I love to see the TEMPLE!

This week went really well, it was a little disorganised because we discovered on Tuesday that they were going to do a "Whitewash", in our area, which means they took me AND my companion out and put Elders in, since there arent enough Hermanas in the mission. so we had to organise everything for them to arrive and fill in detailed reports so that no one we are teaching gets forgotten, sicne theyre going to arrive and not know anyone. 

Was really sad to say goodbye to everyone, especially the people we are teaching. In the next few weeks theyre going to be baptised and so we will miss the baptisms :(

Sometimes i am just blown away at how much kindness the people here show me. Everyone was really sad i was leaving, some even cried, i got a few gifts from people and a recent convert Adela is making me a dress that I designed with her! I chose the fabric and she is a profesional, so its going to be lovely! 

Yesterday we had dinner with a Brazilian family and ate Arroz Feijoada, which is a tipical dish from brazil... it is actually really nice but it is a pigs foot stew with black beans... I ate it ! Everyone just laughed at me while i ate it haha. Its my companions favourite food!

My new area is the area beside the temple! Ciudad Evita 2, Aldo Bonzi. Its a really nice area and my companion is great, she has 3 months in the mission and is from Chaco Argentina! Shes lovely!

But im back to handwashing my clothes....

As of today i am officially the oldest sister in the mission, in time in the mission! I even got my flight plan... ill be arriving home at 4.30am Wednesday 24th of August 2016..... 

Well, o cant send photos today, my SD card has a virus and the photos wont open on the computer:( Gonna take it to see it someone can take the virus off. 

I hope you are all well, love you all!!

Hermana Wilson

Re: Sister Missionaries in PANTS?!

P.S PHOTOS:

 A member who works in the airport got me some Air New Zealand stuff!!

My comp let me share the rosca with my teddies haha

Rebeka Retamales and I with the empanadas.

My companion playing with my toys while I took a shower

THE ROSCA

EMPANADAS!!

On Mon, May 23, 2016 at 4:59 PM, Micaella Wilson <micaella.wilson@myldsmail.net> wrote:

This week I feel I laughed a lot, which is always a good thing! 

The laughter started with our district meeting on Tuesday when the nervous yanki Elder accidently said "Jesus Smith" instead of "Jesus Christ" or "Joseph Smith", im not sure which one he wanted to say but we all died of laughter and someone asked: "Dont you mean Joseph Christ?" haha, no one is ever going to let him forget that one!

The we had a lesson that night with our completely enthusiastic investigator called Liber who asked us if he could join the choir, we told him he most deffinately could and he just stood up and auditioned right there, sung us the strangest song I have ever heard haha, he´s a bit hippie. I dont know how I was able to keep a straight face to be honest haha.

Thursday we arrived at the chapel with our bikes and asked a brother there to tighten the chains coz they keep coming off and my companion has to fit it all the time (Im too delicate to get my hands all greesy! haha). 

As he fixed it he exclaimed: "But Sister Wilson! The wheel is about to come off your bike! Its hanging on by one almost falling out screw! Didn´t you notice it moving around!?" 

ME: "Oh! I just thought I had really bad balance on the bike!" hahaha

So we went without bikes for a day to get the wheel all fixed haha. The funny thing is that 2 weeks ago we went to a bike safety course and watched an animation of what happens when the wheel comes off while riding and giggled at the animation nose diving into the pavement.... that was almost me! Guess I should have applied what I learnt... but how should I know how many screws a bike needs! Looked great to me haha.

The yesterday we went to pick up a pot we had lent to a member and she gace us a Roska (photo attached). Its a type of sweet bread with a custard on top. A lot of the time this family give us bread, sandwhiches, cakes, cookies ect because they own some bakeries. They always give us a lot so I always go around giving it out to the neighbours, members and obviously the Elders who are always hungry. I jsut do that without even thinking about it. So when we got the rosca this is the conversation that went down with my companion:

Me: We have a rosca.

Hna C: Yes, we have a rosca!

Me: (In serious thought, almost concerned) Who are we going to share the rosca with?

Hna C: You are going to share it with me, and I am going to share it with you!

Me: (Thinking it was a joke) What families live around here, we could visit someone and eat the rosca with them? Or maybe we could save it until tomorrow and visit the Tau family? Or the Retamales? Isnt it Sandra Lopez´ birthday soon? 

Hna C: (Changing to speak in a really bad english incase I didnt understand in spanish) "WE eat rosca. OUR rosca!"

Me: (Dying of laughter!) You dont wanna share the rosca Hermana?

Hna C: (also laughing) What kinda of poor missionary are you? People give us food and you give the majority of it away! I am still traumatized from my seccond day here when they gave us about 3kgs of cookies and you made little cookie packs for everyone in the zone and only left one cookie pack for us! A normal missionary would eat all the cookies but Saint Sister Wilson goes gifting them to everyone!

Me: Sorry about that Hermana, dont worry we will eat the rosca ourselves haha.

It was so funny haha, because I hadnt even realised that I was always gifting the treats that people give us. I just see a load of food and think; How are we even gonna eat all that haha. Didnt realise how traumatized my companion was haha.

Today we made Empanadas with the Retamales family, love them so much, we had a great time. I am all prepared to make them when I get home. Its a savoury pastry with cheese and ham inside, or chicken or meat, whatevery you want really. 

This week there was a lot going on here, first aid courses, self-reliance courses, talk about disaster preparation. 

It was great to see people participating in all that and the theme was: (If my translation is correct) "When the time to act arrives, the time to prepare is over". Weve been talking a lot about being prepared in the area. We need to decide NOW what we are going to do when a trial, challenge or disaster arrives. There´s no use saying that "we´ll cross that bridge when we get there", HOW are you going to cross if you dont know how to walk accross?

When someone apostate tries to convince us that we are in the wrong church, how are we going to react?

When someone offers us drugs, how are we going to react? 

When your child has a siezure or is choking, what are you going to do?

When you find your husband unconscious what are you going to do?

When there is an earthquake what are you going to do? 

When the fridge breaks, how are you going to buy a new one? 

When your child needs reading glasses, how are you going to pay? 

The most shocking for me was the first aid course, seeing that there are so many people who really dont know how to do basic things that can save a life. When someone is choking, especially a child if we dont help them in the correct way we could kill or badly hurt the person and what we see in movies a lot of the times is exactly what we shouldnt do.

I encourage everyone to take a first aid course, make an emergency finance plan, have food and water storage and to choose now to stand up for certain values and beliefs. Often we think that we will never be in certain situations, but when we suddenly find ourselves there how are we going to know what to do, how to react if we have never prepared for that. 

The mission also takes these things very seriously. At the moment there are a lot of people sick and some dying from Mosquito Borne Diseases such as Dengue Fever. So we have to spray all our clothes with a special chemical, the windows with another Chemical and have mosquito nets on the windows, wear repelent and just this week the area has annouced that the Sister Missionaries in missions with mosquito diseases may now wear PANTS to cover our skin from the mosquitos. Our mission is on the list of missions that have been approved to wear pants, but we are waiting to see what our President says about that. Dont know how I feel about it..... kinda weird.... 

Things are good here! Yesterday was officially 3 months until I finish my mission.... also dont know how I feel about that. I am excited to see everyone and for the next step in my life, but the mission has been such an uplifting and fun and huge experience. Its going to be VERY strange to finish!

Hope youre all well!!

Love you

Hermana Wilson

Cumpleaños y Bautismo!

Bela and Antos Birthday and the bapstism

All over the place kinda week!

This week was CRAZY! 

I have litterally been all over the mission, Monte Grande, Ezeiza, Burzaco, San Miguel de Monte, Adrogue, Temperley..... I think thats all! 

We had intercambios with the Sisters from Los Flores, I was here most of the week with Hermana Shepard, but she had to do some visa stuff so we had to go around a bit for that and had to travel to meet up with our companions in Monte.

Funny thing happened on tuesday, Hermana Shepard was cooking eggs and the whole hosue was filling with smoke! I was like "hermana what are you burning!" and shes like "Nothing! I dont know where the smoke is coming from!". The eggs litterally were not burning and so we were really confused. Then about 10 minutes later when the whle house is filled with smoke i remember that I put two slices of bread in the oven when I got up and hd forgotten. They were totally burnt! That what happens when you dont have a toaster..... also happens when I do have a toaster haha. I can cook a meal, a cake, cookies but I really cant do toast haha. It took about 3days to get the burnt smell out of our flat haha.

My comp super glued her fingers together this week, another story for another time. Took ages to un stick them! We were wondering if wed have to go to the hospital! We really didnt want to have to call the zone leaders and tell them shed stuck her fingers together, that would be embarrassing!

Saturday was the baptism and 8th birthday of Isabela Franco and the 1st birthday of her little sister Antonela. We helped out with food and obviously with the baptism, it was great! Theyre a lovely family!

We have a few new people who we are teaching. Liber came to church on Sunday and is just a great guy, we only met him on friday and he´s just so enthusiastic to learn! Its great!

I got sassed by our senior misionary Elder Mitchell who works in the offices this week! I called about some finance stuff and he said "Elder Colman says hi", Elder Colman arrived with me in the mission and it was the 11th, the day we arrived so i said "Tell Elder Colman happy 15 months!" and Elder Mitchell says, "Elder Colman, Hermana Wilson says Happy Birthday Honey!" apparently Elder Colman nearly fell off his chair and im just yelling "Thats not what I said!" And elder and Sister Mitchell just thought they were too funny! We went into the ofices later that day to pic some stuff up and they had costumes and decorations for the "quinciñera" which is a party they have here when someone turns 15. Love the office staff haha

BABY TALK: 

Cute stuff always happen with babies here haha. 

1. We had lunch with the relief society president and her two year old son is just being toilet trained and so he just comes running out and throwing his brand new undies at us. He was so excited to show us and his mum is just like "Alen! The sisters dont want to see your underwear! "haha

2. Even though it is pday we had lunch with some members today coz theyre great. The dad doesnt want his 1.5 year old to go on a mission when she grows up and when I arrived in the area he had her trained, he would say: "Catalina, are you gonna go on a mission?" and she would say "no!" and then he would ask "Are you gonna get married Catalina?" and she would say "Yes!". Well today, because I am a great example to her, i said "Cata, are you gonna go on a mission?" and she said "Yes!" and I asked "Cata, are you gonna get married?" and she said "no!". It was halarious, her dad was trying to get her to say she wasnt going on a mission and she wasnt having any of that! Her mum took a video, it was so funny. She is only 18 months but speaks A LOT. She sings full songs. She cant quite say Hermana so she calls me "Mana". 

Well thats my week! Heres some photos. The cake thing is an Alfajor, theyre the most common thing ever here but so delish! Theyre the reason that missionaries get fat haha. We had one to celebrate my 15 months. Excuse my morning look with the burnt toast, but yeah, it was the morning!

Love you all!!

Hermana Wilson

Happy Mothers Day!

This week flew by, we were litterally so busy that I didnt even have time to think about the fact I was going to skype my family until the night before! 

This week we had intercambios with the Hermanas from Ezeiza, I was with Hermana Walker who has just a mere 3 weeks in the mission, feels like yesterday that I was there! But this wednesday I will have been here 15 months! Shes so sweet and learning spanish and the lessons really quickly. As they would say here ella es una capa! 

Thursday we had interviews with President Thurgood, it was the last interview i will have with him since they leave in about 6 weeks and a new President will be arriving. 

We had a training about bike saftely which included a really halarious video and we also had a training on how to protect ourselves from Dingue Fever, since theres an outbreak of that right now. We have mosquito gaurds on the windows and replent and we have been given a chemical that we have to spray all our clothes with and let them dry and it is a permenant replelent for about 6 weeks. 

Friday we had a Tormenta Blanca (White Storm)! I dont know why its called that, maybe because of the Elders white shirts? Well anyway, its when all the missionaries in the zone come to a particular area and work for the day. It was a lot of planning on our part, we had to organise where each companionship was going to go and mark it on the map and put little crosses where they had to stop and then number each cross and write who the person is and if theyre a member, non-member, contact, or investigator. It took us about 4 hours or more to sort it all out. 

But the event was a real sucess! We found loads of new people to teach :D 

The next day it took about 3 hours to sort out all the paperwork we got back from everone and write everything in the area book ect. 

Saturday I skyped my family!! It was great to see everyone! The weirdest thought is that the next time I see them will be in 3 months in the airport! :O

Saturday night we had the sisters form Los Flores arrive to stay because there was stake conference yesterday and the zone activity is today. Tuesday afternoon we are going to have exchanges with them and my companion is going to be taking the looooog trip to Los Flores until thursday and im going to be here with Hermana Shepard. 

Its gonna be another crazy week because tuesday morning the zone leaders and my companion and I have to do a 2 hour zone council with the district leaders, to let them know what president wants them to be teaching and doing with their districts. 

Hope youre all well!! Love you all!! 

Photos:

A month ago when we went to San Miguel de Monte

Hermana Shepard and I

Our stairs= anti-robber system haha (we cleaned that up!)

My comp and I taking a selfie in the mirror, our house is a mess coz we have guests and their stuff and mattresses are everywhere haha

Panic!!

There were 2 reasons to panic this week....

1. Because I am almost out of Vegemite!

2. Because we accidentally set off the panic alarm in our house hahaa.. 

All of the missionaries houses here have an alarm and also 2 panic buttons, somehow the panic button ended up on my companions bed and she pressed it without realising and the really loud  alarm starts going off at about 10:30 at night. I didnt know that it was the panic alarm, i thought it was the house alarm and so here I am in my pijamas thinking "No! Someone has entered into the house! What do I even do?!" Then my companion yells "I pushed the panic alarm!" so I run downstairs to disactivate it before the neighbours call the police and I cant remember the code! I yell to Hermana Conceiçao and she just yells it from upstairs and I cant hear her because theres basically a tsunami alarm going off hahahaha. Eventually I heard the numbers and put them in but couldnt remember which button was the ok button..... It took a few minutes but I got it all sorted and we almost died of laughter! Scared the poor neighbours though haha. 

Wednesday we had intercambios with the Hermanas from Luis Guillon, I was with Hermana Holt who is GREAT! Love that girl so much, its really sad we never got to be companions! We had a great time, but we ate something and got food poisoning. Hermana Holt started vomiting when she got back to Luis Guillon and I spent the night crawled into a ball by the heater with the worst abdominal pains ever! Wasnt cool! 

Thursday we had Mission Leadership Council and so we headed to the mission home. Hermana Thurgood gave me some medicine and it made me feel much better. I just love being in the mission home! Hermana Thurgood gave us loads of candy too haha. 

Today we are gonna watch a movie as a district and eat ice cream, even though its freezing cold haha.

This week I get to talk to my family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love you all! 

P.S Sorry no photos, still have to fix my SD card, and Hermana Holt has the other photos.