Week #46 - Real Change

Dearest family, Well, Mitt Romney may not have been elected as President of the USA a few weeks ago, but I think that the President of the Argentina Buenos Aires Oeste (President Carter) may have used Romney`s slogan, `real change`, as inspiration for the most recent transfers that we had this week. Look at me! Using politics as a cute, clever intro to this email :) Aren`t I so nifty? All jokes aside, I have a new companion! I`m still in Parque San Martin, but Elder Huthchings se fue (left)! My new companion is Elder Jefrey Banegas (pronounced Baw-nay-gaws, emphasis on the `nay` :) ) from the country of Honduras! Guess how much English he speaks? Yup! Zero! I feel that just in the few days I`ve been with him my language skills have gone up quite a bit, so that`s cool! He`s super young in the mission (4 months, this is his 3rd transfer in the field) and I think I`ll learn a lot from him. It`s definitely different to have a Latin companion that doesn`t speak English, but I`m adjusting quickly so that the work will go forward without delay. I`ll learn a lot from him, and I hope he`ll learn a lot from me! (Like how to wake up on time and get to studies at 8 o`clock :) ) I`ve been trying to teach him English and I`m realizing just how `spanish` my brain has become. He`ll sometimes ask me how to say a certain word in English and without thinking I`ll just say the exact same thing back to him in spanish. For example: ¿Como se dice `leche` en inglès? Se dice `leche` en inglès. ¿Igual entonces? Espere, espere...no, no. Se dice....ummmm o! `Milk` se dice! Oh my poor brain. I`ve forgotten how to say some words in English! What am I going to do when I get back and I can`t talk? Hmmm...I`ll worry about that later. I still have lots of time here in the great country of Argentina :) Besides getting a new companion, I`ve also been assigned to be district leader! Please please please be praying for me as I take on many new responsibilites in this new assignment. I`m still trying to get everything down, but I think I`ll have it down in no time. I feel a bit overwhelmed, but I know that everything will all work out. When we were driving home from transfer meeting on Wednesday, I started to feel really overwhelmed with the changes. I`m district leader. I have a latin companion that doesn`t speak english. We don`t have many quality investigators. I was feeling very overwhelmed and was on the verge of tears so I just offered a sincere, silent prayer asking Heavenly Father to consolar (comfort in English yo creo) me in this new chapter of my mission. It was incredible how quickly the divine consuelo came to me. I finished my prayer and then I had some basic facts come to my mind. I can speak spanish. I can lead a district. I can find new investigators. I`ve done all of those things before (district leader in the MTC). The Lord gave me a quick `you can do it` to help me through that difficult moment of change. I`ve offered many sincere prayers in the last few days and I know the comfort will come. I`m not perfect, but I can do it. I`m definitely my harshest judge (does that make sense?). I feel like I immediately impose unrighteous expectations upon myself and I just crush myself down. Thomas! Don`t be so harsh! Mosiah 4:27! Things must be done in order! I think I`ll be having an interview with President Carter later this week too, so that will definitely be helpful. Isn`t it so great to have righteous priesthood holders? Gosh I love the way this church is organized. Not too much news as far as investigators go. Fabian`s wife, Alejandra, is still not wanting to go to church. She tells us that she won`t get baptized until she sees some improvement in the lives of her 3 oldest sons. Her youngest son, Lautaro, is a stud. He`s come to church a couple of times with his dad and he goes to scout activities with the ward every Saturday. I can definitely see him getting baptized here in a few weeks :) Alejandra is going to be a bit more difficult, but we`ll keep on working with her! Darìo (Derek) is super great. I love him so much, and I love him even more now that Elder Hutchings is gone because he`s the only person I can talk english with! Speaking of Elder Hutchings, it`s been weird to see how much I`ve missed him since he`s been gone. I guess my cousin Gary was right when he said in his `one mission` letter you`d be surprised by how much you miss a companion after he goes. I was pretty excited to get a new comp, but as soon as Elder Hutchings was gone I have really missed him. Strange. Just like with lots of things on the mission. I really don`t have too much else to say. It was a whirlwind of a week with lots of change and it was so slow but yet so fast. I`ve learned, yet again, that the Lord just never lets us get to comfortable in life. We may not like that fact, but when we`re comfortable we`re not growing! Uncomfort it is then! Uncomfort and change brings wonderful growth. I`ve just got to keep that in mind here in Parque San Martin. I can do it. I love you all so very much my family! Experiencing real change down here in the south, Elder Nilsen P.S. Saw my papi Elder Whitlock at transfer meeting! I love him so so so so much! He got called to serve as a Zone Leader. My papi is such a stud and I love him so much. Thank you Elder Whitlock for giving me a great start here in Argentina. I love you! P.S.S. Happy birthday to Dean today! Happy belated birthday to Mike Hurst last week too! I love you guys! Los Barbos for life!!! :)