Week 98

Just pics again this week.  Daxton admits that he is a bit burnt out on writing weekly emails :(.  I tried to guilt him into it by sharing a quote from President Monson about missionaries writing home.  That only worked for the week I sent it.  I miss his letters that spiritually uplift me, but I guess I can understand how he feels. Only 4 more weeks!!!!

 In divisions with Elder Altamirano from Peru,

with Matias Ocampa, and our investigator Jose...

 The Ocampo family says this MMA action figure looks like dad ha ha,

its true, right???

 A stray kitten we found.

He followed us all the way home, so we took him in for a few minutes and gave his some milk.

 Building houses for service this week...

 Our Thanksgiving feast...

We didn't have a lunch appointment on Thanksgiving day, 

so we made Mac n Cheese that Elder Pergersons mom sent, and we bought empanadas :).

Lifting weights in the morning...

Week 97

 Cool sweaters and rain...

Me, Elder Andrade, Elder Olsen and Elder Pergerson

 A huuuuge bug we found,

it was the size of a fun size snickers bar!!

Elder Olsen and Isaac...

Week 96

No letter again this week :(, but lots of fun pics.  Elder Rodriguez finished his mission today, and Daxton is down to his last transfer.  Only six weeks left.  Hopefully it goes by fast, even though Dax doesn't want it to. He is looking forward to get to know his new comp better.  He is happy that he gets to finish out his mission in the same area.  He loves his mission and is VERY happy !!!

 Elder Rodriguez is gone :(!!!

 Zone Meeting...

 Eating lunch with the Elders from La Loma and the Ocampo family...

 Blanco family...

 Last day together...

Elder Olsen my new comp...

Week 95

No letter this week.  Dax just wanted to email back and forth with me.  He is starting to get a bit nervous about coming home.  He is doing so great and loves his mission so much.  He does not want to see it come to an end.  He is so happy!!!

Zone Training,

Salta West

Week 94

Cool experience of the week....

This week we had a super funny lesson. We were teaching a lady that we had recently met. We were teaching the first lesson and out came all her doubts and some of them were really interesting like why did God call Joseph Smith instead of a girl? You can kind of see what type of investigator she is. Well anyway the case is that I shared the scripture from Mathew that talks about the false prophets and how we will know them by their fruits. Then the scripture says something like "and straight is the path and narrow the door that lead to eternal life" and the investigator busted up laughing. And I'm not talking about a giggle but like uncontrollably laughing. We were like "what the heck is happening here? I think shes possessed." Then once she calmed down a bit she said " its because the Jehovahs Witnesses always share that scripture. And my cousins are Jehovahs witnesses, but the thing is they are sooooooo fat they ain't never gonna enter into heaven" then she continued to laugh histarically. Ha crazy people keep the mission interesting!

Ok heres the spiritual part of my week haha. My companion and I were walking down the street one night, it was about 8:45, we have to be in our apartment at 9:30 and it takes a half an hour to get there so we were trying to get one last lesson in for the night but all our plans were falling through. As we were walking down the street I saw a lady sitting on the stairs in front of her house, she looked bummed so I waved to her and said hola, she smiled back and I felt like I should talk to her but the natural man got the best of me and I didnt do it. You all know the feeling I'm sure of it when you don't do something you know you should do. We walked like a block and a half more and I told my comp that we needed to go back. When we got to the house she had already entered and so we clapped our hands. She came out with a big smile, we chatted a bit and she let us in. She then introducced us to her whole family and they are all super cool. I'm especially excited about a girl name Marta that has already read like 10 chapters of the Book of Mormon and feels that it is true!!

Sometimes we don't follow the spirit but sometimes theres still a chance to try again.

Elder Starkey

Week 93

HEY Guys

This week was good. Our golden investigator got baptized!!!!!!!!!!!! 

On Saturday as we were getting the baptismal font ready we had to turn on the water heater so that he didn't get baptized in freezing cold water. We didn't have a lighter and as you all know here in Argentina everything closes down from 2 to like 6 in the afternoon for the siesta. So we decided to go and talk to the people that live right in front of the chapel. Luckily right as we clapped our hands out came a dude with a cigarette in his hands lighting it haha. He was super drunk at like 3 in the afternoon and decided to give us his lighter as a gift. but it wasn't really a gift, we were stuck there talking to him for like 15 minutes about Colombian coffee (thank you elder Rodriguez hahaha) but yeah it was cool. 

The baptism turned out GREAT, lots of members came and they made him a huge cake for afterwards. I had the honor to confirm him a member of the church and give him the holy ghost on sunday. I really am grateful for those opportunities that I have to use my priesthood and learn and grow. 

We found Isaac like three weeks ago when we got a referral from a member in the ward but the referral was Isaacs mom. Anyway we went to contact it and out came Isaac. And now, three weeks later he is accompanying us to visit people. Sometimes the Lord works in strange ways but I know that as we share the gospel with others we will see miracles but not always in the ways we expect. 

I know that I was sent here to this mission at this time because its were God needs me to be and I know that his will is always what will make us the happiest and he wants us to be happier more than anybody else. 

Love you guys tons!

Have a sweet week

Elder Starkey

 Teleferico de Salta...

 My Zone riding the Teleferico for pday...

 Hermana Lanier (Massachusetts), Hermana Brito (Brazil), Elder Rodriguez (Columbia),

Elder Henriquez (Chile) and Elder Starkey (Goodlookingland)

 Isaac's Baptism...

 Clean as earth right after rain!!!

 Driving President's SUV to take Elder Guerra to his pension

when he hurt his ankle...

Outside our pension...

Hey I just wanted to show you all this because it made me the happiest person in the world!!!!!!!!!! The Caceres family that I taught in Tucuman, my last area, was baptized last week.  When I saw this I couldn't believe it. I love this family so much I think of them as my own!

 Caceres Family's Baptism...