Letter Dated Secptember 24, 2012

Dear Mom and Dad;

Thanks for the letter. You had some good news there.  I was pretty stoked to hear about Riley.  I haven't heard much about him.  I am glad he is out, that's great.  A lot of people went to Italy huh? ha ha.

To bad Aaron got robbed.  I guess I've been lucky.  It is pretty common, ha ha.

Hey, do Jenny and Logan know if they are having a boy or a girl? SOMEONE has to have  boy, eh?  So that they cam name him Mike, ha ha.  Just kidding.  But seriously.

Elder Parkes is in his second area in Argentina.  But I think this is only his second transfer here.  Still pretty new.

Alright well.  This week went really pretty good.

Fernando didn't get baptized.  But this week he should.  I know I have said that like 4 times.v But this time it is real.  He went to church Sunday.  He is pretty much ready.

Fransisco, we had a lot or progress.  We invited another young single adult (from the other branch, because we don't have any) Emmanuel.  He served a mission in Ecuador.  Super good kid.  So they are friends.  Emmanuel invites him to all sorts of things, so that's great.  And he went to church on Sunday with his dad.  That's was fantastic.  He is doing great.  He could get baptized in just a few more weeks.

Josefina, we haven't had much of a chance to talk to her.... she is apparently been busy.
 
Julia is doing super good.  She went to church.  I think I explained this situation last time to you.  She has to get married to a less active then get baptized, cause they want to get sealed in the temple.  So that's cool.  Her future husband Ezekiel Garcia still hasn't gone to church, he is tying to fix it all out with his work.  BUT 11 people from the Garcia family went, they all live right next to each other, All are members less active, there are 22.  11 went to church.  Pretty decent progress I'd say.   Oh and Ezekiel asked us about tithing.  And we explained it to him, to remind him, he already knew it pretty well.  Then he tried to give us the money!  Whew.  He just really wanted to get those blessings.

At church we had another 55.  Which was great.  We were excited.  Two weeks with a great attendance.  Four were investigators.

Lucas the other investigator who went to church is doing pretty good. He likes it all.  But it is going to be difficult for us to know if he knows these things are true.  He is really timid and doesn't talk a lot.  When we talk about how he feels the only thing he will tell us is this ¨I feel good, normal¨ we aren't sure yet how we get him to open up a bit.  Maybe just with time and as he gets to know us a bit better.  But he likes that we pass by and he enjoys church.
 

We got a new branch president.  Oh, the district was in charge of the branch when they released the other Branch president.  Now it is a guy who just moved in, President Rivero.  So that was pretty good.

On Sunday we found a guy named Bruno, to be honest he didn't really care much for what we talked about, BUT we have hope cause when we told him where the church was he got excited cause it has a basketball court.  He likes to play basketball.  So we organized a game of basketball today for P-Day. 4v4 it was pretty fun.  The missionaries against some young adults.  Bruno is only 23 and played on a team in Argentina.  He is shorter then me, ha ha.  He played pretty good.  That was pretty fun.  I'm a bit tired to be honest, ha ha.

That's a little bit of what happened this week.  It went pretty well.  We hope to have 1 baptism in September and 3 in October.  Should be a pretty good next little while.  I'm just happy to see Tres Arroyos with people at church. Whew.

Well I was glad to read about your experiences in the mission mom, ha ha.  Sounds pretty fun.  Seemed pretty normal, ha ha, the people are the same everywhere I guess.  I can't say I've ever been kicked out of the middle of a lesson.  That would be something new, ha ha.  I've only heard of that happening.  But o well.  Sounds like the sisters missionaries are working.  That's good.

So when you are 100% sure you are going into the new house you should give me the address for the secretary.

Anyway that about it.  NO pictures this week.  I loaned my memory card reader to Elder Parkes to send pictures.  So maybe the next week I can get a few more to you.

Anyway have a good week.  I'll just keep working over here.  Things seem to be going pretty good.  Man, I am tired from playing basketball.  Whew, I'll sleep good tonight.  Sleep like a mummy.  Except I get up at 6:30, ha ha.

Con amor 

Elder Obray.  

Your son if you have forgotten, ha ha.  Nah just kidding I know you wont forget until like January 18th.   :)

Letter Dated September 17, 2012

Dear Mom and Dad

Well thanks for the email.  Sounds like everything is going great over there.  I have a few pictures to send.  I don't think I've sent these ones.  If I did you'll have to forgive me, ha ha.

So the pictures are of Castex.  I don't think I ever finished sending all of them.  So I hope you enjoy those ones.  I am still in Tres Arroyos.  They didn't kick me out yet.   And I am happy about that.  I like it here.

Elder Morel did leave.  He is in Tandil.  The new Elder in the district is Elder Parkes.  From California. Seems like a really good kid.  He has about 5months.  He served for a while in the states waiting for his visa.  He was in South Carolina. 

So actually the baptism of Fernando should be this week.  He had to work all weekend this last one.  So we decided to wait a week longer so he could get the Holy Ghost Sunday.  We hope it all goes well with him.

Fransisco, the things got more complicated.  He went to a party last weekend and got himself a girlfriend.  He still wants to get baptized, but now he doesn't want to see why he has to keep the law of chastity.  We only could talk to him once last week.  We have an appointment tonight with him.  We hope it goes well.

Josefina, we haven't gotten her to church.  We got lots of work to do there still....  She has a really good testimony, but she still likes to party at night.  Which kinda defeats the purpose, ha ha.  She doesn't want to party, but apparently the party is always at her house since she cant leave it, ha ha. 

Alright on to some pretty good news from the last week.  Honestly the start was a killer, we didn't have many good things happen.  But by the weekend everything went pretty well really.

So lets see, Saturday night, we had a pretty sweet little miracle.  It was 8 at night and the two appointments we had both fell.  So we went by Flia Garcia , a less active family we have been working with.  The Grandparents have a house in front, then a about 4 family of Garcia live behind them, ha ha. We stopped by the Grandparents.  The grandma can't go cause she can't move.  But the Grandpa could.  We got into the house and one of the Grandsons and his wife were there.  When they saw us the Grandson told us ¨hey, my wife wants to get baptized so we can get sealed in the temple.¨  My companion and I were almost speechless.  That doesn't happen everyday.  So we sat down and had a chat.  His wife, Julia, apparently has talked to the missionaries before and is now halfway through  the Book of Mormon.  She already knows it is true.  It was perfect.  So they decided to go to church on Sunday as well.

So at church Julia went with the Hermano Garcia, and bunch of the young kids that live back there. That was great.  Also in the church, we had a investigator named Lucas.  He liked the church a lot. Then Flia Tolosa went.  Wow.  I was super surprised when I saw the hermano Tolosa walk in the door, haha.  So at church we had lots of people there.  I think we had about 55 members which is better then the 30 we usually have.  We were pretty happy. So was the District President. 

We also are in the process of changing Branch Presidents.  Presidente Gomez got released.  They haven't called a new one yet.  For now the District is in charge of it.

So we had a pretty good week after all.  Seems to me like lots of good things are going on.  Elder Cuadras and I are pretty stoked.  There is a lot of work to do here and some good things are opening up for us. 

Sweet so you guys are going to live in a super small town, ha ha.  That should be fun, eh?  There better be Elders there.  I mean the Sisters are great.  But I would like to work with the Elder in Tennessee.  I hope you had a good experience with the sister missionaries.  Hope they treated you well, ha ha.

Izzy is Pregnant?  Finally, I was wondering what they were doing up there in Texas.  That's crazy, the only one who is not having a kid right now is me and you guys.  Crazy eh?

Well, thanks for the update and your friendly support.  I am excited for General Conference and such.  Should be good. 

Well have a good week.  I'll see if I can send more photos.

Con amor y un beso para todos.   

That's some good Argentine Spanish.

Elder Obray

Letter Dated September 11, 2012

Dear Mom and Dad;

I'm glad to here everything is going great out there in the world, ha ha. 

We went to both the rededication of the temple Sunday and we went to the activity on Saturday.  They were both really cool.  Really good.  It's been a long time since I've been able to go anything that had to do with the temple.  I had forgotten how helpful that is.  Its only been like 17 months, ha ha.  I can see why it would be important to attend often.  It really does help to give a desire to try a little bit harder.  It was cool to listen to President Eyring and Elder Christofferson talk.  They told some great stuff.  Its like General conference but better cause well it is in the temple.

So we hope to have the baptism of Fernando on Saturday.  It kinda depends.  Sometimes he has to work the weekends.  We should know tonight if it will happen this Saturday or if we will wait.  He is doing really well though.  We are pretty content.

With Fransisco, he is still doing really good.  Struggling to stop smoking.  He should get baptized in a little bit as well.  We have taught him a lot.  So we are pretty content with what has happened to him. His dad was able to go to the dedication.  That was good for him.  We are working really hard with both Fransisco and Fernando.  We really hope they both get baptized in a bit.  Honestly its really weird, we have more men that are investigating then women. That's not normal, ha ha.  Usually we teach lot of women and a few men.

So about pictures, I would like to send more, BUT, the cyber we go to now doesn't let us.  So I'm not sure when I will be able to send a few more.  I'll find something.

We have transfers this week.  I don't think I'll leave Tres Arroyos yet, but who knows.  I have been here fore 4 and a half months.  That's how long I've always been in each area.  So I guess you'll know Monday.  I hope I don't leave, I want to see Fransico get baptized.

We just started to teach a less active family.  Flia Tolosa.  They are really good.  But the mom and the 15 year old daughter only go to church.  The dad needs to go as well.  So every Monday for the next month or so we are going to pass by and see if we can help.  They want to go to the temple and they have a good knowledge.  They just need to go.  Bit frustrating.

We talked to Josefina again.  I don't know if you remember her from before.  She is realllly good.  BUT she doesn't really do much.  We are giving it a shot again just to see what happens.  Well she reads. A good amount.  But doesn't go to church. She has a testimony and want to get baptized and repent of what she has done before.  We will see what happens this time.

This week we have lots of good things that could happen. we are pretty excited. 

Well, I hope everything goes good with the house.  You'll have to send me pictures of it sometime.  I would like to see it.  That and you need to explain.  How is it in another Stake?  The city Oak Ridge has 2 wards no? So each ward is in a different stake?

Sounds like good stuff.  Keep on walking with your 80 year old friend.  That's amazing that she is still out and doing stuff, ha ha.

Anyway, that's about all I have to say.  Not much this week.

Have a good week.

Love,
Elder Obray

Letter Dated September 3, 2012

Dear Mom and Dad,

OK, well I am glad to hear that things back home are going pretty good.  No problems.  Nothing too exciting happening.  I sent a picture of when we had the conference with Elder Vinas.  I dunno if you'll be able to find me.  I'm in the middle.  I'm short, ha ha.  But that's half the mission.  Oh hey, that drug about the zombies is creepy.... I can't sleep at night anymore.  Well that's not true.  When my head hits the pillow, whew, I'm gone. 

Yea I thought about extending my mission.  I will talk to the mission President and what I can do, its not very likely, I know they don't like to extend missions.  I think I have interviews with him next month, in October.  So I'll tell you more then.

Go Hillcrest.  Beat those Bees .  Sounds like Hillcrest has a good team.  You'll have to keep me updated about that one.  Mitt Romney better win.  If he does, I bet we here some stuff about it down here in Argentina.  Should get us into a few houses.  

Anyway, so this week was a pretty good week.  I had leadership meeting Tuesday so the start of the week was good, but rough at the same time because I wasn't in my area till Wednesday.  The meeting was great.  I got to see a bunch of my missionary friends.  Which was good cause I might not see lots of them again for a long time, since we got a good group dying in September and another in October... 

So at church we had some pretty good success.  Fernando went.  He didn't go last week because he may have a hernia (I don't know how to spell that).  So he couldn't walk for a while.  He is a bit better.  He came to church on his bike.  We might baptize him this week.  But I think it will be the 14th, because we have the rededicating of the temple of Buenos Aries this weekend.  It's on Sunday and well, we don't have regular church meetings just the rededicating and Fernando can't go to that.  And he can't get the gift of the holy ghost.  So I think that next week is better.  But all the investigators will go to a special activity Saturday night.  So we are pretty happy with the progress we had there.

Francisco also went to church.  He honestly is doing super good.  We had an awesome lesson with him Wednesday night.  It was great because he really felt the spirit.  It helped him to see that this is something he actually needs and wants in his life.  I was pretty happy for what happened.  So he went to church with his less active dad who goes once a month.  His dad was super excited that someone in his family wanted to go to church.  The dad is the only member.  So we hope to have some pretty good success here.  We hope to get the whole family.  But the mom is a bit difficult, ha ha.  Anyway we want to help him go on a mission.  Not sure that's what he wants.  I would LOVE to see him go.  He could be a great missionary.  

Then well, a guy named Lucas found us, he is slightly mentally handicapped.  He can't understand everything, but he can read and talk perfectly.  I'm not really sure what he has.  But that's not super important.  He is looking for God, so we are doing what we can.  He is a pretty good guy.  He lives with his sister who is against us, but she doesn't have a problem if we talk to him.  

Oh, Liliana, we don't know what happened but she dropped us this week.  Which is alright.  A member who works at the hospital told us something about her.  She is actually crazy, but only sometimes.  But she has apparently almost killed several people and went to a public school to shower in the bathroom.... So I guess maybe we were protected from harm there... But she doesn't want to talk to us anymore.  So yea...what can we do.  She seemed fine when we talked to her.  I just wonder if listening to us helped for a while,  but I guess I wont really know. 

We had 50 people in church.  So we were happy.  We hope to keep that number up.  I Guess 3 or 4 people are moving to our ward as well.  That should help us out, some more super good members, we are pretty excited. 

Anyway, so that's kinda how things are progressing over here.  We are planning on having another good week this week with lots of success and such.  I also sent you a photo I got from Aaron.  Kinda a cool little picture.  Anyway, thanks for everything.  I hope the weathers good.

 Love ya,
 Elder Obray