Week 21 - Boulogne

This week was pretty crazy!

Tuesday we had our District Meeting as usual, but President Smith [the Mission President] came this time and got on a roll, so the meeting went an 1 1/2 hours, when it's usually not that long, so we missed 2 appointments, and those investigators got mad,  haha, but oh well, we got other lessons with them later on.


Saturday we had a baptism, right, but also River and Boca [the 2 main soccer teams in Buenos Aires] were playing again at 5 in the afternoon! So, we think "Let's schedule the baptism at 7:30pm, boom todo tranquilo right?" But, it turns out there was a ton of riots and all the River fans charged the Boca bus and hurt a bunch of the players, so the game kept getting pushed back further and further. But we didn't know any of this at the time. So, we were just chilling in the chapel at like 7:30pm,  and we are where saying, "where the heck is everybody?" We run to Carlito's house, and he says, "Elders I'm not getting baptized tonight, the games is on!" I'm like, dang, we need a miracle. so we start calling everyone telling the baptisms cancelled. but then our ward mission leader calls us at like 7:45pm and says "the game got moved to tomorrow, what do you want to do???" So we sprint back to Carlito's house, and we are like, boom, let's have the baptism right now, so we get like 7 people in the chapel and have the baptism start at 8:15pm. It was short, but very sweet. I felt super good when I baptized him, and he was ver, very happy, though you cant tell from the picture :)

On Saturday night, the bus ride back to the pension was so crazy, there was an insane amount of drunk dudes, made it interesting.

Sunday we had the confirmation of Carlitos, Elder Haycock, my companion confirmed him, and let's just say he was a little nervous about doing it in Spanish. We get up there, and his hands were shaking super-bad, but did a very good job, and I was impressed! So the game was supposed to be at 5pm on Sunday, so of course all of our plans got cancelled, so Sunday afternoon was very long, as usual. In the end, the game date & time got moved again, so we are going to have to bear through that all again pretty soon, oh well. :)

Hope you guys are all doing well!

Elder Tanner Christensen

Week 20 - Boulogne

Basically two really good things happened this week:

The first was that on Friday the whole mission went to a Mission Conference with Elder Gerrit Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and he talked a ton to us, and his wife too. He spoke about how we've got to talk with everyone, and how the Lord is preparing people to learn about the church, we just don't know who.  It was super fun, they were super funny and super good. It was fun too because we got to see everybody in the whole mission so that was good.

Saturday we had the baptism of Ezequiel, a husband of a less-active member, and that was awesome he was super excited and it was a good baptism. His father-in-law baptized him and all the family gave the talks, so we really didn't have to do anything, just be present so that was nice.

P-day today we went and bought empanadas, and it cost 84 pesos [$2.32 USD], but I guess Elder Haycock heard wrong, so he gave the cashier 840 pesos [$23.20 USD]  and the cashier tried to like keep it as a tip I guess, so I had to explain that no it wasn't meant as tip, he just heard wrong. So I've been making fun of Elder Haycock for a while now, all in good fun, he's an amazing Elder and we are having a great time together!

Answers for Mom

• How was week 3 with Elder Haycock? Are his Spanish & missionary skills improving?

 It's going well, he's improving a lot, and is a hard worker, and fast learner, so a pretty solid week

• You mentioned last week in your letter that your Ward Mission Leader was helping you a lot. Is this the same one that you said was just recently reactivated when you first got to the area?

Yes, same guy, now he's super active and has been a great help to us he's a good guy

• Do you like your mission president? Have you have much interaction with him?

Don't really have much interaction with him, he's a very strict, by-the-book kind of guy, but from our trainings and what I know, he's an amazing Mission President!

• Where did Ben Byers go when he got transferred? Have you gotten to see him since transfers?

He went to be a Zone Leader in Saramiento, his companion last transfer, Elder Dominguez, is now my zone leader and he says he's doing well.

• Do you get to do anything for Thanksgiving or is it just another day? (I know that they don't celebrate it in Argentina, I just thought that maybe you still got to do something for it since lots of the missionaries are American and because you mission president is American.)

I didn't even realize Thanksgiving was coming up, and no, not really anything.

• Has your ward been talking about Light the World?

No

PS - Sounds like Cameron Tyson [Idaho Basketball Player] has been playing really well. The area is going well, we have a ton of possibilities this week of new investigators and the members are helping us a good amount. It's weird, I feel like I know this ward better than the Bowdish Ward, like I know just about every person in the ward, like every less-active person too. It's interesting.

Week 19 - Boulogne

This was a crazy week, I just want to say that i officially hate all dogs with a burning passion, just to clarify, in case anyone had a doubt in mind, I'm sick of everyone having a rabid pit-bull as their attack dog when you ring their doorbell.

But anyway, Elder Haycock and I are getting along well, we've gone and played basketball a couple times this week, which is fun. My Spanish is coming along well, I would say I can understand like 95% of what people are saying, and I can communicate what I need to communicate, but yeah I've been realizing lately that Argentines use a lot of bad words haha.

Our investigators are good, progressing well, and our Ward Mission Leader is helping us a ton. On Saturday, our day just got trashed because there was a torrential downpour, and we just got soaked and plus Boca and River the two biggest soccer teams in Argentina were scheduled to play that night. but the game got moved to Sunday afternoon, so then all of our appointments and lessons got cancelled because everyone had to watch the game, so we just went and talked with this crazy less-active member who has a thousand conspiracy theories and explained each and everyone one of them to us, like how there were aliens living on the other side of the moon and stuff like that. Then, after the game there was a billion drunk dudes walking the streets and one of the members we were with almost got in a fight with them so that was intense, but anyway, it was a solid week.

We have two investigators getting baptized in the next two weeks so that will be sweet. I read a book this week where basically it talked about a ton of people believe IN Christ but they don't BELIEVE Christ... They accept the fact that he came to Earth and did what he did, and did the Atonement, but they don't believe that he can save them because they think the Atonement surely works for other people and but not for them, because they have this fault or that fault, but really the Atonement isn't for the righteous people its for the sinners more specifically, I thought that was interesting, hope you all have a good week and don't miss me too much!

Elder Tanner Christensen

Elder Haycock and Elder Christensen

View from apartment

Week 18 - Boulogne

This week was really crazy, it turns out I'm a "Father" now, which means I'm training a new missionary!

So on Tuesday, I said goodbye to Elder Telis, and then went to the mission home to pick up my "Son" [new missionary, start from the MTC]. There were like 22 new missionaries coming in, which was crazy, and I got to hang out with all my buddies from the MTC that were training too. So that was super, and the food is always super-good at the Mission Home. so i am still in the same area and will be there until the end of January, which is like a long time.

My son's name is Elder Haycock from Sandy, Utah and he's about 6´4" and a redhead, so we are going to be attracting a lot of attention in the streets. So yeah, now basically I'm in charge and i have to talk all the time. I will say my Spanish has improved a ton because now everyone talks to me and I basically just talk on the cell phone 24/7 now, trying to arrange appointments and get everything in order.

Saturday we had a baptism with Franco, which went really well, my comp baptized him and it only took 3 tries to do it, because I realize now we didn't fill the font up enough. but yeah it's been fun teaching and messing with my new comp, he's real awesome, and has a ton of desires to work so that where we are at right now.

Today during p-day we made a ton of tacos with this Elder from Guatemala and he made me try this super-spicy sauce and like burned my freaking mouth what a chabón I am right, but anyway this week has been really good i hope you guys are all doing well!!

I forgot to tell you that in last month's testimony meeting this guy got up and sang for 10 minutes straight this super-quiet whispery voice and sung like three hymns then the Bishop passed him the card to sit down, and he just kept singing so the Bishop had to stand up, it was hilarious, and yes really with Spanish, I feel like understand 90 percent, and I just ask again if I don't understand, but yeah it hasn't been too difficult, like i thought it was going to be.

Questions from his Mom:

1/2. Are you a trainer? Yes
1. What is your comp's name? Elder Haycock
2. Where is he from? Sandy, Utah
3. What is you comp like? Does he play sports? Brothers and sisters? Are you getting along? Stuff like that? Plays basketball, is like 6' 4", has older sister, and younger brother and sister
4. Are you in the same area? Same area
5. Who is your DL? Elder Crandall, same as last transfer, he's from Arizona
6. Who is your Zone Leader? Elder Smith who is from Tri Cities and is cousins of a guy I know from basketball, from Mt. Spokane and Elder Dominguez from Salta, Argentina
7. Are you living in the same apartment? Same apartment
8. Do you miss your mommy? Yes
9. Do they do daylight savings in Argentina? I dont think so
10. Did you clean your bathroom this week? Yes

Elder Haycock from Sandy, UT and Elder Christensen from Spokane Valley, WA

Baptism of Franco

Eating tacos, with some super-hot sauce, courtesy of an Elder from Guatemala

Trainers and their Greenies at the Mission Home w/ President and Sister Smith

Elders in the chapel, transfers meeting