Elder Bigelow is in Argentina!

HOLA!!!

Well I am here in Argentina finally. I love it this place is so awesome!!
So i tried to call Becky and Ben at the airport but neither answered and when I was going to try again one of the elders came running down the hall saying we were boarding the flight and had to go! So I hung up and went right then to jump on the plane. Said my final goodbyes to US soil and took my sleeping pills and fell asleep and didn’t wake up until I had an hour left on my flight :) it was great. Haha we got to the Buenos Aires airport and had to go and find Alberto… we found him and he took us in a van to some other place who knows where but it was about 30-45 min. Away. And we found out it was another local airport. So we got to fly rather then take a bus. The flight was about an hour and forty-five minutes long. When we got to Mendoza we saw the prez. His wife and the ap´s waiting for us. They took us to the prez appartment and then the ap´s took us tracting. We talked to a family who was interested and are now going to get baptized. It made me so excited I could not wait to get to my area!!!

That night we slept in the ap´s pension(house/apartment) it was nice. But freaking hot!! Haha when we got up the next morning we went to a place Similar to the dmv in the states to fill out paper work so we would be legal in the country. While there waiting in line (which is worse then the dmv might i add) This lady just lifts up her shirt while I am asking how she is and she starts to breast feed her baby!!!! Not in the states anymore…. Hahah

Later that day we got our trainers and sent out to our new areas. My trainer is Elder Ayer. And my area is about 2 and a half minutes south of Mendoza . An area called San Rafael. It’s awesome. Ayer is about 6’5” and from New Hampshire. Super cool guy way nice and works super hard. Like we have families lined up everyday to teach and to talk to. I was really blessed with a good companion again I think.

So in our area we have lunch everyday with members. They love us here! And lunch is the big meal of the day ya know. And I think I will be gaining a lot of weight Elder Ayer gained 20 pounds at one point then started running and woking out to work it off and he has. But I want to gain weight for awhile then I will work it off eventually when I get sick of seeing my rolls. ha-ha just playing I already am working out every morning. But the food here is SOOOOO good!!! I love it so much I cant get enough. Yesterday I almost made myself sick eating ¨pastel de papas¨ its kinda like Sheppard’s pie but better it has sugar on top and stuff wow its good. And the treats are even better. Freak this place is awesome!!

Our sector in San Rafeal is really rural. Super poor people and living in some tough conditions as compared to the rest of san rafeal. Dirt roads and shacks for houses with sheets for doors and dirt for floors. One lady a member that we just stopped in to visit her and her family she breast fed in front of me again it has happened like ten times. It happened again walking to do the email in the street. Haha insane. But anyways 5 kids all 8 or younger 2 under 2 bad situation dirt floor and sheets for doors and one bed for them all to sleep in. Smaller then my room at home the whole house its sad but they are happy and I love them so much they are an awesome family.

We are teaching right now a lot of people. Familia austidillo. Three girls they have all accepted it all and been to church once but wont come again its a little frustrating. And they want to be baptized really bad. So we just got to get them to church. Nadir is another man we are teaching he is cool and pretty receptive just cant read to well, and is missing teeth so I already can’t understand people here but when they are old and missing teeth forget about it. hahah its great though. Its funny how many people here are missing teeth probably about fifty percent are its funny. The language gets better everyday and it’s been good I have been blessed to be able to talk to anyone and just laugh that they don’t understand me but I still give them a pamphlet and invite them to church. They take it and yeah so it feels good the people are cool and super loving. I love it here already so much everyone is so freaking awesome!!!!!

So in our pension it has the rumor of being the worst in the whole mission which I could believe seeing others and then ours. But its still good I like it. There are two other elders living with us Elder Spraggue from Sacramento, and Elder Crossa from Uraguay both awesome and so funny always cracking jokes!! And they know so much about other religions and the scriptures its fun just sitting and listening to them chit chat away and tell jokes.

So on Friday we went to a members house for lunch and when we got there the little kids came running up the street and were yelling ELDERS!!! So freaking cute. And we went with them to there house to eat and just all over me asking me so say things in English and teaching me words it was fun. Super cute kids. 2 boys and a little girl Luna. Who is 3 and just always wanting me to hold her and look at her drawings and stuff so cute! Then we ate and I thought it was the fried chicken stuff we had the day before called Milanese which is made from beef and chicken and other things. But I started to chew it and thought it was a bit more chewy then the stuff we had the day before and hoped it was cooked all the way but I ate it anyways it was not bad or anything it was pretty good and I’m not a picky eater I like food in general. But when we left I asked Elder Ayer and he said it was ¨mondongo¨!!! Fetch!! Hahah for those who do not know what that is…. Its cow stomach…. Ha-ha I ate it and had three servings. So yeah a little crazy huh?

So I can only get packages 3 times a year they recommend because it is so expensive for me. I have to pay to get them. And I only get mail every about 5 or 6 weeks they save it and give it to you at conference or transfers. So it kinda suck… also I learned not to write a description of what is in the package just put mission supplies. And they usually wont look in. But anything valuable hide it inside something. But a good bit of info. Is that you can send those white envelopes from the post office the big ones and fill it up to 5 POUNDS and I get it for free it does not charge me if its 5 or under. So send stuff that way and packages a few times a year but make it big and worth my money which i never doubt it will be.
Also I got the wrong address. So if I don’t get letters from people I will
know. But here it is:

Casilla de Correo
5500 Mendoza
MZA ARGENTINA 631

Or another is the mission office….

Mission Argentina Mendoza
Cabildo Abierto 161
5501 Mendoza

This one might be a little better. So maybe start sending it there or somethin if ya can and want to. Just whatever works i guess. But yeah I will also write letters and send them off today. It takes about two weeks to get there I think but I hope to hear from you all soon! I love you so much and miss ya tons! Pray for me to get the language and for the people to feel my spirit and want to change there lives for the better.

Con mucho amor
Elder Bigelow