Friday, April 12, 2013

Week 91 Semana Santa




 

 Hey familia,
   Well let me start off by wishing Grandpa a very very happy Birthday. I Sent a postcard in the mail...but i have sent a few postcards in the mail, but i dont know when they will arrive. But it sounds like mom and dad are having a pretty fun time traveling around making the rounds to all the family. This week was nuts. Lots of crazy stuff happened. Some good, some bad. 
   Last monday after writing, we went to buy some groceries at the supermarket and took a taxy back to our house. I tried opening our front gate but it had the lock from the inside turned...weird... so i reached around and unlocked it from the inside, then again from the outside. Then I walked in through the front door to see all my stuff on the floor and stuff on my desk pulled out and looked through. Went to the other rooms and saw that my luggage had been moved and a bunch of other stuff looked through...and a LOT of stuff missing. We got robbed. We have a big wall around our house with an electric fence around top, but they cut down the fence behind the house and climbed in. Then they chiseled away at the wall so the could pull the bars off the window and climb in through there. Then they used the bars to climb out and over the wall again. They stole one of my wallets with my money in it, but left all my cards and stuff that was in it on my desk. They stole our irons, chargers, a few usb/ SD cards...They stole my electric razor charger but not my electric razor...but now my razor is out of batteries and those chargers dont exist here. And as the days went on i discovered lots of other little things that they stole. It was pretty frustrating. We called our landlord right away and he called the police. Then the next day some people came to fix the electric fence...but if it didnt work the first time i doubt it will work a second time. Luckily I had my camera and the memories that have all my mission pictures on them.
   Tuesday we went out to the military base to start our Book of Mormon reading/ Family Home Evening group. We are having a decent turn out of 5 to 10 people. There were some less actives that we have met in our time there from Utah that came and were participating and afterwards they asked for copies of the book of mormon because they wanted to start reading on their own too.  We also have a few investigators coming pretty regularly. They get pretty bored on base haha so its pretty easy to get people to come, when the alternitave would be to go drinking. We went thursday as well for the reading group and kept seeing new faces.
   On Wednesday, The other companionship here in our branch were walking and a guy came up to them on a bike, pointed a gun at them then shot the gun between them, and then asked for their money and other things. It was pretty scary. We were headed to that same place where it happened right when it happened, but i decided to go to the bathroom before. The other elders called us and told us what happened, we called president, and he just told us to hang tight and stay in the house for the day.
   On friday, They had a celebration in centro for good friday. starting thursday night people start to make these "carpets" out of colored saw dust, rocks, beans, rice, and lots of other things, and make really cool decorations on the streets around the cathedral and the central park. Then Later on a procession comes through with "christ" carrying his cross over the carpets. Which i thought is kind of cool. the whole idea of wanting to pathe his way with precious things. But before the parade thing people just go around taking pictures of the carpets. This was the 50th year anneversary of it. We also talked to a catholic father from england for awhile. He says his job is to keep his members from going to our church haha. 
   Sunday La familia rivera came to church which we were really happy about, and they said that they are ready to get baptized this week. We are gonna go meet with them tonight. Sacrament meeting was kind of weird...i think the branch president forgot it was easter, and assigned talks about the word of wisdom...and then he remembered and like stood up and started giving this rant for about 30 minutes and was like yelling in the microphone like an evangelical pastor...saying how its satanic to wear crosses and things like that...while my investigators are there with cross bracelets or necklaces...it was pretty uncomfortable. especially when they come to church on easter sunday...i was hoping for something different. I hope that that doesnt affect their progress in the future.
   Im really excited for General Conference this weekend. It will be my last one as a missionary...I just completed 21 months. pretty crazy.

Alright well thats it for this week, im gonna attach a few pictures. Les amo mucho, espero que todos esten bien. Cuidense mucho. La iglesia es verdadera.

Con mucho amor,

Elder Archibald

ps. oh, also another cool story. Stephany, the girl we baptized last month, Well her boyfriend here in the branch just proposed to her. They will be getting married in december and sealed in february.

pps. getting robbed was not an april fools joke

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