Week #22 - Humbly Adjusting To A New World

Well hello Family!   First off, this keyboard is extremely different than all the other keyboards Ive used in my life, so I apologize in advance for grammar mistakes. I cant find the apostrophe key, so there wont be any apostrophes in this email, sorry for all you apostrophe lovers!   Well, Im in Argentina! It is just flippin INSANE here. I dont even know where to begin with talking about everything. This email very well could just be full of random, all over the place information, so prepare yourselves ok?   Lets see, first off, sorry for not calling you from Atlanta. I was frantically looking for a phone, but I couldnt find one and my plane was about to take off without me. I was sweating like crazy when I finally got on the plane and I was a little frantic. I said a quick prayer asking that you would know that I was safe and sound, so I hope it worked! When we took off from the ground I was freaking out a little bit thinking about how that was the last time that I was going to be on American ground for like a year and a half. It was weird to think about that. I tried not to cry as I lost sight of America and began my journey to Argetina...   I slept pretty well on the plane. Kind of off and on sleep, but I slept well for the most part and before I knew it, we were beginning our descent into Buenos Aires. We landed and I was in love right away. Hearing the people talk Castellano and just seeing everything I was so happy and in love with this place. After we got our bags we went out and thats where I saw President Carter for the first time. Man I love him. He is such an awesome guy and I immediately felt comforted and safe seeing him. Giving him that first hug felt good too because I just finally felt like this is where I am supposed to be. I just felt peace and comfort being here. Hermana Carter is awesome too! She is funny and I love her already too!   We got in a bus and drove around the city for a little while. I was just staring out the window and I was probably drooling. I was just so enamored with everything. Im in Argentina! I couldnt believe it and I still cant really believe it to be honest. Its weird to think that Im actually here. Triiiipppy! We drove to the MTC here to pick up some other Refuerzos and we drove right by the temple! Its so pretty! We found out that we get to help with the open house too :) Woo hoo! President Eyring, Elder Ballard, and Elder Andersen are coming to dedicate it and we (our mission, the BA North mission, and BA South mission) get to go to a fireside with all 3 of them there! So cool! So lucky!   Anyway, we drove around a bit and got out at a park where President talked for us a bit and we ate some breakfast. My first Argentine meal were facturas! Pretty much just pastries on steroids. They were so good. All the food here is pretty good actually. We went to lunch right after that at a buffet called Siga la Vaca (follow the cow) and ate there. It was...interesting. I was so stoked to try some Argentina beef, but in my excitement I may have accidentally eaten some raw meat. Who serves raw meat? Argentinos do! I thought it was just some tasty lunch meat or something, but it was actually just straight up raw meat. I found the area of the restaurant where they were serving the good stuff and made my way over there. I asked the guy at the grill what the best stuff was and he gave me a big chunk of something that looked like steak. I decided to try something else, so I just pointed to something on the grill that looked good and he put it on my plate. I took my first bite of the meat that I had chosen and began chewing. I chewed, and chewed, and chewed, and chewed. For like 10 minutes I was chewing the SAME bite. I later found out that I was eating the intestines of a cow. So yes, I have already eaten some crazy food. I also ate some soup sort of thing yesterday that had some chicken talons in it. Argentina, gotta love it!   Im with Elder Whitlock from Nephi, UT! Hes an awesome Elder and it seems like we are going to do some serious work. In my first few days here I feel like we have walked A TON, but he keeps on saying that we havent even walked even close to what were going to walking. He walks super fast too! I thought Mom was a fast power walker, but sorry Mom, Ive found someone that walks faster! Sometimes I have to jog slowly to keep up with him, but its all good! He speaks Castellano pretty well, but more importantly he understands it really well. A couple of people have heard me speak and they tell me that I speak better than Elder Whitlock! I dont know how they think that, but they do! I guess when I actually work up the courage to talk and say something, I sound pretty good! Sweet! Everyone is always very complimentive (is that a word?) of my Castellano when I tell them that I just got to Argentina a week ago. I just cant understand to save my life!   Im in the zone called Gonzalez Catan and my area is called La Ferrere 1. Dont get worried or anything, but Elder Whitlock told me that this is one of the most dangerous areas in the mission! Mom, you can just pretend I didnt say that ok?   Im going to be perfectly honest with you though and tell you that Ive already been robbed here. It happened on my 3rd day. No biggy. We were just walking down the dirt road (thats pretty much all there is in my area) and this drugged out, drunk, Paraguayo came up to us. He was acting excited to see us and excitedly shouted ¡Ey! ¡Los mormones! (yay! this keyboard has the upside down exclamation point! :) ) He shook our hands and said hi and stuff then he put his hand up his shirt and pretended like he had a gun and told us to give him our phone or he would kill us (Dáme tu celular o te mataré). Elder Whitlock handed him the phone and then he asked for his money. He only had 6 pesos on him, so he gave that to him too. He turned to me and started asking me for my phone. I was freaking out pretty bad. I was probably white as a ghost. I told him that I didnt have a phone or any money (I hadnt gone to the bank yet at this point to get my money) and he kept on telling me I was lying. I kept on saying no and he lifted up his shirt a little bit more to reveal a big ol 8 or 9 inch knife that he had. Oh boy. I thought for sure I was going to get stabbed. Luckily, he finally believed me and turned back and started talking to Elder Whitlock again. Elder Whitlock gave him a piece of paper that had an invite to church on it and then the guy gave us a hug and walked away. Just like that. Oh ya! This was at like 3 in the afternoon too! People were outside playing soccer and it was broad daylight. Crazy right? Dont freak out. Im trying not too. It was just an...interesting experience. Thats what Im going to call it. Just know though, that Im fine and the Lord is protecting me ok? :)   Well family, I know theres so much that I need to tell you, but I have no idea how I could possibly fit it in this email. Im trying my best to keep on loving this country. The initial first day puppy love sort of feeling now has kind of worn off and Im going through some major cultural shock issues. Going through some United States withdrawals I guess. Everything that is familiar to me is about 6000 miles away, and I just feel so far away. Im pretty scared to be here to be completely honest. It literally is a different world here. I had no idea that it would be like this. I havent seen carpet since I left the mission office and I havent seen a nice green patch of grass since I left Idaho. I dont know how in the world I will ever complain again in my life when someone tells me to vacuum the carpet or to cut the grass. Im realizing now that I took many things for granted in the US. We are so amazingly blessed there and I didnt even realize it. Go vacuum the carpet just for me would ya? Maybe mow the lawn for me too? ;)   Please keep me in your prayers. I have no idea what Im doing here. I really dont. Obviously, I know my purpose as a missionary, but Im just confused and scared out of my mind. I know you can help me by praying for me. So please do that for me.   I wish I could have more time to share everything that Ive experienced here thus far, but like I said, theres no way I can fit it all into an email! I can tell you though that Ive already stepped in dog poop! Theres dogs EVERYWHERE here. Crazy. Its just a different world. Very different world. I love it though!   I love you all so much!   Trying to survive cultural shock as I work hard,   Elder Nilsen   P.S. I realize now that I didnt say anything about investigators or anything. Sorry! Thatll come next week I promise!   P.S.S. Do Work!