8/15/11

Hey Guys!

It´s true when you say this week has been a long one. I have been counting days and hours, but I knew I could do it. Out of all my transfers with companions, I can honestly say I have learned more about myself and about life in those three months than I have learned in any other time in my mission. As surprising as it may seem, I guess I even had a hard time saying goodbye. We laughed our heads off together and even have yelled at eachother but all in all, we made it, and I learned unvaluable lessons with him. We got up at 3:00 this morning so he could get back to Mendoza on time, and now I am hanging out with my Zone Leaders from P day and for tomorrow. We still don´t know who will be my companion, but I am sure staying in my area, which I am totally cool with (: Way excited to show the members what I am like with another animated missionary.



Birthday was pretty...missionary like (go figure). We did missionary work and my comp was still packing and getting stuff ready so it wasn´t anything crazy. As you know, I just hate the birthday like attention, so I didn´t tell anyone. I figured the best way to celebrate was to wait for your packages and buy myself icecream the same day I get them, so I am still waiting to get them. However, my way way sick Bishop, Bishop Alvarez did send me a text message to wish my Happy Birthday. That was enough Birthday attention for one day. Then, on Sunday, days after my birthday, we had lunch at the Bishops house and before we left, the bishops wife (waaaay awesome strong mormon down here) pulled out a cake from her freezer that she made from scratch for my birthday and their family sang me happy birthday...in english! It was so nice. They only had two little kids...but It was nice and she let me put candles on it and enjoy it. I love strong members (: Pray that the Alvarez family gets lots of blessings. They deserve them. hahaha.

Oh man...I was reading Hebrews 12 this week. SICK chapter (: Read it when you have time. D&C 6 was another hot chapter this week in my personal study. Hit it up.

I did some way sweet divisions this week and did a ton of Baptismal Interviews, where I met some cool People. First of all, Ester de Valle (first Valle that I have met in the mission) and I also did an interview for Selena Gomez. Ha! Go crazy. The people over in that area baptized six people this weekend! Sweet right? And so with all the interviews to do, I have never felt so trusted in the eyes of God. I guess doing regular missionary work is one thing, but I was depending so heavily on the Spirit that day, that I had to make sure I was focused and on top of my "spiritual game". Good day (: I enjoyed it.

San Jaun is starting to heat up! I actually started sporting my short sleeves this week and maybe even might turn on a fan during the siesta. We will have to see right? Anyways, I am sleeping with less blankets and more windows open. Winter just went by way fast here. Glad I had my warm clothing (:

I would have to say that my favorite experience this week was during exercise time on Saturday. E´ Williams loves to run, and I do to a little, but not as much as this guy. We run about a 5K in the mornings, and after that I am dead. Of course he goes way faster and he is skinnier and all that stuff...haha, but after doing the 5K he came to my side and said that he wanted to do it the whole route...again. (I was beat. So dead.) I told him how dead I felt and that it was time to go...he said "I know you got this Valle...you can do this. One last run". I gave in to the peer pressure and maybe more than anything because it was his last exercise day, I decided to do it. We started going around the second time and this time, he remained by my side, instead of trying to run off 100 meters in front of me like normally...I felt supported this second time, and even though my legs hurt quite a bit, I was doing it and I was going to finish the 10 k. I felt like sometimes, this is how Heavenly Father acts with his children. He gives us a trial, and squeezes us to our last drop of faith. Not for fun, but because he knows we can do it and that it will be for our benifit. Sometimes we think that all we can do is a 5K, but if we take seriously the confidence he has in us, he shows us our potential and helps us along the way. It was a great lesson I learned, and I was feeling the spirit as I ran through San Juan and thought about how similiar that situation was.



hope you all have a great week! thanks for the letters. sounds like dallan is just getting ready for the big haloween part...i mean, wedding. HAHAHA. big joke. Ana...if you are not doing band, you better find some club, and be way good at it. Like debate. That makes high school the best. Whatever you choose to do, focus on it and be the best and win state and yeah. You get the point. It´s sad, but I don´t blame you. Flute players are weird sometimes(no offense to erin or miranda). Love you guys!

Elder Valle

8/8/11

oh boy, this week hasn´t been too spectacular. my companion has one week left on the mission! you can imagaine how crazy things get on the last week! my brithday is tomorrow, but i don´t know if i will do anything (: you know me...birthday parties? mmm....no tanto. so we will mission it up like normal and i will celebrate when i get your birthday boxes in the mail! yay! so excited but i have to put my patience in practice because i live so far away from the offices, the mail man doesn´t run up to san juan too often, you know? but that´s ok (: more suspense...or soemthing like that. thanks for all the birthday wishes. i hope i act like a twenty year old...if not, well i am sorry (:

this week hasn´t been anything special, but i will let you in on a sweet lesson we had this week!
we found this cute little familye...ofelisa, eduardo, and their daugher caterina. we found them because i was talking to lady on the bus and she told us to pass by. anyways, they were doing what a lot of argentines do...drink tea, when we artrived. they were getting to know us and we were getting to know them and all the sudden they asked us...why are there so many churches?...(BOOM! perfect perfect question that just makes a perfect invatation for the restoration. being the smart people we are we started to explain and my comp and i started to relate the apostasy to the argentine soccer team. jesus christ was the coach and james was messi and paul was tevez and etc. without the football team, we would never have a team right? it´s the same with jesus christ. it was neccesary for argentina to "call" another coach..or prophet...and that´s where joseph smith comes in. haha, it was a way sweet analogy and it honestly feel like it made more sense to them because of the analogy. it was a great lesson and it definitly fulfulled their doubts. they didn´t come to church but i pray that they can make some progress. cute family in a cute house. i hope we can see more progress with them. they say they are catholic and actually the daughter is studying right now to be confirmed in her catholic church. not really sure, what she has to study and everything...but that poses wuite the challenge right? pray for them if you can. with my comps crazy schedule for this week, we might not have time to pass by too many people. i hope so though!
all our lunches are falling through! ug. sometimes the members are too afraid to tell us no for lunch, so they just don´t answer the door. i guess the economy is tough here in san juan...but i have atleast learned to increase my cooking skills (: thats a plus. i think, mom, you would be proud of me.
looks liek dallans plans for being a married man are coming along! i am so excited to hear about the wedding colors, and to recieve an invitation in the mail! crazy!
i just got done with 10 months and now completing 20 in life. time is going by fast, but it´s getting to be funner as i go.
i hope you all had fun on your SLC trip and that you didn´t get too tired...lol. thanks for the birthday wishes and everything! i love you all!
love,
elder valle

8/1/11

hey! i had zone conference yesterday and so my pday is today! sorry if you all freaked out about that.

holy schmoly...looks like my brother is totally getting married! im so excited for him and especially miranda. i have lived in the same room with dallan for a lot of my life...and so, miranda could use a lot of advice from the professional himself (me). it´s going to be a crazy ride, but i think miranda is going to be such a fun addition to family get togethers. haha, oh man, way excited. saw a picture of them kissing....that was weird. but thats just because we are brothers. great news! sounds like everyone is having fun, and i also recieved pictures of erin´s super cute family. wow! talk about good photography and cute ideas! totally worth it. i´m going to see what i can do to try and print out copies to show to the people and missionaries here so i can brag about penny.

to say its been cold down here is an understatment. i guess central heating really makes a big difference in things out here. my blankets were cold when i woke up and my socks too...it´s a little snowy but all has melted. no one does too much when it gets cold around here so we only had 6 people at church this week. waaay low. it was sad, but it was good because we now realize what we need to mejorar over here in albardon. i have some pictures of my bundled up self for you guys.
i made a waay good salsa this week! mom you would be so proud (: the other elders liked it and said it was yummy. it has been a while, but i don´t think any of the members like spicy stuff at all...so, it doesn´t hit off to well with the argentines. haha, oh well.

we had a waaay sweet zone conference. we had a nice lunch which gave every elder horrible gas...oh man. the bathrooms were destroyed! and presidente avila gave a way sweet talk. i love that guy. i played the musical number and it seemed like the people liked it. it took up the whole day from 9:30 til 8:15....nuts. but it was way fun to see other elders and just have a good time (: thats what we did yesterday.
i came to a realization today...that camp rainbow gold has begun. so...i have my relay for life surivivor shirt and my CRG sweater on every day when i go to bed, including this week and who knows, maybe i will sing the "camp prayer" before my meals this week. trunky moment...haha. but it´s all good! way funny...but, i do miss my cancer camp. its kinda weird having to explain to elders why my sweater says camp "rainbow gold". not the coolest name, but whatev. no one in argentina understands it...lol (:
i heard some rumors in the mission about a temple being planned out for Paris, France...Dad, you should get on Google and investagte to see if thats true! Would be super sweet.
We are still making it through here in the mission and getting used to Presidente Avila. He likes us to have our investigadores listo, but he also likes lots of baptism...so the work is tough! Salt Lake has asked us to increase our baptisms by 33%...so...in three years thats like...100%. WOW. Nuts, but I believe it can happen. and thats what Pres. Avila said...is that we have to believe it will happen instead of work hard and see what happens. Its way true too.
Miss you guys and hope you are having fun in Nampa!
Elder Valle.

Jay's letter 7/25/11

Family and Friends

Oh my, this week has been a good/better week and I have had lot´s of good things learned. From experience, scriptures, prayer. I love how God knows how we feel and what we are in, and he knows how to help us. It has been a great week, in that sense (:

Nothing crazy happened this week, but some stuff did happen, and so I hope you enjoy!

-there is a family we are reactivating that is really sweet, and they really have the desire to do the right thing. the hermana subiere (last name) is the strongest one and makes her sons go to church so that they can all go to the temple this december. i have loved helping re activate them and help them get more blessings! it was especially rewarding this sunday, when hermana subiere was assigned to give a talk in sacrament meeting (big deal for less active people). she killed it! she did such a good job and i was crazy proud of her. she told me how nervous she was and how much better she could have done, but she looked like a way strong member. these are the best moments in the mission. she is funny though...she still refuses to wear a skirt to chruch. at least she find the nicest slacks she can. hahaha. good lady. always makes us malta.

-well i have run up with a terrible cough this week, but i found some way sweet cough drops that are actually hardened squares of honey. hard to explain, but they are amazing. might bring some home from argentina. but don´t worry, i don´t feel sick at all, just a nasty cough from san juan weather.

-there is an ice cream place here, way good, called GRIDO. about a week ago i went in their to buy ice cream for one of the new elders in my district. that was a week ago, the other day elder burns called me and he went over there the other day to buy ice cream. the guy working there asked him if he had a "church friend" that had two colored eyes. he laughed and said yes, and th guy told burns he was too shy to say anything to me but thought it was super cool. hahahaha. another thing on the mission, is, i´m getting tired about people talking about my eyes. i am pretty sure my companions have tired of hearing it too. but, i won´t complain too much...sometimes it helps us get in doors or make people laugh. que se yo.

-i´m still loving the missionary work and we are still working with ana and her daughter. great people, but they don´t understand many things....i am thinking with time that we will be able to see miracles with them. the work here is slow, but i know that god will bless us and that sometimes he tries us til our last drop of faith (:

-looks like my brother is getting taken away! that happened fast! wow (: but i´m proud of him. i still hasn´t told me if i´m his best man or not....we will see. hahaha. man....and then when he gets married, i guess i´m next in line....scary thought! not ready! still a missionary. haha, oh well. hope you guys have a great week! i´m super hungry today...thinking i might make a chicken sandwich or SALSA. MMMMM. see how it goes.

-oh and yes mom, we have a hand blender. (:

love you guys,

elder valle

Jay's Letter 7-18-11

with Elder Menoncal

Hey guys,
Well, to be hoenst, not too many exciting things happened this week in Argentina. I am going to attempt to write my best here to make things exciting and fun to read (:
Can´t believe Ana turned 14. Holy freak, I was just talking to Erin about our grown up family. Haha, and Ana is going to stake dances. Tell her to write me if she ever gets asked to dance. Hahahaha, just kidding. So mean. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ana and Erin. Sorry i could not send you guys anything way sweet.
It´s getting pretty weird weather wise down here. We wake up freezing cold and I just want to put on two sweaters and thick socks and sit next to a heater. Then, as the sun comes out, I feel like I could easily pull off a short sleeve shirt and do the missionary work like that. So, needless to say, mother nature is bi-polar down here in San Juan. The best way to do things is to go out with a short sleeve shirt with a sweater over it (: That´s the best way I have found to keep up with the weather here.
Hahaha, so thanks for the package. Everything was great and I had a fun time looking at the graduation announcments. Made me laugh looking at Lexi´s. It was so her. It also reminded of working at copies plus, and making grad announcments for Jose. Remember that? Those looked sooo good. We did a great job (: Anyways, thanks for that. Way fun stuff to read and look at. The garments fit like a charm.
I remember Mom always trying to get us to drink powdered milk, and we never did. I don´t know why, because now in the mission it´s like the best thing ever! I don´t know if it´s super cheap out the states, but down here it´s a pretty good deal and mixed with cereal it does pretty good. I think I will try to convert my self to powdered milk when I get back.
Well, we had lunch with the Bishop yesterday, and the Bishops wife made a waaaayyy good soup thing. The coolest thing is that she used hardly any meat, but it was so delicious. Reminded me of Mom´s cooking. Mmmm. Anyways, they were talking about how their son, Marcos ws misbehaving. How the more he mis behaved the less things he could have. He is coming up on his sixth birthday and they told him that if he was misbehaving in church they would take away his brithday party. He supposivley didn´t do to good and they are not letting him have his birthday party, but will make a cake. Okay, so why would I be telling you this story? It made me think alot about our Heavenly Father and us, here on earth. The parents, obviously hurt that they couldn´t give his son the birthday party, if anything, they really wanted to. But, they knew that he would learn/recieve something better, by taking away the party and that it would serve him in the long run. Sometimes, when we don´t repent or disobey, Heavenly Father takes away blessing. In reality, he wants those blessing (or "birthday parties") for us sooo bad, but he knows better and won´t because he knows that we will learn something from it. Interesting thought I had yesterday while eating with the Familia Alvarez. Good family.
Me and my comp, we saw a robbery the other day. We were on the bus coming back from Centro, and when the bus stopped I just heard all these screams and saw a kid out the windows of the bus running full speed with a purse. It was so surreal, it was like I had been caught in a movie and didn´t know what they heck to do. Couldn´t really do much.
We found some sweet people this week, but we are working on other things first so we can get along with the work (: Thanks for all your prayers and everything. I love you all. Happy Brithday Ana and Erin! You guys are way old (: hahaha.
Love,Elder Valle

with Zone Leader, Elder Burns

Jay's Letter 7/11/11

Hello Family,

Not tooo much happened here in Albardon this week. The biggest news is that they changed the prices of the buses to 4 pesos! So that´s killing our budget a little but, we are survivng and becoming good friends with the mission accountant getting some reembolsos here and there. OH and we did have....INDEPENDANCE DAY here in Argentina. Needless to say that everyone takes holidays as a day to not work, and they don´t celebrate too much to be quite frank. So I woke up and I was heading near the back of our apartment to go take my shower after I had a very sweet, low key work out. And when you head to the shower you have to pass by the back door that has a glass window. I was walking past the door and saw this huge flash as if an UFO had just landed in our backyard, curious as could be I opened it up and BOOM! something exploded because the sound was so loud...wasn´t quite sure what it was but I swear someone had just shot a gun....that made flashes...or something. Well, it happened again and then I saw a firework two, and then I got it. Our neighboors were doing huge fireworks at seven in the morning and it was 9 de Julio, and so of course, fireworks were a must. I felt it was a pretty fitting introduction to the all the fireworks that we saw the following day. Nothing like the 4th of July, really. But good enough.
We met a new investigator who came to church this week. Her name is Ana. She got in this huge motorcycle accident and it kinda damaged her head, and so she doesn´t have a ton of hair. She wears all kinds of funny hats to cover her head and she is a way nice lady. The only thing is that when we talk to her, its way hard because she talks about the most random thing and talks about it forever (common thing in San Juan, the people here are like that). For example, when we went to go pick her up for church, she wanted to sit down and talk about her chickens and how they were fighting with the neighboors dogs, and we were already pretty late for church. Luckily, we had one of the high council members with us who is a San Juanero himself, and cut her off and said "We have to go....now". OH man. Sometimes, as missionaries, it´s hard to be firm with people, but to cut people off, it´s just a tough situation. So, pray for Ana because she doesn´t have a testimony yet and needs to hear the truth. We hope and pray for her progression.
Well, this morning all us missionaries in San Juan went to Centro to meet.......Presidente Avila. Oh MAN! He is just a BOSS! He is waay cool. We also met his wife. Okay, just one cool cosita. A couple days ago was my companions birthday, Elder Williams. She just got a her a couple weeks ago, and this is the first time we have ever met the Hermana. We were all in a line doing the hand shake, mucho gusto, big smile, chest out, clean cut missionary thing. She came to Elder Williams, Shook his hand, and right as she was moving on, she short stopped her self put her eyes back on williams, and said "oh yeah, happy late birthday elder williams". Oh man! What a sweet hermana right? We were a little freaked out about how she remembers all that but it was way cool. He talked about some waaay cool things, and knowing that was an ex area seventy just makes him way cool. Him and Lindahl are both big bosses, but in their different ways. Lindahl just makes money and gets work done and complete. Avila just smiles and gets whatever he wants and explains spiritual truths and doctorine so simply, it almost blows your mind.
Me and my comp are starting to run 3 miles for our exersices. Man...you could tell it had been a while since I slipped in my Nikes. We have to get out pretty early, and so we are just freezing. My left side that doesn´t sweat was just searing cold. My blood in my fingers might have had to been defrosted, but we will see how it goes! i am trying to get back in shape...have a little stomach going on. I bought Brocolli and carrots. Should be good.
The mcdonalds probably didn´t help. OH MOM! I also found Cilantro here!!!!! PLEASE SEND me your salsa recipe, but make it easy to understand. I am dying to eat salsa. biggest food i am missing right now. I wanna make it. so, your homeade fresh salse recipie please (:

I love being a missionary to be honest. This is not only such an enriching exprience, but it is wicked fun. Me and my comp talk to the weirdest people and we have bad tiem and good times, and every day you learn something new. i was talking with my comp last night, that how before the mission,I probably didn´t have too many ganas (what is ganas in english?) to read church books or much of the old testament or read the bible dictionary for fun. now, I am just dying to read hinkcley biography and talmage stuff. it´s great what the lord blesses you with being his missionary.

I got your package, but I have not opened it (: Just got it like an hour ago. When the president came and they brought mail to all of us. Way nice (: (: well, I hope you all are having great summer days in Nampa. I thank you guys for everything.
Love, Elder Valle

Jay's Letter- 7/4/11

Hello!
Well, needless to say, crazy stuff has happened and is happening here in San Juan. Transfers is today and we found out that me and Elder Williams are staying together in the same area. We were both shocked because President Lindahl promised to move us...I guess, we really need a change. To be honest, me and my comp talked and we really don´t see how things are going to work out with us and six more weeks. We have respected each other for the last transfer, but being together for the next six weeks could cause some problems...so, we will see if we actually stay together. Pray for me and for him, so that if we do, we can get things done. I don´t want to write anything bad or mean, because we both struggle in different areas, and so we are hoping God can help us in his work.

Talking about crazy stuff...right now is the Copa De America! Everyone in South America and Mexico (and Japan got invited) are playing in this huge cup...and guess what...it´s in Argentina!!! Crazy! So, what happens is all the teams play but the play on soccer fields that are all throughout Argentina. It started on Saturday with Argentina and Bolivia and Messi didn´t do a good job apparently. Hahaha, and that took place in Mar de Plata in Buenos Aires. The second game is Chile vs. Mexico...and you won´t believe where it takes place! San Juan! I know right? We are not going down today because we have lots of stuff to do, but the other elders called us and told us that there were just a ton of Chileans and Mexicans in Centro today and that everyone was going crazy. I guess we will see who wins, but it´s like a mini world cup and it´s actually way fun having it around. And people don´t lie when they say that Argentina goes crazy when they are playing. Like...don´t you dare knock a door, because who knows when Messi is going to make a goal right? I wish the states were playing. That´s ok (:


Me and my comp did some research via members and figured out that Messi is a little bit taller than I am. We were hoping super bad that I would be the same heights...but, that´s ok. He has a couple inches on top of me, but whatever.
We realized that in every part of the world, there are different callings that Bishops can give. For example...In Idaho, Orchard Organizer and Girl Camp Organizer, while in the Philipines...there is probably the bamboo safety leader and mens spear hunting ward specializer. We realized that while us in the states share gardens that in Argentina people share Animals. For example, in our ward a while ago, they got everyone chickens so that people could be self sufficient. They had the choice to kill it and make food or let it make eggs. Then they designated one of the ward members to have the male chicken or rooster or whatever and he would go around getting the hens pregnant so that they could make eggs or something. We realized that this is how the sacrament meeting would go...
"It is proposed that we sustain Hermano. Juan Flores as the Ward Poultry Fertility Specialist...all in favor. Any oppose?" And then the ward would have something to talk about before church starts. Just a thought.
OH man....President Lindahl is gone. WEIRD. I didn´t even know what to do with myself. President Avila is now in place and it´s weird having a President you don´t know. So we don´t really know what to expect or when we will meet him, because we live rather far from the offices. If anything crazy changes I will let you know.
So now that the Boise, ID Temple is closed...Dallan, can´t get married any time soon right? Thought so. Perfect (:
Sorry I don´t have anything way sick to talk about today, I guess I am just pretty weirded out about transfers and stuff. I hope you are all doign well in the 28606 (that´s still our zip code right?) Have a great week.


Love,
Elder Valle
p.s. having dreams where we eat mexican food. oh, it´s just so lovely.