I´m good... cause I´m totally at home here. You know how I said that Candelaria reminds me a little bit of Morgan?? Well if there was a Morgan County in Argentina, It would be Candelaria. The only difference between the two places is that the houses in Morgan are 10 times as big as those here and everyone at home has running water and bathrooms inside their homes... Aside from those couple things, I´m living in the 3rd world version of my hometown... Where EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE has more animals than they have children... and still, they have mountains of children. One family has 8 DAUGHTERS. 8... and one poor boy. Poor thing. Also, In this little town, the dogs run free but the people walk their horses every morning. There are more horses than cars and almost everyone has a farm. If not a huge farm, a garden por lo menos. The best part... EVERYONE IS RELATED. "Oh yeah, She´s my grandpa´s brother´s sister." If you want to find someone´s house, you don´t need the name of the street... because people don´t know the names of the streets... You have to know the name of the family who has lived on that street the longest... or the name of an ancient tree cerquita to where the person you´re looking for lives..or something crazy like that. Everyone knows everyone and everyone is family..
But the real best part about a little town like Morgan or Candelaria.... EVERYONE knows the church. Either they know where the capilla is or they have a friend, neighbor or family member who is a member OR they are members themselves... Most of whom are super inactive... Like 350 of the 400 members who live in Candelaria... but it´s all good. There´s room for improvement!! :)
Like I said, our branch is kind of a mess. One bad thing about small towns, everyone is in everyone else´s business. and that causes people to be offended over stupid things which causes everyone to hate each other and go inactive. Sooooo we´re trying to help them realize that no one is perfect... not even the leaders of the church and that we can only control our own actions... and that we need to rescue our lost brothers and sisters!! Hermana Fuentes and I both gave talks in church yesterday and it was really good. We´re hoping to animate the branch and we are hoping that they will learn that we´re here to help them. Not the other way around. I feel like members are super overwhelmed when missionaries ask for help.. but if we could just realize that we´re not helping the missionaries, they are helping US, everything is so much better. :)
We have some pretty awesome investigators. But nothing is progressing too much yet, so I don´t want to jinx it by telling you too much. We are finding more and more people every day which is great! Elder Clark told me the other day that white washes are the best. I was talking to some of the other missionaries about how hard it is to start working in an area with nothing to work with. We´re starting from scratch basically... and he said, How does an artist start a painting?? With a white canvas, no?
I loved that. and it´s soooo true. I have very little fear of talking to just about anyone cause I always have an excuse to talk to someone. We´re constantly asking for directions or just stopping random people in the street cause they look nice.. I´m working with a blank white, beautiful canvas and Hermana Fuentes and I have the ability to make whatever masterpiece that we want to make!!
Hermana Fuentes is rocking it!! We´re still struggling with the transition to new rules and new goals.. but she´s getting it and she is seriously so humble and willing to learn. I have been so blessed to have her. I´m sure I drive her crazy sometimes and I am not the greatest example of a missionary but I´m trying to be better and do better every day.
Hopefully today we will get our new door. It´s not that I didn´t have a door... just that the door we had was broken... and it let some bugs in sometimes... But it´s all good... I just feel like I´ve been on a REAAALLLY long camping trip.. But the elders are taking care of us. Sweet things. I feel so bad, I call everyday to check on the door and to ask when they are coming and what´s going on and they are just super patient with me and sacrificed their own door so that we wouldn´t have to sleep with our table as a door for one more night. And it isn´t just that... We needed a new shower and lots of books and a new dvd player and a kitchen... and they are just getting everything ready for us. It´s crazy how much I have realized that I really just need lots of things.. More than just clothes and food. There are more necesities in this life and my heart aches for the families that we are meeting that have literally nothing. (this area is a lot more humble than my last one.)
Lucky missionaries who are going to live in our apartment next.. The fruit will be ripe and they will have everything that they need. Ha. But this adventure has made for some great stories no?
We´re counting our miracles.. I know there are lots coming our way. Like a door.. avocados.. rain boots... and hopefully a baptism this month!!!
Bruno Mars is singing again. I´m crying.
I love you all. The church is true!! I can´t believe how fast the time is flying... Ha it´s funny that I´m saying that cause I still have more than a year but seriously. It´s flying and I am changing so much. I have been changed by the people here and I am so happy that I chose to serve a mission. There is no where else in the world that I would rather be.
I love you all.
Muchisimo amor,
Hermana Rupe
CORB LEAVES THE MTC this week no? WHOO HOO!!
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Pictures;
Zone conference... The day after our Consejo de Lideres... Hermana Chung and I got to give a little testimony thing and we were in charge of the practice. I´m all cool and official now and I recieve the leaders emails from the assistants every week... But really behind my pride I´m still freaking out and I still have no idea what the heck I´m doing.
waiting for the bus to come to posadas!!
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