Best P-day

Hey cutie bu-tooties! Life is good down here, and yesterday was a huge National Holiday of the war they fought for there Independence. It sucks when we don't have p-day right, that and Lex didn't write me again so that also sucks, but whatever it’s cool, I'm not stressing! God knows whats up! 

• Who should we be praying for?

I don't really know probably Margarita and the family Romero that should do us good in the prayer game. 

• Who is your very most favorite person in Argentina?

My favorite person in all of Argentina? Uhh I don't know I really love Roberto Gerry and I really love Mario Burnett but I don't know who my favorite person is in the country is... 

• Do you guys keep your apartment pretty clean or is it a pig stye?

Our apartment is a mess, its better then some but the other guys never wash their dishes and my study desk is just always a mess, because I am never there to clean it. 

• Do you know I miss your face?? Send me pictures of it!!!

I'm sorry pictures are hard and I don't like sending them, they waste a lot of time and then I need to take more photos to send them! 

• Have you talked in church lately?

I haven't spoken in church in a long time, but its been a rotation with my companion every transfer so it was my comps turn 3 weeks ago. So ya thats my life! 

Monday we went to a place called Valle Grande and it was the best p-day I have had in my entire mission I loved it all of it—it was incredible! We rock climbed more or less, its more like we just walked up a fat rock area that was just way fun and it made me way happy, then we went to a dam and just this huge lake…the temptation was way hard, but I didn’t swim — I'm a good boy! 

Tuesday we went to Andrea’s and found out the Joana and Manuel broke up…photo included of Manuel and Joana and thats sad, but it saves us from the awkward law of chastity lesson, but still sad. I had to give a blessing of council to Andrea so that all could go well with her lawyer stuff and it was awesome! 

Wednesday we just had no luck and it was a rough day.

Thursday the same.

Friday we had a good day, we taught Johnaton Sosa and it was just awesome and his kid Augustine who is ten and not baptized. Johnaton is menos activo and his kid just likes to learn and talk with us and its just fun to be with them and help the kid  understand more about us and the church, and he really likes it so we are going to see what we can do with him it should be awesome! 

Saturday, is the journal entry picture I sent you...rough day....

Sunday was stake conference and it was good, but it was transmitted to us from an 1 mile and a half away and we couldn't understand a word…even the Latinos didn't get a single thing out of it so that was rough, but thats fine and thats life so its cool! Then we didn't get to teach anyone.

So it was a little harder week, but it was good and I'm happy so don’t stress, all is good with me. I love you guys so very much and I pray everything is good with you! 

I love you guys more then I can ever say! 

Love, Elder Jayson Benedict

Way Good Week

Its been a way good week I'm honestly not sure I have ever taught so much in my entire mission, it is freaking crazy and awesome at the same time! I don't have a ton of time, but I will try to explain it all. 

• How are your investigators doing this week?

All the investigators are doing really well and learning and its really good! 

• The weather looks like it is awesome this week for you—but pretty cool overnight. Do you have enough warm clothes? Do you need to go buy more sweaters?

I have plenty of warm clothes and some days I can still wear short sleeves, but I'm also a hot body and I'm riding a bike everywhere! 

• Tell me something you love about your companion?

He is way funny and likes to be happy! He is way outgoing, but only in English and he just knows a lot of fun stories! 

• Tell me something that can drive you crazy about the missionaries in your apartment?

Something that drives me crazy…over sleeping in the morning!! We all got sick this week and slept in two days and now they just keep doing it and it bugs me so bad! That and not leaving on time! People think that unless we know we are going to teach we don't need to leave the pension, but thats dumb! We have a schedule of work hours and if you don't want to do  it then

go home! I'm sick of being your mom!! I hate being mom of the pension and tell people what we should be doing.

I went way hard on baking this week -- so I have a bunch of pictures!!

I made way good banana bread!!

Monday we taught Joana and it was good but sorta tense. I don't know if they are having relationship problems, well I know they are, but it was just a little odd. We are going to keep seeing what we can do. We also cooked an asado (its like the Argentine barbecue) it was so good! I’ve actually started to like meat, I don't know whats happened, but there is this one kind that is super good! 

Tuesday we also taught a lady named Patricia and her son. She is a member, but the not her family, but they are all kinds of ready! So we are going to keep working with them, but the problem is they live 4 kilometers away. At least I get a good work out in! 

Wednesday we taught the great grandparents and it was good and awesome, way fun people!

I made these rolls -- but they weren't as fluffy as mom's

Thursday we had two lessons with members, a lady named Margarita who is awesome, she is reading the Book of Mormon and enjoying it I think, and she has way good questions and it was just some really good stuff! We then taught Andrea and Italo and it was just a quick little thing for them and I liked it a lot! 

Friday we taught a buddy of mine named Daniel and it was good! He liked it — way nice guy! We then taught an old investigator Gonzalo and it was just nice to see him again and get to chat with him!

Chicken Cordon Bleu -- we made it, it was way easy. My companion is way cool to  cook stuff like that!

Saturday we taught a guy named Walter. Me and my companion were way tired so we were kinda going lazy, but at least we made it into this house and shared a little bit about reading the scriptures. It was good and a good reminder for him about what he is missing! 

Sunday we taught Patrica again and blessed the home.  We got the Catholic father involved and he seemed to like us and kinda became our friends because of the blessing we gave. It was awesome and I loved it! Then we taught Margarita again about the Plan of Salvation…it was good stuff!

I made braided ham and cheese bread, and I also made a cinnamon brown sugar braid, but we ate it before I could take a picture!

So we have taught a ton as you can see. Honestly the best week of teaching in my mission so thats cool!! I love it here, I'm doing good! I'm way out of time and have to go catch a bus for todays activities, but I love you a ton and miss you like crazy!

Love, Jayson

Good Day Talking to You

I’m glad you liked the flowers—they were really awesome! I heard the story of dad that’s pretty funny! Probably a good call to write me before you go to Skype me, I'm a pretty boring person though, I'm sorry I wasn't more fun yesterday! 

I love the rain so much I want to go play in it so bad, but I'm a missionary and we don't do that! One time when it was pouring rain here we all just ditched our clothes, put some basket ball shorts  and we went outside in the cold and just played in it, but that was like 10 seconds nothing more so I need some good rain playing! 

I miss American pizza so much! The pizza here is just not the same, but thats okay we can't always have everything we want! I don't know if you know this, but from the Mexicans I've talked to about Cinco de Mayo, its not really a thing for them, they like don't even realize it happens when it passes nor celebrate it! We go harder for Cinco de Mayo then the Mexicans!

I need the braided bread recipe — that sounds way good and I know I could cook it here with out any problem and it sounds way good! 

227 days until Christmas -- is a long time you know that right? I have so much time until then, but whatever its cool I can make it! 

I think I explained my companion poorly. I love him to death, he is one of my favorite people and we get a long great!! He just isn't the hardest worker without me putting forth the first effort!  But I love him to death! 

Monday we taught some less actives and gave a blessing and it was way good, nothing super special, but at least we weren't just riding all night!

Tuesday we had a lesson with some really old people that I love, they are kinda my way of doing something when I'm beyond tired of not getting into any houses, but at least I have them for that! I don't think I'm going to ever get that old man to the church, but I will keep trying! They are my great, great grandparents ;) I forgot to mention that on I met a guy from Utah in a BYU hat and a Yankee baseball jacket and we talked in English for a long time. He lives in Orem and is way cool, but his family is less active and lives in my area so we are going to start working with them as soon as we can!

Wednesday we just sat on a bus for 6 hours!

Thursday we had the conference with Elder Zabillos and it was awesome! Then in the night we went to Andrea and Italo and it was good to chat with them, we are going to see if we can get them married or separated, and then get that man baptized! 

Friday we had lunch with a way cool family that have non-members as part of the family and we taught them a little and it was way fun! I had a blast in that house! But it is in the Hermana’s area so they will probably never go by, and baptize the dad that just needs some chastity lesson and is there! He had a vision that he needs to join the church, but he just cant because his wife isn't ready to marry him, but she could be! Then we found this lady and she talked about something I had said the first time I met her that she loved, and it was just a cool new investigator!

Saturday we ran by this guy Areal as a last moment thing and he was way cool and we got to teach a lesson so that was cool, but I'm not sure they will really ever progress.

Sunday we spent all day talking to you guys, so yup it was a good day! 

So that has been my week,  I love you mama and I cant wait to see you again when we can! 

I love you to the moon and back! 

Love,
JAYSON

It is starting to get COLD!

So that really sucks that both the packages you sent me came back unclaimed! All I really want is ties though, I really, really want ties. I need more ties to give to my comps! Don’t stress—if I get sent back into the Mendoza area I’ll be able to go pull it out myself and then it will be fine, so just wait for me to leave the very South of the mission. 

• What is your companions full name? How are you two working together? What is his personality like—quiet, shy, talkative, boisterous???

My companion is Nicholas Steven Hamideh, he is part Palestinian and part Peruvian and half gringo and way awesome. He is kinda one of those elders who isn't a hard worker, but he is not going to hold me back from being as obedient as I want. We work good together, but he likes working way far in the area so we have biked a ton this week! He is way fun when it is us in the pension or when we speak English, but when we enter a house he is super quite and then I just have to lead a lot of the stuff we do! 

• Is it fun in your apartment, or do you get on each others nerves? 

The apartment is way fun, I love them so much—its awesome! 

• I noticed you were wearing your sweater in your turtle picture—is it starting to cool down a bit? Do you have heating in your apartment?

It’s way cold now and we have no heat in the house, so its just freezing always!! I’m going to have to break out the sleeping bag here soon, and no I didn't buy sheets, Elder Evans gave me one of his fitted sheets for my bed! 

• I loved hearing about your grocery shop—do you ever go out for dessert, or do you just make all your own desserts? If you do go out, where do you go for treats, snacks or desserts?

We go to dessert at Grido its a cheap ice cream shop!  ¡It’s fun! 

• Are the YM/YW activities pretty much the same in Argentina as they were here home?

Young men and young women is like the same-ish.

• How did teaching go this week? Any success now that you have been together with your new companion for a week or so?

Not a ton of success teaching, but thats okay! 

Monday we learned how to make a way good Argentine tortita!  I love it! I’ll show you when I get home, but  they are super fatty! No luck that day! 

Tuesday we didn't get to teach this day! 

Wednesday we had lunch with Joana the lady who came to church, but we didn't get to teach her a lot so thats sad, but it was a way good lunch! 

Wednesday we did a ton of menos activos and it was good to help them and just teach them. I like to help menos activos and its nice to have something to do that and we went way far that day — like five kilometers just for one house! 

Thursday we did service and then we just had so little luck that night, we go and work a lot, but its not like we always get to teach which is sad! 

Friday we were in San Rafael. It was just for a meeting, but we were there all day so that sucked, but I got to talk with Elder Houghten who I love a ton and it was just a nice little day, I met a Hermana missionary who has a personality equal to Lexy's and it was really, really weird....

Saturday we taught a guy who didn’t even remember who Joseph Smith was! He is a member and his family is too, but he promised to read and today we are going to pass by and teach him again! 

Sunday no investigators came and then we just had a normal Sunday. We taught Flavia though and it was awesome—she is ready, but she had some concerns about Nephi and Laben so we addressed that! 

I’m all out of time, but I love you a ton and can’t wait to see you Sunday!

Love, Jayson