I Come From the Land Down Under!

Hey Fam,
What's Up! So, another week is in the bag. We had a super successful week! We did 2 intercombios and had interviews as well. So, there was some traveling time in there. We almost reached the mission goals in every column except for we needed one more baptismal date and one more lesson. We would have been given ties and could have written our names and area on our zone flag of Avellaneda. We were close, but we got 4 of our last appointments on Sunday and we are going to re-activate a mom and complete her family. It's going to be so awesome!! We are super excited. We found 7 investigators again. We've been finding like mad! The Zone Leaders found 20 I just read in "La Estrella". That's crazy! They're capos. (studs). Elder Porter is one of my ZL's. I call him my "casi comp", (almost) because we were almost made comps after an "almost" emergency transfer. It didn't happen though. We have been teaching like mad and are having some awesome lessons. If I had a penny for every time Elder McConkie has said, "I love my life"! I would be a very rich man. But it's true, we've been super blessed in this area, Quilmes 3. It's awesome. We've got a huge investigator pool and it just keeps growing. We will be having a baptism this Saturday and should have a bunch of investigators there as well. We're hoping to baptize the next 3 Saturdays, and it WILL happen, if I have anything to do with it!

I pray everyday that everyone is happy. I really hope you all are. I miss you all so much and am so thankful to have you as my family and to be here in this crazy, crazy world of Argentina. I am so blessed it is ridiculous. Whenever I complain I feel stupid after because I am so blessed, but then, I hardly ever complain so that's really not a problem...I love the scriptures. Every morning after our study session, Conkadonk and I just get so pumped up on how true the Church is. It's so clear to me that I just want everyone to know it! I've still got plenty of time to do my little part though. I love the mission life. It's awesome! I love learning Castellano. I haven't studied nearly as much as I should have, but I feel comfortable with it. It's such a blessing. I love being able to communicate better with the people.

P.S. I made a contact on the train the other day and got a reference for some Elders in Quilmes. When we got off, I shook her hand and then she and Elder McConkie had THE most awkward beso (kiss) I have ever seen! I still laugh thinking about it! haha.

P.S.S. Me and Elder McConkie are in charge of Sacrament meeting this next week. I have to speak again. We teach the classes and give talks, and now set up the meeting? haha...I Love Argentina.

Man's Best Friend?

Mission Soccer Tournament

In case you can't tell, that's President Asay in the whale suit!

We had a HUGE soccer tournament today. The whole mission! It was awesome. I had a sweet goal, upper 90. I'll be ridin' that 'til I die! We tied the best zone, my old zone, Florencia Verela and lost to Montegrande and La Plata. But what can you do! It was way fun and so great to see everyone from the mish again. There are so many great missionaries in this mission. I still have 2 1/2 weeks until transfers which is insane. This transfer is flying! I'm mad at myself for not writing more in my journal. I've got to start doing that!

Big Boy! Almost 1

He looks like such a big boy now with his hair cut! He is so much blonder (is that a word? it is now!)... He will be 1 soon! The 26th of May to be exact! My friend thinks he looks like Big D! What do you think? He definitely has his hair and I love it, so thick and wavy! Alot of people thought Troy looked like Big D when he was born...

Here is a cute video of Troy talking to himself and giving himself kisses! This is from my cell phone so sorry for the poor quality :) This is all I have when I am at the mall!

Family!

I love you all and am so blessed to have the family I do. I told Elder McConkie yesterday after the call when we were heading back to the pench that no hay algo mejor que su propia familia! (There's nothing better than your own family)! It's so true and I'm so blessed. I would say lucky but I know it's not luck. Luck doesn't exist. I read today in Luke 14 where it talks about these blessings. Chapter 15 is awesome too, oh and Section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants. That was my study this morning. It was the best personal study of the week, that's for sure! I love the New Testament! Les amo muchisimo espero que esten bien. Tengan una buena semana y manden saludos a todos. (I love you all a lot and hope that you are all well. Have a great week say "hello" to everyone!)
Un besito,
Chau, Elder Rice

Arroz (Rice) Apostoles (Apostles) :)

Family!!!
Last night was awesome! It was so good to hear from all of you! What the heck...where was Juan? In China? I don't think we talked. I wish I could have talked forever. I loved it! And Jill is coming to the West mission. What the crazy! That's so cool. I love my life! It was good to hear that everyone is doing well, esp. through voice. I thought it was funny how quick mom was to answer the call. Thanks to Jon and Cam (who kept tricking me by calling making me think it was Gavin :)! Haha man, Sunday's are so fun. I miss Sunday dinner and ping pong and Cameron being funny (what is your name 4, 5).

The phone cut off when I was telling you about the family we found this last week. We found 7! It was awesome! We found a family of 4. The dad actually listens to us and they are actually married! They have been married for 9 years! Freakin' crazy. This is the first time I have taught a family with a dad who's not a member. It was awesome. I didn't feel like I was in Argentina. They are the perfect family of gold. I want nothing more than to see them get baptized and sealed. I could be there!!! We also found a mom from Misiones with 3 daughters who has been divorced and living here for 2 years. She hasn't taught her daughters about the church even though she's been a member for like 30 some odd years. We found them and are teaching them...actually, they found us in the street. It just so happens they were talking about the second coming or something and then they saw us in the street. So, we talked to them and set up a "cita" (appointment) with them. They're awesome and really interested. We found such great contacts this week. I'm so excited. The girl who ran away came back and is getting baptized in 2 weeks. Some dude came to our Church from another area. He was baptized Sept. 7th last year. He came just to be able to walk us over to his friends house so he could share the gospel with them. He's such a capo. It was amazing. He is basically a missionary himself. We didn't even know this guy! I loved it! We've got a fresh pool of investigators and better yet...a family! We couldn't stop smiling the rest of the day!

We played futbol today. A little warm up for the big mission tourny next week. I think we have a pretty good shot! We've got some players! It will be so fun. I'm really looking forward to it! Life is good! The weather today was pretty cold por fin (at last). I'm not a big fan of the heat slash humidity right now. Mom it would be so sweet if you could get your hands on that Spanish Biblia. Pres. Asay said it's already out in some mission. I'm wondering why he hasn't gotten his hands on it...afterall...he's President Asay! The next general authority I swear!

Dia de Trabajador

We did service all morning for a less active family that has the cutest kids ever. We ate an asado after. We did a lot of service this week. Which the Lord will bless us for I'm sure. I never told you about Jorge. He is "Alma the Younger". Such a capo! He was baptized way back when and then fell back into his old way of life with drugs and such. One day he realized that he had been baptized so he read the Book of Mormon cover to cover and got his testimony back. He re-activated himself and got his mom re-activated as well. He did a complete 180 in just a couple of months. The bishop sent us to his house to read and study with him. You would never have known he had lived such a tough life. He's the coolest guy ever. He had a motorcycle accident and had something bothering him in his leg. When it was x-rayed, it showed that there was a bullet in his leg. Some guy just threw him on the ground and shot him! I call him "Alma the Younger" because he wants everyone to love the scriptures and the gospel as much as he does. He has nothing! He sold everything he had for drugs. But he does have a testimony and books. He studies everyday. He wakes up at 4 to study because he has to leave by 7 to go to work. He's so rad. I'm thinking about giving him that T-shirt you sent me. Is that cool?

I live with the Uruguayan version of Jeff Applebaum. But I think he is a lot crazier! I'm not kidding...he even looks like him! I did an intercombio (split) with him over in Wilde last transfer. He's ridiculously fun! He makes me laugh!

I buzzed my head last week or two weeks ago...I don't remember! I also had pink eye last week. My eye looked pretty gnarly and cool!

Up close and personal with none other than "The Eagles"

Thanks to Ted and Sheila we had great seats on the floor right in front of this legendary band at the REAL Soccer Stadium! Rock on!

Mother's Day 2009

Buenos Aires West....Are you kidding me??? Right next to Buenos Aires South!!! How fun to be able to share this news with Gavin in person! Loved talking to you Gavin!

Thanks Grandma!!

Gav! Here is our 'little baller'... Doesn't he look like a STUD?!
Thanks Grandma for the cute outfit (or as BFD would say "Boys don't wear outfits, they're clothes"... whatever BFD this is a cute OUTFIT!)
Can't believe this little guy is almost 1! He is pretty fast at getting around and loves to pull up on everything now and is crusing furniture... He has 4 huge teeth and another just cut through this past week...

He loves taking off the night light and door stoppers... right mom?!

Hermana Jill Daniels Called to Serve Buenos Aires, Oeste!

Que cosa tan buena!

Here we go again! No lo creo! Another great Hermana heading to the wonderful land of the Tango, Gauchos, Dulce de Leche y la gente mas maravillosa del mundo! Felicidades Hermana Daniels!

Hey Gav, I just wanted you to see little Laynie.  She is getting so big!

April Family Highlights...