Zone conference was good

The Rosario zone at Zone Conference February 8, 2011

At the Mission Conference February 3, 2011

Hey family, how's it going!!! I hope well!!!

This past week has been pretty good. We worked really hard, and once again had the most progromados (people with a baptism date) in the mission. (We had more than double of what the second place had.) That stuff's not really important, but it does show we work hard. We had a good week and invited a lot of people to church, but in the end only 2 showed up, and they weren't even the people we really expected to come! Well, we were happy though, with those two people and maybe they'll continue to progress and get baptized. That just shows that if you work hard, for example to get people to church, the Lord will bless you with people in church, si o si, as they say here. It doesn't mean it'll be the people you most wanted to come, but he will bless you with people in church.

Well, the area's doing pretty good and the zone is doing good. The zone is improving a lot and working a lot more, but we still haven't had a baptism yet this month, which is sad, although this weekend we should have a couple. We've found and are teaching lots of good people, but they just need to come to church! It is just so hard to get people to show up to church, any little reason to stay home for them works, even a cloud in the sky (it might rain.)

We had zone conference on Tuesday, and there were 3 zones there. Our taller (workshop) went really good. Our assigned topic was on how to start teaching, so we had the idea to start our taller really bad (unfocused, shirts untucked, etc.) It was a fun example to start the lesson about teaching with energy, good presentation, etc. so hopefully it helped some people. It was fun to do, and the whole zone conference was good. It's weird to think that some of the things that terrified me at the beginning of my mission are now some of my favorite things to do, for example, challenging someone to baptism, talking in church, giving lessons, doing the workshops, etc.

The Rosario zone is really good, and the city itself is good. I'll give you a quick summary of the city since you are asking. Yes, there are still sanas (sewers along the roads) everywhere in the city!!! And they are all open! There are still dogs every two feet, and about a quarter of the dogs are bald and dying of a disease called sarnia which pretty much comes from drinking sewer water. Rosarinos (people from Rosario) are awesome like all Argentines, and very loving, with of course the occasional exception. Rosario is a VERY DIRTY CITY, like Santa Fe, but I love it anyway. It's a HUGE city, much bigger than Salt Lake, although everything still closes during the siesta. There's lots of villa (slums) but some nice parts as well.

Today Elder Calvert and I went to the casino, and it is extremely nice. The funny thing is, it doesn't even open till 12 o'clock midday, but it is really nice. We plan on going back there to go bowling after doing our emails.

I'm sad to hear about the difficulties with the post office and packages, but I guess we'll see what happens with the little package you sent. I'll let you know when (if) I receive it.

Regarding the friends that are coming here and the package for my birthday, I could also use a new belt, maybe a different kind because that other kind just falls apart sooooo easily. I would also like something very simple, but impossible to get here. One of those 3 ring hole punchers. All the hole punchers here only punch two small close together holes, because here instead of having the three ring binders, they have these really lame 2 ring binder notebooks. So if you could please send me one of those punchers that can punch out all three holes in the paper, it would be appreciated. You'd think you could get something that simple here, but you can't, I've been looking my whole mission. Anyway, apart from that, I don't need anything really, but whatever you send me I will love.

I still haven't been able to try out my new ping pong paddle, but hopefully will soon. As I said, we're going to enjoy some bowling today, so that will be fun. The casino has the only American-style bowling alley in Rosario. All the other bowling alleys are the old school kind where the pins are held up by strings.

I did the baptism interview of a 25-year-old single mom who's getting baptised this Saturday in Saladillo, and when I asked her how she came to know this is the true church, she gave a simple, obvious answer, but one that I really liked, so I'll share. Among many other things she said, she told me, "It just makes sense, the church and its teachings just make sense." It's very true that this church just does make sense, and I've been thinking about it a lot. Taking spiritual revelation away, and taking answers from God to us that this is the true church away...I would still be a solid member of this church, just because this church makes sense, and shouldn't the true church be that way? I guess that's why the church leaders encourage us to study often, because frankly it's generally the people that don't know the scriptures very well that are members of other churches (granted, there are exceptions). And that's also probably why the church leaders allow us to go to the other churches if we really want to, to see just how different an apostate church is from the true church of the Lord. Almost every church leader here of non-LDS churches doesn't allow the people in their congregation to go to other churches to visit without permission, and they never give them permission to go to the "Mormon church." I suppose they're afraid the people will change if they hear the truth? Well, anyway, that's just what I have been thinking so that's why I shared it with you.

Anyway, I love you all and thank you for everything that you do. Thanks for always writing and being there for me.

Love,
Eric
_________________________________________

Everything is going good in "the Delights"

The church building in the Las Delicias area in Rosario

The ping pong paddle that Eric bought at Libertad store

Eric took this picture of The Monument to the Flag (Monumento a la Bandera) a few weeks ago when he visited it on his Pday

Another shot taken at the Monument to the Flag. The monument honors the man, General Belgrano, who designed the Argentina flag in 1812. The flags at the monument show it as it was first designed. The yellow sun in the middle of the flag was added in 1818. The monument is situated along the Parana River.

Hey family, how is everyone? I'm doing great here and loving my mission! Everything is going good here in the Delights. (Las Delicias means the Delights.)

Well, firstly, you can stop worrying Mom, because I'm feeling better now. Although I think I unfortunately may have gotten a few members sick.

Anyway, the baptism didn't go through, which was sad, but we're still working hard and helping people progress here!!! The zone is doing much better. We decided to work on our weak spot, so we did an "afternoon of miracles" in one of the areas. (That is when everyone in the zone--about ten companionships--work in one area for the afternoon.) Elder Calvert and I did divisions with some other elders, and found many new families, and even gave them all a baptism date, so hopefully there will be some good results! It is exciting to help the people in the zone realize that no matter what area they are serving in, that EVERY AREA has people prepared to hear the gospel, and every area has people that will listen to you!! So, after all that, the dats for that area went through the roof! The whole zone in general is doing good. We've been improving all along, and I expect it to continue to improve.

Rosario is a very open area. I think Elder Calvert and I sometimes get more new investigators than we do contacts (or call back appointments), because the people here just can't say no when we smile and ask them if we can teach them. The only problem with that is because the people are so open, it's harder for them to keep commitments.

Yes, the mission conference was very good. I was still pretty sick then, so it wasn't as fun as it could have been, but I could still enjoy it. Basically we had a workshop by the assistants, and so we learned some good things, and then each companionship goes up and on the screen it shows their average dats personally for the month, and the average dats of the zone for the month, and the baptisms. After talking about the dats, each companionship explains their zone vision. It all went pretty good. At the end of it, all the zone leaders get to play THE CUP!! The cup is soccer at the mission home, which was pretty fun and pretty intense. I tried to play a little bit, although we lost. It was pretty fun, though, and I look forward to it next time when I'll really be able to play.

After that we had to organize the caja chica (petty cash) and get it refilled with money, and get all the letters and supplies that the people in the zone had ordered. It was all pretty fun, although on the way back is when Elder Calvert lost our cell phone.

Tomorrow we have zone conference, and we have to give a one hour long workshop. But we were just told about it today! So we haven't prepared anything yet, but we already have an awesome idea in mind, so we'll work it out. The reason we weren't told beforehand is because of our lost cell phone. So we went a few days without real communication. For a couple of days we tried to use our landlady's phone, which was not fun, because while she is an awesome person, she really is sort of crazy, so it didn't work out too well. So today we went out to the mission home and got a brand new phone. And it's a different model! We're the only missionaries that have this model of phone which is completely different from the others. So that's kind of cool.

Speaking of the mission home, the rules on packages are the following: 1. You can send letters like you've been doing. 2. Packages, however, now need to be "certified" meaning that EVERYTHING is paid for in advance by the shipper, so that the mission home pays nothing. (They used to pay to get the packages, and then we would pay them back.) How to ship certified, I don't know, but I'm sure you could explain that to the people at the post office and they'd know what to do. Also now is a great time to send me packages because we're having to go to the mission home all the time, so I can always check when I'm there for packages. I could really use that new pair of shoes you mentioned. (Note: I went to the post office and there is no "Certified" shipping to Argentina from the US. It might exist from other countries, but there is nothing like that from our country. Eric's South American mission president is probably unaware of that.)

We are still getting dinners regularly, and lunches often. The days that we don't have lunches scheduled, we just put our dinner in the fridge and save it for lunch the next day, so we always have something to eat! Sonilda (landlady) makes all kinds of stuff. She makes noodles, meats, soups, just everything, and I like the food usually. We never have breakfast, I always have the idea of buying fruits so I can eat fruit in the morning, but we never get around to buying fruit.

It's very rainy today, and we weren't able to do much. We were hoping to go bowling, but we didn't feel like walking so far in such a downpour, and it's impossible to get a taxi when it's raining, because everyone's already trying to get one.

Well, I was excited to hear that Holly and Scott had a fun vacation in the Bahamas, and that they're still alive after swimming with the sharks. I've always wanted to go there!! And I'm glad to hear that you had a fun trip too, and I'm glad to hear all the other daily things!

I love you all, and thank you, everyone, for all that you do,
Love,
Eric

A few months ago, Eric sent us this picture of the soles on his second pair of worn-out shoes. Because of the changes in mailing packages, we have not yet sent him the new pair.

The soles of a new, identical pair of shoes that will be sent to Eric very soon

_______________________________________________

Working on goals for the zone

Eric standing in front of the apartment he shares with Elder Calvert in Las Delicias area, Rosario

The back of the apartment

Another view of the back of the apartment

The McDonald's they went to today on Pday

The big store where they shop for groceries

The inside of a Catholic cathedral in Rosario

Eric with Elder Chapman, who is in his zone. (This picture was taken last week.)

Hey family, what's up!!! I'm glad to hear that everyone is enjoying themselves back home in the States, be it on business, cruises or with ice cold Argentine-like showers! (We had mentioned in our letter to him that his sister's hot water heater went out, so they had a day or two with no hot water.)

I will have to take a little longer on the computer today, because as I am starting this letter, I have already used up 55 minutes, and I still have plenty more to do. As zone leaders, we constantly are sending and taking enormous amounts of dats, goals, etc. We also made our first vision of the zone, which is like a paper with goals and plans for the zone. I think ours is really good and should help the zone, I'll send you a copy next week if I can, when it's finished. This Thursday we're going to have mission conference for all the zone leaders with President Villalba, and we all have to present our visions for our zone.

I wanted to mention I got some letters and cards, thank you to everyone!!! I got one from Nana and Papa, one from Aunt Lisa, some from Dad, and I got the pics you sent me with the family and my confirmation picture when I was 8, and the picture of dad on his mission, they were all good. I also got a letter from Holly and Scott with some cool gadget things, and the Christmas one from Marisa and David. Also, I got one from the Beehives from our ward!!! (Beehives are the class of 12 and 13 year old girls.) They are called Abejitas in Argentina! So please tell them thanks, because I really like getting all the little letters and paper cutouts and things they did. So thanks to everyone for all my great mail!!!

We should have a baptism this Saturday! We're pretty excited, her name is Katrina. She was taught by the missionaries a while back, but then disappeared like people sometimes do, and then when I got here to the area we found her again. We just asked her straight up as we were talking with her, "Will you be baptized?" She wasn't even surprised by the abrupt question, she just said, "Yes, I really need to, don't I." Well, she has her date this Saturday so we're excited for that. So that's good.

My eye infection is doing better, although I have gotten some kind of sickness bug, maybe like a flu, where you feel sick and sore and achy everywhere, also in the throat. Or maybe it is the same sickness coming back? So I've been pretty sick, although I think today I'm feeling slightly better. Either way, as long as I'm slowly getting better, I see no need to go to a doctor.

Today's Pday was pretty good. We hung out with the district of Elder Taylor, and we played some basketball and soccer, although I didn't because I feel pretty sick. (The rules must have been changed to allow sports again.) After that we played Scum, which of course I could play that, and so enjoyed that! After that we went and hit up the McDonald's and then went to Libertad (which is kind of like a Walmart type store here) and I bought only 2 pesos worth of groceries. (Thank you to Sonilda, our landlady!!) I also bought a cool ping pong paddle (with some of my Christmas money) that is beautiful, and the grip is awesome, like duct tape, so I expect to win the next time the ward has a tournament, ha ha!

The ward here is good, and so well organized that I just peacefully show up for church every Sunday and enjoy it. Which is very different from my old area where every Sunday I had to talk or teach with no warning. We just had our stake conference, which it's funny to remember but before my mission I thought they were boring, and now it has become the highlight which I'm very excited about, because we get so many people there!

The area is doing good and I'm enjoying all the cool things here. The zone is doing much better now and the dats for this week have improved greatly. I expect that as we continue calling and animating the people, and as we send out our vision of the zone through the District Leaders, that the zone will keep improving.

(We asked Eric if he had any thoughts to share with a missionary he knows who was not having as many baptisms as he would like.)

I have learned on the mission that you need to just love and accept the people. And you can't worry about the baptisms. The success of any mission is not dependent on baptisms. You should try not to let it get you down, because discouragement on a mission is Satan's greatest tool. Because of the state of progression you are at on your mission, he can't touch you with any of the other tools effectively (hate, lust, etc.) So he's going to use discouragement on you. So don't be sad, just make goals and plan for what you want. One good thing to try is to memorize a scripture daily, and work on the memorization throughout the day, thus keeping your mind focused more on the glory of God. It will help bless the people you meet, and will help keep you focused on the work, and will give you more spiritual power, plus it will help improve your memory! I did it all one transfer with one of my companions and it was really helpful. I think I'm going to start it up again! Always stay positive!

Anyway, I better get rolling. I love you all and say hi to everyone back home.

Love,
Eric

_________________________________________

Loving Las Delicias

Thank you to Elder Anderson's family for sharing this picture of Elders Calvert, Anderson and Hanson in the terminal in Rosario. As zone leaders, Eric and his companion Elder Calvert stay in the terminal all day on transfer day to assist the other missionaries as they arrive and leave and make their different bus connections with their luggage, etc. The advantage is they get to see many old friends!

Hey family!!! How is everyone!!!

This spacebar on my computer is pretty bad, so some words might be misspaced and messed up. (Mom's note: I have made the necessary corrections so we can read his letter.) Anyway, I'm having a great time out here in the great city of Rosario. I'm really enjoying the new area as well as all the other changes that came with this transfer.

Firstly, I love the new pench. This is probably the best pench in the whole mission. Also, we have a big area and a great ward. We've got an amazing zone with great people in it.

First I'll explain about the pench. We have the craziest but best land lady ever. EVERY DAY (without fail) she cleans our pench, washes our clothes, makes us dinner, washes our dishes, and refills stuff we're low on, like toilet paper, sodas and alfajors. She is definitely a little bit crazy (I'd guess you'd have to be crazy to do all those things for free) but I don't mind. It's a very clean pench, and the perfect two-man pench. On top of it all, we've got air conditioning in the bedroom, couldn't ask for more! It's also awesome being with Elder Calvert, and we enjoy working together.

I randomly got an eye infection (bacterial) this week, but have been taking drops since, and my eyes are fine, so in case you're wondering why I'm wearing my glasses instead of contacts in the pictures, that's why. Oh, you are going to kill me, but this computer isn't loading my photos, so I'm going to have to try next week from a different ciber.

Anyway, today's been an awesome Pday. As zone leaders, we can go anywhere in the zone. Today we went to the Flag Monument, the Peatonal which is like the outside mall in Rosario, and then we ate with some other people at Las Tinajas, the buffet. Now we're writing to our families and sending our reports etc. to the President, and then will take a colectivo (bus) back to the pench, about a 20 or 30 minute ride, and then we will go back to work.

Being zone leader really isn't too much different, except it is more of everything. More stress, more work, more fun, and a little more of everything! I like it and enjoy it, and I'm definitely excited for mission conference in the mission home.

Like I said, I really enjoy the area. It's a big area and I love that. I also love being in a big city with lots of stores to buy food, etc. and being part of a big zone. We're working hard to try and find some cool people and get some baptisms, and I expect we'll be able to do it, because we have found some great investigators that we hope will progress. We don't really have any dirt roads in our area (from what I've seen so far) although we have plenty of villa (slums) and ghetto homes, but everything's paved. We have lots of cops on horses around here and things like that.

I'm enjoying the area and the easy life of our pench. I haven't cleaned anything or made any food. I haven't even hung up a shirt, because the landlady automatically does that!!!! I'll try not to get too spoiled, I hope I can stay here at least one more transfer. Either way, it's really nice. Tomorrow for the first time we'll have a zone meeting and I'll get to meet everyone in the zone, and not just talk on the phone to them. Our zone's pretty hardworking, although like every zone, it has a pair or two of lazy companionships, but overall it's really good. This Wednesday we're going to have interviews with President Villalba, which I always like.

Anyway, I'm sorry I don't have any more time to write, but I have to send in all these dats and reports and other things, and my computer time is going fast. Regarding the mailing thing, I'm not sure how you can send me packages now, and no one else knows how to do it with the new rules, either. So I'm going to have to ask at a post office about how to send it. From what I've heard, you can send to the mission home if there's no fees, but I don't even know which type of packages have fees and which ones don't because the post office never does it the same way twice. I will find out all that for you ASAP.

Lots of photos to come next week for sure, of the pench and the area, etc. I've got to go, but just know that I love you all very much and wish the best for everyone.

Love,
Eric


Since Eric was not able to send any pictures this week, I went on the internet and found a few photos that show his new area and the places he visited on his Pday.

This picture of the Las Delicias area at night. It is very close to where Eric's apartment is located

The Monument to the Flag in Rosario

The Las Tinajas buffet restaurant that Eric and Elder Calvert went to today for Pday

The Peatonal outdoor walking mall in Rosario

___________________________________________

Transferred to the zone Rosario

Elder Petersen on Christmas Day, with his treats from home and the Christmas tacos

Hey family!!! I hope that everybody's doing good. From the email it appears that all is in check. This past week has been good for us as well.

I guess the first thing I'll mention are the transfers!!! First, my son (Elder Larson) is going to.....STAY! He's going to stay here in Ameghino and I am going to......LEAVE! Our pench changed a lot. Elder Petersen and Rallison are going to still be the zone leaders, but they are moving to Centro.

Well, it's all revelation, so I'm excited for the change. I'm going to one of the zones I have always wanted to go to, Rosario!!!!! And get this, my comp is going to be....Elder Calvert! (They were in the MTC together.) I'm going up as zone leader, although that scares me also. But I'll be in an awesome zone with an awesome comp and living in what I hear is like the best pench. It's a two-man pench and the area is called Las Delicias. There's three zones in Rosario: Rosario, Rosario Norte which is where the mission home is, and Rosario Oeste. The zone Rosario (my new zone) is probably the coolest one because it has all the famous stuff in it, like the flag monument and other central stuff, so I'm way excited! I just got done talking to Calvert on the phone and we're both excited. All I know is that the Rosario zone is going to be the new Atlantis....underwater with baptisms!!! From what Calvert just said to me, our landlord lady makes us dinners every night, washes our clothes and cleans our pench daily, that's awesome if it's all real.

Tonight I'll take some pictures with some cool investigators, members, and other good people, although I only have three hours to do it in, and I have to pack. I am quite nervous to be zone leader, but in our mission, when you first go up as zone leader, you are the junior comp, so there is not as much responsibility as there is for the senior zone leader.

So yeah, I've got to get going now. Next week I will send you a good lengthy email with all those nitty gritty details you like. Health's fine, and everything's good here. I'm sad to leave my hijo, but he has learned to walk now.

Anyway, I love you all very much!!! Thanks for all you do!!!

Love,
Eric

_____________________________________________

No time to write much this week

Hey family!! Finally I'm able to write you. It took almost all of my time to write to the President, thanks to the lovely computer I am working on in this ciber! So now I have no time left to write or send pictures, but I'll try and give you a quick summary of the week in the short time I have.

This week we had leadership training in our church building, so I didn't even have to travel to attend! It was an awesome training meeting and I really enjoyed it.

The week was good. However, we're a little sad because we had two solid baptisms, which are not going to happen this week now. One was because of an emergency. Yanina, she's about 35, has a son, and early on Sunday morning he fell and hit his head, so she had to take him to the hospital, and was there all day, and even had to go back the next day. But she couldn't attend church, so she can't get baptised this week. So she'll still be baptized, just not this week or transfer. The other one was because one of the parents changed their minds and won't give permission for their ten year old daughter to get baptized. Just the same, we'll keep working really hard.

Today was pretty boring, in fact, we just left the pench. We had to be there all day, because some guy came over to fix all the problems (outlets that don't work, leaky faucets, etc.) We cleaned it pretty good, too.

You asked about the Christmas zone conference. Our zone got together with Venado Tuerto and one other one, which I can't remember now. First we had some normal workshops, and then we had an awesome talent show. Some of my old friends were there, and we all enjoyed being together. After that we sang together and that was basically it. It was a really good zone conference.

This coming week I'll have transfer news! I have no idea what is going to happen. I wouldn't mind staying or leaving, I could go either way, whatever happens I think I'll be happy with, assuming I get a comp who likes to work.

Anyway, I have to go already, but I want everyone to know I love you all and pray for your well being!

Love,
Eric

_____________________________________________

Happy New Year!

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 presents

Hey 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

_____________________________________________