Wonderful Week

A few nights ago, Hna Young said she woke up to me sleep talking like crazy. She woke up enough to hear me saying very angrily "no! you cant steal that cell phone! we are going to get caught! put it back!" I have no recollection of dreaming about anything like that. Turns out I still sleep talk like a maniac...

This week we went to go visit someone in the hospital. They were a part member family from La Paz, a city 7 hours north of us, but apparently Paraná has a nicer hospital so they came here. It was a traumatizing experience for me to see. First of all, when you walk in you are engulfed with the smell of smoke. Cigarette smoke like no other. It looked like a terminal, which you shouldn't confuse with an airport terminal, those are so clean compared to the terminals here. All cement, with plywood walls, and its just filthy. utterly utterly filthy. We walked through some tunnels to go to the room, where we walked by tons of rooms with the doors open and we could see people who appeared to be dying reaching out for us. It was almost like a horror movie. Then we passed by the Nurses lounge where all the nurses were smoking and asked them where the room was we were looking for. They told us, and we passed by a man who had an IV tube in his arm, leaning against the wall smoking. We got to the room, visited for a bit, then ran out of that place. Please pray that I never never ever ever ever ever have to go to that place!!!!

This Sunday was really cool because it was stake conference, but for stake conference here they have a broadcast for all of Argentina and Elder Neil L. Anderson and Elder Boyd K. Packer came and talked. The coolest part was that Neil L. Anderson gave his talk in Spanish! It was really touching to hear him try to speak to all the people, even though his accent was very gringo. I felt the spirit a ton. And lots of people came as well. The BEST part was after. We were leaving and but then our bishops counselor came up to us and said "i need you guys to meet someone" we went over and met this man named Christian. The first thing the counselor said was "This is Christian, he really wants to be baptized" apparently his parents are members in Salta, and Christian felt like he needed to come to Entre Rios and then he just found his way to the chapel this morning, watched conference, and was overwhelmed with how true this church is. SOOOO we are having his baptism hopefully this Saturday!!!

Along with that, I would have to say that the beginning of this week was very very frustrating work wise. People would just not listen and I was not understanding why. But through our faith, we worked harder and harder anyways, and by the end of the week, we had 3 people come up to us asking to be baptized and 2 more who are really praying and reading hard to be prepared to be baptized within the next week. I appreciate all of your prayers, thank you all for being so mindful of me, Hermana Young, and this barrio of Cinco Esquinas. (Five Corners Neighborhood)

Dad, you asked if the ward here has good youth activities. I would have to say I have never seen such a strong Youth (menos the awesome ward I grew up with my whole life). Every Friday we have a dodge ball activity, its really fun. And movie night every Sunday, where we watch movies of the church. All of the young men have their mission papers in right now, and we have lots of recently returned missionaries right now too. Fausto and Lino (the two kids who were baptized about 4 months ago) are so great at guiding us to people we should start teaching. I really feel so blessed to be working with such a great ward, and I know the hope of Argentina and the gospel here is in the Youth. I feel so privileged to know so many wonderful people here. I know I have had 4 transfers here (soon to be 6 months) but I want to stay here just one more transfer. If not more. I LOVE Paraná.

I think that is about it. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

Chau Chau

hermana collins