Hola familia y amigos!

This was another interesting week and not one with a lot of teaching unfortunately, but I learned and reflected on some interesting things that I want to share. 

On Tuesday we went to the bank to pay some bills and the banks here are crazy. There were at least 200 people inside waiting, and they get angry waiting! There was one point when everyone was screaming and clapping because they were tired of standing in line. 

We had to wait so long that we went outside for about three hours until they called our number. I was really tired and hungry and suddenly noticed something on my shoes. There were bird droppings all over them! I was about to lose it when the thought came to me, “at least it wasn’t on your shirt or pants.” It’s silly when things we don’t expect happen to us, but I learned it can always be worse, and that there is always a bright side to everything! 

Working in the office is very different than working in San Carlos de Bariloche. My area in Bariloche was very poor and Neuquén is very nice. There is a lot of grass and it is much warmer. We go into the office Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m. and leave at 5:30 p.m. We had very little time to teach this week and I really miss talking to people.

I live three or four blocks away from the mission office that is on the same grounds as the mission home. We live with the assistants to the president and one of them was my zone leader in Bariloche so it’s cool to be with him. The assistants and the mission president were gone all last week visiting zones in the mission and giving a Christmas Devotional. 

This week I’ve been studying in Moses and after reading a few verses I like to stop and think about what it really says. The entire book makes me think of something my dad wrote to me in a letter before leaving for the MTC, and this is that God loves us, and that nothing we do will ever change that. When we are discouraged we can always feel the love of God, its something that we will never understand, but something that’s always available. 

I love everyone and I wish everyone the best this week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack