4-16-12

Last week Jay asked me to write some questions for him to answer. These were the questions:
*How much does it cost to mail a letter from Argentina to the states? (I want one-hehe)
*Does the beef there really taste so much better?
*Where do you buy your groceries and shampoo and stuff? Little tiendas and bodegas or a supermarket?
*What is your favorite Argentine dish?
*Any new fruits you have tried?
*Why don't you have bed frames for your beds?
*Do you live with 4 elders or just the 2 of you?
*What is the hardest thing about being ZL?
*Have you grown taller? I think you have
*Is it getting colder there yet?
*Do you still get to play piano ever?
*Are your shoes lasting?
*Are you in a metropolitan more place now?
*Are your shirts getting gross? need new ones?

And here are his answers/this week's letter:

Love the questions (:
It cost about 20 pesos to send a a letter down here. Not too much....it´s just dedicating my self to find time and write the letter (:
The beef...like ground bef doesnt taste tooo different. But when we have asados...yeah, i think the beef does. It´s not yummier....the texture is just way good...and very natural. It´s like natrual cooked meat..but it´s good. idk...hard to explain. It taste fresher sometimes tooo.

I buy groceries at a super market called super vea....it´s close to our pench. But fruit and carrots and stuff I buy at a little fruit stand. It´s kind of the same....not a huge difference. But, sometimes i also go to a kiosco to get stuff....its like a little stand thing....and they sell whatever thing.
My favorite argentine dish is Milanesas...yellow rice...pastel de papa...asado. yup...oh yeah...and empanadas de carne....MMM.

No new fruits...maracuya is a new flavor (: thats good. Pomogranites are more common. >That´s all though I think.

We do have bed frames...but they take up lots of room...and it´s more comfortable on the ground.

I live with 4 elders.

ZL is hard because you want yoru zone to do stuff....like being obedient and teaching seriously and even caring about the mission work the way they should. It´s hard to motivate them and get them to do the stuff you want them to do...with out offending them and making them think you don´t like them. people pleasing and pressuring. though balance.

Idk if i have grown taller. My pants all still fall the same...but...i hope i have (: haha

it is not getting too cold to be honest..just slight winds. its still hot somtimes

i can only play piano for like ten minutes after church on sunday....it´s not much...but i have written a ton of new songs. i loooove piano. made a new one on sunday...and a good trying to be like jesus. my comps don´t get how i can do it...but...whatev.

my new shoes i bought in san luis...yes, they are lasting. they wore down fast...but i think they will last the six months i have left. i hope so! they have too! hahaha. the first ones i bought...from kohls....yeah, they are destroyed (:

yeah, i am closer to the city...but they is still some very very poor places to go and proselite. so....it´s not too bad...it´s a good mix.

my shirts are actually doing good. if you want to send me shirts (size 14 and a half) you can...but only two or three. I will probably buy a new one down here from my plan ride home.

We had pretty good week. We are struggling with the baptism part and getting people to church. Our zone is super young....lots of missionaries with 6 to 8 months. Not the ideal...but we are trying to manage the zone and help them baptize. there is only one missionary in the zone older than me....feeling old! And we are looking for pure miracles. Our goal is 8...in the zone. Thats one of the smaller goals of the mission. and we are having a hard time getting it. I don´t know how baptizing was in Peru...but i know they baptized a lot more in those missions....like bolivia and brazil. Mendoza is just a little tougher. hahaha. We are doing good. this week we had zone conference and me and elder rios had to direct it. it was amazing. we did examples of selling chocolate (its a long explanation) and president really liked it. it was super fun. we also did good and bad examples of the missionary work. it was funny but effective. please pray for rosa!! she came to church...but is super indecisive. anyways, thanks for everything guys. i love you! pray hard and i will work hard! haha.

Love,
Elder Valle