Christmas presents stacked on Eric's desk
Ready to open their matching gifts on Christmas morning
Looking studly in the new shirts
Eric opening his package 
Eric with all of his ties. Maybe he had them all displayed for the "Tie Swap."
Elder Rallison ready to open one of his presentsHey family!!! It's great to be able to write again! Today we are finally getting back to normal and on a more normal schedule after all the holidays, although today is a half P-day because of New Years. This morning we started off getting some facturas (donuts) and then going to the grocery store Carrefour, which is pretty big, and it seems like it probably originated in the States. Then we tried to get some money out of the ATM's but they are still all out of money from the holidays. So now we are in the ciber writing!
We enjoyed the holidays here (or as they call them here, "the parties") a lot, also! Christmas was awesome here and so was the New Year. I already said a lot about Christmas in the phone call, but I'll give a quick recap because I am still getting questions about it.
First, we had the ward Christmas party on the 23rd. It was really good, and the coolest part was that Jose was the first one there and the last one to leave because he helped set up and clean up everything. It started about 8:30, so we didn't have time for much because the party went until like 2 in the morning. We played a little bit of ping pong on the brand new ping pong tables that Jose and us had set up, and after that they brought out the food at like 9:15, so we just pretty much grabbed a few empanadas and a slice of pizza and headed for the pench, because we have to be back in by 9:30. Later all the members said it was a great party and that they loved it and that Jose fit in perfect with them.
Then Christmas Eve was a fairly normal work day, we ended it at the bishop's house eating a piece of pan dulce (sweet bread) and drinking sparkling cider......but with cockroaches! As we were sitting there enjoying our time with the bishop and his mother, we sat inside the house with the door open (Argentines rarely close their doors in the summer.) It being summer here, cockroaches are all over the place, and they were continually flying in as we sat there together, until one finally landed in my glass. After that we had to cover our drinks with a paper towel when we weren't drinking, so that more cockroaches wouldn't fly in and contaminate our drinks. It was a new Christmas experience, to say the least. Then we went home and just had fun with the other elders, although we didn't have anything to eat or drink. Then we tried to sleep through the endless all-night explosions, gun shots, screams and fireworks.
Christmas morning we woke up and opened our presents. Then we went to the church, played some ping pong and stuff while everyone called their families, and then we watched the Narnia movie. After that, we went back to the pench and ate tacos, and that was pretty much it.
New Year's Eve and Day were pretty similar. We worked as usual on New Years Eve day and ended it by passing by to see Jose and then we passed by the familia Salazar, where they gave us about 6 bags of food!!! They loaded us up with foods, plants, fruits, vegetables, and more, and all that after they already fed us as we sat with them!!!!!
Then we went to the pench and ate some more and hung out with the other elders. At midnight we tried to watch the fireworks but couldn't really see much, we could just hear them. We went out to our patio which is tiny and surrounded by four very tall walls, making it impossible to see any fireworks unless they were directly above us. It was cool, but a little sad because we couldn't see too much. Definitely it was the closest I've been to fireworks, though, all night there were explosions from fireworks above our heads, next door, and on our roof. It was pretty cool, even though we were pretty much housebound.
Then on New Year's Day, we couldn't go out to work for safety, but we went to the church and we got to watch the second Narnia movie (Prince Caspian) and then came back and made tacos! So both Christmas and New Year's were really cool and fun, both days!
No, we can't wear hats or sunglasses. But President Villalba just changed our work schedule so now we do not have to be out working in the hot sun in the hottest part of the day. We go out earlier to work, and then we come back and do most of our studying during the siesta, and then we go back out to work again. It's so much better that way.
Okay, that's all the time I have, but I want to say thanks again to everyone for your letters, cards, gifts, money, support and everything that you all did for Christmas, and still do for me! I look forward to this new year, and can hardly believe that this same year I am coming home!!
Anyway, I love you all,
Eric
_____________________________________________
We enjoyed the holidays here (or as they call them here, "the parties") a lot, also! Christmas was awesome here and so was the New Year. I already said a lot about Christmas in the phone call, but I'll give a quick recap because I am still getting questions about it.
First, we had the ward Christmas party on the 23rd. It was really good, and the coolest part was that Jose was the first one there and the last one to leave because he helped set up and clean up everything. It started about 8:30, so we didn't have time for much because the party went until like 2 in the morning. We played a little bit of ping pong on the brand new ping pong tables that Jose and us had set up, and after that they brought out the food at like 9:15, so we just pretty much grabbed a few empanadas and a slice of pizza and headed for the pench, because we have to be back in by 9:30. Later all the members said it was a great party and that they loved it and that Jose fit in perfect with them.
Then Christmas Eve was a fairly normal work day, we ended it at the bishop's house eating a piece of pan dulce (sweet bread) and drinking sparkling cider......but with cockroaches! As we were sitting there enjoying our time with the bishop and his mother, we sat inside the house with the door open (Argentines rarely close their doors in the summer.) It being summer here, cockroaches are all over the place, and they were continually flying in as we sat there together, until one finally landed in my glass. After that we had to cover our drinks with a paper towel when we weren't drinking, so that more cockroaches wouldn't fly in and contaminate our drinks. It was a new Christmas experience, to say the least. Then we went home and just had fun with the other elders, although we didn't have anything to eat or drink. Then we tried to sleep through the endless all-night explosions, gun shots, screams and fireworks.
Christmas morning we woke up and opened our presents. Then we went to the church, played some ping pong and stuff while everyone called their families, and then we watched the Narnia movie. After that, we went back to the pench and ate tacos, and that was pretty much it.
New Year's Eve and Day were pretty similar. We worked as usual on New Years Eve day and ended it by passing by to see Jose and then we passed by the familia Salazar, where they gave us about 6 bags of food!!! They loaded us up with foods, plants, fruits, vegetables, and more, and all that after they already fed us as we sat with them!!!!!
Then we went to the pench and ate some more and hung out with the other elders. At midnight we tried to watch the fireworks but couldn't really see much, we could just hear them. We went out to our patio which is tiny and surrounded by four very tall walls, making it impossible to see any fireworks unless they were directly above us. It was cool, but a little sad because we couldn't see too much. Definitely it was the closest I've been to fireworks, though, all night there were explosions from fireworks above our heads, next door, and on our roof. It was pretty cool, even though we were pretty much housebound.
Then on New Year's Day, we couldn't go out to work for safety, but we went to the church and we got to watch the second Narnia movie (Prince Caspian) and then came back and made tacos! So both Christmas and New Year's were really cool and fun, both days!
No, we can't wear hats or sunglasses. But President Villalba just changed our work schedule so now we do not have to be out working in the hot sun in the hottest part of the day. We go out earlier to work, and then we come back and do most of our studying during the siesta, and then we go back out to work again. It's so much better that way.
Okay, that's all the time I have, but I want to say thanks again to everyone for your letters, cards, gifts, money, support and everything that you all did for Christmas, and still do for me! I look forward to this new year, and can hardly believe that this same year I am coming home!!
Anyway, I love you all,
Eric
_____________________________________________
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