Dentists, Intercambios and Kisses‏

What a week! Hello world como està?

So this week started with the dentist. My comps tooth had been hurting her, I dont know exactly what was the problem, she probably told me but i didnt know that vocabulary so I didn't understand so yeah :) But anyway we spent most of our pday last monday in Monte Grande in the dentists office, we waited for an hour an a half and then her appointment, then we had to go get an xray down the street and waited there for an hour then back to the dentist and all to have a return appointment Wednesday. On the bright side I had lots of time to write my family a nice long letter so you are welcome family I love you! :) On wednesday we were back in the dentists office for a few hours and I was able to just sit and read the book of mormon for a long while and I was able to finish it yesterday which was my goal so yeah #brushyourteeth

The other big event of the week was intercambios or I think they are called exchanges in english? I dont know some things that have a name in spanish I dont have associated with an English word in my head so yeah... my journal is peppered with spanish. Aaaanyway... intercambios! It was great and terrifying and I learned a full!!! (a full is the argentine way of saying a lot). So because this is the second and last transfer of my training I have 2 intercambios with the capacitadoras. Typically the first is in their area and the second is in your own.... but for me the first was in my area and probs the second will be too! PRESSURE!!! So .... heres how it went. Hna Conceicao de Brazil was my capacitadora and we were in Ezeiza. 

Now first off, spanish/castellano however you name it is both of our second language so thats fun, but we didnt have problems communicating. Luckily she was in Ezeiza 6 months ago or so so she knew a little but it was an adventure. Basically I was in charge of where we were going, answering all the telephone calls which is a little terrifying because it is hard enough to understand people in english on the phone. Also we had ward missionary correlation meeting and a lesson with our 2 investigators de oro (gold) planned for the intercambio.... so basially faaa! Lots of stuff.... buuutt then EVERYTHING changed. We didnt end up having coorelation because the leader was working and the assitent couldnt go (we found out later that night from his mom he was at a singles dance for pete's sake!) so I dealt with those phone calls and had to call a full of other people to change it and all that jazz, plus then Sergio and Graciela called to ask if we could have our lesson in the afternoon, so I had to rearrange the afternoon and yeah.... but I did it :) I felt pretty accomplished not gonna lie :) But yeah, Hna Conceicao and I also taught the Restoration to the family of Julio Cesar and holy guacamole 4 of them came to church!! In all this week we had 8 investigators in the chapel and it was GLORIOUS!!!! 

We did lose a few investigators this week, Naehara who is 10 doesnt want to be baptized anymore cuz she has to go to church to do that and that means she has to get up on sunday morning which is the stupidest reason to not get baptized ever, but we had a lot of lessons with her and she just isnt feeling it, so we had to stop working with her because it wasnt a good use of time. Also we lost Maria Elena because her landlord doesnt like us coming around anymore and she hasnt been to church or had a lesson for months... sadness. But such is the work I guess, I pray further down the road some missionaries will find their registros in the Area Book and visit them and they will be baptized but it is hard to know. 

As for the funny argentina thing of the week.... so you know the joke about dodging a kiss on a date with a handshake and how super awkward that is. I TESTIFY that it is in fact super awkward. And yes I have dodged kisses from at least 50 men so far on my mission with a handshake. No joke. Here in Argentina everyone greets everyone with a kiss on the cheek...  but not us! Well we kiss the woman so I have kissed at least 300 women by now. But all the time I'll meet a man and he'll go in for the kiss and I have to rear my head back and stick out my hand and it is SUPER AWKWARD and HILARIOUS! I am a pro. I dont know why but it is always me and never Hna. Medrano that they go in for first and who has to explain..... so if the youth in the ward back home need advice on avoiding kisses, I am the person to talk to!

But really, the work is great. It is SUPER HARD to be a missionary but I have learned so much about the doctrine of God and about my Savior Jesucristo and I speak spanish (granted not very well but hey) and I am learning to love the people I am with. I know that I am receiving more blessings than I can count and I am grateful for each moment. Yo sè que vive mi Señor y sè que esta iglesia es la iglesia verdadera y que el Libro de Mormòn es la palabra de Dios. Estoy muy agradecida por esta opportunidad yo tengo y para el apoyo de mi familia y amigos en Arizona. La misiòn es el mejor! Hasta ver! Ciao! 

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Abby