Santa Claus Came to House *For Missionaries* (Week 73)

Monday, December 23, 2024    7:17pm

FELIZ FREAKIN NAVIDAD MIS QUERIDOS AMIGOS!!! 

How's everyone doing? Ready for Christmas? Yeah, me neither. 

Well, second week in Balcarce down, and I gotta say, this place is really great. Maybe it's just because the members here are awesome and I'm getting fed multiple times a day, but still, Balcarce is an incredible area. 

I guess I'll start off talking about the Light the World invitations we were making all week; we basically got a bunch of these special Christmassy almost postcard looking card that we were giving to the members and our really progressing friends so that they could invite their friends to our Christmas activity/church on Sunday, and judging from how many people the other three Elders here didn't recognize at those events, everyone really did a great job inviting! Especially at the ward Christmas party, it seemed like almost half the people there were friends of members! Now they just have to introduce all those friends to us I guess. And bring them to church and stuff, that'd be cool too. 

During said Christmas party, an Hermana approached us and told us in English that this year 'Santa Claus is coming to house for missionaries.' We were a bit confused as to what she meant at first, but she had us stop by her home after sacrament meeting and her and her family had made us little paper stockings with our names on them filled with Argentine goodies, which is always very welcome, yall know how much I love alfajores. 

I should probably also shout out our boy Aquiles, he's a twelve year old kid we've been teaching, and he's been inviting a ton of his friends and family to basically everything, last time we visited him he asked us for ten of the Christmas cards to give out, and for comparison, we usually give out like 2-3 per person. He's a great kid, he's actually on date for baptism for the 19th of January, and he's totally gonna reach it. I'd really like to be able to teach a family member of his at some point so that he has some support in house for church stuff, but he'll be alright for the moment, the youth here have really taken him in. And he does have all the permission from his mom to go to church, so it's not like they don't want him there haha. 

We also had our Christmas Conference this last Wednesday, and it was pretty great! President gave a great devotional about the Plan of Salvation and the Jesus Christ's purpose in it, which I mean great for Navidad. We also did a kind of gift exchange which was fun, they had us add a little testimony of Jesus Christ in the gifts we brought, and it was really sweet to see all the amazing testimonies the Elders and Hermanas have in our mission. 

Today I was in Mar Del Plata for Pday, just kinda wandered around the city, checking out stores and seeing the sights and such. I got to see the beach again after a few months away from it, unfortunately it is summer, so we couldn't go onto the beach, but it's chill, it's still a great view. 

This week I also finished the Book of Mormon again, and I can really testify that just like it says on the cover, it is another testament of Jesus Christ. I've loved this chance that I've had to become better aquainted with this Book as well as my Savior. The examples and testimonies of the prophets of the Book have also helped me a lot to be a better minister to our friends as well as help them become better. I really love the Book of Mormon and hopefully I'll be able to read it over again before I end the mission!!

Anyways peoples, I love yall tons!! I hope everyone has an amazing, spirit filled Christmas! Remember to remember your Savior during this special time! He loves you!

Cya later!

-Elder Montgomery

How does one roast bees

Wenomechainasama

Mi familia sí me ama

The wonderful Christmas Conference gift I had the pleasure of receiving

El capo

Apparently this guy, Elder Hancock, and I are the same according to a lot of people

It really do be lookin like Skyrim out here

I will be wearing this all Christmas Eve, thank you very much

Present from the Antuñas. Yes Mom, that's an ornament

Ooo snacks

Wonderful Covid Mural

El cabra

Ward Christmas party moment

Yeyy el pesebre del barrio

The flavor here is just cream and onion because sour cream doesn't exist here 🫠

Pupper with heterochromia

Lil piggies a member family has

Home on the range baby

My eyes are closed to hear better, I swear

Santa Claus came to house for the missionaries

The Land Bountiful (Week 72)

Monday, December 16, 2024   5:52pm

Heyo, what's good, hope yall are doing well. 

So, I had quite a long week, what with transfers and all, but we're chilling now and that's what's important. 

First off, dealing with transfers. Mostly just went around during the week saying goodbye to a few members and doing some last lessons/finding efforts before I'm gone, and it's quite safe to say that I'm satisfied with my work in Azul, I got to see the branch grow quite a bit since I had been there, and I'm happy about it.

After that, we had to wait Wednesday nightin the church with Elders Castillo and Paredes so that Paredes could get on the bus the church sends around picking up and dropping off missionaries, so Elder Roundy and I ended up teaching them how to play Truco, which we ended up playing the whole night which was a lot of fun. Then we saw Paredes off and headed home to sleep.

The next day was a bit more interesting, we got outside and tried to work a bit the three of us, but not much happened unfortunately. We did however receive a call that told us that our bus was going to get there at 9:30pm instead of 7:45pm like we originally though, so we were like 'awesome, let's get some food before we leave.' But of course, with my luck, order food at about 8pm, sit down to wait, and immediately get a call from the other missionaries asking where we are. Yup, bus got there pretty much on time. So after running a couple foot all fields length, we make it to the bus and everything's fine, I made it to Balcarce and the Elders there pick me up and we make it home great. 

One thing I noticed when I got here was that everything was really wet, all because of a crazy storm that happened. I didn't really think much of it at first, but while Elder Blalock and I were visiting some members in the morning, we heard that a lot of people's houses had flooded, so in the afternoon that Friday we went around visiting some members in a more affected area. Luckily, they were all okay and their houses as well, but there was one family that sells athletic shoes and stuff that had about half of their supply messed up, so we scheduled some service with them Saturday morning where we helped them sort out the dirtiest/wettest pairs so they can clean them all up and hopefully sell them at half price or something.

I have sad news. I think I'm going to lose some of the cooking skills I've gained here, because the members feed us a lot. Balcarce has a ward that's about 120 members strong, with some more semi actives that kinda pop in and out some weeks. It actually really surprised me getting there on Sunday and seeing just how much people there really were. My hand got a bit tired after being shaken so much! But anyways, I already really like all the families here, and they also cook really well, I think I had the best empanadas ever last night with a Venezuelan family here. 

Well, other than that, there's not much else from me! I'm still getting to know our friends and the city, so I'll probably have more next week. We'll also have our Christmas Conference this Wednesday, so that should be fun. Oh and the ward has a Christmas activity this Friday too. What fun we have during this Christmas time, no? 

Anyways, I love you guys, I'll be back next week with more thrilling tales and Argentine escapades! 

Cya laters, alligators!

Elder Montgomery 

Hermana Beatriz!!

Fort Duchense, por favor

At least the church decorates

Me veo como una langosta jugando con los pibes

The kickstand on my phone broke equisde

Esperando el bus, que va a ser

Oh wow

Balcarce is beautiful

Great view

First day in Balcarce!!

Gosh it's gorgeous here

Double Hawk Action

Christmas colors at the ready

Goin out with Tiago!

The shoes we helped sort

 

To the Sea of Silver (Week 71)

Monday, December 9, 2024   3:37pm

Hi everyone!! Yeyy, another email, what fun! 

This week we found this older gentleman named Saul, who has apparently talked to the missionaries before because the first time we met him, he said that he loved the Book of Mormon and that he prayed to Joseph Smith. Hold on, back up, prays to Smith? Yeah, idk who taught him that, but we're going over the Restoration with him and he seems to get it which is better than I was expecting him to do honestly. He's honestly fun to talk to, but he does get sidetracked really easily and likes to ask questions and not wait for an answer, so lessons are interesting, but we're pretty used to that at this point. 

This was also a week of divisions, because we got Bolivar in on Monday for our last District Pday, then we went around with them on Tuesday, then the next couple days, Elder Roundy and I took turns going out with Elder Castillo so that the guy didn't have to stay cooped up in a pension with a recently operated companion. Elder Paredes is doing alright from what I can tell, probably will be able to work fine by the end of the week. 

On a lot of those divisions, I went around knocking doors and trying to find new people while Elder Roundy went out and had some pretty great lessons with some of our pre-existing friends, and it's honestly looking like Azul should be getting some bappys soon, prayers go out to my boy Roundy, because...

We received transfer calls this week! Unfortunately, I won't be staying in Azul, but I am headed out to an area called Balcarce in the Mar Del Plata Norte zone! I'm pretty hyped, I've heard a lot of great things about the area and the zone, so this should be a pretty great transfer. My comp is also going to be Elder Blalock, who was here in Azul last transfer, getting trained by Elder Castillo. This'll be my third time greenie breaking now and I'm excited. 

My last Sunday in Azul was great as it was their primary program, which is always a very special experience. I've gotten to know a lot of the kids and their families and I've been really impressed and happy with how well they've understood the Book of Mormon this year. Big shout out to Come Follow Me though, that thing is great for helping families teach themselves the doctrine. 

The program also helped me a lot to reflect on my own experience with the Book of Mormon this year. I've read it about twice now, bouncing back and forth between English and Spanish, and I'm learning so much more about it's history and teachings than I had ever noticed before. I literally don't understand how I can read through this Book multiple times and still have something new to mark or to reflect on. I can truly bear testimony that the Book of Mormon is true and that through reading it and pondering it's teachings, one can grow closer to their Savior every single day. So yeah, make sure you're reading your Book of Mormon, you'll learn a lot. 

Anyways, that's pretty much it from me today. I've got most of my stuff packed already, so I'll be talking to you all from Mar Del Plata (kinda) next time!

Love you all tons! Have a blessed week!

-Elder Montgomery

Lil Gauchito Gil shrine

I think this is just like my album cover or smthn

Divisions with Elder Richard

El Hermano Ciano!!

Idk who keeps painting these, but they cool as heck

Con el Elder Castillo!

I miss borderlands

Ooo que linda tormenta

Una buena charla con Cristo

After how much I've walked? Yeah right, Paul

Yeah, that about sums it up