Hello Family!
This week has been awesome. It was weird that Thanksgiving doesn't exist here. There are 3 out of 6 Elders in our house that are American so we had our own feast!  Of course we invited the other elders haha. We had pollo asado which is just like barbequed chicken but way better, mashed potatoes and tang. haha. It was awesome.   I made post it note signs all over the house that said happy thanksgiving. We needed to get pumped about it. All the others Chilean elders were confused and didn't know what it was. One of them said it was a holiday of the devil.   haha. We have some America haters. He was joking though of course. It was sweeet. So we had our own little thanksgiving in Argentina. whooo!
 My zone leader, Elder Forkey is from Seattle Washington too. So we always talk. But yeah. This week we were baking brownies haha, and he used the wrong type of flour. Its one that rises or something. But the brownies caved in and it looked dumb. So I was like, lets fill it with flan! So we did. haha. It still looked super sketchy, so Elder Forkey fanned a frutilla (strawberry) on the top of it.  It was super classy and elegant. For sure. He was giving this to the branch president of his branch. So it had to look good.   Today we also made chocolate chip cookies for someone else too haha. Cooking in Argentina is weird. The oven we use is all gas and it doesn't have a temperature indicator. Just a high and a low heat.  Also all of the ingredients here are different. So it doesn't turn out very good. I've decided that I'm not going to try to cook anything else here dessert wise. It will always fail haha.
We actually have some investigadores right now. 2 of them are fairly solid and I think they were pre-prepared. One guy is like 30 years old, Fernando. He met with the missionaries 7 years ago and decided it wasn't for him. While going through the area book, we found him. And visited him and he is now taking the lessons again! He is super interested too. Were just having a hard time because his family is super against it and doesn't want him joining any churches..Lame. But he still has desires to go! He just hasn't made it yet. Our other investigator is named Roberto. We found him tracting. We had a lesson with him and he told us that he is willing to try this out. He has a super open mind about everything. He accepted a baptismal date and liked the first lesson. He didn't make it to church.   I'm finding that this is the HARDEST thing ever. I mean it was the same in Colorado and Kansas, but still. I'm re-learning that its hard haha.
Mom, can you check how much is my checking account. I've had to pull out some personal funds recently because I suck at budgeting here right now. + I bought a soccer jersey. De Boca. Its awesome by the way. Just in case you wanted to know. Anyways.
 Its okay if I don't get my package on Christmas. Its not going to feel the same anyway. Its literally going to be like every other day, except we don't work. If you have already sent the package, that's okay. Here are things that I need maybe in another package: Cleaning wipes for my glasses, new insoles for my slip on shoes. They are size 44 and it says extra wide under the sole. Official replacements would be cool. Umm Socks. I need more socks haha.   I had a list of stuff I was going to write, but I totally forgot to bring the sticky note..ugh haha. I'm so dumb! Oh well.   Oh Dad, about this show that you are watching haha.. the district. I have seen those videos so many times. We get trained on those videos. They are super good. Now we just make fun of them haha. There is 2 series of them. District 1 and District 2. They are really good. The first one seems super fake, so number 2 is my favorite. I have learned a lot of stuff from those videos. It definitely should be a requirement for all members to watch those. It just makes you want to go do missionary work. It pumps me up.
I found out that we have a roof! I mean one that you can go on top of and stuff. All houses have roofs, duh. haha. I went up there at night and It was kinda scary. I need to do it during the day next time. Something 'Ive learned pretty quickly here, is that native south Americans steal your stuff! Like my food and anything I have on my desk or soap or yeah. Basically anything haha. So Ive had to start hiding things. Its not that I don't want to share, its just that I'm poor! haha   They have money too! You still gottta love them though. but just keep a closer eye on your stuff   haha. Or else it will be gone.
I think that is everything that has happened this week. Nothing special, but just your regular Argentina mission stuff. Oh yesterday I hit 7 months..haha. Crazy! Time literally flies by so fast. I've already been in Argentina for almost a month now! My spanish is still pretty terrible. I get compliments here and there about my accent and how fast I'm learning, but I'm still really bad. Sometimes I get frustrated and I don't want to speak spanish anymore.  Oh I almost forgot, this week I had my first Argentine Bash! It was with this guy that knows way too much about our church. He was talking about the temple and quoting the D&C and talking about the priesthood. It was crazy. He said we complicate things. I didn't really know what was happening since I can barely understand people, but I got the gist of what was going on. He was crazy. Anyways. haha That is it! Have an awesome weeeeek! Love You Guys!!

Elder Wheelwright

random photos

 

Hola family!
So this week has been kind of nuts. Tuesday and Wednesday I went on exchanges with Elder Rodriguez. He is a native from Uruguay and cant speak any English. Holy cow that was so hard. 2 days without English! I was asking him what things meant at least like 50 times a day. It ended up being really fun and awesome though. I had a good time. We found some new people (in their area) to teach. While on exchanges, the other elders working in my area found a couple people to teach. Sweet! One of the people that has potential is named Fernando. He told us that he would come to church, but he never showed up. He still has potential though!
The language is really tough still. I know I am learning stuff every week and every day, but it doesn't feel like I'm progressing at all! Its really discouraging. I found a quote in my old MTC notebook. "Satans greatest tool is discouragement". I put it on a post it note on my wall. Its a good quote, no? haha.

So yesterday I ate something really crazy. An... ARMADILLO!!! Haha the shell of it is in the photo. It actually wasn't that bad. The thought of what I was eating was terrible, but I got it down super easy. By far, its the weirdest thing I've eaten on my mission. I saw the body of the armadillo before I knew we were eating it. I was like, this looks super nasty. And the the dad of the family brings out the meat on the bones... holy cow. haha I was like oh heck no. But I did it! Whooo. Only 2 out of 4 of us ate it.
One of the missionaries I live with, Elder Muñoz knows someone in our stake! He is from Chile. The Bustamante family in our stake used to be in Elder Muñoz´s stake in Chile! What a small world haha. He said his family was pretty good friends with their family. I'm going to write Jorge and include a picture of us haha.
Nothing else really happened this week. Well... hmm. Elder Henry has tendonitis in his foot, so we have had to spend a couple days this week in the house. That has been pretty boring, but I´ve just been studying Spanish. So its been good for me. 
Thanksgiving is already this week? Wow!  It doesn't exist down here at all. So yeah, no one has mentioned it. Super strange. And a super hot Christmas!? Dang. I'm not looking forward to it. Coming home from the day covered in sweat isn't that great.
The ties...hmm. Probably not. I think Im good on ties. Umm things in the package. Gatorade powder, maybe some franks red hot sauce? haha I don't know. American things. Ill try to expound on that more on my next email.   Hopefully it wont be too late? Well I love all of you guys! I gotta run. Have an awesome week!!

élder Wheelwright

random photos he sent - with no explanations:

 

Hey Family!
This week has been overwhelming and crazy! I am adjusting pretty well to things, just little by little.The language is getting a tiny bit there. But not really. Understanding people is getting a little bit better. But I'm still so confused when people talk. haha.

 

Today we went to WALMART!! It was so flippin awesome hahaha. It was like a 20 min. walk from our apartment but it was so worth it. You can see how excited I am from the picture haha. They were playing Christmas music in English the whole time. It was the best p-day ever. We spent a couple hours inside of Walmart. Going down every single aisle. My mind was blown!  
For packages and letters, ALWAYS send it to the mission office. We get packages and letters once a week from the zone leaders. So it will get to me. Also don't put any medicine or pills in the box. Because customs will open it and hold it. For medicine you have to get written permission saying that you have reason to take it. So I want to avoid that. Also don't put anything sketchy in there. I know that´s vague but still. If customs has to check it, I have to pay for the value of everything in the box to get it. And I don't want to do that'  haha.
Dear Elder is a big thing down here and I'm pretty sure its free. So if people want to write me super easy, tell them to use dear Elder. Fast and free. 
One thing in the package that I want is gatorade powder. Any flavor is good. Gatorade is way expensive down here. Also maybe a bottle of ranch? Hidden Valley of couse hahaha! It doesn't exist down here. There is a type of ranch that the Argentines tried to copy, but its terrible. Don't send me candy either. If I want it I can get it down here. Plus its bad for you and for your teeth. I'm trying to eat good stuff here and keep my teeth from rotting haha.
So this weeek I got kissed twice!! Hahaha soo funny. On the cheek of course. Its custom to kiss on the cheek here, but people usually know to not do it to missionaries. But some random people we came in contact with did it to me really fast. I was like, what just happened?? hahaha.
Also Im sick.  Its like a full on cold and a sinus infection too I'm pretty sure. I'm coughing a ton and yeah. It keeps me up at night. I cant afford to lose sleep! My teeth hurt when I jump or step down from a curb. Its wierd. So we went to a faraceria here. It was sketchy. Trying to describe what was wrong with me with a SUPER limited vocab was impossible. I used a lot of hand signs...haha. It was super embarrassing. But I ended up getting the right thing I think? Well at least I hope. It was pretty expensive too! So I'm taking some sketchy Argentine medicine right now. Hopefully it works. I hate being sick. Just like walking around in the scorching hot humid weather doesn't help either. I just want to fall over and die haha. But other than that...I'm doing pretty great.
 I've drank the water already here. Because members always make us tang with tap water..Tang is huge down here. Maybe the tang disinfects the water? haha probably not. But it hasn't really effected me that much. I still use my filters though.
We had some investigators this week finally, but over half of them have already dropped us. They just say they aren't interested. I don't get it.. Its lame working super hard without seeing anything come out. Were just planting seeds though I guess. There is no such thing as wasted time as a missionary. Unless you´re being disobedient! Well I gotta go! I'll try to think what I want in a package and tell you next week. I love you guys all!

Elder Wheelwright

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more.....

Hola!!!!
Holy crap there are so many things to say! But not enough time haha. So p-days are today, and we email at 5pm my time.
Right when we landed in Buenos Aires, the language switched over to spanish..It was so intense and is still so intense haha. I don't know what is going on at all! I'm starting to pick up words here and there, but I can't understand anything. It´s super frustrating! The travel down here was way crazy. I felt so dirty and gross when we finally got here and got settled. It had been like 4 days since I got to change my clothes and shower...gross. The area I´m in is called Olavarria. It´s pretty close to Buenos Aires. And about 4 hours away via bus from Bahia Blanca.
 I never got the chance to call Alisha or Nikki. So sorry guys! The plane was boarding!!
So my trainer is Elder Henry, he is from Spanish Fork, Utah. (So he´s white..haha. Dang.) We speak English which is bad for me, I think I´m going to give it up 100%. That's the only way that I will learn faster! He is a nice guy and we get along well. We live in a pretty small house that 6 elders in total live in. Its crazy. We have 1 washer that is like way tiny.
Tracting here is so weird. To knock on a door, you clap outside haha. When my companion, Elder Henry first did that. I was like why are you clapping...haha   Super funny!
Dinner doesn't exist here! There is only a big lunch and breakfast. So that's pretty weird.  Everyone eats pasta here for lunch, pasta with meat sauce and super good cheese. Its awesome. Fancy foods all the time...heck yeah!
The members here are awesome! Well I think they are awesome. I don't know what they are actually saying haha. Argentina is such a beautiful place!! Especially Buenos Aires. I love it!
We live next to a pizzaria, its sweet.
PESOs!  Its like 5 pesos to 1 US dollar. I'm getting used to it already. I love them!
 I love everything about Argentina. I thought we would be having more success here. I thought baptisms were super easy, haha. But they are hard! Nobody here in Olavarria wants to listen to us. They always just say they are busy! On Sunday, I had to go up and bear my testimony since I am new. It was sooo scary!! But members said that my spanish is really good for being here for such a little amount of time. I think they are lying! haha. It´s so hard. It literally seems impossible to learn this language. I don't think I´ll ever get it down to be honest. Gahh. Oh well, I guess I have a lot of time to learn haha.

The bathrooms here are interesting. They have badai´s. I dont think that is spelled right but google it. (correct spelling "bidet".)   I don't want to describe it. So that was a new experience..

I feel like everything is cheap here. Like shopping, I feel like I don't spend a lot of money. The food I'm buying is like super nice too. So I don't understand haha. I´m buying like fancy cheeses and meats and bread and pasta and all that stuff. That's pretty much my diet. Cereal for breakfast, pasta and bread and cheese and meat for lunch. And nothing for dinner. The no dinner thing is still foreign to me.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me them. You can google earth exactly where I´m at. The address is 2988 9 de Julio Olavaria, Buenos Aires Argentina. Yup! Cool stuff.

There are little corner stores everywhere called kioskos. You can buy drinks and stuff and food. Those are super popular here. We stop by them on a daily basis. Also panaderias too. Those are on every corner. Soo good! yummmm!!   I have so much more to say but I have no more time! I have to write President Perreno...in spanish... It will take me forever! haha. Ahhh....wish me good luck. Also its about to be summer here..its so hot! I hate it haha! I love you guys all! Even though we're so far away!! haha

Elder Wheelwright