Sweet Week!!

12 September 2015

So it has been a smashing week! I loved everything I did in San Luis and it was like mad crazy! But way fun! So to the questions! 

• How do you do the tramitez while you are in San Luis?

So doing tramitez in San Luis is the same as doing them in Mendoza but it is easier. I’ll explain…there are a few papers I need that we do to make people legal. One is we need proof that they live in Argentina, then we need a background check from Argentina, and then we need a biometria, (I don't know what it means in English) and their FBI clearance. With those papers I can get it done and sent in to migracions. The hard thing about it is that I need two witnesses to testify that people live in Argentina. The Argentine background check takes at the very least 1 day to be processed, and then I have to pull them out online, then to do a biometria I need the back ground check from Argentina. After that we need to scan every single paper, including every page of their passport into a computer, so it takes a while. In San Luis, was able to do it in bulk, we finished Ranar (rnr) (Argentine background checks) in the morning for 17 people, and then we did domicile using a cop who trusted us as a witness, then in migracions they pulled out all of the RnR’s for me so I didn't have to do that part. Then the lady stayed 4 extra hours working for us so that I could leave on Thursday instead of Friday, it was sweet! 

• Why do you bring the missionaries into Mendoza if the work can be done in their areas?

Because I'm in Mendoza with all the paper work and its hard to travel, but honestly I could. The thing is that not everyone is ready at the same time. I have over 60 people ready right now because the last couple of people who have done my job didn't do it the best they could and left quite a few people illegal for no reason. So I'm doing the work for the last three secretaries at once. I’m cool like that, but it’s hard to go on 5 hour trips for 2 people when I can get 5 to come to me all on the same day! 

• Did you travel to and from San Luis all by yourself or do you take a companion?

I traveled with the first group to San Luis, and then I took a bus with the second group home to Mendoza. Next trip I will go with a companion! 

• Explain to me…who are Bosses? Are they with the church? Are they with the Argentine Government?

The bosses are people who do my job for either Argentina or for the South American area of the world. They are like me, but in charge of a lot more missions and they are paid by the church to do it — I honestly would love to have that job! I love what I do! 

• How many missionaries are in your mission? How many do you still need to do the immigration work for?

We are as few as 200 right now, when I got here we had over 100 people in need of getting their work done, we have about 55 people that need it done still, but I have another trip planned to San Luis to get more then half of those done! The rest I still need papers! So we will see what I can get done!

• Besides getting people legal, buying tickets for buses and planes, and dropping off and picking up people from the airport…what else do you do? How do you have time to do anything else?

So I also write all the parents when people show up, and when they leave I have to send all the info home. I also take permissions from the mission and pass them to President. I do errands for President, and I'm companions with the financiero, so I also run random errands with him. I also have to keep a website updated and maintained while I'm working and keep all the work I do in that, and then I cook and clean and try to follow most of the mission rules! It is hard! 

• Are you getting to speak Spanish—or are you using it less now that you are serving in the office?

I speak a ton of Spanish! I don't work with people who speak English I'm always with Argentines who are helping me, so its hard not to, I just use it a ton and I love it — but it's bad, because when I'm so tired and stressed I speak worse, because I'm thinking about what I want to say instead of just speaking. I can think and flow in Spanish now, but if I get nervous or scared, or just too tired, which is always my Spanish is a little worse, like I just conjugate in the wrong tense, mostly preterit, but it's fine they still understand me! 

Sunday I had Elder Jacobesen who hurt his foot bad, take care of a ton of paper work for me and get a ton of stuff like that done for me! Then I did some prep work for San Luis! 

Monday we went to migraciones to get Hermana Goates legal and that was fun! We got her all done and also President so no worries…I got the most important people legal, thats all I really wanted to do that day, but I still worked up until the moment I left to catch the bus to go to San Luis. I got there and we almost had a kid miss the bus, even though I told the kid to be there at 6pm, but whatever. We all got on the bus, but I didn't have the cash that I needed with me. I only had the check. So then I told my boss who was going to be helping us, Elder Vilche this…he panicked and told me I wouldn't be able to cash it in San Luis. We are not talking like a couple hundred bucks, we are talking like 5 grand American dollars that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get out! Then I called a ton of people and no one knew for sure, so I went on faith and stayed on the bus and we went to San Luis. We arrived and made it to the hotel, ordered pizza and we were in bed around one at night! We got in trouble at the hotel for being too loud! It was my fault…I was the guy in charge and I forgot, so I was just playing like I was one of them and that had to change.

Tuesday we started working, we went and did the RNR first thing in the morning and got that done at about 11:30 and I'm carrying around like 5 thousand dollars with me now at this point and that’s scary!! Then we did the certification of residencia, like they live here and it was good, I got two members to come and be the witnesses for us, and then we went to a nice lunch and then we went home. I slept for an hour, and then we went out took pictures for the next step! We did mission work in a plaza and it was fun! I bought some stuff for friends in the mission and that was fun! Then I had to go get the next group of 10 from the bus stop, and then we went to dinner all 30 of us and it was way fun! We didn't get home till midnight and it was late I was tired and I still stayed up talking for an hour or so, but i needed to de-stress! I had 4 kids who left the group that day and it made me so mad, so I vented about it! 

Wednesday we started the next group on RNR, but we couldn't because they were already full, so I saved them for the night time. Then I went and did the certification of residencia, and we broke the law with the police women as a witness. My boss from Cordoba who showed up for a couple hours to help did it! Then I got pictures done, we went and got grido, and then I took the group who I had left in migracions to the terminal and got them headed home as fast as I could! Then we finished RNR, but it was so cold we couldn't really work that night, so I took care of other things and then we went shopping and it was fun! Then we had dinner and back to the hotel at 11:15 and I was beat!

Thursday everyone woke up late, so we headed out late, but we got what we needed to get done early so it was fine. I just sat and chatted with friends, but I was all alone being the boss — it was scary and I made all the decisions, but it was fine! We did good! We went to a Chinese food buffet and it was awesome! I loved it! I ate octopus! Oh, I also forgot….Saturday night I ate sushi in Argentina it was way fun! Back to San Luis… so I wanted to get these people home, so we went to the terminal at 3 o’clock, but I hadn't got the paperwork back yet, so we went and I was like I can’t send them home, they were going to have to spend the night in Mendoza, so I brought them to there at 5:15 and I ran back to get the papers! A nice lady Erica stayed for an extra 4 hours at work trying to finish everything for us just because she was way nice! I bought her a ton of stuff, because I felt bad, and then we got it all at about 5pm, we took a taxi back to the terminal and barely made it!  Then I rode back with them to get to Mendoza to sleep the night! I got back and put in all the numbers, because the area wanted to present my work to Salt Lake the next day and it was substantial, so I felt like a stud! 

Friday I had Elder Jacobsen here all week planning the next trip which is the 27th, 28th, and 29th, so it should be good! I'm going to be really ready and I'm already doing more here in Mendoza on Tuesday which I planned this day, I tried to get fees paid, but I didn't make it before the siesta so it was sad, but I got a ton of stuff planned and organized and ready and it was really good! Then I taught a lesson — my first one since I've gotten to the offices and it was really good! His name is Ariel and he is really struggling…please pray for him! We taught him that he can have peace even through all the struggles in his life and it was good! I felt good! Then I got home and was out, I may have slept in today! 

Saturday I have done a little work, but mostly just written a ton of people and its been nice! I feel happy—I love what I do!! I just feel strong and good, I'm not working out enough, but I'm going to get back into it before I leave for San Luis! Don’t you worry! I'm planning it better this time, but the next trip is going to have a lot more hermanas! 

So I love you guys!! How is life? Are you happy? I'm way jealous of the Jeep! is it a stick shift? if its not, we are just playing!!! 

I love you guys! 

Love, Jayson