The Journey to the Center of Me

Querido Padres y Amigos,

            Finally, an eventful week. Well actually two crazy days and some nice nothingness in between. First of all, I would like to share a spiritual experience... hehe (you will understand this dad pun in two or three sentences) This last Tuesday I was on divisions with Elder Landerose, my favorite Mexican. Later in the evening, we stopped in the church for a second or two to sit down because Elder Landerose wasn't feeling so hot. So we were just sitting in one of the classrooms for about 2 minutes and then we heard the front door of the church open. I said to Elder Landerose "who's here" and we heard people walking and women's voices talking. But, it was quiet and we couldn't understand what they were saying. Then being the gentleman that we are, E' Landerose and I got up to go say hello. I walked out of the room and started to say "Hola Hermanas" and then I realized there was nobody there. I was confused and realized that they probably went into the chapel. We walked in and again nobody was there. That's when I started freaking out a little. I looked at E' Landerose and asked if he heard the women too and he said he had. Then he suggested that they might be in the bathrooms or in one of the other classrooms. So we went and checked every single room near the front door. Still nobody. E' Landerose then said "do you here that?" and I heard voices and them walking over around the corner from the room where we had been sitting earlier. "I asked him "how did they get passed us?" because the church is "L" shaped and the only way they could get to that point was to walk down the hall where we had been the entire time. E´ Landerose and I started to almost run towards the sound because we were a little scared at that point. We kept getting closer and closer and the sounds were getting louder and louder. But when we finally turned the corner.... nothing... Drawing on all the knowledge I had of scary movies, I concluded that I was both funnier and uglier than E' Landerose and I created a scary movie order of death chart [First to die to last: Angry loner guy, then Beautiful dumb girl, then the Funny guy, then the nerd, then the Best friend, and then the Good looking lead character (who possibly lives)] I was able to then calculate that I would die way before E' Landerose and I ain't no supporting character. So we left real fast. The moral of that story is that Ghosts are real and that movies really do help in real life situations. If you want to work on securing movie rights to our adventure, I would like to be played by Ewan McGregor, Elder Landerose by Antonio Banderas and the ghosts by Sandra Bullock and Keira Knightley.

        On a completely different note, I had my intestinal biopsy last Friday and it wasn't very fun. I sat down on the doctor bed-table-thing and the doctor told me to lay down on my side. He sprayed some numbing stuff in my mouth so I couldn't talk very well. Then he pulled over this giant cart that looked like it was used for torture in a cold war era Russian prison. Attached to it was a gaint hose, about the width of my pinkie and a flash light at the end of it. I said to him "If you think this is going to get me to talk and betray my country, you're dead wrong you Filthy Pinko Commie." but it came out like a bunch of gibberish because my mouth was too numb. He then picked up the hose and proceeded to explain what he was going to do and then the real fun started. You have never really lived until someone has shoved a yard of plastic tubing down your throat. I'm not going to lie, I gagged and drooled all over myself like a newborn baby. Then he told to look at the T.V. screen on the Cart O' Death. I could see inside of me. It was red and gross. The worst part is that while watching it on the screen I could feel it moving through my body like an alien. Then it pulled three nice pieces of my intestinal wall out of me and put it in a bottle. At that point, I started telling all the secrets I knew about our nation but it probably just sounded like crying. After he pulled it out of me and sent me home, I slept for like 3 hours from the PTSD that I got. It was a good time.

        Other than that, teaching wise, its been a pretty uneventful week. Everybody is still working on the their papers and we're getting closer! Its going to be in the 95s this week, though, and I am not particularly excited to go outside anymore. 

Thats It!

Love,

Elder Evans

Re: Average Week

 Querido Padres y Amigos,
>             A peaceful week in the Grand City of General Pico for once! I'm feeling better. I'm trying to aviod gluten now the best I can. I don't like it, though. It's like I watched all my favorite foods abandon me at once. It's like I'm getting over a bad break-up and I'm not sure I will ever find love again... At least ice cream is back on my side.
>             At the very least, I have very good news. Elder Giliam was transfered to my district!! Back together again! The Dream Team! So we get to live together and everything and its awesome. He's doing well to. His spanish is at about the same level as mine and he has become a real good missionary. I'm super happy about that, even if its only for one transfer.
>              General McCord and I had a big fight this week. He got super mad at me because he said me and the district aren't respecting him as a leader. So then I told him  that we don't like being yelled at. Then he told me that he can yell at us because Christ yelled at the Pharisees and we are acting like Pharisees. Then there were lots more equally ridiculous statements from him. I'm not sure if we fixed anything, but he calmed down. So it's all good for now.
>               All of our investigators are doing well. David is coming back from Rosario (a city north of here) with all his marriage papers for Marta and him. So with any luck they should be getting married in two weeks! Also we have two other investigators named Maira and Emanuel, who have been investigators for a very long time, but are getting their act together and trying to get married, like always. Merwiage is wut bwings us togefer.
>
> Thats about it
> Love,
> Elder Evans

These are our spirit animals on the back of our plaques

Don't Let the First Sentence Freak You Out

Querido Padres, Familia, Amigos y Sam

            So this may go down as the worst week of my life (on paper at least!). Don't Worry, though, I'm still in my typical cheery, go-lucky mood. I'm not exactly sure why, but I'm still good. There's a lot of stuff to talk about today, so I'm going to start at the beginning.

             On Monday, P-Day was great. That girl from France, that I had been talking to along time ago wrote me, so I was very pumped about that. Then, when I was walking from the cyber cafe, super happy, this random dog just ran up to me and for no reason, bit me in the leg. So now I've got some nice litle teeth marks on my calf. Luckily he didn't bite through my pants. I can heal, but my pants can't.

              Then Tuesday, the zone leaders called me amd told me that I was going to Santa Rosa in the morning to get my test results. I told them that they wouldn't be ready yet, but the zone leaders wouldn't listen. So I went all the way to Santa Rosa (a 2 1/2 hour bus ride) and I was supposed to go back to General Pico after a couple of hours. The tests weren't ready until the next day. Then, Elder Davalos (the zone leader) casually told me that I wasn't going home until later in the night because there was no one to be with his companion and E' Davalos was leaving. I was fine with that so I worked with his companion all night. Then when I called E' Davalos to see when I was going home, he said that I wouldn't actually go home until the next day because he didn't have anyone to be with his companion. I was obviously a bit angry with that, and told him I only had the clothes on my back and nothing else. He did this weird high-pitched laugh thing that he does when he doesn't know what to do and hung up. So I spent the night there without being able to shower, brush my teeth or even change my clothes (I was super sweaty because its really hot now). Then when we were getting ready I told E Davalos to call my companion so he would be there to pick me up and he said he'd do it when we got to the bus station. Then we got to the bus station I asked again and he said he'd do it after my bus left. Then after a lovely nap filled bus ride, I got to Pico and realized that nobody was there. I then realized that I didn't like Elder Davalos. So I asked myself, "What would Jesus do?" and I decided that Jesus would walk. I walked 30-ish minutes by myself to our house. It felt super weird. When I got to the house nobody was there. I then had the prompting to check the back door (thank goodness for the Holy Ghost). I hopped the fence and checked the back door. It was unlocked. I was so very happy. (One of the other Elders swears that it was revelation that he forgot to lock the back door.) I then sat alone in the house listening to Phantom of The Opera and singing my heart out for 3 hours because I had no way to contact anyone. It was wonderful when the others came back because I was super bored.

                 Friday morning, I went to the doctors (I made Elder Davalos go get the results because he owed me) and the doctor told me what's going on. So it turns out that I have celiac disease. It'san auto  immune  disease that effects how my villi in my small intestine grow. When I eat gluten, my system attacks itself and I get sick and feel bad. It really expains why I have always had a terrible time with stomach stuff. Its the reason I am Lactose intolerant. It now means that I can't eat anything with gluten anymore, which will be a bit difficult because they don't have anything here but gluten. Luckily when my intestines heal, I'll be able to digest milk and ice cream again. Apparently its genetic, so watch Megan and Sam carefully. 

                 Don't worry about me though, I'll be fine. I'm lucky that I'm in a very spiritual stable state, so I have a lot of help from our Heavenly Father. I found a little scripture in 2 Corinthians 4: 8-9. It says "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed" It's a bit dramatic for my situation but its a good one. I am still working along. I'm still alive. I'm still doing a good work. And for that I am happy.

Love you all,

Elder Evans

attached is a photo of me celebrating halloween as my favorite phantom

I'm not dying.. maybe

Querido Padres y Amigos,

          Good News! I'm doing better! I don't know what went down that last week and a half but now I'm back to just regular sick. It could be worse than how it was before that terrible week, but I'm so use to the pain now, it doesn't phase me as much.

          On Tuesday I went to the hospital to schedule studies but they said I would have to wait ten days or something before I could go in. So I was all "heck no, I ain't dying anymore than I need to." Then I called Presidente and told him I was tired of being sick and I didn't know what to do. Luckily, he told me he was coming to Santa Rosa that Friday and we could figure everything out when he arrived. So I went down to Santa Rosa to meet hm there and we talked all about what was going down. He also thought it was ridiculous to wait so much time for an appiontment and called an Hermana in Santa Rosa who scheduled for me to do it the next day. Then I went in, did the studies (they took my blood and I pooped in a cup) and then I left. My results are supposed to be done this Thursday. so I'll go get it, and go in Friday to see the doctor here. Oh also, I think I lost about 11 kilos (about 24 pounds) since I got this dang thing in my system, but I suppose that's a plus side! 

           I was also thinking about being spirutually healed, padre. I think my story of that would be Alexis. When I met Alexis he was fresh out of jail for a crime he didn't commit, he had no job, had a family with a brand new baby and no where to live. You could see the worry on his face for a long time. But he was so smart and put faith in Heavenly Father that he would be able to get through it. I never heard him complain, I never heard him say anything but how he was grateful for everything that he had and heavenly father blessed him. Now he has a house, more work than he knows what to do with, and this sunday is going to recieve the Melchezidek Priesthood. I saw a picture of him from his baptism and he looks like a man who is happy and healed.

And Thats All I Got!

Love You All!

Elder Evans

Stuck inside

Wow, what a boring week, I honestly don't have any idea what to talk about. I was kind of really sick this week. I had actually been sick for about 3 or 4 weeks now, but I am fairly certain its over now. I couldn't hardly eat anything without getting super sick and needing to use the bathroom. So I talked with the doctor of the area (he is over all the missionaries in this part of Argentina) and he thought I had a parasite and took a bunch of medicine for that. Unfortunately, that made me more sick because of the side-effects and I couldn't leave the house a couple times. So that didn't work and I had to go see a specialist four days ago and he gave me more pills and told me to stay on a special diet. I need to return in 10 days. I feel a lot better now, so hopefuly it will all be good! 

          Luckily, in the break of being in our house, every once and awhile we found, or should I say, we were found by an inactive member and his girlfriend, named David and Martha. They want to get married super bad in the temple. She also has 2 kids: Dalma (16) and Tomas (12) and they are possibly the best behaved kids in all of Argentina! They're all so awesome. Also in related news, Ana and Alexis got baptized last weekend!!! My first converts! I was sad not to to be there but I'm just glad it finally happened.

         

Answers: 

1. Companion is still difficult, but my zone leaders gave me some good tips to deal with him.

2. I am actually in a branch right now. I like them but I don't feel the same love for them as my last group.

3. Living situation is good and Elder McCord and I are going to move out soon, yeah....

4. I am GOOD

In other news, in all my free time, I wrote this song, poem, hymm, thing. I don't know if it's good or not I was not exactly in my right mind writing it.

In the throngs of winter's chill

With quiet confidence I continue on

Within the wrath of summer's sun

I feel Him with me still

chorus

The Lord hath redeemed my soul

I have beheld His glory

His sacrfice keps me whole

He is deep in my heart's quarry

Legacy of love, the Savior's reign

This great cause will carry on

Love unfeigned, God's only son

In His Embrace I will remain

(chorus)

It does cause my heart to burn

The Lamb of God leading on

The Lord of Hosts, The Father's Son

Israel's truimph, He shall return

Love

Elder Evans

Awesome Conference!

Dear Padres y Amigos,

       How about that General Conference eh!?! (a little Canadian lingo for those in the Great White North) SO GOOD Right!? They have an expression here in Argentina to describe what happened in that conference - "bajar la caña" or "to drop cane."Its like what you do when you want to chastise someone, you drop cane on them and, boy, there was a lot of cane dropping in the last conference. It was like BAM *follow the prophet* BAM *Listen for your own personal revelation* BAM... It was also super exciting because now we can say that we are actually an international church. Everyone here was so excited to hear the spanish speakers actually speak spanish and you know what? I actually understood them perfectly. Luckily, we got to see it in english because even though I understand the translator, it is so much easier when you don't have to think so hard about it. Having them speak in their native language really helps us as missionaries. The people often don't like that we are "that American church."

        I really don't have anything to say more, but Romina and Victoria still aren't baptized. So close!

Love   

Elder Evans

No Clever Title

Hola Todos!

         My goodness, what a week. First off, General Pico is way prettier than Santa Rosa. I now realize that Santa Rosa just happened to be one of the ugliest places on earth. I think my area is just a bit larger than my area in S.R. and it is way more packed with houses and stuff. We  also have the part of town called centro (central) which is the city part and I love it. Suprisingly, I miss Santa Rosa a lot. I was actually feeling super home sick last week... or santa rosa sick, I guess. Sorry padres, but I think I was actually more sad about leaving Santa Rosa than my own home... Oops! The ward was just so good there. I don't think I'll have the same thing here, sadly. Luckily if I get in good with the next president (because Presidente Parreño leaves at my one year mark) then I can go back to Santa Rosa towards the end of my mission. 

          So I know that there has been a clamorous uproar among my many fans for something spiritual and, as you know, I always deliver the goods. So here it goes:

           There are two investigators here named Victoria and Romina. They were supposed to be baptized this last weekend but they started having a ton of doubts if they were really ready. The sad thing was that the day before, Elder McCord told "you are getting really close to being baptized so satan is going to try really hard to keep you from doing it. So be careful and you'll be fine. And, then they didn't listen. 

          After finding out that they were having troubles, we called them to come meet us at the church because E' McCord had to do an interview for a baptism for somebody else there. Romina was the only one that could come and she showed up with her 5 year old son (she is 23 and single, so sad.) We started talking to her about why she had doubts and she said that she had gone to another church in Buenos Aires and was torn between us and them. So E' McCord began to talk and explain, but he also began to get super emotional and frustrated because his sister had been in the same situation or something and it really hit close to home. So he was just pulling out scriptures about the devil and his churches and contention and it was getting really bad because she was getting very defensive about the church she had gone to. At this point, I was thinking that we were going to lose her because Elder McCord was just bashing with her. Thank goodness, E' McCord realized what he was doing and excused himself to go and interview the other guy. Then I realized it was just me and her (there were other people all over but, you know, it was just her and me in the lesson), so I just dove in blindly, hoping that the Spirit would help me out. So I just asked her what it was like at the other church and she just described at as a fat, crazy party. So I just described what I thought it was like to her and she said that's exactly what it was like. Then I said "you know what I just described? Riding a roller coaster. I think it was just the adrenaline that you were feeling at the other church and I understand that's fun but you can feel that anywhere. But what you can feel in this church, is like nothing you can find anywhere else. This peace and tranquility is something that only comes from pure truth." Then I explained that it was probably a good church and taught good things, however there can only be one true church and your in it. She agreed and then I said (the spirit was so strong in the room, it was almost on fire, at this point.) "I don't even know you, but I already love you, Elder McCord loves you too and Heavenly Father loves you even more... All I want is what's best for you, because I know, without a doubt, that if you are baptized here, your life will get sooo much better. I then gave an anolgy about how Heavenly Father knows more than we do and all that. After that, I just stopped and said the only way your going to know is if you pray, so we are going to kneel down right now and pray. SO we did and I was about to burst because the spirit was just so thick. She actually started freaking out a little because she felt so much spirit. She said her whole body was on fire and she didn't know what to do. Elder McCord came back in and we finished up. Now she's going to get baptized either this week or the next depending on General Conference. Of course,I know that none of that was me. I can't actually speak spanish that well.  I was just a spiritual funnel in that moment and it was amazing.

And thats it,

Love,

Elder Evans

Llama!

Our investigator Victoria

I drew on these oranges...