small set of waterfalls that we got to go take pictures of. It was an absolutely beautiful place to be and to look around.
After that, I learned that my companion would be transferred and that I would be staying, which is odd for a new missionary to stay in an area and receive a new senior companion, but what the heck lets do it haha. So later that night. we received a call saying that during transfers, I would be staying with another Elder who will remain nameless. Upon arriving at the drop off point, and saying our goodbyes, me and Elder nameless went upstairs to their house. After a quick snack and some reading I realized it was 12. It was a good 2 hours past when we are suppose to be asleep. I prepared for bed and said my prayers and it was not until about 6 am that the other Elder went to bed. I know this because of the loud manner in which he entered the room. The next day we then sat there the whole day as he worked on little things here and there. It was his area, so I assumed that we would go tracting or something that afternoon before needing to go to the Collectivo to pick up our new comps but nope..so it was a bit odd,,,, and then it got scary. I noticed that Elder nameless had a tendency to talk to himself. It wasn’t in a playful loud manner, it was in a cynical hand over his mouth mumbling manner. I was scared for my life.
After that dreadful day, we hooked up with our new companions around 6:30, and me and Elder Balcaza (Pronounced Vallcasa) were able to make it to mutual that night and introduce him. He is a spanish version of Spencer Riggs in my mind. He is very huggable, deep thinker kind of guy. He is Argentinian and is super cool. I didn't get a chance to snap a pic with him. I will post one next week. Lo Siento.
I noticed something beautiful here this week. Everyone is burning their garbage. There is a garbage service and trucks and such, but everyone just piles it up on the curb and lets it burn. This creates a ton of smoke so it is really smokey all around, and very irritating, but come about 6 that night when the sun starts to set, its breathtaking. The clouds along with all the smoke lights up with color. Absolutely wonderful, the smell isn't the best but it looks great.
Umm..I hate flip flops..And it is all you can really wear around the house, and they advise you to not be barefoot because there is a little bug that burrows into the bottom of your foot and it just isn't pretty so we have to wear flip flops...I HATE IT..probably one of my biggest issues right now haha.
My new comp has a different approach. We went and began to search for a map, after finding the map we found a photo copiar so that we could enlarge it. And then come Sunday, the ward secretary and bishop and others all huddled around this map in a dusty and extremely stuffy room.. They were all speaking spanish. I have never felt more like Indiana Jones in my life.
I had non dried mango for the first time.. Interesting texture but tastes great. Saw a white beetle car with whitewall tires. That was cool, caught me off guard.
We had the Primary Program this week!!! It was super fun and it was awesome to watch the kids sing and talk all in spanish. There are not as many kids as in my home ward but the feeling was all the same.
Spanish in the discussions is coming along good, I'm able to teach all the sections of the lessons practically unassisted, but we like to balance it out to about a 30 70, my companion being the 70. And I'm not sure if its because i'm actually just really terrible in my spanish or what but after everything I teach, my comp then repeats the same things back to the person. Haha kind of makes me feel a tad pointless. But the spanish is coming along great, and in the end, I know that there will be times where I have to teach the entire lesson.
Elder Merrell
