Week 27: "El Cumpleañero" (The Birthday Boy)

A lot of things have happened this week.  We taught, were threatened by a hobo, and we even cooked!  Yeah this week was a blast.  My birthday was awesome!  We got to help cook lunch (pasta with homemade noodles!)  We ate a bunch of ice cream, and we taught.  Its awesome, I really have a home away from home here.  The members take such good care of us.

This week I've been thinking a lot about all the great examples of service I've had in my life: My parents, family members, neighbors, friends, and Young Mens leaders.  How they do everything they do because they love The Lord and are great people.  Not because they want the recognition and glory.  I'm so grateful for people like that in my life, and that I can find them in every part of the world.

P.S. Go and read Jeffery R. Hollands talk from conference

-E. Starkey

 Cool old camera one of the members had...

 An awesome card the ward made for me,

they all signed it and wrote a note.

 The Olivera family brought me a cake late at night on my birthday!!

 I saved some Reese's for my bday and sneakily ate them, shhhhh...

 Birthday cake...

 New tie for my bday from my family...

 Another bday gift from my fam...

The homemade pasta...

Week 26: El Resfria (A Cold)

Not much happened this week.  We both got a cold so that's been fun, no really not that bad.  Funny story, I finally used a bidet for the first time.  You know that thing that sprays you off after using the bathroom?  Yeah, that thing.  It was actually great, I don't know why I've been avoiding it all this time ha ha.

Anyway, we had a super great lesson this week with our investigator Carla.  We asked her if she was able to read and pray about the Book of Mormon like we ask everyone.  She answered really uniquely, she said, "I read and I prayed and I felt something.  Now I know that the Book of Mormon is true because the Holy Ghost has testified to me."  Like I said, not the usual response.  We both sat there for like 20 seconds stunned, like "how do we answer that."  It's great to see how the Book of Mormon is changing these peoples lives.

Mosiah 27: 8-9, I've been thinking this semana (week) about Alma and the Sons of Mosiah and the effect they had on the church, when I realized that we can have that same effect on the people in our lives but for the good.
#EXAMPLES

-Elder Starkey

 Zone training...

 Going to the river today to chop wood with Raul Del Zotto...

 The river...

 On the river, 

this made my day I felt so free, ha ha ha...

 Beans...

 The fields and fields of beans that we had to cross

to get to the river...

 Hammocking in the jungle, ha ha...

The firewood and Raul...

Week 25: Asado (BBQ)

This week was super good!  We were even able to celebrate the 4th!  Well, kind of... One of the members celebrated his birthday on the 3rd, and had a big BBQ that felt like the 4th of July.  We ate cow heart, kidney and entrails (see the pics).

Also this week we did companionship exchanges, so I spent a couple days in Embarcacion Argentina with Elder Robins.  Super cool guy, I learned a ton from him.  Oh and during the exchange it started to rain super hard, but the thing is when it rains here its not like rain falling from the sky.  You know when your driving and it looks like the rains coming at your car straight on and really fast?  Yeah, thats what the rains like here, ha ha.

Also, we've been having tons of great lessons lately.  In one we were teaching Juan Jose, great name right?, and he had been drinking a little.  Out of no where he just started to sing super loud and dance, and wouldn't stop, ha ha.

But really were finding a lot of great people.  I'm finding out that God puts people in our lives for a reason.  Just when I'm down or had a rough day, he puts someone in my path to lift me up.  I'm so grateful for all you amazing people in my life, and for all my blessings I have received.  I'm so grateful to be here in Argentina, and to be a missionary right now.

Chau, Con Amor,
Elder Starkey

 Studying...

 Heart, kidney and entrails...

 La comida, the food...

 Birthday boy, Hermano Del Zotto...

 The bug that crawled out of my comps food,

needless to say he still ate it, ha ha!

 Oscar in the background...

Robando la moto, 

robbing the moped...

Week 24: Locro

This week has been super interesting.  We've been finding tons of new people to teach!  On Saturday there was a ward party, and we were in charge of helping this old member lady make the soup, Locro. It was super fun.  it's basically a giant stew that you cook over a fire.  All you do is throw in like a whole cow, like every part.  One guy had a 10 inch long piece of intestine in his bowl, lucky right? Ha ha.  Its actually pretty good, but not going to lie it wasn't my favorite.

This week I learned the importance of following the promptings of the Spirit.  I've learned that when you get a prompting its so easy to dismiss it, super super easy.  Theres always a billion and one reasons why you shouldn't do it; your scared, you think it will embarrass you, or maybe you think that the prompting came from yourself.  These are all thoughts from the adversary.  I know that all good things come from God, and when we follow our promptings we can see amazing things happen. By doing that me and my comp have found 13 super great people this week.

I'm so grateful for the opportunity that I have to be here in Argentina right now.  I'm here in Pichanal for another 6 weeks, so that super cool too.

Nos vemos amigos,
Elder Starkey

 Last district meeting of Hermana Olazo...

 Locro service project...

 The pot of Locro...

 Stomach and intestine...

 The Chef, Hermana Licantica...

Imitating the American Gothic painting, ha ha...

 Everyone in the chapel eating...

Us eating...

Teaching Miguel what floss is, and how to use it, ha ha :)

Week 23

No letter this week, but some fun pics...

Me and Elder Mc...

A cool pic I took...

A crocodile skin...

We call her Little Gordita :)...

 Our little ice friend made out of the ice in the freezer...

Playing marbles, this is what all the kids play...