Crazy Week!!!

Well Hello Family and Friends!!!

A pretty crazy and fun week has come and gone!! I just recently found out about our transfers and I am off to the Province of San Juan!!!! I am going to a place called Rawson which I have heard is a very suburban like city not too much country. It is near the city of San Juan so if you want to check the weather that would be the city to check! My new companion is Elder Croussa from Uruaguay (not sure if his name of if the country is spelled right...) haha. I have heard only good things about him so I am very excited to work there and leave it all out in San Juan. San Juan is know as the hottest province and Zone in the mission, but luckily I am going there at the end of summer so that should be great!! I'm just so excited to go there :) I will leave here Wednesday morning.

It is a bit hard leaving an area in which I love so much. Rodeo de la Cruz will always have a special place in my heart. I have come to love so many of the people that live here. I have come to realize just one of the reasons why the Savior loved everyone so much. It is because he served among them, and when you serve among the people you gain a deep love and bond with them. I will be forever graeful for the relationships I have gained here and for the great profound lessons I have learned.

Sofia was able to be baptized this Sunday after Church!!! :) She was so happy!!! She was crying the whole service and just poured her heart out to us of her feelings of peace and hope that filled her soul. She bore to us a testimony that she had of the our Savior Jesus Christ and of our Heavenly Father and of the truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ. I saw such a change in her from when we first arrived at her house to now. She is genuienly happier and much more full of love. When we first came she was having many problems with her family, but we have seen her love and patience change and how the Gospel has changed her person and literally helped her become born again. Obviosuly being born again is not a one time act of confession, but a desire to change and accept the will of the Lord in our life, and diligent living. By so doing we allow the Spirit to change our very nature and we become changed Spiritually. It is a beautiful thing. As for Fiorella, Giuiana, and Barbara, we will have to wait a bit longer for their baptisms but they should happen this month Si o Si(No matter what). I feel content as I leave this area ready for the harvest :)

So... Elder Williams is quite a character and it has been an interesting transfer, but I have had a lot of fun. He is an outgoing and chill guy. As our District Leader he decided to do something fun and a bit challenging with our District(6 elders). We went to the terminal of Mendoza(the big bus stop where tons of people are) and we stood on a little bench and preached out loud to the hundreds of people waiting for the buses!!! Pretty crazy huh?? I was way nervous, but I just prayed for the courage to do that and the Lord helped me out, and helped me bear my testimony and speak by the Spirit. We each spoke for about 3 min each and it went really well. Many people listened and were touched by what we said. It was a very intimidating experience, but one that I will never forget and was definitely worth while. It was very funny as well because my campanion spoke in the Vosotros form to the people, which is the way they speak in Spain and the way that it is written in the Scriptures. It would be the same as if someone was preaching in English using words like Ye, thee, though, hearken, and it came to pass... ect..!!! It was great :) :)

Oh there are quite a bit of Gypsys out here in Argentina. And of course my companion wanted to know what their deal was so we went and talked to some. It was one of the strangest experiences of my life because they just try to cheat people out of money any way that they can. It was two women in their thirties with a little 6 year old girl. While we were talking to them the girl kept trying to pick our pockets and the people didnt even care. They tried to read my comps palm and stuff it was just weird and funny at the same time... Oh Elder Williams... he is one funny guy I have learned a lot from being with him :)

Oh a story a little scarey, so mom don't read.... haha. We were walking down this street the other day and heard two teenagers( we call Pibes, or Peebays, is how you pronounce it) laughing behind us riding a little motorcycle. I had a bad feeling about it so I was like oh great... Anyways as they passed by going about 20 mph the one on the back reached out and punched me way hard in the back. We were just sort of in shock at first, but they just rode off laughing so whatever! I'm fine so don't worry about it its just a funny little story about how some people are dumb sometimes... haha. I have learned an important lesson though. Now after having been hit, and spit in the face, I need to always let my companion walk closer to the road :) hahaha!!!!

Today with the zone (16 missionaries) we made an Asado!! An Asado is really big down here and our equvilent is a BBQ but they use more parts of the cow. Anyways any time we as missionaries say we are making an Asado it usually means a BBQ. It was the most ghetto thing. There was a big whole on the side of the street, like a giant pot whole, next to oe of the church buildings, so we made a fire there, spred the coals out from it, put the thing to cook it with over it, and put our pieces of meet we bought on it. It was a ghetto BBQ done in a pot hole. It was great!!! Luckily almost all the Elders are Eagle scouts so we knew how to get the fire going!! It was in front of a plaza as well and the parking in the cities are free, but there are people called Cuida coches, which means car carers, or people who take care of your car. Basically when a street that has a lot of parking service someone just claims that spot as theirs and when people park, they go up to them and ask for money. If you give them money they will leave your car in peace, but if not, you might come back to a smashed window or slashed tires. Its so ridiculous.. Where are the cops on that one huh?? But I guess I know how to make some quick cash in Argentina now huh ? :)

Well I am doing great and happy! I know that I can work harder and I am going to. I'm happy, healthy, and learning more now than I have ever learned in a class room (even though that is vitally important!!!) I love you all family and friends. Keep smiling, keep working, learning, and never lose your faith! God bless you all:)

SIncerely,
Elder Passantino