Letter Dated September 26, 2011

Dear Mom & Dad,

Well we did have a pretty good week  this week. We did some work, found some more potential investigators. So it went pretty well.

Today was fun.  I bought a soccer ball so me and my native companion can go play around a bit (which we did today for a few hours) so that was pretty nice to relax a bit.

Mike's companion and the whole family of the boy being baptized

Lets see, we had interviews with the president on Thursday which was pretty cool, our mission president is awesome, and since we can finally communicate its a lot better, ha ha.

We had our baptism on Saturday which went well. I sent you some pictures of him. The kids name is Alan Emanuel Calderado. And he is baptized and confirmed and everything. There weren't any problems or anything. So we were pretty stoked about that.

We found a decent number of people.

Cecilia, Andrea, Memlica. We just knocked and taught the first lesson, we have a cita tonight

Cecilia y Marcelo. They left for Buenos Aires for the week.

Esther y Juan. The mom is Esther she is 82 and her 40 year old son Juan we taught them and they had some interest and we go back in a few days

Rosio. Taught the 1st lesson, she is difficult cause she studied religion, but she might progress if she actually has faith and prays, ha ha. A lot of people say they have faith but they don't do anything......so we shall see.

Elder Arriaga, Alan Emanuel Calderado, and Mike

Those are the big things that happened this week. Other then our baptism. We just have to get some people interested in going to church, ha ha. And sometimes the best way is to almost beg them to; go just once, and if you don't like it, we wont bother you, we might have to do that one, cause they say they'll go but they don't, they just don't really want to go to church, ha ha.

And the computer is being lame, so I might not be able to send pictures :( so maybe next time, ha ha, sorry. Yea we do a lot of menos activo work here, mostly because there's a ton of them and second because its a lot easier to reactivate a menos activo then to get into a house and baptize them into the church. And its just as useful. Of course we still search a decent part of the day for the people cause there are people being prepared. Anyway we just keep doing what we can.

There is a immobilaria right next to our house, I don't know if that is the right one, but I'm guessing it is. So we would be down a ally from that place, you probably can't actually see our house. And the lighthouse is in our area, but we don't go out there to work very often. Like never, ha ha. There are 300 members in our branch and 30 strong every week, ha ha, with probably 50 active. So, a bit of work. The thing is the registry for the area is a good ten years old and a lot of people have moved or died or who knows what. So..... yea we have been trying to clean it up a bit.

The meeting house is the corner of 521 y 554 so one street above ours and like 2 or 3 blocks its pretty big, with a basketball hoop/soccer court.

Trying to think of any stories we had this week....hmmm.... I'm going to try and find a way to send the pictures, ha ha. Just in case I don't end up writing more.

Love ya, enjoy your week

Elder Obray

Letter Dated September 19, 2011

Dear Mom & Dad;

Alright so I am sending lots of pictures this week. Hope you enjoy them. Sound like you guys had a not so exciting week. Which is good. Sometimes I wish I new what it was like to be bored ha ha.

Mike's new companion, Elder Arriaga

Yea, so things in my new area got shaken up pretty good. With Elder Howard out. I only had one week in my new area, and I am training Elder Arriaga. He is from Mexico, Which is good he only speaks Spanish so he is helping me a lot. I have a picture of him somewhere. and I'll send it. He is pretty cool. We get along just fine so no problems. But he is new, so he is learning (along with me), ha ha, how to teach and such. Its pretty fun. He was frustrated this week though cause he thought Argentina was more like Mexico where everyone baptizes tons. But its not. Apparently the people in Mexico are more receptive, ha ha. But he likes it. And he has a good attitude so he will do fine. Anyway, my comp was a member all his life, he is the first in his family to serve a mission, and he has a good desire to obey the rules and find and teach. So he is a good kid.

This last week was crazy though. Since we don't know the members super well (it's better now, ha ha, then when the week started).  We pretty much had to start from scratch. We were¨given¨ 3 good investigator families that the other missionaries started the teaching.  Flia Marcelo y Cecilia, they have testimonies and know all the lessons, but he (Marcelo) needs to get divorced first  then they can get married, but its like a year long process. But they've started.

10 year old that was baptized

Flia Monica y Alejando. Monica is the mom and Alejandro is the 17 year old kid. They are nice, but I really don't know where they are at, ha ha, since my comp didn't tell me to much and I have only been in the house twice and only for a short time. We had citas this last week but they fell.

And Carlos, he is getting baptized next year after he retires, ha ha.

And we are actually going to have a baptism. We reactivated a family that has been going with a ten year old son who is going to be baptized on Saturday at 5. So that's cool, and really good for my kid (my kid is the Elder I am training).

But anyway the last week we knocked lots of doors and such trying to get more investigators but its difficult. We didn't really find anybody who was super ready. But we have several people that we will pass by and see if they are going to progress or not.

Mike and his companion and the 10 year old who was baptized

My Spanish is better now by the way. Far from perfect. But they can understand and I can for sure get my point across.

The pictures I sent, are from my last area Punta Magotes. Flia Zendroni with the kids. They are a really good menos activo family we reactivated.  And Hermano Quiroz. Tambien is a menos activo family we reactivated. Then just some pictures of the forest. Oh and Elder Stewart is in all those pictures.

Alright I don't think I'll be able to send all the photos I want, this computer is ssllloooowwww. But you'll just live with what you get huh?

OK mission stuff.

For my first week in Quequen we got

0 Baptized
0 Confirmed

1 Con fecha

2 at church

2 lesson with member

8 other lessons(without member)

0 progressing investigators(attend church with baptism fecha)

0 Received References

0 Contacted References

2 New investigators

3 lessons with menos activo o recent converts

Mike's new apartment

My second with with my Kid

0 Baptized

0 Confirmed

1 Con fecha

2 at church

3 lesson with member

11 other lessons(without member)

1 progressing investigators(attend church with baptism fecha)

6 Received References

3 Contacted References

6 New investigators

4 lesson with menos activo o recent converts

(I don't have my agenda for my old area with me so I only have the data for the new area)  And I would say that those are pretty normal. I have no idea what the mission average is, but the Meta is

1 Baptized

1 Confirmed

15 Con fecha

Mike's new apartment

5 at church

10 lesson with member

15 other lessons(without member)

5 progressing investigators(attend church with baptism fecha)

10 Received References

10 Contacted References

15 New investigators

6 lessons with menos activo o recent converts

But if you get that your a Zone leader or Assistant for sure, cause you have to be really good. It hard, but possible. Eventually me and my kid will get there.

And the data is for one week.

My schedule since I'm training is different as well. We study till lunch.

Mike's apartment

1 hr personal at 8

9 to 11 comp study

11 to 12 language study

Lunch 12:30 to 1:30 (but usually 2)

then work till 9 with citas and all that fun stuff 

Then finally get to sleep yawn.

Thanks for your letters and everything. I must say the mission is a lot better leading then following, ha ha.  A lots more fun and more entertaining. I like it a lot.

Anyway I'll talk to you again next week. With more pictures. The green church is a Russian church. I ran into some Russians in my last area that can't speak much Spanish or English, ha ha.

Picture 6119 is me and my kid Elder Arriaga. The Mexicano.

Anyway love ya.

Elder Obray

Letter Dated September 12, 2011

Dear Mom and Dad;

In last area the forest they walked through

Hey, sorry, I can't really write much of an email today, I'll get one off in the next day or two though, the Internet in the city right now isn't working. So I'll get you more info later on everything. That and to add to it. We just got a phone call like 5 minutes ago, and apparently Elder Howard is going to switch and be Financero (so he is going to Bahia Blanca) and I am going to be a trainer, ha ha. Sooooo yea I'll email you more about it when I know.

Love Elder Obray

Russian church in Mike's last area

Well I have a few minutes more to write an email.  To answer some quick questions, yea my last area got closed, or rather combined with another area, so two elders have their area and my old area. There is a district in the city so like 8 missionaries mas o menos. Our house is small, so its just me and my companion.

I rode the bus alone, but sometimes you ride with others, just depends on who else is going to the area. I am in a Branch with like 40 active people and 300 people on the member list.

We live on street 519 close to the river, really its a small town like Ammon is to Idaho Falls. called Quequen.  Really I live in the middle of a busy street behind a house, you'll be lucky to find it. But I'll try and get better stuff next week. The people seems to be decently well off. Not rich but not poor. Hard to say.

About the door knocking and such. Normally we leave the house at 10:30, so we knock doors or have lessons or whatever. Then come back or eat lunch with a member at 12:30. Then out again until 2:00ish and work till 9:00 that night. We don't do contacts when it's dark. Since the people wont open there doors to you unless they know you.

My comp Graduated from Grantsville High school and they live in Grantsville. We speak Spanish about the same, he is a bit better, but he was in the intermediate Spanish class in the MTC, cause he knew lots before the mission. His vocab is better then mine.

The questions I didn't answer you should put in your next email to me.  Sorry I don't have time to answer much.  Like Dads data question will take time so next week just ask again so I remember.  But this happens sometimes. 

Part of the forest in Mike's last area

I got the Letter from Aaron's mom, and I sent him a short message, but he will get through it. It's just the first little bit that's super hard being far from home and not being able to speak. I think he will be fine. I think ALL missionaries go through a time like that.

Oh and you should get me Nate's email so I can send him my Congrats on proposing, ha ha. That's pretty exciting. I KNEW he was waiting for me to leave on my mission, ha ha.

Love Elder Obray 

Letter Dated September 5, 2011

Dear Mom and Dad;


Well sounds like a decent week for you all.  Keeping busy and what not. Sweet that dad got to work from home, ha ha.

Mike & Elder Stewart with Fila Zendroni

 

So my past week has been pretty crazy.  But good.

Tuesday, we had district meeting. We worked in the area of the other two elders in our house. So pretty much they gave us a list of people to pass by and we followed it, ha ha.

Wednesday. We worked in our area. We found a new investigator named Ulga, who is really cool and likes to listen. We got a  fecha from her and everything, so we were pretty excited about that. We also visited some old investigators. A creepy  guy and his wife. The guy thinks they should kill everyone who is not contributing to society.... soo...yea

 Thursday, we went to the flia Zendroni (I have pictures I will send sometime of a bunch of families) and we did a service and cleaned up their front yard. Yea! then we visited a menos activo hermano Quiroz who is pretty nice guy, and he actually went to church this last Sunday, Yea.

Fila Zendroni that Mike and his companion reactivated

Friday, lets see, we met a menos activo and had a lesson with Ulga that went really well. She really likes the message. Went to the flia Pacheco. And Christian has some interesting questions that we got to answer, ha ha, lucky us.  That's about it. We were suppose to get transfers today, but  they hadn't received all of them so we didn't know much.

Saturday, we did a little service and helped our vacino push his car (that's how they start there cars sometimes) then we finally got our transfers. 

And Elder Stewart (my comp) is in Olavarria right now.

Hermano Quiroz who they reactivated

And I am now in Nichocea. A smaller town along the coast south of Mar Del Plata.

Then the rest of the day, we went and bought tickets and lunch,  had a lesson with Fransisco, who was way sad both me and Elder Stewart were leaving. Then  one more lesson with Pacheco. Then we came home to start packing.

Domingo we just packed and such, said our goodbyes. and such, and we traveled that night.  Of course had the classic goodbyes in the church with a bunch of people

Mike and Elder Stewart with Hermano Quiroz

Then we left. I traveled from 11 to 1 and then we got home at like 2, yea. I was and am way tired ha ha.  Since we have to get up at 6:30 regardless of how late we are up.

So that was fun. My new Companion is Elder Howard. He was born in California but lived in literally every part of Utah for a time. So, anyway, he is pretty cool. I'll get you some pictures next time. I for got my camera at our house so, next time, ha ha.

Forest that they walk through to get to their area

And I don't really know much about my new area since I've only been here for a few hours, ha ha. But its pretty nice, the ward is just a rama of 30 people. But they have seriously billions of less actives. so it should be fun, ha ha. 

My comp has 1 transfer less then me so that should be interesting. We will see how it goes. He has a ton of time in the area. This will be his 4th transfer here, so 1/4 of his mission ha ha.   So this will probably be his last transfer here. Should be fun. I am pretty excited to be in a new city and area. Its pretty cool, but relatively similar to Mar Del Plata.

Another picture of the forest

Really I can't think of a whole lot to say. You'll have to ask some questions if you have any. I am sorry if this seems a bit scattered. but I am super tired and a bit sick, ha ha.

Enjoy your week 

Love Elder Obray

Letter dated August 29, 2011

Dear Mom and Dad;


Well sounds like the past week was an interesting one back home, lots of different things happening. I was sorry to hear about Brother Ridleys kid. Thats a terrible thing to have happen. But he is in a better place.

Mike outside his apartment in his cool new jacket

Yea I  bet the area Tyler is in is like Argentina. Maybe poorer. But that's hard to say. But I am glad he is out in the field. Aaron is out in the field about nowish, as well, which is cool. And Coleman the poor kid has FOREVER in the MTC. Miserable. Ugh. Ha ha, I feel bad for him for sure.

Well this week in the field was a pretty tough one.  Well Tuesday we had zone conference, so we just listened and did practices all day. Of course the Conference was awesome. They are always a good boost. So that was way good this week.

Then Wednesday we had like 5 appointments set up and they all fell through, but we somehow managed to have a few lessons, ha ha. We had 1 with Antonio, but it was fast just a scripture and prayer cause he didn't have time. and one with a Menos Activo family, then we found a New investigator named Francisco, who is really good, we got a baptism date and everything. So Wednesday went well.

Clifford, their faith guard dog

Thursday, Elder Silva had a problem with his visa, so he had to go to Bahia Blanca and the assistants to the president were suppose to come pick him up at like 4, and me and Stewart had to be there, cause otherwise Elder Ratamales would be alone. So we waited, and they got him at 6. So we worked in Ratamales area. Which went well, we had a lesson with a progressing investigator. So we didn't really get much done.

Friday, was a fail, we had 4 good citas and they allllll fell. So we were a bit upset, and Leonardo one of our investigators dropped us. So that was just bad day ha ha.

Saturday we had a lesson with Pacheco and Fransisco and they all said they would go to church.

Sunday. Nobody went to church :( so we were a bit sad so we had a bad week, but we are starting a new one that will hopefully go better. Its also the last week of the transfer so we will see what happens with the transfers.

Should be interesting. Mostly cause the President said that the area that me and Elder Stewart are in might close down since there have only been 5 baptisms in it in the entire year that was open. So they might kick us both out, or we might stay one more transfer. We shall see.

Anyway we are just going to keep on working and see what happens, ha ha, should be interesting. Should be fun eh!

Love Elder Obray

Letter dated August 22, 2011

Dear Mom and Dad;

Thanks for the update on everyone. Sounds like you guys had an interesting week with dad breaking his collar bone and everything. Going to be a rough summer for dad without that collar bone...

Mike's Apartment

So this week went alright. We didn't even get to talk to the family Macia, we just couldn't get a hold of them or anything. But there is not much we could do about that.  We haven't been able to talk to Cynthia yet.

Broken sink

Flia Pacheco we are still teaching, but they have only gone to church one time, so they aren't progressing right now. We have a fecha for them for the like 24th of September, I will probably be gone from the area by then.  I have a good chance of leaving the area this transfer, but who knows.

Yea so the pictures I sent are of a bousque about 2 blocks from our house. Our house is 15 blocks inland in the barrio Farro Norte. I don't know the street names around our house to well (since we live in the area of the other two elders) but a big road Mario Bravo is about 5 or 6 blacks from our house. you should be able to see the bousque (forest) then we are just outside.  There aren't too many houses, its more spread.

And yes our sink is now fixed. Joy. ha ha.

Broken sink

This week we worked pretty hard trying to get into houses of people we already have.  We had a good lesson with a member with a investigator named Alberto. He is a really good guy with really good intentions. he is looking for the truth. So I think he will get baptized. But he wont let us set a baptism date yet. He need more time (he doesn't) ha ha.

In the family Pacheco, we really are focusing on the father Christian. because he is really the only one with genuine interest. So we try hard with him.

We found a menos activo this week who is really good. She just refuses to go to church because she feels insulted about some gibberish that happened. Ridiculous really. But she is a super good painter and has a WAY sweet painting of dream she had. Its cool. You will just have to trust me.

Mike's apartment

This week with an investigator named Justo, he really wanted to hear a prayer in English. And well to be honest, I haven't said a prayer in English in 7months, ha ha, it was pretty sad. It was a mixture of Spanish and English, and I had to really think to form the sentences in English, terrible. When I get home, people are just going to have to live with Spanish prayers.

In the last email you asked if I needed anything for the package. Well really I could use socks, ha ha.  But other then that I don't neeeeed anything. But you can send whatever you want ha ha.

Really, we had a decent week. Nobody at church. Well two menos activos came. Which was good. And tomorrow will have zone conference. 

Anyway I don't have much else for you right now. Have a good. week.

Love Elder Obray