Courtney spent her computer time today trying to figure out when we are going to skype on Christmas.  I have a few odds and ends.  I am noticing that her English is getting rusty and she breaks into Spanish which we don't understand.

There is a video He Is the Gift on lds.org that you should all watch if you haven´t yet.  I spend all day telling people to watch it so I figured I could invite you guys too.  Tell all your non-member friends to watch and send their names to the missionaries.  Best christmas present ever!

No hay tiempo para escribirles, pero tenemos el bautismo de Adolfo!  Un caso MUY, MUY especial.  Voy a decir TODO por Christmas.  Les Amo!!

Ttranslated via the computer

No time to write , but we baptism Adolfo ! A VERY, VERY special case. I 'll tell EVERYTHING to Christmas . Love them !!

1/4 way done

Sorry my last couple of letters have been more like Omni, and less like Alma.  It´s been a busy couple of weeks!

One quarter of my mission is over.  The mission has changed me.  My legs are now riiiped.  I have tan lines.  I listen to Josh Groban.  I don't know what real life is anymore.

I don't feel like it's Christmas.  It´s like 100 degrees here.  And there aren't decorations, or music, or Christmas-y stuff.  But, I kinda feel like Santa Claus.  I gained the weight I lost, I'm really jolly, and I spend all day handing out gifts like Book of Mormon's and pamphlets on The Resurrection.  

Remember the investigator we had to stop seeing?  His baptism is this week.  I want to cry I'm so happy.  He's been so stubborn about reading the Book of Mormon, and praying.  Always saying that he doesn't feel anything.  I've been working with him ALL of my time in the mission.  Every prayer, every study time- everyone in our zone and ward know about him.  And..... FINALLY he received his answer about the church, and has a desire to be baptized.  I was beginning to be so stressed I thought all my hair was going to fall out! I have decided I'm gonna name my future dog after him Adolfo .

On Fridays I teach English in the church, and the other day I was teaching how to pray in English- and I remember how to, but I don't remember how I used to- the phrases I liked to use and such.  It's really weird.

My new compañera Hermana Lopez is great. (It's weird to teach someone else the area) I'm really happy. I love you guys.

 Photos from the camera of Hermana Lopez- Our first day together!

 Hermana Lopez- Our first day together!

 Conferencia con hermanas y Presidente.  It{s a rule that we have to have a hat or umbrella to proselyte!

 Hermana Spiderman.

 Mi primera compañera (mama), mi prima, y mi tia!

 Purmamarca

UGH. I don{t have time to email today really.

UGH.  I don't have time to email today really.
Send letters to the mission office.  
I have to go, today was a holiday but I have a miracle to tell about the next week.  Love you guys

Courtney

You can send Courtney a Christmas card, but it does require an international stamp. I think
they are currently $1.15. The address is:

Hermana Shumway
Argentina Salta Mission
Casilla de Correo 429
4400 Salta
Salta
Argentina

It may take up to six weeks to get to her, but she loves getting real letters to read.  Last zone conference she got 20 and the other missionaries made fun of her but the truth is they were jealous.  

Fried green bananas NOT Argentina style

I got your package this week!!!!!! Thank you.  One of the Kit-Kats was missing though....

Courtney was able to read her blog and she wanted me to correct the title.  Fried green Bananas are not 

Argentinian.  The people of Argentina made fun of them as they cut down and took the bananas home.

I completed my training, and we had transfers!!  My new companion es la Hermana Platino de Peru.  Muy capa.  Cocinar REEEErico.

The biggest thing I´ve learned in my mission so far is humility.  It was so hard in the begining of my mission- especially with the language.  I feel like I´m pretty eloquent in my native tounge- but in Spanish I spoke worse than most toddlers.  I would get so frustrated all the time- and because I couldn´t speak, sometimes I felt like people thought because I didn´t know the language, that I didn´t know anything!!- and they would explain things to me like I was 2.  I felt like Nacho Libre "People don´t think I know a crap load about the gospel- but I dOOOO."  The other 3 Hermanas in the apartment are 22, 21, or almost 23- so at 19 I was the baby.  There is nothing harder than not being able to express yourself, your ideas, or what you were trying to say.  I would get mad when people in the streets would yell at me in english, and ask me to translate for them.

  I did a lot of learning and soul searching. I still have a lot of spanish to learn- but I´m at peace now.  

No time today.

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!

 We found a banana tree outside the bishops house

 Pulled them down

Took them home and fried them up!