Mother's Day 2015

Here is a GIF of our chat with El. Backstrom last Sunday, doesn't he look great?!! (A little fuzzy, but great)

Middle of May E-mail

Everyone ready for Elder Backstrom's exciting exciting exciting weekly email?

Good. the most exciting is that I have finally sent photos. Hooray! and in good quality, as well.

Well, this has been a mostly normal work week here in la Favorita. We had a far greater turnout at church this week since the municipal elections have finished. We are having a bit of trouble tracking some people down... they seem to never be home... but we also have some great investigators who we are teaching right now. Luis Gutierez is one of them- the ex-husband of a church member, He recently approached the missionaries in the city center and told them that he wanted to be baptized now that he was no longer working on Sundays and could go to the regular church meetings. We still need to help him gain a testimony and understand the doctrine, but he must be one of the people with the most desire to learn the gospel that I have ever had the opportunity of teaching in my entire mission.

On another front, we are helping a member (also our ward mission leader) to renovate his house. he is running new electrical cables, repainting, and re tiling his bathroom- quite the project, considering that he also has a cyber-café in the front of his house that he attends to all day. Sometimes in the dead time of the siesta we head over there and help him move forward with that.

This next Sunday is the dedication of the Cordoba temple! And here we have the opportunity to attend the dedication via broadcast. that means that the stake centers will be extensions of the holy temple for that Sunday- and we will have the marvelous chance to participate in the spiritual outpouring that accompanies the dedication of one of these most holy houses of God.

Well, have a good week everyone!

Elder Backstrom

Elder Nelson and I in San Luis with the flying duck of my companion Elder Saavedra gracing the background

 

My new companion Elder Paz and I 

Inside the pension

A room with a view (from the window in photo 3)

A picture of the street we live on from the bus stop. You can't quite see the monoblock we live in , its hidden behind the trees in the roundabout.

Way exciting weekly email first week of may!

This is not actually going to be as exciting as the subject line would indicate because even though we came to a different cyber-cafe today I didn't bring my camera so there will once again be no pictures.

So, in Argentina, 1st of may is a biggggg holiday. Who knew? It's the "day of the worker". Aw well, we ended up working anyways. I suppose we'll have to wait for "the day of the ecclesiastical minister". Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if they had a day for that- fun fact, there are more than 270 national holidays in the calender year in the republic of Argentina. Wow! (Lots fall on the same day or are not celebrated by stopping work in any way- otherwise they would spend more days in festivals than working- and that's not about to happen)

Well, we have started to work in "la Favorita" for real. We've got a pretty good grasp of the area and have met a few old and new investigators. Sadly, we have a change of companions tomorrow and I'll be out of the area- which is lame, because we have a fixed lesson with a whole family of investigators. We actually spend the whole day in the area, from morning till night, without returning ever to the apartment, because we live so far away-40 minutes by bus. that means that we normally have to find some sort of service or something to do for members during the dead three hours after lunch (la siesta) when almost everyone is sleeping. It's really exhausting to be on your feet for that long. I don't think I've ever gotten to sleep faster in the mission.

Well, I hope that all of you can have a good week.

Elder Backstrom

La Favorita

Sorry to everyone I didn't write!

wow. cyber is EXPENSIVE here in Mendoza. (18$ the hour!)

So, I've been in my new area for four days- but when you don't know a place- that feels like forever! We've been learning the streets of La Favorita. It doesn't appear in google maps, and the two previous missionaries didn't leave us a map- so! An adventure for sure. Luckily for us, we were able to meet a lot of the members quickly, and they have helped us get on our feet a little. I've more or less got the locations down now. At least it's not half of the residential area of San Luis capital! it's a good deal smaller than my last area.

My new companion is elder Paz (would love to send photos but this computer doesn't accept my camera :P) He is from Uruguay, and has 18 months in the mission. He's both cool and dedicated, and we are moving forward well in our new area.

Don't even ask about the apartment. They left it a disaster. but! one good clean later- much better!

okay. I have ten mins. left. I'll tell you guys some more stories about la Favo next week, sound good? have a safe week everyone!

Spiritual learning highlight of the week: I was reading in the first epistle general of Peter and was particularly appreciative of his admonitions in the last chapter of the same. Remember, God resists the proud, but exalts the humble.

Elder Backstrom

So Long Farewell to San Luis

Well, I will be leaving my area in this week. we received changes and I will be headed  to the real streets of Mendoza-capital, in barrio "La Favorita". My companion will be staying here in San Luis (he really hasn't had much time to get to know the area- it's really big- but I'm sure he'll manage. the maps are good). My new companion will be Elder Paz- But which elder Paz? There are two- one who arrived just recently, and one who will be going home soon. I suppose we will have to wait and see. We will be "washing" the area- that means that the two missionaries who are there now are both leaving, and so we'll be a little in the dark till we get our footing. Never a dull moment.

Well, I think that's about all I have to tell- Elder Alvarado, our district leader, went home on Sunday so for now we are in a trio with his companion, Elder Nelson. it's made life complicated since he was not the only one going to Mendoza- there were visa trips and a whole bunch of things. so.

Here is a picture of me with a small dog that our neighbour recently obtained to employ as a toy for the larger dog, Lucy.

​have a good week all.

Special Changes Means a New Companion for El. Backstrom

Well, here we are- after a very crazy week!

Special changes.

I received a new companion, one week before regular changes- Elder Saavedra, from Chile. we were in Mendoza almost all week- from Monday in the morning till Thursday at night- Although we returned briefly to San Luis ("Briefly" signifying four hours in a bus both ways) to pick up Elder Eriquez's bags on Wednesday.

Also, there is a new 2015 corolla in the offices (For a missionary couple who just arrived), and boy, it is fine. also goes fast. we got driven around in it a little bit, and I think I broke the last of the ten commandments (Hahaha... for everyone who didn't get it, not coveting is the last of the ten commandments) but have since repented. Sorry that that is a little boring, but I mean, it's that sort of week.

This week I also read a book by a certain Scott Marshal on the subject of tracting, which although it is not an official publication of the church, was lying around in the mission office library. I must say, I have never seriously dedicated time or thought to knocking doors- but the book was very good and gave some practical, applicable suggestions to do "inspired tracting" and to find the people who will actually receive us without bothering too much those who are not interested. I found it was very practical and realistic, and this week we are going to apply some of the techniques that Elder Marshal suggests in his book. (We actually already did it once, and it worked out very well for us.)

Well, I wish everyone a good week, one full of hopefully a lot less traveling than I have done in my past week- I am so tired of buses...

Elder Backstrom

The words of the living prophets

Good day, family and friends-

If you where not aware, a general conference of the church was held this weekend. The Prophet and other church leaders spoke.

General conference is always an inspiring and unique experience- one of the two chances annually to hear the voices of the watchmen on the wall, those holy Prophets and Apostles of God who speak the words of the Almighty. This weekend I was impressed to prepare myself to be more spiritually receptive to the messages given through fasting and prayer, that my invitation to others to participate in the conference might be more sincere since I was really applying it in my own life. and although almost none of the people that we urged and invited to listen to the words of the Prophets actually followed that invitation, I found myself deeply impacted by all of the many messages shared (My hand is still cramped from frantically scribbled notes that are probably completely illegible to anyone but me)... Family and life at home was as strong theme throughout the conference, which I found myself relating to my companionship and the ways I can improve in my love and compassion and the other ways I direct myself to my companion. Also, my favorite quote from the conference came early on, from President Boyd K. Packer- "the end of all activity in the church is to see a man and woman happy at home, with their children, sealed for time and all eternity." It can be so easy to forget that everything we do to build up and establish the church is done only to bless the lives of individuals and allow them to create families that will last beyond that cold and unforgiving grave. "It is hard to see the forest for the trees," said one of the general authorities who spoke in Spanish- and I thoroughly agree. If we overlook the true purpose of our daily labour, attendance statistics and lesson numbers can quickly block out the real motives of our endeavors- rendering them totally and completely useless. God will not support anyone who is working to put up "Potemken Villages" as Elder Uchtdorf put it. The Kingdom of God is established as people are truly converted to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which brings ever-so necessary water to the spiritually fainting world, and live faithful to their personal covenants in their personal lives.

On the other side, I wish to invite you all to watch and share this video that centers on the resurrection

of Jesus Christ and the universality of the blessings this provides for each and every one of us.

Also, saw this on Mormon.org and it made me laugh. takes much better notes than me.

Well, keep safe and happy and in-tune and dancing,

Elder Backstrom