Happy Birthday

In Argentina, the exotic birthday customs range anywhere from baking cakes and blowing out candles, to giving gifts and eating out. Very strange.

Here in the land of the world cup, Argentina sits at 3-0. I´m pretty proud of my team. Yes I´m already claiming ownership of the Argentine national soccer cup. When I get home I´ll sit around the house in my blue and white drinking mate and eating asado. If you try and pull me from the television prepare to hear something like "che, dejáme! Andáte gil!" As for avoiding the world cup here, it´s next to impossible. Soccer is in the blood of these people. When the game starts, you might as well be walking outside at midnight.

Argentina´s prospects of a championship are especially destructive when considering Damian, the investigator who is supposed to be baptized come next week. He has been progressing fantastically, and has agreed to keep everything but the tithing, which we plan to teach tonight. I actually think his testimony has grown to the point of getting baptized despite the country's Fútbol success.

This past week has marked the progression of several key investigators. Luis and Veronica were taught the law of chastity, and took it very well. They both want to get married, and Luis was already considering doing it for some work benefits, so to ask them to get hitched has proved to be something minor. Veronica is planning on taking a turno out to go and arrange their matrimony, and if all goes well, at the very most, the process should take the better portion of two months. My only fear is that I will get transferred before that day comes. Call me selfish, but I really want to see them baptized. They love having us over to their house. Love the scriptures. Love righteousness. Love the gospel.

On the Daniel front, we´re still up against the wall of baptism. He knows it´s true, but just can´t find a way to feel it. A curious doubt that I hadn´t seen before. I´ve found that trying to force someone to feel the truthfulness of the gospel doesn´t work. It´s a personal quest that we all have to embark on. We taught him about that, having the desires to learn on our own and making sacrifices to gain a testimony. Regardless, he´s coming to church regularly and we´ll be here to help him along for that process.

I´ve continued training with the Hna Jones. She has been most effective at learning the secretary position. Yet again, explaining the things that go on in the offices may bore you to the point of tears. But it has been quite enjoyable the past week and a bit crazy, preparing for the jump of presidents. A week from now President Asay will head out. Also there are a bunch of special circumstances this transfer. Like three Elders and a sister jumping in at various points in the transfer. That means a big headache in my position as I make sure that all of them get to the mission and leave the mission without delays.

Well, I know this email is short, but I don´t have a lot of time. I´m taking a half p-day today to get some things done in the offices and then a half p-day tomorrow to go get all you can eat asado from Nuestra Pampa for my B-day lunch. It is a very feliz cumpleaños.