Hola familia!

I'm sorry this is a day late haha. I'm sure yesterday you guys were all freaking out because I didn't write haha. It was a hectic day yesterday and we don't have a place in our  area where we can use computers...i know lame. So here we are today. Life is all good!

Yesterday was amazing. We had an FHE with 5 of our investigators and our mission president and his wife at their house aka mansion. Its a rare opportunity, not everyone has a chance to do this, but they invited us back after they came to the baptism we had a little while ago. We made the FHE about the Book of Mormon. I directed/led the whole thing. I was so scared! haha and super nervous, but it the end it turned out reallly good. The spirit was way strong there and everyone had a really good time. SUCCESS!   After, we mingled with them and we eat food and then we took a tour of their house. It was so great. Probably a highlight of my mission thus far haha.

So this week we started teaching these 2 girls of this family. They are going to get baptized probably in 2 weeks. They have been going to church for 2 years already and already know everything. Their dad is the one that just got baptized recently. So I am pretty stoked for that. The girls are really awesome and super funny too.

This Saturday, we should be having 5 baptisms! Yay! The family that we found a couple weeks ago. They are doing really awesome and just love having us over. Tonight we are going over for dinner and making pizzas! Super cool. During the week we also built a giant fire with them with tires, super cool! Its always a really fun time.

So the pictures, let me explain haha. We found this tree with baby doll pieces on it. Kinda scary no? I think its awesome. Also the house picture.. there are a bunch of super humble house here in our area that look like this. Pretty rough.

Well that's all I have time for. Again, sorry for the delayed email! It wasn't my fault! I love all of you guys! Chau Chau!

Elder Wheelwright

Hola family! 

So the guy that got baptized is awesome. We have been passing by their family a lot recently and I've been getting to know them. They always give us food too! Its great. We will be baptizing their 2 daughters 9years old and 11 in about 2 weeks. We have to teach them all of the lessons first.

So yeah its getting cold, and I don't have any thermals. I think eventually I will need them because I hear that it gets dang cold here. Boots, don't need. Socks and gloves and scarves I can just buy down here. Maybe thermals is all that I need. So hey, I was thinking that you should send me something else...do you remember that starbucks hot cocoa mix that you bought at costco one time? can you please please please look for that again and send it to me? Its one of the biggest desires of my heart right now...hahaha.     p.s. I want beef jerkey and mangoes too  pero mal.    (??? these may not be legal to send)

So this weekend we had a branch activity..the missionaries were in charge and so we planned everything out. We had 3 games planned and we bought all the supplies and everything. cool right? No.  When it came time for the activity, first of all, no one showed up on time. Everyone was like an hour late. Second of all, when people were here, no one wanted to participate. All of the adults were just off to the side drinking mate. Their kids were running around crazy knocking things over.  The parents just let their monsters run around. We ended up only playing 1 and a half of our games. So lame. We wasted so much time planning it out. The activity was for the 25th of May. Which is like the 4th of July in the states.   So they sang the national anthem of Argentina. We didn't know it so we just looked at each other and smiled.  haha.

Our investigator family is still doing great. They are getting integrated into the branch great. Some members are going over to their house to visit them without us. Awesome! That will be 5 baptisms on June 8th! Yeahhhhh!!!! Were so excited. We didn't really have a lot of luck finding new people to teach this week. Lame. Next week, we set up an FHE with our investigators and the mission president and his wife. I'm super stoked. We get to go to their house and everything!! YEAH!  I heard its a giant mansion and I'm way excited.  Not everyone gets to have an opportunity like this. Thank goodness that we live close to them!  Well I gotta run family!  Enjoy the fotos below!!


The picture of me and my comp. with the thumbs down, is at our lame activity that failed.
The giant fire...we did service for someone and in the end we burned a lot of plants and garbage, because its legal here. You can basically do anything you want haha.
The dog. He followed us home from the activity, I named him Jack.  I gave him some chicken noodle soup and he loved it. The next morning he was waiting for us at the church building! haha he knows where we go! He slept at the church haha.

I love you guys! Chau!

Elder Wheelwright

Hola!
Well I don't have a ton of time left, so I'll try to do this fast! Well this weekend we had a baptism...haha. SURPRISE!! It was this guy who was basically a dry mormon and wasn't baptized. He would always shut down when anyone brought up baptism and the question....why not? The wife is a super awesome member and everything, shes a convert of 2 years and she is like one the best in our branch haha. But yeah, this family are friends with our mission president and his wife. And they go over to their house frequently. We literally didn't do anything to get him baptized haha..
Presidente Parreño and his wife had a private lesson with them at their house, and they got him to accept. I don't know how, but they did it! yayyyyyy!!!  The mission president lives super close to our area, so that's why they know each other. But yeah, so Presidente Parreño and his wife came to the baptism and they both spoke. It was amazing. I love being in this area where I get to see them and talk to them a lot. They are amazing and I want to get to know them more. But anyways, yeah the baptism was epic. And we got a ton of our investigators there! It was great. We´re seriously going to baptize a ton of people this transfer. I'm excited! So at church yesterday, we had 9 investigators there!!!! That's the most I've had on my mission so far. So coooool! The family that we're working with is still awesome and legit. They went to church for the second time! Things are really happening around here haha.

So this week I got sick. I think it was from the water...gah. I'm still not fully recovered either. I still have a hard time eating anything without my stomach killing me. So we were out for a few days this week. It started last Monday..gah. I will spare you all the details, but just know that I was really sick. haha. Just know that I never want to eat potatoes again either..it makes me gag just thinking about them. The weather here is SOOOO cold now. It was such a fast change and we are headed into winter FAST. I'm rocking gloves, hats, scarves, and double jackets and I'm still cold!!! haha. Jeeeze. I love it so much better than the hot though. Currently we have no power...I'm not really sure why. But its lame. gah. Our house just sucks. Everything is ghetto and is breaking and falling apart.

So I have a question, how much money is in my savings account and my checking too? I want to watch it so I don't spend all my money on dumb things here in Argentina haha. I have to buy stuff back home too to start up my life again! I forgot school is ending haha....what grade is Nathan in now? I feel like it just started. I've been in the mission for a really long time now haha. Seriously. Time is starting to hit me. Like remembering a year ago, I was still in a white shirt and tie haha. So weird. Oh well.

Let me know when you are going to send the package! Well I think that its time to go haha.   Time always slips away from me! Oh..so maple extract and tapatila hot sauce and green tabasco sauce would be great in my next package too...haha. I'll be waiting on those pictures in the mail. I've got one of mine ready. Its awesome. I've been looking through the church magazines picking out awesome stuff. Its going to be great. End of story. haha

Well I love you guys a ton!! Thanks for your support and love! Chau Chau!!

Elder Wheelwright

Hola family! 

Well it was really awesome talking to you guys yesterday! You were all looking great! It was kind of crazy though to be honest haha. It didn't help that there were people in back of me talking super loud. That was kinda lame, but oh well. They are an awesome family. That's the second time I've talked to them, but they are way cool. The whole ward that I'm in is just so nice and friendly. So I pretty much told you guys a ton of stuff yesterday, so I'm not sure what to write haha. 

For everyone who didn't see me yesterday though.. I'm in my new area in Bahia Blanca. I left Olavarria to travel here on Tuesday.   I was basically in a bus by myself for 5 hours, it was amazing haha.    My new companion is Elder Cross from Idaho Falls.   He is pretty awesome, he is going home in like 5 months. But yeah, we work good together so far. My new area is mostly dirt roads everywhere, bleh. That means that I have to clean my shoes all the time now. LAME! My house is pretty much ghetto. I'm not even going to lie haha. Our shower doesn't put out hot water because there isn't enough pressure to start the water heater. So you have to turn on the faucet in the sink for hot water, and then turn on the shower and the sink  tap will cut off. You have about 1 minute of hot water and then its cold again. To get more hot water, you turn the sink tap back on, and the shower cuts off. You wait till it gets hot again, and then you turn on the shower. Its a very intense system. 

Our washer is just a bucket that you fill with water and then it spins around. I feel like a straight up pioneer. I would rather wash my clothes in a river. Its just cooler that way haha.    

And now that we are starting winter, it would be great to have a heater huh? Too bad ours is broken haha.Sweet! wow, I'm complaining a ton.    I really do love my new area and everything about it. It just takes some time getting used to it! 

So this Sunday was way awesome. We had 5 people in church! 4 of the 5 were the new family that we found on Friday! They are super awesome and they are going to be baptized for sure. I'm still trying to get used to all the people here. Like we have investigators right now that I don't really know. Its kinda awkward for me now because they already know my companion but not me.. Oh well. I guess that's whats to be expected in a new area. 

We don't eat with a lot of families here. We have a calendar and everything, but its pretty blank. wahh wahh wahhh. haha. So I´ve been eating a lot of eggs here. They are cheap and delicious. Can someone look up for me if eating a lot of eggs is healthy or not? I know they have a lot of protein, but I'm not sure about anything else. 

Well what else? Oh dad, the member last night was worried that you really thought I was drinking coffee haha, so he told me to tell you what it really is. It´s MALTA! it tasted kinda bad though last night haha, I just didn't want to offend them, so I took it! haha. Well I love you guys a ton! Keep working hard with everything and good luck with everything and stuff. Mom send me more asian stuff. A lot of general tso flavor too.  Its the best!   Well you guys are awesome! Thanks for all of your support and everything. I love you guys!! Chau Chau!

 Elder Wheelwright

Our "new" family pictures for 2013 - it was so great skyping with Elder Wheelwright!

Hola family!
Guess who forgot to write meee....hahaha. wink wink. SOOO! We had a baptism on Saturday!!! Rosa got back on Thursday, and we set up the interview and then everything happened so fast but it happened! She got baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. Her kids came to the baptism too and we are working with them to set a date! It´s going to be awesome. Rosa wants that all of her family can come to church and be baptized. Through her awesome example, it´s totally going to happen one day. I had the privileged to get into the water with her! YEAH!! This time we figured out how to fix the water heater, so we had warm water!!! oh yeahhh!!

So about transfers... we got another call on Sunday morning with the official news. And I'm LEAVING!! Transfered baby! hahaha I'm going to be serving in the actual city of Bahía Blanca now. My area is called Villa Harding Green. Pretty cool stuff. I heard its a really ghetto area and that its possible that we might get robbed. People told me that I shouldn't wear my glasses or my watch or else bad things will happen haha. uh ohh... I'm kind of scared, but oh well! It´s going to be an adventure. My new companion is Elder Cross. He is another American haha. I still haven't had a latino companion yet. The thing is, I don't know when I'll be leaving. There is a bus strike right now through out all of Argentina, so no one can even leave their area. So I´m on hold I guess in my area again. Its kind of lame timing, because I'm about to call on Sunday and there will be no time to set a time, because I don't know when we can call in my new area. So check your email frequently this week, okay. Because we might go email during the week to confirm everything. I´m not sure. I´m slowly packing because I already know that I'm leaving. Yeeah, so packing is the worst.

So I'm way excited to call on Sunday. I told dad  I'm picking out a special tie to wear hahaha. I did get Grandma W's package! It was awesome! And yeah, I'm already on a reply note haha Also I got a package from the Kauers! It was a really cool surprise! You guys all rock!

 Well I don't really have much more time! Well I gotta run family!!! I love you all! Thanks for all of your prayers and support. See you on Sunday! So for the call, you should just be waiting around with skype open all day, just in case. but we´ll keep the same time for now. 7.30pm my time.
Chau Chau

Elder Wheelwright

Hola Family!! 

So not a lot happened this week. Unfortunately our baptism didn't happen again. Rosa actually left out of town this week for Bahía Blanca. And she doesn't know when she´ll be back! gahh.... I'm sad. I wanted to be here for the baptism. She is still as solid as ever, so no doubts there. Since transfers are coming, I'm just worried that I´ll be gone before she gets back. I´m praying super hard that she will come back by this weekend.   So yeah..transfers. I do want to leave. It´s been a long 6 and a half months in Olavarria. Time to go. I love the people here, and the branch is SO awesome, but still.  I feel like I´ve knocked every single door in Olavarria. Seriously. Its getting hard to plan, I´m just like. Nope, I've done that, nope, I've done that. haha. Area book time, nope..nope... already visited them, TWICE. They don't want to listen to us...oh they moved. Gah. It´s so repetitive. Yeah, from the way I talk, can you tell I want to be transferred? haha. I just don't want to miss Rosas baptism. Her family is going to get baptized next transfer too.

Oh, and about that story I told you haha. No I didn't get in trouble. He tried to have an illegal meeting on a Pday. He couldn't have told anyone anything hehe ;) He was just kind of mad at me, but oh well. What are you going to do?

So this week I hit my YEAR MARKK!!!!! OH YEAH! We went up on the roof and I burned a shirt. I have a sweet video, but its too big to send. So a picture will just have to do. I cant believe its already half over! Time goes by sooo fast here I swear. 

So today we went to the zoo here. It was awesome. I took a ton a pics haha. A llama spit on me when I was trying to give it grass! It was so gross. It smelled like poop hahahahaha. Gross. I´m double washing my shirt! 

Last Satuday, we had a pizza competition in our branch. I decided to enter haha with my American style pizza...haha. I almost won! There was a 3 way tie, and they just ended up drawing the winner out of the 3 of us. Lame. Oh well. Life goes on. It was a hawaiian pizza with a ton of coconut on it...yum. It was way good. I´m not trying to brag, but mine was the best. Argentines don't know how to make pizza worth anything haha.

We make Asian food like once a week now haha. I like them all but the sweet and sour one. It requires corn starch, and that doesn't exist here. So yeah. But the rest are realllllly good! :)

Well family, I gotta go! I love all of you guys! Pray for Rosa that she can catch a train back to Olavarria soon so we can have a baptism this weeeeeeekend!!!

Chou Chou,

Elder Wheelwright

Hola family!!
So Thanks for Logans email! I can't believe he's going home so soon. Holy cow! I remember when he left!
(questions are from Moms email to Travis)
 Do you guys get served a lunch by RS ladies at your zone conferences?   How often do you have them and do you have to travel far?   Zone conference food is usually provided by the members. But they get paid to do it though haha. You guys were robbed!  We usually have them once every 2 transfers. Or...4 times a year. In my area, they are held at our own building, which is a 15 min walk. So not too far. We have the nicest chapel in the zone haha oh yeah! 

What do you eat most days?  and how often do members feed you?   Glad you liked the taco seasoning - how about the asian seasoning packets - have you tried those?  are they good?   
Most days we eat empanadas. We eat so much of them! Also pasta, pizza, rice/eggs/peas are SUPER common. We only eat like 5 different things here haha. It gets boring! We get pretty well fed in our area. Almost every day we have lunch.  The asian stuff was goood!  We made 2 of the packets today! We have some left over tooo delicious! My companion is lucky that I know how to cooook...haha.

What do you do each day during "siesta" time?  do you still track?      During the siesta, its terrible. When you knock doors, people get super mad at you for waking them up. I still don't have it down. The biggest question for missionaries here, is what to do during the siesta. I knock doors no matter what haha. People need to stop being lazy.

About Hanna´s family, members are going by to see if everything is okay. I don't think she's allowed to come back yet, but I'm praying it will be soon. I found out that the mom is pretty sick with some kind of infection. Thats all I know. I´ll update you guys if I hear anything else.    But there is only 2 weeks left in the transfer!! holy cowwww!! I'm pretty sure I'm out too. SO time to start packing. haha.

The baptism didn't happen unfortunately. We´re hoping for this weekend. It didn't happen because Rosa didn't know if she would have to travel to Bahia Blanca. Her ex husband is dying from something and he wants to see his kids before he passes away.  She still wants to get baptized no matter what, so its all good. Although her current husband is kind of being lame. He told me that he doesn't like that we come over so often...lame. He´s dumb haha. The members are being really friendly with Rosa. She feels super welcome at church and somewhat has friends now.

We´re kind of having a hard time finding new people to teach... its hard! Our district leader keeps giving us crap for it and its getting really annoying. We are trying really hard!! I just don't know whats going on. Everyone is having a hard time right now. I swear that its something in the air or the weather haha.

So today...something funny happened. First of all, P-day time is sacred and you have to use every second of it. Our DL came over to our house this morning during our comp study. I was like what the heck? His comp is American and I´m pretty good friends with him so he told me what was happening. Apparently as a house, we were all going to talk about what we're doing wrong and why were not being successful. AKA a confession session about your disobedience...LAME. haha When I heard this, I was like. "Companion..were leaving right at 10. (because p-day starts at 10). No one has officially told us anything."  The person who told me, said that we should probably leave and turn off out phone haha. So we left out of the house right at 10, super fast and super sneaky! It was awesome. About 5 minutes later, we got a phone call saying that we should probably come back so we can do this confession session. (that we supposedly didn't know about) I just told him that look, its p-day now and were already on our way to Walmart. We´re not coming back. He got kind of mad haha. But I so told him off. It was awesome. Our district leader right now kinda sucks haha. All he does is get mad at us. Welll yup! There's a little story for ya. haha. Well I gotta run! I love you guys!!!! Chou Chou!!

Elder Wheelwright