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

The Backstrom Weekly

Today for p-day I made Donairs for almost the whole zone- that's right, all-Canadian (well sort of Greek/Arabic) Halifax style Donairs. yeah. I couldn't find pitas so I had to make it into little sandwiches on another type of Arabic flat bread. Attached are several photos for you to enjoy.

Moving on to the week, this week has been both an interesting and challenging one. My companion and I decided that really we were not having success like we should in the area, especially finding new investigators and getting second visits. We decided that a re dedication and greater sacrifice where necessary to begin to have the success that we desire in our area. we had a talk about the things we could change to be able to work harder and smarter, and also decided to do a special fast to be able to find more investigators in our area. Since then we have been dedicating a lot more time to proselyting activities, and have made several good contacts, but have not been able to teach anyone new yet. your prayers are very appreciated.

I hope you all have a good and safe week,

Elder Backstrom 

Success in San Luis

Well, It's been another week here in san luis. This week we had the great success of bringing out 4 less active families to church, out of the five we visited in the week. I don't know what else to tell about, so I'll tell two stories from today:

We went to "Potrero do los Funes" (A touristy place) and met this guy on a bus. He's from Calgary so I took a photo with him unfortunately it is not the best photo of me, so.

Add caption

Look who made his way into my missionary daily planer! 

Story number two comes with no fun photo, but after eating at the riverside that features in several of the attached photos, we had the chance to talk with a slightly older couple from Buenos Aires who were on vacation. They told us part of their story, that they had been married only ten years before and that the lady had adopted her husband's children. In that seemingly random conversation we were able to invite them to meet with the missionaries in Buenos Aires when they returned home and learn more about the restored gospel and how it could bless their family. That experience marked to me how even the conversations that sometimes I might think are not going to lead to an invitation to learn about the gospel can become opportunities to invite everyone to learn about our unique message.

Anyways, enjoy the photo of the next big thing in human alimentation: the double banana.

Have a good week,

Elder Backstrom

Double banana

Selected photos from a p-day picnic at a river where Dallin and the other missionaries met the couple from Buenos Aires:

Adventures in La Punta

Good morning,

Another week has passed by and another email proceeds forth to the ends of the earth from the rented cyber desk of Dallin Backstrom.

This week I did a companion exchange with La Punta, and went there to work with Elder Nelson. His companion came to the city and stayed there with El. Enriquez. La Punta is a small suburban development about 7 kilometers north of the city. the density is very low and so there is consequently a large amount of walking involved to get between the places where people actually live. We worked all afternoon in a small corner of the area. We had the opportunity to meet several people, one of whom was a trucker named William (in Spanish Guillermo) who was in town and outside washing his car. We talked to him and apparently he had spoken to missionaries before but they had only come by one time, so we were able to employ the principle "teach while you find" and explain a lot of things to him, as well as give him a Book of Mormon, which he said he was really interested in reading to be able to know what significance it had to his life- all while he washed his 80' BMW.

I also found several books from the series of manuals Teachings of the Presidents of the Church in my pension, and started to read by topic on Sunday (while my companion was in bed with a headache)

from the Joseph Smith tome. I was impressed by the relevance of the discourses and the frank, logical power by which they where delivered. I was reminded of the important, divine commission of Joseph Smith as the first Prophet of God in this dispensation and the fidelity with which he carried out his mission to not only restore but to preach and teach the correct principles of the restored Gospel. I read a chapter about peacemaking that reminded me that at times we teach far more powerfully with our actions than with our words.

Pictures attached, Have a good week,

Elder Backstrom

El. Backstrom looking cool at a bus stop maybe?

"4 Hugs a day, that's the minimum..."

It is difficult to identify the 4th person in this selfie

Cool stone structure!

Argentine landscapes

Dallin with some graffiti