It's you and me - Dean Funes

Good Morning! 

Everything is great here in Dean Funes!

I get along really well with Elder Oliveira, he's awesome.

I've met a lot of great people here!

It's a lot less hot here than in Catamarca.

I dont have time, but love you guys!

Complete with fake rocks,

Elder Jenkins

It's a tradition that on people's birthdays you smash
eggs on their heads and dump flour on them,
so my new comp did that to me on our third day together

It's always been our dream - Dean Funes

How are ya? 

This is gonna be a short email, I don't have much time, but there's a chance I'll be able to email tomorrow but I'm not sure. Thats because...

I'm leaving Catamarca! I have mixed feelings about it, these past 4 and a half months have been really amazing, and I've learned so much. I'll definitely remember all the experiences I've had here. Yesterday and today have been filled with saying goodbye to so many of the awesome people I've met during my time here, it was a lot harder than I was expecting. They'll be alright though, Elder Bingham and his son (he's gonna train a new missionary) are going to keep checking up on all of them. I said bye to Graciela, Andrea, Lucia, and her daughters, which was one of the hardest things of my mission so far, they were one of my first visits, and I've been to their house so many times, they're like family. Ill miss them so much. Also last night Elder Constanza, my first zone leader, left to Córdoba to go back to his home in El Salvador. He's been a great example and teacher to me, and he's finished his mission like a champ.

Tonight I leave on my way to Dean Funes, another city in the middle of nowhere! This time in the province of Córdoba, but halfway on the way back to Catamarca. I'll be with Elder Olivera from Brazil, and I'm stoked. It'll be fun to get to know more people and a new place.

If I'm able to email when I get there, I'll send photos and stuff, but love you all, hope everything is going well!

You're one big beaver,

Elder Jenkins

Arm in arm, we'll win the fight - Catamarca

February already? Someone needs to tell me if the Groundhog saw his shadow or not, and what that means for the Southern Hemisphere, cuz I could use some cold weather right about now.

Another good week of work in Catamarca! I think I'm finally going to be blister free, after over a month of foot pain haha! gotta love Catamarca heat and inconvenient walking! nah but we're good, Elder Bingham has been a lot sicker than I have so I have a good example to follow of working hard.

We had a really great lesson last night, I started out unable to speak, I don't know what happened. But partway through, I said a quick prayer to myself, took a deep breath, and the Spirit helped me a lot, and we had a very powerful lesson to 4 new people. 

Not too much else for this week, the Church is true, because it's the same Church that Jesus established, and He is still it's head! Next week is transfers again, CRAZY, and this time it's pretty likely that I'll leave Catamarca, but who knows? I'm not certain I'll be able to email next week but I'll try!

There's the flavor,

Elder Jenkins

Panchita the parrot drinking mate

The baby of the lady Farfal and I baptized

Getting a haircut

Intercambios with Elder Macquehue from Chile. This is his first transfer, and he's awesome, reminds me a lot of Elder Farfal, also from Chile

drinking pritty limón soda with Elder Bingham

Corbataza (neck tie)

Me with some cool murals/art 

There's no better team - Catamarca

There's no better team than Elder Bingham and I, I tell you what. We've been working dang hard out here in Catamarca, especially because chances are that I'll get transferred out next transfer, so I probably have two weeks to leave any mark I'm going to leave in this place. Gotta stay on that grind.

I just want to share a short experience from this week that was really special to me, and is hard evidence that the church is true. Because it is.

A little while ago, we were walking down a street, and we saw a recent convert in front of a food service building, so we said hi. When we walked up, the service ladies inside invited us in for mate and to share a message. It was awesome, we talked, most were super duper Catholic, but one woman wasn't very religious and had a ton of questions that we answered as best we could, and we set another return appointment. Went back another day, and taught them about the Restoration, and the Book of Mormon. We could see she was a little skeptical about Joseph Smith seeing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but she was really intrigued by the Book of Mormon. We asked her to read it and pray, and told her she would receive an answer about our church. She said that she didn't think she would, but she would try. 

When we went back the next time, she sat outside with us, and told us that the other ladies were saying bad stuff about our church. We asked her if she read and she said that she read what we told her to, but it was boring. 

RIP.

BUT THEN. She said that she started reading a different part of the Book, specifically the Introduction. She said she prayed and felt a feeling that she couldn't describe, but she felt really calm and peaceful about all of it, and that she wanted to learn even more. She also told us that she liked what we taught and that she WANTS TO JOIN OUR CHURCH. We need to finish teaching her everything and have her come to church, but I feel like this story shows the true power that the Book of Mormon has. Its the truth, man. Sometimes we take the scriptures for granted, SO DON'T! READ YOUR SCRIPTURES, PEOPLE!!! Seriously you'll receive so many blessings, including an answer like Alejandra if you need it. 

Love you all, the church is true, the book is blue. 

Get dunked on,

Elder Jenkins

PS I tried sending a ton of awesome pictures of my adventures in making some Donut Balls, but they might have to wait. but in the meantime you have the end result.