Emma

SIMOCA!

Hola familia!

Okay I have absolutely no time and we went to like 5 other places with internet untill we found one that was actually open...so sorry you will proabaly have to edit this mucho!

I LOVE ARGENTINA. I LOVE MY AREA. I LOVE MY COMPANION.

I´ll just start from the beginning. So Monday was a 3.5 hour flight to Atlanta, then a 10 hour flight to Buenos Aires, then another hour bus ride to another airport. A 2 hour flight to Salta Argentina and then another hour bus ride to the mission home. The moment I stepped off the plane in Buenos Aires I felt at home. It was really werid. It was exactally how I pictured it and I just know this is where I'm supposed to be. I feel an incredible love for the people. My mission President is so so nice and I love him. My first interview with him was so great and he already gave me some great advice that I have been trying to work on this week.

Tuesday we stayed in a hotel and Wednseday we did some visa paper work and met our trainers. My companion´s name is Hermana Paiva. She is from Brazil and speaks ZERO english hahahahahaha. No joke the first day was really rough. We had to take another 6 hour bus ride to our area and there was very little talking. Thankfully I can understand everything she says! I ADORE HER. She is an amazing missionary. The way she teaches....wow....missionary goals. She defiantly pushes me outside my comfort zone. Doing lessons she will kinda force me to talk...which is REALLLY good for me even though it scares me so much. Everyone seems to undersrtand my kindergarden spanish...so that's good. haha after everything I say, it feels like I just ran a maraton or something and they just give me this look hahah idk. This is her last two transfers and she extended just for me! She knows Hermana Smith´s comapnion really well! Speaking of which....I was really hoping when I was in Salta that I would see Hermana Smith walking the streets, fighting dogs, but I haven't seen her yet! Maybe for Christmas or something! Also in her letter from last week....read it....its exactally how I feel about the language. like to a T.

Okay my AREA. I'm in little city called Simoca in Tucuman. Literally everything you hear about Argentina is true! DOGS EVERYWHERE. Delicous food. I LOVE MATE. I didn't think I would like it, but It's all I have for breakfast.

First Area Simoca Tucuman 6 hours Bus Ride from the Mission home in Salta

I was not prepared for it to be FREEZING. Today was the first day that I didn't have to wear my winter coat haha. But I think from now on its going to start heating up! Yaaaaay.

Sunday was the best day. I had to give the classic ¨lets watch the gringa bare her testimony for her first Sunday.¨ It actually wasn't bad and I wasn't nervous to do it for some reason. The spirit was just so strong. In Simoca, it's just a small branch and they meet in this small concreate building. The rest of the sacrament meeting involved me sitting in the back row bawling my eyes out as each member who just went to the temple this past week bore their testimonies. They took a whole week to travel to Cordoba to go to the temple for the first time and thier testimonies were beautiful!

Now I'm sure you are wondering how my Spanish is doing. Well the accent is like impossible hahah. I can't understand anyone. All I hear is zzzzshsshshhschchch. However, when people imitated it in Arizona they were WAY dramatic about it. haha It is BEAUTIFUL. Basically it's just Spanish with kinda an Italian accent.

We have 3 investigaors who are planning on getting baptized! wahoo! Maria Rosa was supposed to get baptized next week, but she didnt come to church so we have to delay it. apparently her mom doesn't want her to join the church. Hermana Paiva told me that her son was shot and I think this week was the annaversary of his death :( We went to talk with her today and she set another date for the 18th!

ROSA. Rosa is my favorite. We are basically best friends haha. She has to wait for her divorce to go throuigh before she can get baptized. She has the best personality I love it. So you know how in America we put an O and the end of the word to make it ¨spanish¨ like as a joke, well Rosa will put a TION after every spanish word when she talks to me hahaha. I love her. I teach her and Hermana Paiva English during almuerzo and I realized how hard English is...man oh man.

Oh we have bikes too so that is fun! There is this one dirt road that I love. On one side is farm land and on the other side are these small little cement houses with a little soccer field, I cant help but smile everytime we ride down it.

OKAY AH SO MUCH TO TELL! NO MORE TIME! SORRY I'LL SEND PICTURES NEXT WEEK! LOVE YOU!

Hermana Allen

PS when I tell them my name, they say "oh that's easy" haha