This Week I Ate...

Hey Fam,

How are you all doing? I am doing great here in ARG and have actually experienced a few firsts in my life this week. The first 1st was it was the first New Years Eve I did not stay up til midnight. They go crazy with fireworks here all over the streets and they party til 4am in the morning. Other Elders had told me it is hard to sleep on those nights because of all the noise. So I popped 2 Ibprofan PM and was out by 10:30. Didnt even wake up. But I didnt really do much for New Years. We had to be in the Apartment by 7pm on the 31st and 1st. The other "1st" was I ate ostrich. haha we went over to a members house for lunch the other day and they asked me if I have ever ate ostrich before. I actually didnt understand them cause Ostrich was a word I didnt ever think about learning but then they showed me the ostrich they killed on their phone and then I realized what they were talking about. We ate it in the form of empanadas so it was actually really good. Just tasted like regular meat. Nothing too special but it was definitely different. Then this past week we had a branch activity which was just a little party to celebrate Christmas and the new year as a branch. We had both of our investigator families there and they seemed to enjoy it. It is super funny because Augustin Boasso who i like 15 was playing Clash of Clans on his phone at the activity and I kinda freaked. haha I saw him accross the room playing with his phone sideways, which is a key giveaway that he was playing clash. So I got to be a nerd for 10 minutes and I gave him some tips on how to play the game cause he had just downloaded it. But dont worry... I didnt play it. hahaha

Anyway I very much enjoyed talking to you guys. It was awesome seeing you guys and conversing for the time we had. It was great seeing and hearing your humor. One thing maybe we could do different is do one on one talking to start then all come together at the end as a group. Just a thought. It is still quite Hot and Humid... it is different.

 Anyway I will leave you guys with a message from Elder Rasband that he gave to mission presidents in the South America region a while back. It was great and I hope you enjoy: 

Seminar of Mission Presidents – Ushuaia, Argentina
Remember, O Lord, the presidents, even all the presidents of thy church, that thy right hand may exalt them, with all their families, and their immediate connections, that their names may be perpetuated and had in everlasting remembrance from generation to generation. D&C 109:71
After reading section 109, verse 71 of the Doctrine and Covenants (above), Elder Rasband said: I pronounce this same blessing on each one of you, each person, each individual, each couple, each of your families, each of your children and your children´s children, your missionaries, and your immediate connections, whether near or far.
I promise that this compensating blessing is given to you and your family because of your consecrated work. I am grateful for your service. You have raised your arms to the square in sacred Temples and now you are here. You are a sacred assembly of the Lord´s elect.
I bless you as though my hands were on your heads that Heavenly Father will give you health and strength and physical stamina and guiding revelation that you will be filled with enthusiasm and the Spirit of the Holy Ghost.
Tell your missionaries that this same blessing is extended thru you to them as well. Tell them to be fearless, to be bold but not overbearing. As they work to find and teach, they will feel the power to invite their investigators to make commitments that will help them progress to baptism.
This is the Lord´s work. Know that you are equal partners with us in this great work.
I invoke this blessing upon you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. 

I hope you all reap the blessings in your lives and recognize them. Have a great week. 

Sincerely,

Elder Corbin Keicher

111 Degree Christmas

Hey fam,

It was sweet talking/seeing you guys for 2 minutes yesterday. I will tell you this tomorrow but I will write it down anyway for record. On Christmas Eve is when Argentines do most of the celebrating. But to start I have to begin Friday night. My comp and I were heading back to our place it was like 8:30pm and I decided that we would buy some empenadas for dinner cause they sounded good. So we did so and Friday night I ate 12 empenadas which is kinda alot but I had done it before. And of course I downed it all with a nice Argentine Coke. I was pretty full from the soda and empenadas going to bed. But that all ended up being a mistake cause I woke up Saturday with a horrible stomach ach. I didnt feel like i needed to throw up but my stomach just hurt. Then as i got ready and was doing personal study.... it hit me.... diarrhea. And I was in and out of the bathroom all morning and we couldn't leave. Then we left to appartment at 1pm to go to our main Christmas lunch with the Aguirre family who is also the 1st consulor and his wife washes our clothes. So we are pretty close with them. But my stomach was feeling kinda weak going there but luckly I was able to eat all the food and sprite with out problems. That was basically the main Christmas meal for us because Sunday a member just brought us food to the church and then we ate it at our place after church. But Christmas was pretty anti-climactic. Just Church then just chilling in the church building watching Elders talk to their families. We were going to talk at the church building of our Zone leaders and bake brownies and cookies there but the Internet was not working at all. So we had to take a Taxi across the city to us the Family History Center in the big main Church building in the Mission (435 Entre Rios). Then after we were done with that we just went back to our place cause it was the end off the day. Kinda boring. Not to mention the taxi driver said it was 44 degrees celsius or 110 fahrenhiet with humidity. It was pretty weird. 

But as for the work.... it's actually going ok. We found a lot of new people last week so it makes it a little easier to plan when you have names to put down haha. But our investigators with baptismal dates didn't go to church... so that's a problem. and I kinda undestand because here Christmas is just like New Years in the States. They party all Christmas Eve with BBQ's and fire works and at midnight they put the kids to bed and then continue partying and drinking until 3-4 in the morning. So waking up like 4 hours after going to sleep to go to church is improbable. And next Sunday is New years day.... so it might be the same issue next week too. But we will try to work with them and at least get them to go to a Branch party Friday night at the church. So that was that this week. I'll talk to you all tomorrow. Write down questions that you have cause I dont know what ya want to know. Love you all and I'll SEE you tomorrow!! 

Elder Corbin Keicher