Getting HOT

Hello Family,

How are you all? This week in Argentina has been great. I am a little upset right now because all my pictures on my memory card are gone.... idk what happened. I am glad I have been uploading them to dropbox but the photos and videos from this week are gone. I am not sure what happened. So I'll just explain what I did a little better.

First off, we got our email time cut down to and hour and a half so a little shorter. So I am sorry if I cant get back to everyone who emails me but if I have extra time at the end Ill send ya a little note. Just know that I really love your emails, thoughts and stories from your week that you all share with me.

So this week E' Gallegos showed me how to make empenadas. It was a lot of fun and I put TACO bell seasoning on the hamburger meat that we used. It was super good. In return I showed him how to make a salad from America (IDK why but thats what he asked me to make haha). I think he asked me because I had Ranch that mom sent me. So I just made a typical ranch salad. I kinda understand why he asked me that because here, a salad is lettuce and salt or tomatoes and oil. Its really bland and weird. But it was super fun. We also had a zone meeting last Saturday which was fun. Last night we had an ASADO, or a BQQ, with the Boazzo family- which is a family really close to baptism but just lack marriage. Unfortunatly I wont be here in Fontana for their wedding and Baptism because they are planning on getting married in Janurary. Idk why they are waiting but... they are. But the ASADO was super good and we had coke which I loved. The food down here is pretty good. I really cant explain. I love ASADO and empanadas. Those two are my favorite. But the most common meal members serve us is noodles with a sauce and chicken. I will try to get a picture of my food sometime. I absolutly love ALFAJORES. Look them up they are a type of treat/candy cupcake thing that is distinct to south america (i think). It is SO good and I usually buy one every other day.

The language really is improving. I am learning and understanding a lot more. It is helpingme that I have a lantino native speaker now. He usually has to repeat stuff 2-4 times before I can recognize the words he is saying. It doesnt help that he has kind of a lisp haha. My comp reminds me of "Michael Oher" from The Blind Side. He is a big friendly giant. A little feminine but its okay haha. The branch here in Fontana is great. We average around 45- 50 members in church every Sunday. Thats actually not bad for here. And the members are super good. We usualy dont have to do anything. One time I had to give a talk cause the speaker didnt show. But other than that we just sit and listen. There is enough preisthood to administer  and pass the sacerment. I do have a request for mom. I would like another laundry bag because when I send my clothes to get cleaned I dont have something to put my dirty clothes. And if you send another package, I would like juice powder mix to make juice. Other than that thats is. I asked E' Gallegos and he said just a little something that says america or has an American flag on it. Something small. But I think I will be gone by the time I get the next package because transfers are at the begining of December.

 I have been really focusing on obedience lately and trying to be obedient. They are so many "rules" in the mission and if you arnt focusing or if you are being a little lazy, more than likely you are not keeping a rule of the mission. For example our average day is a little different than the typical sechule of a normal missionary. We wake up at 6:30am every day. We have an hour and a half to exercise, shower, and get ready for the day. 8am-9am we have personal study. after that we leave and are out walking, talking, and contacting people. If we have a lunch appointment we try to arrive at the house of the member by noon. We eat and then return to our appartment by 1:30pm. Here were start companionship study and finish around 3-3:30pm. Then after that we have language study. By 4:30pm we are back out until 9pm talking to people. Then when we return at night we plan for the next day for 20 minutes, eat something and get ready for bed and are in bed by 10:30pm. And thats the typical schedule. If we have district or zone meetings those take place in the afternoon during the siesta. The siesta here is hardcore. From 12-4pm is the siesta. And it is like Utah on Sundays. All businesses are closed and nobody is out. Everyone is in their house eating lunch and sleeping. So for that reason we have studies/meetings during the siesta. But like I was saying, as a missionary we ask people everyday day to live the gospel, listen to our message, and be obiedient. And if I, as a missionary, cant even be obiedient, how can I expect investigators to do so. Its just like everything else. As imperfect humans we are constantly judges, comparing, and trying to tell other people what to do. But in reality we are just as imperfect as the people we judge and critisize. It reminds me of a quote from Elder Dieter F. utchdorf when he said, "Dont judge me because I sin differently than you." We all lack and struggle. So I as a missionary have to make sure I am living the gospel, the rules, and councils of the church before I can invite someone else to do the same.

Anyway I love you all. Good luck with the new president. I'll be safe down here in Argentina. I'll pray for you cause either way you're all screwed up there hahahaha. I love you all.  Have a great week..

Loves,

E'Corbin Keicher

Como estan CHE?

Hey Fam!!!

Happy Halloween!!! So week one in the new transfer is gone... like I said I am still chilling here in Fontana and am with Elder Gallegos. He has 2 siblings one brother and one sister. He is the oldest between the his siblings. But this week was a lot of fun. A lot of new things or change. We are still working with that family that just needs to get baptised. They are pretty much members(at church every sunday, goes to ward activities) but just need to get married. It really is just a culter thing down here that people dont usually get married. They usually only do if they are really religous. But they know thats whats stopping them and we just need talk about it more with them I guess. As far as the other work here we are finding a lot of new people. We have 2 other families we are teaching, one is pretty cathlic and the other just hasnt found a church they like yet. But the work is going well. The branch here had a branch here had a little activity Saturday during lunch. It was pretty cool and a lot of people were there. They made pizza and stuff so we were there eatting that. I didnt take a whole lot of pictures this week. Just one at the activity, one with E' Gallegos at the mall today, one with the PACE SALSA, and one of some guys installing our air conditioning. 

The Air Conditioning in our apartment was installed last wednesday I believe. And it was actually frustrating because the guy that was suppose to install it was suppose to be there at 9:30am.... but didnt end up showing up until 12:30pm. Then he had to take the AC unit back into Central to clean it and didnt come back until 3:30pm and finished installing by 5:15pm. And so we didnt get to leave our apartment that day untit 5:30pm. It was rough. But we have AC now which is nice. 

I did get the 2 packages mom sent. Freaking awesome. I loved the salsa, chips, garlic potatoes, candy, jerky, the magazine, the tool, and other stuff in it. I let E' Gallegos try some sour patch and he did NOT like it haha. Way too sour for him haha. Same with the salsa..... too spicy. But it was nice getting that. Not too much to report this week. My first week with all spanish was fun. Kinda frusterating but it is better that way. I was reminded of a quote this week from the MTC which said something like "There is no growth in the comfortzone and no comfort in the growth zone". Something likke that. I am enjoying getting to meet all the new and different missionaries. All have different experiences and time in the mission so it is fun to see missionaries at different points in the mission. Anyways, I will go for now. Love you all and hope you all have a great week!! 

Con Amor,

E' Corbin Keicher

ps E' Gallegos chose the subject of this email haha 

New Comp. New Chapter.

Hello Fam!

Well transfered happened and I am still in Fontana, Chaco(province) but Elder Butler left to a different province. And my new companion is Elder Gallegos(ga-sh-a-gos) and he is from Buenos Aires! He has been in the mission for almost 6 months. He entered the Buenos Aires MTC in the middle of April. So we are kinda new missionaries here in Fontana. He is 18 years old. He is super cool and SUPER nice. I think we will get along just fine. It has been only 1 day with him and I have already learned a lot. I really hope this will just push me and accelerate the learning for me. But... we will see. I am having to lead the work here since I am the only one that knows the area and it is crazy how much I just followed Butler around. But this will be a good experience for me to grow as a missionary and as a spanish speaker. It seems like forever ago that I wrote you guys. It has felt like a long week just waiting for transfers and stuff but, bueno! I was just a little sick last week for 36 hours. I woke up i think last Tuesday feeling a little something in my tonssils and a little tired and as the day went on I got worse. But that night I took a hot shower and by the next day I was completely fine. And I am normal now. I did take some nyquil so I was glad I had that. And last week we had a lesson with an old guy names Miguel. He is 70 but is SO knowledgable of the Book of Mormon. In fact, he invited us into his house and we went in and there was something playing in the house. It was like a audio book of somesort. Then all of the sudden, the voice recording said, "Chapter 7 of Alma..." and it continued. He was listening to the freaking book of mormon before we had even talked to him. So we talked to him more and he knew the book of mormon better than Elder Butler and I. At least the stories. But then we started talking about the Restoration and he had no idea what we were talking about. He has no knowledge of what happened before josheph smith got the plates or anything outside the story. So I am going to put D^C and JS-History on a flash drive for him so he can listen. 

There is a picture attatched of dog with a messed up eye. Sunday evening we stopped by a kids house to say hi to him and his parents and also so Butler could say bye to them. They give us Lunchs regularly too. Anyway we were just sitting there and they have like 8 dogs and they are all large black dogs. The one in the picture came up to me and he was facing me at an angle where I couldnt see his messed up eye. I started petting it and then he turned to face me and I saw his eye for the first time. I almost jumped out of my seat and I yelped a little bit cause I thought it was an alien of somesort. It scared me SO bad and Elder Butler and the kid couldnt stop laughing at me. It was funny. And also what was funny was we were at a lunch with Eva(facebook lady) and just talking about the United States and stuff. And Eva just started bagging on America so hard because we celebrate Halloween. She was saying like, "how can someone like yourselves, being religious, celebrate a holiday like that. It is so devilish". haha and I was like.. well its not like that, its more for kids and to dress up and stuff like that. But she didnt really get it haha. I just thought that was funny. And she also has a strong belief in Vampires too. She keep on saying something like," Oh there are a ton of Vampires in the world, especually in the United States". haha just random stuff like that. but anyway...

Most of the zone got split up. I still have Elder regan my Zone leader and a couple others that stayed but there were a lot of changes. Elder Trumbo gave me a Family tree tie which is a tie that is passed down from a trainer to the newbee. And since Trumbo never got to train in his mission he gave the tie to me. He is still here with his parents but he is done with his mish. 

That is cool to hear about Josh and of his succes in Rugby. He was like the life of the Utah State team last year. And its awesome to hear about all the stuff that is going down with you all. The Patio looks sweet. But I think I will go for now. That was pretty much what happened this week. If you guys have questions on anything let me know cause I dont really know what you want to hear. haha. Anyway, until next week... Chao!

Loves,

E' Corbin Keicher

Buckets

Hello fam,

Another week has passed down here. Nothing too crazy. This is the last P day of the transfer so next week I will write on Tuesday. It has got freaking HOT this week. The first part of last week was all rain. Tuesday night We were walking and it was cloudy so we had brought our rainjackets just in case and then BOOM! rain just dropped and it was raining so hard. We were near one of our planned people to go visit so we stopped by and only the 13 year old kid was home but he let us in cause it was raining so hard. We sat and talked and ended up just teaching him a lesson cause we didnt want to go back out in the rain. Near the end of the lesson the power cut and it was pitch dark. no light. So I took a flashlight out of my bag and a glass cup of water and made a little machief lamp so we could finish the lesson. We got out of the lesson at 7:30ish and got a call from our Zone leaders that we needed to head back to the apartment early cause of lightning and flooding. And when we got back to the appartment we found that our power was cut too. So that was interesting. Then the rest of the week was just humid and hot. Yesterday was the worst. I have a picture of my face at 8:30 at night and I am just so sweaty. But other than the weather not much happened. Just a typical week. The language is what it is. Mentally I think I just sike myself out somedays. Its just a rollercoaster. Somedays I feel like I am talking and understanding great, and other days I feel like I am back in the MTC. So yeah. But I have confidence and am excited for new things to come this next week. We did some service on Saturday at Eva Garcias house which is the lady mom is friends with on Facebook. We helped crush concrete in their backyard to make your traditional ghetto Argentine sidewalk thing. It was fun and they gave us Coke so I loved it. I also forgot to tell you that the other week i forgot my sunglasses at there house after cutting branches and their dog got a hold of it and chewed the crap out of the wooden part of the glasses. I was like whatever its my fault that I left them there. But we went to there house Saturday and she had taken them to an optical place in centro and replaced the wooded chewed up part of them. So that was nice of her. She and her daughters are actually going to Utah next July to visit missionary friends. 

Sounds like everyone is doing great. That is exciting to hear about Gabe! I am happy for him. I dont know if I have mentioned this but I finished the Book of Mormon in English this last week. I had started it in the MTC and now have restarted it but this time in Spanish. I really enjoyed reading it and having the perspective of a missionary while reading it. I hope I can get through it multiple times in spanish on the mission. This last sunday was mothers day here in Argentina. So there were a bunch of parties and mom centered topics in church. A lot of the argentine elders here talked to there moms today. But I dont know why exactly Argentina is different like that cause from what I have heard, other Latino countries just have regular mothers day in May. Argentina is just a little hipster that way. But yeah, Next week will come with some new news and some change. So STAY TUNED. Its weird to think that im going to be out of my training next week. I still feel like a little newbee. But this will be fun. I am excited. I dont have much  this week. My train of thought in this email might be a little all over the place because we had to break up our use of computers because of some new rules in the mission. But we got a bump in monthly momey. So that will be great. So til next wek. Chao! 

Love,

E' Corbin Keicher

Whoa...Trash

Hola Fam,

This week was pretty fun. We got to do service here at an event called Mormon hands that help. All we did was go around this area and collected recyclable material like newspaper, bottles, and paper. It was kinda fun and it was definitely needed because people here just dont throw things away. I actually took a picture from my area that is just filled with trash. It is just around this guys ¨house¨ and a sign that says ¨No Tire te Basura¨ or ¨Dont throw trash¨. I'll attach that pic. But the service was cool and we got to wear cool little yellow vests. Then earlier in the week we had interviews with the president. That was a lot of fun. I got to see some progression with that because the first 2 weeks I was here we had something that is called a ¨multizona¨ where we went and got instructed by President Franco. And then I didnt understand a single word that was said. Except a sentence he said in english. But last Thursday before we started the interviews, President did a small little capacitation with us and I could get the gist of what he was saying. So small progress... but still dificult. The interview I had with pres was great and I actually got to know him a little better. I learned that he moved to the states when he was 20 years old and learned english there. I asked him some pointers on learning the language. So interviews were fun. Some things that he said in the capacitation I want to share with you because he talked about packages. He said that the only packages they can recieve is packeges that are sent through that Argentina mail currier thing that mom used a couple times. But other than that, nothing else will get here. It is ¨Impossible¨ any other way. But there at the interviews I did get the backpack that mom sent to me! IT IS SO NICE I love it. It is so much more comfortable to walk with. And I freaking loved the sour patch and other stuff that you put in it. As far as other stuff you sent, I doubt that I will get it if it wasnt through that Argentine service thing... I forget what it is called. And the office does a good job. The guy in charge of the mail (materials secretary) is kinda weird (he is from Uruguay). But I get my stuff. And the Financial secretary is super good so really the office elders do a good job. A lot of Elders complain about them because they get nice phones and access to a car and get to do different stuff but I think they do a good job. 

I also went on divisions with my district leader. His name is Elder Tracy, and he is from Washington. He is a cool dude and I like him a lot. He goes home in March I believe. It was fun talking to him. I went to his area and their apartment is literally next to Wal-mart. Like it would take a good 2 minutes to get there depending on how long it would take to cross the street. But it was fun talking to him and hearing things from his perspective. As far as the work in our area, its gone kinda dry. We really only have the Boazzo family progressing. They should be picking out a date to get married thi week then we will get a set date for the to get baptised. But other than them we have just been trying to find new people. Transfers are coming up on the 24th of October so we will see what happens. I think that I will stay and Butler will go. 

But there was a scripture I really liked in Moroni 7:40-47 which says:

40 My beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?

 41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

 42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.

 43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.

 44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptablebefore God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.

 45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

I just really liked that. I just finished the book of mormon in English so now I am going to start reading it in Spanish. But that is basically all I got for this week. No real funny stories happened this week. Just casual. We went to that mall again this week cause it is super cool and makes you feel like you are in the states haha. Anyway I hope you all have a great week. 

Cho

Love,
Elder Keicher

McD's & Confrence WOAH!

Hey Fam,

Well it is always a great weekend when it is confrence weekend. And especially as a missionary. We had our own Gringo/American room to watch it in english. So that was fun. Since the time is different it started at 1pm-3pm then 5pm-7pm and then for priesthood session is was 9pm-11pm. So it was a little later night but a lot of fun. Between the 2nd session and the priesthood session on Saturday, 12 of us missionaries went to a place called "Pizza Libre" for dinner where it was 70 pesos for all you can eat pizza. It was a lot of fun. I put some photos for you to put on the blog for that. As far as what I liked from conference I'll put my highlight real of quotes that I took note of:

-God isnt an Almighty REF that is looking for any excuse to through us out of the game. 

-The Lords process of learning for us is timeless. 

-People usually want the results of Doctrine but not the Doctrine itself. 

-Joy has little to do with our circumstances but rather with our focus. 

-If you decide the chruch and gospel of Jesus Christ isnt for you...Where the freak will you go?(not a direct quote)

-If you dont seek Christ in your heart and in your secret places, then dont go seek Him in vain at church and in the public eye.

-No struggle is out of the reach of the Atonement.

-Sell your TOY for Eternity through the Atonement. 

Those were what caught my attention while watching confrence. And it was actually really cool at the begining of the confrence when Pres. Henry B. Eyring said "We welcome those watching in countries throughout the world". It was cool cause that applied to me. And it was funny because in our American room, one of the Elders brought an American Flag and hung it up. And in between sessions one of the latino elders came in and said that there were some members that didn't like that we had an American flag up cause they thought we ere mocking them. I just thought that was funny because if somebody in America told somebody else to take their country's flag down, they would be tagged as a racist and arrested.

 But any way, earlier in the week we went on divisions with the zone leaders and this time Elder Regan came to Fontana (my area). It was a lot of fun and he gave me a lot of great advice for learning the language. I think it gave me a good perspective. But like I said it was my first time leading someone in my area because usually I just follow E'Butler. So for the first two hours E'Regan and I were pretty lost cause I didnt know where exactly where a house was. Then some of our appointments fell through so we didnt do squat that evening (because we transfer at lunch and then switch back at lunch the next day). But I am glad that I got to stay in Fontana because E'Butler and E'Trumbo returned to their area to find a scorpine in the apartment. Haha I didnt even know there were scorpines here. So I got the benefit of missing out on that.

 OH! and today was a BEAUTIFUL day because we went to this nice Mall they just recently opened up just outside of Resistencia and we ate McDonalds! It was so nice. I havent had fries since early June! So that was cool. I got a Triple Mac which is a BigMac with 3 patties. And the mall was playing Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift and other modern music. I got to go around and look at cool stuff for like 2 hours. It was a tender mercy. I took a picture with a sweet Nike Windbreaker I found in one of the stores. So that was my week, super fun and exciting. I hope I can continue to work hard and progress. I am just scared of getting stagnant in the language or the work. I think thats why they do division and transfers so that you dont get too comfortable. I am going to force my companion to speak only in Spanish with me when we leave the apartment and during the studies. It will be hard but I just need to make a statement. I cant wait for a latino comp to learn spanish. So thats what I am going to do. I love you all and hope you all will go back and read the words of the apostles and leaders of the church. I hope you have a great week. 

GO BRONCOS! 

LOVES,

E' Corbin Keicher