Hey Fam Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Family and Friends,

It was a good Thanksgiving week, not like it usually is but it helped me reflect on the things I am thankful for. A family named the Cifuentes family made us a Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday. It was sooooo nice of them!! They found two small turkeys, which are very rare here, and made mashed potatoes, green beens, corn on the cob, and gravy :) (they also threw in a little Argentine taste because they made empanadas too!) It was so kind I can´t really describe what a nice gesture and service it was. They are people who really have the pure love of Christ. It really touched me. A trait that people have here is what they have they give. They are easy to share and when someone is like that it brings a special confidence and peace into their lives. It reminded me of the parable of the talents.

The work is progressing immensely here. A 16 year old girl names Caterina is getting baptized this Saturday. She is so happy and excited! She was much different when we found her. She had lots of piercings, smoked, and had many other things she had to work out. As we taught her and as she gained a testimony of the things we teach she began to change. She took out the piercings, stopped smoking, changed her group of friends, and just completely changed. We always invite everyone to ask God about what we teach because he is the only one that cant lie, so she did that and described her answer as a burning in her chest after she prayed. Every time she read the scriptures, said a pray and went to church she felt that same confirming witness of the truthfulness of the Gospel. One of the greatest things I have seen in my mission is that absolute 180 degree turn and change that people make when they are brought to the knowledge of the true Gospel.

I want to thank all of you for your love, prayers, letters, thoughts and everything. I have more than 15 months as a missionary now and time is just flying. I know I couldn´t do it all without everything you all do for me and for the person you have helped me become. Have a great week!

Sincerely,
Elder Passantino

Querido Familia y amigos

Querido Familia y amigos

Im very grateful to be in the area where I am because the people are so very good and humble. This week I gave a talk about service in church where I talked about coming to know the Savior through service and really trying to emulate him (compare John 17:3-Mosiah 5:13). After that Elder Barton and I sang a duet where I had to sing solo a little part. We sang ´´La oración del Profeta´´ or Joseph Smith´s First Prayer but we did it to the tune of ´´Come thou Fount.´´ Everyone seemed to really enjoy it so that was great!

I did divisiones with an Elder from Guatamala the other day and that was sweet. Its been incredible to know so many people from so many different cultures. I have know missionaries from Guatamala, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru, Honduras, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador and Argentina. Every country has its different culture, vocabulary and way of being. I have become very good friends with many of them and am grateful for modern technology so that I can stay in contact with them even when they are gone. There are so many amazing people in the world its great.

There is a recent convert to the church here that had to give up everything. She ran the Catholic church under the direction of the Priest in charge of this part of San Juan. She worked with the finances and things to that affect. She listened to the missionaries and asked God if it was ture. She received her answer that it was and had to change everything. She was persecuted from many people, she lost clients in her work and was openly rebuked in front of her entire congregation. But she stayed firm to what she had received from God not from men. She was not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as a scripture that my brother showed me this week says ( Romans 1:16). I hope we are all willing to stand a little taller in defense of what we believe is true and make sure that what we believe is confirmed with God to be true. Have a great week!

Sincerely
Elder Brian Passantino

Ward: Retiro, Zone: Chimbas, Province: San Juan

Hey ya'll!

Its been a lot of fun getting to know my new area here in San Juan. Alright right now I am in a city called Santa Lucia, but my area is called Retiro, it is in the stake Chimbas and in the province of San Juan: my past areas have been, 1) Rodeo de la cruz, Guaymallen, Mendoza, 2) Rawson, San Jaun, San Juan 3) Luja de Cuyo, Godoy Cruz, Mendoza, 4) Retiro, Chimbas, San Juan justso that you all know where I have been and where I am now. ELder Barton is a really good Elder and can teach really well. He will be going home the 20th of December so this is the first time I have had a companion that is going home. The ward is great and knows me as the Italian. EVeryone here loves my last name and is like "finally an easy last name" haha. Thats a first in my life. There are a lot of recent converts in the area so it has been a little crazy trying to get to know everyones names. It was Elder Barton's birthday this last week and the members threw him THREE parties! They really like him a lot huh? I continue to learn and to grow in my service. There are so many important things that you learn and so many crazy things you see here.

Not a lot of exciting things happened this week but I am doing well and doing my best to rely on the Lord and accept his help in all things. SOmething I learned from my companion is that if we want a blessing we have to pray as if it all depended on God and then go out and work and act as if it all depended on us. Its so true. I love you all have a great week!

Sincerely,
ELder Passantino

Off to San Juan again!

Dear Family and Friends,

Well it looks like I am off to the province of San Juan again! I'm going to the Chimbas(pronounced cheembas) zone and my area is called Retiro. I'm going to miss Mendoza and my area, Luja de Cuyo a lot because I love the people in here so much. I have never had seen so many miracles in an area or come to love the people so much! Elder Evans was a great companion and my new companion will be Elder Barton from Oregon and it will be his last transfer. He is a really great Elder as well so I am really excited for that! The area is one of the biggest and most funcioning wards in our mission. At least 200 hundred people go a week to church. It is known in the mission as a very "fruitful" place. The only bummer is that yesterday is was 44 degrees celcius which is about 111 degress faraheit yesterday. It is so hot in San Jaun... but I am still so excited to go back there :) Remember we will be entering summer here in December so that will be interesting.

It has been a week of goodbyes and everything here and its hard to sat goodbye to some of the people. I have realized that Spiritual experiences really bring people closer together and make strong bonds. Some of the best people I have ever met are here in Lujas. Well some of our converts invited us over for lunch today to have noquis(which I learned how to make). It is like pasta made out of potatoes its really good! Im doing really well and hope everyone else is doing well!

Sincerely,
Elder Passantino

Hola and hey!

Dear Family and Friends,

Alright so I want to give you a picture of some of the things that are happening in my mission. So right now my companion is Elder Kyle Evans from Provo and he is a really funny and crazy kid. He has a love for the Gospel and is a really sincere person. I'm very grateful that he is my companion right now! There have been cool a lot of things happening in the town where I live. Apart from the elections which I already told you all about there have been a lot of people moving to new neighborhoods. Many of the people who lived in "villas" or more like ghetto homes were given new houses by the government, and when they moved out people would come and destroy the old house and steal all the bricks and whatever was salvagable. Oh good old socialism huh? :) The whole medical issue is big here to because it takes an eternity to get a specialist of someone that is familiar with the sickness the people have. I have never in my life seen bigger lines for hospitals. They have to go to various doctors and other medical professionals for a really short visit until they can actually find out what the problem is. It's a pretty sad and messed up medical system here.

People keep telling us that the U.S. economy is doing bad but everytime I look at the dollar it keep rising while the peso goes down... Who knows whats going on. We had the visit of President Auidikaitis this week of the Seventy and first counselor of the area seventy in Sur AMerica Sur. He came and had a capacitation for the leaders and then for the zones in general. He spoke very frankly and powerfully. It sure opened up my vision and made me appreciate the principal of revelation and how the Lord calls his servants personally. It was amazing.

We have been eating a lot of noodles and pasta lately, but today to celebrate Halloween we are making tacos and cinammon rolls at a members house who is from the States so we are excited for that!! Argentine food is nothing like Mexican or anything like like just in case anyone was wondering. They don磘 like spice at all so things are a little more bladn, but this week at a members house we had the opportunity to make "quis" which are really good! I will definitely make some when I get home. It is like pasta made out of potatoes.

Everyone is progressing well and it was another fantastic week! I hope you are all doing well I love you all!

Sincerely,
Elder Passantino