Week 61

Mommy & All,

"Its when you can't hear the Bats, that's when the Bats are coming." -Anonymous

This last week was good. We went to Las Heras the beginning of the week as usual and got back here for the back half. We were able to go see Gisel again. She said that she'd started talking to Julian about marriage. That he was starting to open up just a little more because he is a really closed person. They are still fighting pretty bad sometimes it sounds like as well. The only thing holding them together is their 5 month old daughter Amber. We did get to sit down and talk to Julian as well and he was as open as he's ever been with us. He asked a lot of questions about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and why our message was so different from everyone else. We taught him the Restoration again and really invited him to read and pray about the things we talked about and of course about the Book of Mormon. We were supposed to go see Marcelo and Maria as well, but it sounds like they have been fighting lately because they both seem sad and kinda hint at that when they tell us we can't come over so that's not good to see. 

We were able to teach Hugo as well who's Susana's friend. We talked about having the Faith to do the things God wants us to do like read scriptures, pray, and go to church. He seemed to really understand that and told us he would do it. He even came to church with Susana Sunday. We also gotta see Raul this week and he had a visitor at his mini camping. Her name was Lucy Barnyard from Australia and she was way cool. She doesn't speak really any Spanish, so it was nice to sit and have a conversation in English with someone haha. She told me she has quite a few Mormon friends and asked me tons of questions about the mission and just the church in general. The really cool and kinda insane part about her, is that she is trying to become the first woman to ever walk the length of the world! She is going from Ushuaia which is the very bottom point, and is trying to get to the highest pint in Alaska which I guess is the top point. She told me that there's been a few men who've done it but never a woman. I asked her how she started and she said she just woke up one day saying she needed to go on a really long walk haha. She's come up from Ushuaia to Perito in about 4 months and has been staying here a few days. The funny part is that I'll be in the United States before she is haha. But I hope she makes it then the pics I took with her can be worth some good money. haha Speaking of Ushuaia, I just got transferred here and got in last night. I'm in a part of Centro so it will be pretty cool to know. After 26 hours, 4 buses and a boat, I made it haha.

Much Love,

Elder Christensen

A few notes from mom:  His trip to Ushuaia was good.  They got on the bus that made the longest leg late evening.  It is a bus meant for sleeping on, and was a little small for him, but he said it wasn't too bad though and he was able to sleep.  The reason they take a ferry is that Chile divides the top part of Argentina from the Tierra de Fuego providence of Argentina at the bottom, so they would either have to get a visa to pass through Chile or take the ferry around.  He traveled with Elder Jensen, who is one of his best friends in the mission, so that made it fun.  Elder Jensen is going to be his new Zone leader, and Max is going to be Elder Jensen's new district leader, so he is excited to be able to work closely with him.  He said his apartment is really nice.  He thinks there are about 16 missionaries in Ushuaia and he is happy about that.  It has been 6 months since he was able to really do anything with other missionaries on pday, and he has missed that interaction.  He is really excited about his new area and has heard great things about the branches in Ushuaia.  He finally has his Argentine papers and is legal.