Christmas - Week 20

This was a wonderful Christmas week for me! I loved talking with my family through Skype and I am so glad you are all doing well! Hopefully you'll be able to see my Christmas message sending my love to all of you. To celebrate Christmas we did what we always do here in Argentina... EAT! We stayed out during the 24th Christmas Eve with the Familia Luna and ate Asado and a cabrito which is like a little pig! It was delicious and we were definitely stuffed like little piggies after that dinner! Then the 25th Christmas Day we went to the pension of the other Elders and ate Asado with them too. Other than that we just relaxed and rested up for the week. During siesta there is nothing going on in the streets but during Christmas morning it was like a ghost town and that is really strange. Sunday we had a Nativity Scene event with the stake choir as they sang and narrated the story Christ's birth. It was an evening full of the spirit and very beautiful. A wonderful Christmas that I got to share with my family here in Argentina!

Thanks to Brother Tanner for arranging the times for these four happy elders to Skype Home!

It's a Christmas Miracle! All in the same room, but not...One happy family skyping for the first time! So glad it worked!!!

You're always with us in spirit.....Merry Christmas

Christmas Dinner with the Familia Luna 

Me supervising haha with Jose Cooking!

Of course a delicious Asado!

Four Happy, Stuffed Hombres!

Beautiful building here in La Rioja

Never thought I'd be so happy to mop! Preparing the baptismal font

We had a Nativity Scene event in which the stake Choir sang and they narrated the story of Christs birth. I had the opportunity of playing prelude and accompanying the choir and it was an evening full of the spirit and very beautiful.  People were acting and played the parts of the shepherds, the 3 kings, Mary, Joseph and the Angels were...the missionaries in the baptismal clothing:)  haha! 

We had a baptism this last week for our friend Antonio and he is a viejo, "old man". We prepped for the baptism not knowing how we would baptize such an old man that can hardly walk.  We decided to have 2 elders in the font and a chair for him to sit on.  We carried him into the font sat him down and baptized him.  The next day he received the Gift of the Holy Ghost and I was so happy!!  It is a privilege to do this work and I love being part of Gods work! 

I'm Dreaming of a HOT Christmas - Week 19

It's definitely a little strange to not have snow for this time of year, instead I am wearing sun screen and burning a little bit but hey that's all good. I remember the song that Santa is using zebras now in Africa or something..well I'm pretty sure that he uses them here too! This week was a fun one for sure! I got a new companion, we are working with an old man named Antonio don Vlla who is so kind and has a wonderful testimony, he's planning to be baptized next Saturday, and the Conference of Navidad with all of the missionaries....I felt renewed and so ready to work. The Church is true, the book of Mormon is true, I have felt its spiritual influence to be true, and also the worldly evidence supports the book as well. This is the work of God and I am so blessed to be a part of it!   I love you all, Merry Christmas!
Elder Daniel George

Con Presidente, me and Elder Nygaard. Presidente is amazing!
We had the Conference of Navidad with all of the mission. There are about 250 missionaries in my mission and 13 zones.  It was crazy.  We had a meeting and president and his wife spoke to us, and after we ate lunch...

Lunch, an asado that was on a grill 15 feet long.  It was delicious.

My new comp is from Brazil named Elder Lima and he was in the mission a long time ago.  
He had 18 months and broke his leg and had to return home.  He healed up in 9 months and now is back in the mission.  It is funny because the people that he saw just starting the mission are finishing the mission now.  He has a wonderful testimony and spirit and I love to work with him. 

I am with Elder Igor, from Chile he is awesome.  He reminds me of Masi in dancing and everything. 

Look Santa and the elves came and everything. We had a show of talents and I got to play the piano!  Others sang, rapped, danced and it was so silly, and funny!  I love this mission.

 Later we played sports, ate cake, and opened a gift from the president and his wife. 
Ties for the elders, and scarves for the sisters.  I received a purple one that was really quite pretty!!  I love it, and after all that I received Christmas cards from the Breurs, Stoddards, Grandma and Grandpa Evans, a ton of Dear Elders, and a package from Kaitlin Pulver!! 
It was a wonderful day!

Yo te extrañaras – Week 18

Last week Dan received a bag of rice, pasta and a ton of food. He didn't know who it was from but planned to do a Secret Santa for a woman who doesn't have much but is always so willing to give to us and is so wonderful!....a week later....
We delivered the food to Adriana Flores and we walked around the block after ringing the doorbell and running.  We came back to see if she had gotten it and she was watching from the window.  She saw us and asked if we were the ones that had left the box on her porch.  Luckily I thought quickly and asked her what box?!  Then she said she was afraid to open it because she didn’t know who it was from.  Haha, well you know I opened it for her and said, WOW look food!  She was very excited and shared some with us.  She still doesn’t know who the angels were that left that food.

Those Christmas Angels wear a mean disguise!

Took this picture for my Brother Scotty!

New Missionary Bikes...I don't think so!

With the Tanners

Elder Biggs My DL

Riding bikes, and the dogs that always follow us

Just coming in from the rain

Got a little dirty riding bikes in the rain

In the house of family Tanner to hear who is going to leave and who is going to stay.

On Sunday we went to the terminal to say goodbye to the elders leaving, My companion Elder Aquino, Elder Souza, and Elder West one of my good buddies.  

I gave Elder Aquino my u hoodie.  He loves it!!!

The entire time we were in the terminal there was this dog we called Mancha, or Spot because it had a big spot on its side.  It would stand and try to get us to pet him and didn’t stop.  I would kick him off and we didn’t show this dog the love that he wanted; however, when we were leaving with a member to go home to the pension in the members car, the dog followed us.  He chased the car all the way to the pension and the next day when we returned to the terminal and to the pension he was there and followed us all the way back.  That is faithful, too bad that we dont like him very much... so yeah 

Yo te extrañaras means I miss you...

 my comp Elder Aquino always said that to me and I would sing it back to him before he left. 

You Fix It! - Week 17

Presidente Alliaud always says YOU FIX IT.  I have the responsibility to pray and receive revelation for my investigators.  No one else.  I need to fix the things that I am not doing right and move on.  Continuing to try to be perfect and perfect my life!! 
I love feeling the spirit and I am so glad that I learned that it is a feeling of peace, love, joy, and confirmation that what we are doing is right. I always thought that the spirit had to be this "knowing all at once" and "a sure voice" that things are true. I am so glad that I learned that, early in my mission, so I can follow more closely the small promptings to do good and to share the gospel.

Cooking asado in the green shirt, I LOVE IT!

Found a scale and I weigh 77 kilos. 
That is 170 lbs so yes I am growing...but in a good way:) 

The Fam Ramos and Asado again!

Cleaning up the Pension outside

I bought a cup of Justice League for my pens

Sleep in heavenly peace....
We moved all the beds into one room because only one room has an air conditioner. 
We are pretty cramped in this room the four of us, but hey we are sleeping in the cool!

It's Going to Take Work ( Week 16)

I love a quote in Preach My Gospel that says perhaps one of the biggest secrets to missionary work is WORK!!  Also, we always listen to a song in the pension that says Its going to take work, so lets get to it!  Missionary work is NOT easy, but like Elder Holland said, I am convinced that missionary work is not easy, BECAUSE SALVATION IS NOT A CHEAP EXPERIENCE!

 Elder Inuma  is so funny and just a wonderful spirited elder from Peru

My zone La Rioja

Elder Biggs is my District Leader, he is a blast and always says
le quiero mucho elder george. Which is like I love you bro.
He is such a wonderful Elder and looks like a backstreet boy but I love him more than anything

Asado! (Week 14)

Asado is meat from pigs, cow, sausage, whatever and is grilled outside on a fire!  It is the most delicious thing that I have ever tasted yet in Argentina and I hope to eat it again soon.  The missionaries always talk about Asado but I didn’t know what it was, but the wait...vila la pena...it was worth it!

Finally on Sunday we ate Asado

Beautiful Day! Almost looks like  Utah.

Love this Weather

A little Drop of Rain can hardly hurt me now!

...I found a keyboard!  I was so happy and excited and I loved it,
got to mess around and play for a little bit!  

Looks like the cooking merit badge payed off...

Luciano...he is so silly and goofy!!
9 years old and he is always laughing and he kills me seriously!