Lakes, Frog's & Ligament Tears Sept 11, 2017

Lakes, Frog's & Ligament Tears

WAHT IS UP MY FAMILY! so everything here is going pretty well! it’s been raining more than usual but nothing too crazy we have a lot of flooding in my area but were doing well! the buses have stopped entering one of the neighborhoods that I work in because the water is so high when we went to church on Sunday the water was so high that the water was coming in the door of the bus and we were driving it was crazy! but were all good! some of the houses here have had some problems with flooding too!

FROGS! 

we have so many frogs everywhere right now right now is Santa Rosa its where all the frogs get together and have frog babies and they’re just everywhere! yesterday in our area we were walking and roads are like Frogger gone wrong, let’s just say that either the frogs have a death wish or they are really blind lol. it’s really cool to listen to at night as were walking it just sounds really cool! and I had no idea how many different kinds of frogs there were! 

the red ones are cool looking!

 But yeah, so that brings us to the third topic of Ligament Tears (ankle sprain) so as you guys know I hurt my ankle a while back playing Rugby. so, we’ve been nursing that but you know the roads here aren’t that friendly! so sometime when you’re walking and you’re like me and kind of clumsy in general you make mistakes. and you step on some really uneven sidewalks. ha-ha! yes, I ended up spraining my ankle not only again but I sprained it the worst way possible, I have a High Ankle sprain, and that’s the ligament that holds your foot to your leg! I really thought it was broken when I did it! My comps did too! so we spent Wednesday morning in the hospital and then I spent Thursday in the house unable to walk or put any weight on my foot (doctors’ Orders) which I can honestly say was one of the worst days of the mission. Not being able to teach is the worst! but luckily, I’m at it again and I’m doing well, I’m just not supposed to walk too much! But I’m back at it! 

this week we had a family of five come to church it was really cool two of them are going to get baptized this week! the other 3 have already been baptized but they are less active so we get the opportunity to help them start coming back to church too! It’s really neat to see the faith of people for some they walk 30 to 40 minutes every week just to go to church! It’s really a blessing that we have back at home to have a church as close as we do. 

I love you guys a lot! please keep the people that are under the effects of the hurricane Harvey, Irma, and Jose. in your prayers! 

love you all!

 Elder Rios

Saying good by to my companion. September 4 2017

Hello, my lovely family,

Today we said goodbye to my companion, he is returning to the land of the free today! He served a great two years and now he’s ready to do regular people things lol!

Also, today is my 6-month mark! how crazy is that! it feels like I just got out here! I was thinking about how much my ability to speak Spanish has changed! it’s actually really cool that I have to opportunity to learn a new language! think of how many more friends I could have! I love meeting new people, I think that’s one of my strong points here on the mission. so, it was a really good week we were really not in our area at all because it was my companions last week here and so that means that we do a lot of traveling down to the mission offices and the mission house. 

 I did get to eat pancakes for the first time since I left! they were so good! they had whipped cream and strawberries! yeah it was a highlight, I also got to work in capital this week too! wow was that crazy! the people down there definitely don’t have humility! but its fine! it made me kind of glad I was working in the providence part of Buenos Aires. this week has just been a testimony builder I have the opportunity to listen and talk to all the missionaries that are going home today they all talk about their love for Christ and the work and the feeling that they have on the mission and how we should try to seize the day, every day! it was very powerful! 

I can’t wait to see who my new companion is! I have a feeling it’s going to be a Latino! maybe I could teach him Spanish! that would be so cool! but yeah. everything here is going great. I’m just cool as a cucumber just loving the mission and trying to take in every moment of it! I love you guys and hope you had a great Labor Day! Eat a hot dog for me or something! 

with love and swagger, Elder Rios

My Stepdad Is my Cousin? Aug 28, 2017

My Comp is my Cousin! well 15 generations back but none the less! cousins! We have been learning about genealogy work this past week! we have to be able to teach them about the temple and the ordinances they can do for their family that have passed away, and part of that is family history work!

Also, something really Cool is that I was able to find out is that 13 generations back my family is linked to Corry’s, his great x13 grandma married my great x13 grandpa how cool is that? also making him my cousin (weird right) but yeah that was my cool little moment with family history work! 

I finally found a place to hang up my hammock! people told me I was stupid for bringing it but I found joy being able to look at the stars last night from the roof of our building! (photo to come) 

oh, also this week we had zone conference so i got so see our mission president and we learned about some better ways to work together with the ward to help investigators it was really cool! really this entire week has been awesome I’ve been able to see how family history work can bless families we had one elder here find 131 ordinances that could be done for his family just because we took a couple hours out of our busy schedule to sit down and learn how to do family history. 

family history work is a big blessing and because of it our family has the opportunity have the same eternal happiness we can have. 

oh! some members made elder Caron a doll that looks liek him, I think it’s a voodoo doll, ill keep you updated on that

8 new photos & a Baptism - Aug 22, 2017

"Hey guys mom is going to write something and fill out what happened this last week I don't have much time to write due to a holiday they had yesterday so i'm just filling you in through her! love you!"

Devin had a great week & stays very busy. He had a baptism on Friday and loves being a tool in the Lords hands. 

He ventured out to the swap-meet where he found a minion piggy bank that he couldn't live without. And he made a music video which we will get to see at some point.. The  picture above is of him in a suit coat & shorts (He wore this for the music video)  More photos below.  

Devin asked me to share...

"I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, and because His atonement each of us can live with God again in the heavens. I have much love for my eternal father and I feel his love in my life in every moment. And I can testify that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God and that he restored of the church of Jesus Christ. I know without a doubt that this gospel is true and that Thomas S. Monson, was called by God. And he is a guide for the people here on earth. I know that the missionaries who work every day are messengers of Christ and their message is of great significance, I so testify that the book of Mormon is the most truthful book in the whole world and when we read we can feel The Holy Ghost Testifying of This Things in our hearts.

but really something that I can’t stress, the importance of is The Atoning Sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ. He loved us so much that he took upon himself the worst pain imaginable. no one can understand the pain that he went through.  he has felt every sorrow imaginable, he understands how we feel he understand that were human and that we fall. even while he was being tempted by Satan during his 40 day fast he didn’t think about himself but he thought of John and he sent angels unto him. the lord is the perfect example of charity and of light. quite honestly, it’s hard for us to grasp the love he had because it’s so perfect he never favored one person over another. we could all benefit from trying to be more Christ like. and we can, as we study the scriptures and the character of Christ we can learn to be more like him we can come to have a better knowledge of the love and charity he had for people. when we live and act in a manner that is pleasing unto the lord the blessing that come to us are without number. I know that our Savior has a deep love for each, and every one of his children His ability to understand everything that we go through makes him the perfect person to confide in. He loves each, and every one of us and wants nothing more than to live with us again, and as we follow his teaching we find joy and happiness. I share this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Swollen eyes, a nearly broken ankle, and a sore throat! August 14, 2017

It’s been a REAL interesting week........... so last Monday I played Rugby for the first time, I did really good! so I mean that makes up for it. but anyway, I ended up doing something to my ankle. all I know is that I stepped in a hole and my ankle bent one way and I bent the other and there was a loud pop. well we went to the sideline and we looked at it. Initially there was some type of pain, then there was nothing. so, as any normal 20-year-old would do.... I played on it (sorry mom). I didn’t hurt the whole time (until I said hey I need to stop my ankle hurts) but anyway so we went to eat lunch and I was like "wow my ankle really hurts" and my comp and I just laughed. well we went about our day and we went back home to get ready and I took off my shoe and my foot was just swollen! and I was like ahh, crap! and so we call the mission nurse and she’s like okay tell me what happened we tell her she tells me I’m dumb for playing on, then she tells me I’m not allowed to go outside and work and I need to ice my foot. well I do that and the next day she calls and asks how’s it going and I tell her well it still hurts and the swelling hasn’t gone down and now we have some bruising. well she’s like take some Ibuprofen and I tell her I can’t because whenever I take that I turn from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. well so she calls the mission Dr. and gets a list of medications that will help but don’t have the same ingredients in them. so, she gets me this drug called Naproxen. I guess it does the same thing and it won’t kill me. so, I take it and I tell my companion okay, we are going to be on red alert for the next 45 minutes to make sure that I’m not going to die so were sitting there and my companion says something funny and so I laugh but when I breath in I’m all wheezy and I’m like AHH CRAP, ITS ABOUT TO GO DOWN. 10 minutes later the transformations start’s. I take a puff of the inhaler that my mom warned I needed (moms really do know all). and I tell my companion all right we have to go! so we go down and get a taxi because I want about to get into one of the "ambulances “or as I like to call them a chop shop on wheels. so, we get to the hospital and everyone is just looking at me. they get me to the place where they just kind of look at me and the nurse looked up and she basically thought I was a demon. it was really comforting when I heard a shriek followed my her taking the lords name in vain. (Grade "A" bed side manner) then they take me into this other room where they put an Iv in me and I don’t know who made this poor lady mad but I felt that she had some pent-up anger when she stuck the needle in. so anyway they pumped me full of medication and I guess they gave me some sort or sedative I was just feeling so good! and I was just chill. I was cool as a cucumber. well after we got out of satan's vacation home we called for a Remis (argentine Uber) it got there and we hopped in (keep in mind that I’m still on that sedative) and he was like "yo what happened to your buddy" and my companion was trying to explain that his companion Elder Hunchback from Notre Dame has some problems with medication. and the whole time his explaining this I’m just in the back of this car with my body and fluid as water rocking out to Burn by Ellie Goulding. I really think I may have been singing it better than she does! then we were stuck in the house for a few more days and then we went to church on Sunday and that’s basically how we spent our week. an and I had a sore throat the last 3 days of it.. but I’m all good now so that’s good! my ankle is still swollen so I’ll probably have to go to the doctors for that, so I mean that’s fun. but yeah, it’s been a great week! and yes, I have photos! you are in luck! 

                                                                                  

I love you all very much thank you for your love and support. I hope that you are all doing well! I pray for all of you always! make sure to shoot me message, drop me a line, hit me up, whatever you want to call it! I love hearing from you guys! I love hearing how my siblings are doing too yeah thts right im calling you out Corbin, Kinley, Linzi, Mike, Dax &, Keaton.   Kyle, you talk to me so you’re off the hook, and it’s your wedding so you know hope you have a good one, I have 10 people bringing my cardboard cutout so I’m sorry I know you said no but it’s very important I be there. 

oh, but you know I threw in a selfie from Sunday so you know that a have a normal face again! 

Love you Guys! 

Elder Devin Rios

Gral. Lavalle 1828
1646 San Fernando
Buenos Aires
Argentina

Nineteen Slices later! Aug 7, 2017

There is nothing more satisfying than fast Sunday dinner, this my friends, is a fact. But let me tell you a little story about your dear Elder Rios. So, as we all know, I like to eat. My companion and I had a meeting with the zone leaders and after the meeting we were like wow were kind of hungry so we went and grabbed some lunch. The four of us sat down and Elder Levitt one of the Zone Leaders said "alright, whoever eats the most pizza wins an alfajor (pronounced: Alpha-whore   - they are these really good little cake things) and so I was like okay and I kind of chuckled because these boys had no idea what they were getting themselves into. So, the way this place works is that all you can eat pizza joint and they just bring it around on a platter and just say what one you want, I know, classy right? So anyway, they bring it around and they offer us pizza and everyone takes one and she gets to me and I’m like yeah can I have two slices of the cheese pizza and she’s like sure. So, then all the other elders look at me and I’m just like "WHAT I came to win" so we just start pounding pizza and we all get to 12 slices and that’s when some of the elders start getting the sweats. You know the ones, the ones where the food is too good and you know you should stop but your manly hood is just on the line so you push. Well the first elder to tap out is elder Deschamps; he’s an argentine light weight that stopped at slice 14. So, about this same time we run out of soda and I don’t know if you’ve ever been in an eating competition without something to drink but it’s like trying to swallow sand. So, we decided to buy another during which are much overpriced and I’m not kidding they charge 6 dollars for a liter of coke. so, any way we continue pounding these slices of pizza and me and my companion are neck and neck we both stop at 18 slices and we just sit there and watch elder Leavitt struggle he’s eating his 17th piece and he’s just chewing for minutes. The poor kid was slowly going into a food coma. well we started cheering him on telling him that he just needed to finish those last 2 pieces and he could just join us in the eighteeners club. so, we talk him up and he does it this poor kid really put up a good fight. And as he took the last bite of that 18th slice the lady came around again and she was like "Quiere Mas"? (want more) and my comp and I just looked at each other and just said "SI" and all poor elder Leavitt could do was just sit there and stew. We wronged him on that one loll. However, I can say that that is the fullest I’ve ever been in my entire life. It made work a little hard that day but we did it darn it! Haha, it was also a really good way to start our fasts for fast Sunday! 

We had a really great week, my comp got really sick from some sketchy food, he ended up riding the dragon for an hour or so (that’s where you’re throwing up and pooping at the same time). That sounds horrible huh? 

But as far as work goes we are going really well we have had lots of success we have lots of new people to each and we are continuing to work with people that are preparing to be baptized and it’s so cool to see the lord work in them. I know I say that about every week but that is the coolest part about what we do. I can already from this small part in my mission say that’ll be the thing I’ll miss the most. I’ll enjoy every moment of these next 19 months possible. That’s the advice that I was given by a missionary that recently left and I intend to follow it! Love you guys lots hope that you’re all doing well! I love all the letters talk to you next week! 

Elder Devin Rios

Gral. Lavalle 1828
1646 San Fernando
Buenos Aires
Argentina

Stevie the dog

Alright so this week has been...... a week! so it started off with transfers! I received a new comp, his name is Elder Anderson, he’s from California and he’s a stud! he has 23 months in the mission, I know that’s a long time! but anyway we’ve been working a lot this week we have been doing a lot of contacting and it been really great work! we’ve been finding a whole lot of great new people that are ready to receive this Gospel! we have one guy named Eber that is getting ready for baptism he is just having a hard time kicking is smoking, but he is really trying, really hard! then we’ve been teaching this family, Familia Torrejon they’ve been Catholica all their lives but they have been looking for God more recently and they really like what we have to share with them, seeing the light of Christ in people is so rewarding. 

So we were out knocking on doors or rather we were clapping because that’s how you get someone to come outside here. well we went up to this house and they had 1 or 2 dogs out front nothing too big it was calm it was "tranquilo" 

and then we clapped........

this herd of misfit dogs came running out from every direction (luckily, they had a fence) the two that were of most oddity was this one that had this gigantic growth where its dewclaw should be and this other one who I’ve taken the liberty of naming Stevie, who was the last to arrive to the party only had two legs. well it had legs but it was like they didn’t have bones just two limp noodles. and I have to give it to him he got around on his front two legs really well! the only real problem was that every time he moved his bowels released so you know there’s that.... 

I have a new love; her name is Peruvian food. I’m not kidding if you haven’t had this yet I need you to stop reading this and just go get it, my letter will be here when you return. its literally one of the best things that I’ve ever partooketh of in my entire life. get the LOMO it’s so good! 

but other than that, it’s been a really good week! I missed church yesterday because I was dying and I slept until 3 in the afternoon but I mean I’m good now and the Peruvian food I ate for lunch made my belly happy so I can’t complain! 

Love you guys lots hope that you all had a great week! hope you all have a great

have a great national ice-cream sandwich day! August 2nd! Love you lots! and you also can’t forget about the less important national Mustard day! august 5th!

Elder Rios, Outie! (unlike my belly button which is an innie)

Birthday Week

Oh man!! I think I ate my weight in food this week!  The members took really good care of us! Monday we had some really good Asado Tuesday night we made empanadas in the apartment then I can’t even remember all of it but food and I could use a break for a couple days or so LOL!

Yesterday I had three birthday parties, it started off at the Cabrera house and they made really good Asado (we don’t eat that too much) and then they made me a cake and sang happy birthday! I’ll try and attach the video! 

Then after that we went to the Lematchi house and they made me two more cakes! Again sang happy birthday, then to the apartment where 7 other elders had thrown together a huge birthday party! It was freaking awesome! We had pizza, cake, ice cream, and just junk food haha! The batman decorations were the best part haha! Overall it was an awesome week! I can’t complain! 

I was sick for a couple days, that was fun…not!  But really it wasn’t anything too bad!  Oh I ate this really weird Bolivian food this week too. It’s a potato, but they let it rot in a freezer for months, then they take it out boil it, then freeze it again then they cook it… it’s as gross as it sounds! All blue and black, I don’t recommend it at all.

We have a new contact named Eber and hers a stud! He gave us all his cigarettes and was like here! I don’t want these anymore they’re bad for me then the next day at church he told us he went and bought some after we left haha, but he said he’s trying! So that’s what counts

Love you guy’s lots!  Thank you for all the birthday wishes!  ​​​​​​​​

I can’t believe I’m 20!

Prepare The Ark!

Things down here in good ole´ Tina are going well!

It’s been nothing but cold, windy, and raining the past week! It’s been so cold, but I already said that. It’s been pouring like crazy here! It’s awesome! My shoes barely have enough time to dry each night before we go out the next day! It’s sweet! 

oh, but anyway so yesterday we were in church yesterday and we were taking the sacrament and they brought the water around and you know it’s just the usual little water cups and I partook of the water, as usual, and it had dirt in it. And I’m not talking just a little it had a lot. My initial instinct was to spit it out but then I thought that the members might think that I was possessed so I had to just drink it. As I swallowed the thimble of water I reminded myself that it was blessed so I shouldn’t die from it. It’s been 24 hours so I think were in the clear!

The members here are taking really good care of me for my birthday this week too! Today were going to eat some Asado (steak)! And then we have a big birthday dinner Sunday with more Asado! And then another member is making me a cake and then a bunch of elders here are throwing me a birthday party with brownies and pizza and popcorn. So, it’s going to be a great week! I can’t wait! I can’t believe I’m going to be 20!!!!! That’s crazy!

We have been working hard as usual for the past week! We got quite a new of investigators and some great contacts! Were really busy! It’s kind of nice; it makes the days go by way faster which is a bad thing and a good thing! It feels like we don’t have enough time in the day for anything!  

I read this really great talk from L Tom Perry about goals this week too! ”where There Is No Vision” it’s really good! You all should read it! It talks about aligning ourselves with our naturally given talents and how we can have more success that way.

i hope you all have a great week! 

photos! elder Stowell and I

elder Stowell elder Caren and I 

you can’t tell in the other one but i have about 5 layers of clothes on and that’s how I slept last night, without the scarf of course, I’m scared I’d find some way to strangle myself in my sleep and I don’t need that lol 

LOVE YOU LOTS!

I LOVE AMERICA July 10, 2017

All right so this has been a great week, however for some odd reason, someone forgot the fireworks on the fourth of July, and there were no hamburgers, no hot dogs, no nothing! so I hope you celebrated enough for the both of us! however I did wear blue pants and a SHNAZZY red and blue tie so i looked very American, however no one here thinks that I’m American so that’s a downfall. then they hear me speak and they say " oh I didn’t know you were from Brazilian I guess I look Brazilian! 

           Argentina has been nothing but cloudy skies and lots and lots of rain the past week! it’s been nuts!  it’s also made it really interesting in my area. all the roads are made of dirt so it’s been a challenge to not slip. luckily, I haven’t fallen...... this week! I wish I could say for my companion. he had one of those cartoon style slip on the banana land on your back with your feet in the air kind of falls, I couldn’t help but laugh! 

It was my pleasure (saying the words "my pleasure" made me think of chick-fi-a) to be able to step foot in an argentine hospital this week. let’s just say, that if something happens to me here I’ve requested to be left in the street. they are really, really sketchy! they aren’t clean, you can only visit your family members for 30 minutes in the morning and an hour at night. they have guys that walk around with shot guns. it’s just a really interesting place. 

       I’ve notice that my knowledge of the scriptures has grown a lot because I’m able to make scriptural inspired jokes. for example, we had an elder that made some really, really salty popcorn, like the Great Salt Lake would have been jealous! 

 any way to the punchline of the joke. I said, "WOW ELDER DRUMMOND, did you decide to put all of Lots wife in the Popcorn this time"? for those of you who don’t know who she was, she was turned into a pillar of salt. I got some pretty good laughs from that one. the other doctrinal roast I did was again to elder Drummond (I promise I don’t hate elder Drummond, he’s just the only one that is roasted scripture style. the other day he was throwing some serious sass at me so I told him "If I could cast you out from my presence, I would" you know really writing these out. they aren’t as funny 

 oh well. you know what has become hilarious to me while I’ve been out here? Sponge Bob quotes. you really begin to be thankful for the little things out here! 

so, this week in the mission we have been working a lot with the less active members whose kids haven’t been baptized, it’s cool because we aren’t only helping out the kids but we are reactivating those members that for some reason have stopped going to church. you can really see that they have a desire to go to church sometimes we as natural human beings lose our way. and we forget to as Lehi Said, "Hold to the Rod” the other day on the bus I contacted a deaf woman, it was a very spiritual experience, and just so you know, American sign language doesn’t transfer over too well to Argentine sign language. we ended up talking through her daughter. I transferred my thoughts from English to Spanish and she transferred hers from Spanish to sign language. Kind of cool, right? the lady was very receptive I wish I could find out more about here but sadly she lives in a different mission. my area borders the Buenos Aires south mission so sometimes we bump into people from over there. I’ve really been thinking a lot about the deaf community down here is very large. I see 1 or 2 deaf people here every day or so. 

I read a great talk that my uncle Randy (SHOUT OUT TO UNCLE RANDALL) had suggested its entitled " Remember Lots Wife" it talks about the past and how we need to look forward its really interesting. definitely a good missionary read! but i urge and invite you all to read it!" the future holds everything for us" and there isn’t any point in living in the past. 

the week here has been really fun! sometimes it’s hard to think it’s been a week! it feels like i was just at this computer talking to you yesterday! 

Love you all! hope you have a great week! we will talk in a few!

Link to the talk Remember Lot's Wife-   LINK TO THE TALK: Remember Lots Wife

I am Orlando Castillo July 3, 2017

What a week it has been super-fast! I feel like we just talked yesterday! I guess that’s a good thing, right? everything here is going really well! we’re learning more and more every day! I’ve been trying to talk totally in Spanish every day! which is hard because I live in a house with a bunch of white people. so, I do really well during the day but at night it’s like we threw the baby out with the bath water. ha-ha! does anyone my age actually use that saying? 

this last fast Sunday as a mission we fasted to be consecrated in the work of the lord. it was really powerful and I think that a lot of good will come from it.  

So, about the title of this email, we were looking for this man, we had his address so we go to his house and we knock on his door and no one’s there. so, we walk away and this guy happened to be walking by the house and he kind of hesitates and I asked him if he was Orlando. he said no, then he walked a bit out of the view of the house and like motioned for us to come talk to him. so, we go over there and he whispers to us " i am Orlando Castillo he started telling us that he couldn’t meet in front of his house because the other people that live there are some other religion and they’re crazy or something. but then he said, " you are Testigos are you"? (Jehovah Witness´) and we told him no. and he started going off about how this guy that was a Testigo started taking his wife to church and now his wife lives with this Testigo guy and he was just going off and quite frankly i found out a little too much of this guy’s life. well we gave him a little card with times of our church meetings on it and he asked " okay, is there a secret entrance to the building, and do I need to show this card to someone"? I held back my laughter and just told him to walk through the front door and not to worry about the card. it’s funny what some people think our church building is. we had one lady tell us that our church was owned by the CIA. and they’re trying the get information on the world. and we had another lady tell us that she heard we get paid for every baptism we have! ha-ha, we get a lot of weird thing! but all and all its really fun! ​​​​

these pics are from today! we went bowling and then I attempted to walk on my hands, I was about as good as I am walking on my feet (not too good) lo! love you guys have a great week! 

"Swiper no Swiping" yes you guessed correctly, I was robbed.

 What a week! where do I start? I guess I can start with the punchline, "Swiper no Swiping" yes you guessed correctly, I was robbed. and you know? I’m a little upset, not because they took my watch, or 200 pesos, but because I didn’t personally get robbed. they robbed our Apartment! so the church hired some people to come paint our apartment because they’re getting ready to sell it or something, so the owner of this painting company has been a member of the church for a very long time. he’s very nice. so, he and his crew came to our apartment and started painting, they were all nice dudes (so we thought) so we got back to the apartment that night and we had to move everything back put stuff back in its place. we thought everything was fine but the next morning when we were getting ready. one of the elders said " I’m missing 600 Peso's (40 dollars) and so we all started looking to see if we were missing stuff. another elder was missing 500 pesos and then like I said my watch and 200 pesos. I know you aren’t supposed to want to get robbed but I was looking forward to the "stick up" the "GIVE ME ALL YOUR MONEY" at least a pistol whip! lol 

we’ve had a really good week, I was sick for 2 days and that an experience. I was told I looked pretty dead lol! but we are all good! I’m alive! 

we’ve been working hard as ever! we’re working with some old investigators and some new ones too! the Gospel is really flourishing down here! lots of people have been and continue to accept the gospel into their lives. it’s amazing to see the light of Christ enter these people’s lives. I’m truly grateful to be here in Argentina! I love the people that I am helping and the language that I’m learning! I won’t ever see all the blessing that come from serving a mission but I can feel that I’m making a difference in their lives and that’s enough for me! these truly are going to be two defining years! 

With much love and gratitude, Elder Rios ​​

Elder Stowell and I on the roof of the apartment (photo)

Muddy sidewalk take two!. June, 2017

I know, I KNOW, you must all be thinking" come on dude you let the side walk fool you.. AGAIN "! but in my defense, this mud is tricky man!  I was walking down the street and the sidewalk turned from sidewalk to dirt. well the top layer of the dirt had dried and it looked safe.so I took a step and it’s like I was getting pulled into another world. my foot started getting sucked into the unknown. it was making that weird gurgling noise that you hear in the movies when a car is sinking to the bottom of the ocean and the air is escaping. I had to Super Mario jump out of there. I promise if my area wasn’t scarier than west valley at midnight, I would have taken a picture of my half black half brown pants.

 this week I also had some hare meat. it was actually really good. however, I didn’t know what I had at up until we got done eating. but I think I must have felt bad about eating a bunny because that night I had a dream and it was a really nice dream but every time I would look in the corner of the room, there he was! a freaking hare just staring me down. he knew what I had done, and he wasn’t happy about it. It kind of looked like the one from the Alice in Wonderland movies. if you don’t know what the looks like look it up. it’s not a pretty sight! 

this week was good! we had 3 people come to church, 2 of them have baptismal dates and the other one woke up late and ended up making it to the last half of priesthood. his name is Raul, he’s kind like Cheech from Cheech and Chong. he’s not shy about the fact that he enjoys the occasional Dubee every now and then. did I spell that right? Dubee? that’s not a word I use very commonly. haha! we’re working on word of wisdom, he’ll get there. this week has been a lot of fun and a lot of hard work! I love feeling exhausted at the end of every night, it’s a good reminder that you gave the day your all! 

thanks for all the letter! I love hearing how you guys are doing!

Love you lots! 

Ps the other day we were on the bus and we hit this series of bumps. well we happened to be on the very back and l flew! I’m not kidding I got about 4 feet off my chair! Let’s be honest, I’m no feather, so that’s some pretty serious air! haha

 Love you guys!