11-28-11

Hey Family.
This week was good (: It was a little crazy because I barely had any time in my area or to talk to my investigators! I felt trapped I wanted so much to teach and talk and pray with them but this week was so hard because we had so many things to do this week (:
First thing. My Mission credit card got eaten in the ATM....i guessi put in the wrong password and they ate it. Ug....it´s going to be a PAIN trying to get this card back. So I have been pulling money off my personal just so you know mom (:
After pday they told me that I had to go to mendoza ASAP so I could get my VISA renewed before i became illegal. Anyways...I had to go on tuesday. I went to mendoza and got there at 12 at night and then i had to get up at six the next day so i coudl go get in line and wait for the fingerprinting place to get me a spot. i finally got in, got my fingerprints done and i was good to go! wow...so then I had to travel to San Luis again (four hour bus ride back) and i had to wait in the terminal for my bus. they dropped me off at eleven and my bus didn´t leave til two. They told me i would have to be alone for a while. WEIRD feeling to be honest. I really got a glimpse of what it might have been like or how hard it would have been to preach the gospel like the apostles who didn´t have companions and had to be perfectly obedient. I could go on an on about the comparison but you guys get he gist. It was a boring experience to be hoenst. I found one guy to talk to who actually spoke english and lived in virgina for like five years....go figure. Anyways, that was nuts. Next day (thanksgiving) President came up to do Leadership trainging for our zone. He spoke a lot about how the church is changing the way of doing missionary work. No longer will we nknock doors. the goal is that the missioanries work with pure references...crazy right? But we know that we can have success. I would challenge you to think of someone (anyone....a neighboor...just and random person that live in the ward boundaires) and tell the missionaries where they live on sunday and ask them to visit them. They will be thrilled!! Even though they might not be baptized, we are planting seeds and working ina new way. Should be great. they evening the zone had thanksgiving.

Rolls, chicken, chorizo, mashed potatoes...and someone had there mom send them gravy packets (MMMMMM) i also made a peach cobbler for the thing. Way yummy. It was a little argentine because we didn´t have any turkey. it kinds doesnt exist here. or it is waaaaaay expensive. So, it was fun. The next day worked a little bit in our area (finally) and the next day i had to do divisions with my district. they are not being disobedient but they just don´t get along (atleast they are baptizing though!). They are not doing to hot as far as companioship unity goes. So it was a little intense trying to fiz the problems. The hermanas in my district are also lossing some investigators...which is super hard for them. So it was a little nuts. We also had to get people to stake conference which was a little tough because it is so far away. Then sunday night....it started rainging and hailing like no other again. It was nuts. Too dangerous to go outside too....it was a little dissapointing not getting much done. But we had thing to take care of. It´s interesting how many things god puts in our way. I am having lots of fun. Me and my comp are at one of the points in the mission where there is no one progressing...no one really wants to get baptized. It´s tough. I am so used to working so much and helping people get to church. It´s weird when you have to look for people...i guess i am supposed to learn something. We will see what it is (: I hope you all enjoyed your thanksgiving (: I might try to get some cool photos to you guys today.

This moning we went to a lake and played soccer which was in the middle of a huge argentine race track.

it was acually pretty cool! i will try to get those to you (: love you guys (:
Elder Valle

11/21/11

Hey Everyone,
This week has just been....crazy. Just for the missionary work part of it...nothing has changed with me. Hahaha. La Punta first of all, is an amaaazing place. I really believe San Luis is one of the areas of the church where we are growing the most. I love working in this type of area. The members are all excited about the growth of the idea and the idea that we could get our own chapel someday if we work hard enough in the work of the Lord. Anyways, everything is going great, it was just a crazy week.
We confirmed three people members of the church this week. Javier, Jessica and Facundo. Javier and Jessica are a young married couple looking for a better life. They found that obviously. And Facundo is Jessicas little brother who we baptized last week. Anyways, so one thing that I found out about La Punta this week...is that church is in a house. Hahaha. We go twice a month to church in a house and the other two times we travel about half an hour to go to church closer to centro. So this week we had church in the house of one of these active members. He has a pretty nice garage I guess, so we had church there. Well, he obviously has his garage stuff in the "chapel"....wood, bicycles, his pet birds and stuff. Anyways, so we started to confirm Javier in the Sacrament Meeting and the birds...idk why..just went nuts. They are like these really small super super bright yellow birds. Anyways, they started to sing and make all these crazy loud bird sounds. It was kind of embarassing for our convert Javier....but he was way cool. Anyways, we had to ask the guy to take out his bird cage because the birds were not inviting the spirit. Only in Argentina. Anyways, they all got confirmed. La Punta was also waaay excited because our stake president came to church with us at the house! La Punta is exploding...and the president told us that if we can get enough people baptized and confirmed and remaning active, that we could be our own ward and get a chapel....here in La Punta. Anyways....the members are super excited and we sohuld start recieiving lots of help from the ward. I personally am super excited (:
This week it rained...A TON. Like...this is the most rain I have felt in my life. It almost hurt. And then we had super huge hail that fell down too that also hurt. A couple them hit my ears and i still kinda hurt in my ears. My book and my agenda were completely destroyed and obviously my shoes are almost dry. I obviously couldn´t take any pictures...but luckily we had lunch with the relief society president who heated us up and gave us towels and a wicked lunch too. We were relieved. Oh yeah, and the thunder was just WAY loud. Both me and my comp we like...kind of ducked and almost covered our ears because the thunder just sounded like it was headphone. It was nuts. Lighting was super bright. I will never forget that day. The hermana was mad that we didn´t call a taxi or call her so she could come pick us up....but me and my comp decided this would probably be a super fun experience seeing what happened. And it was.
Hey! I got your package and I love it! Thanks so much. I am addicted to the EFY cd. Seriously. Amazing.
I have to go to mendoza tomorrow because I have to renew my visa. Anyways, It´s kinda crazy because I have to travel four hours...ALONE (freaking weird) get to mendoza...sign like two papers and then go back four hours again. I really don´t want to. There is a lot to do in my area...so...anyways. That will be interesting.
My district is doing pretty good. One thing I am trying really hard to do is love them and their investigadores. I guess I realized it´s hard for me to love people I don´t know and even though I don´t have to know the people in other areas, I still need to pray for them and help them. I was just doing a lot of reflectioning this week. I love how the mission...in it´s distinct ways helps us to realize the things that we need to be doing better. I love being a missionary. My comp got box last week and his parents had sent him maple flavoring...maple syrup!!!! (does not exist here). So i will send you a picture of us eating pancakes with maple syrup. mmmmmmmm. long time. I hope you guys have a great week, i might write more If i get more time here.
Hasta luego,
Chau,
Elder Valle

11-14-11

La Punta is doing way good. It´s kinda a weird area. it´s actually only like nine years old and missionaries have only been here for like two years almost. we actually are alost our own barrio! we are way excited for that to happen. we just need to baptized like 2 or three more elders and thats it. boom! new ward in the world! anyways...we are working super hard. my comp´s spanish is pretty rough, so i end up talking alot of the time...but that doesn´t bother me. i really don´t know why, but here in san luis, everyone thinks i´m latino. like...from buenos aires or something....? nada que ver. i even have an accent and i look white....but they say i don´t have too bad of an accent. so, idk. pretty weird. but i like it here. it is for sure probably the richest area i have been in on my mission. a lot of poeple have their own computer...some with interenet...and a few have cars of their own. its way nice to escape the heat of san juan for the summer and come down here to san luis. when i was san juan...it was super tought with the weather, but here its super nice and chill.

we baptized a kid named facundo this week. we actually had our trials trying to get him baptized but it was super fun. his whole family was baptized like...two weeks ago. but he always was busy with soccer stuff that he didn´t have "the time" to listen. so we went this week and taught him all the commandments. he had already been to church like 5 times and loved all of it. it was raining a ton sunday morning...so almost no one came to church. but facundo and his family did obviously. me found them at the bus stop waiting

he is way funny and reminds me alot of the humor i had when i was his age. anyways, it was crazy. i feel a little crazy out here because i don´t know the area, but im senior comp and i am supposed to lead the area. so i want to do things right but i don´t know where to go and my comp is still way new. but i know things will work out. anyways, we are having lots of fun. we are teaching this way amazing family whoa are all professional belly dancers. yeah, it´s a little weird but it´s super sick. luckily they havent performed for me or anything...hahaha. i hope not. they also speak arabic and she transleted i am a child of god for us. it´s pretty cool! anyways, pray fro them. the familia quevedo and the familia quiroga. they need a lot of personal revelation to know they need to get baptized. the love church, so that´s not a problem. haha.
my new comp is cool. elder taylor...he is actually a convert of about one year and one month. he decided to get baptized and serve a mission. he is from....Ventura, California. Isn´t that where dad served? that´s way cool right. anyways. he grew up in a place called Ojay. Maybe dad remembers that. Man. i love the people here. i hope everything is going great in nampa. how are dalan and miranda? good?
i love you guys. happy holidays. haha
love elder valle.

11-7-11

MOM,
glad the reception went MAGNIFICENT. so happy for them (: I am glad that everyone loved the letter i wrote.

Tomorrow I am going to Zone San Luis and my Area is La Punta. I am going to be companions with Elder Taylor. He just barely got here about two transfers ago. I am still district leader. I actually talked with President...and he said it was time for me to be Zone Leader because LIndahl wanted me to be Zone leader about 3 months ago. Hahaha. But, it´s just not working out. But he´s as soon as "positions" open up, we will make things happen. Hahaha. But that doesn´t even matter to me. I only want to go where the lord sends me. I don´t want to go up and have it not be the will of the Lord. If going to La Punta (the tip...haha) is where the Lord needs me....i am over excited and anxious to go there and work a ton and cosechar all of the semillas. hahaha.

I am going to miss Albardon. In testimony, our ward mission leader started like this.....I am a little emotional...forgive me. Elder Valle leaves us this week, and well....he´s been a good Elder". oh man....i started crying and i felt guilty for leaving a little bit. hahaha (: It is going to be way hard to leave Albardón.

The first half...was well...interesting with Elder Williams. But with my son Robles, we have baptized some amazing people. Some have callings and one of them has started personal progress and next sunday one of the converts is getting the priesthood. I can´t believe how the Lord works with us when we work with him. It´s so great (: I have been taking pictures with everyone this week (: We were going to change saturday but instead we are changing tomorrow...so it was really weird when i said goodbye to everyone on friday night and we cried a little bit....and then i came back to church the next Sunday.

The president changed things around at the last minute....we don´t know why. Revelation i guess. haha. But everyone was really confused, but it was good to say good bye to a few people that i could not have said goodbye to last week. Albardon i would say, is the area where i have grown the most sow far in my mission. sometimes, i look back at myself in old areas, and think of how much i didn´t know. haha, i was a baby.and i still have a good 11 months to go. I am so blessed to be here. Sometimes, I don´t even want to think of coming home. Even though air conditioning is nice and i love my home, i´m never going to be able to do this again being so young. I love it. anyways, i´m going to try and get photos off to you guys. we will se what happens. love you,

elder valle

10/31/11

Wow. Congratulations Dallan. I am SOO happy for them. They are way cute together and I am so glad that he is following God´s Plan of Happiness. I saw the photos and got a little trunky, but I know that i need to be here more than anything (: short letter again this week....the work is crazy hot down here.
elder aidukatis came down here and bajo cañe this week. it was all about planning and how we will baptized a ton of more people if we just plan right. it was amazing. he made us feel bad, but it´s true what he says. he was like...if you dont follow all the steps for planning in preach my gospel, you are not following the prophet....wow. it was nuts. anyways, i´m leaving albardon pretty soon and all the families are saying goodbye and the people are starting to make gifts. hahaha. it´s pretty fun. i never realized how much i love the people until i have to leave. i´m going to miss these people so much....and the only thing i wish that they do, is go to church (: man....missionary work is the best. i´m going to try to get some photos off to you guys. this saturday is transfers....hopefully i get a new area. six months in albardón....long time. 1/4 of the mission. love you guys. congrats dal.
elder valle