Tolhuin, Zona Rio Grande - Week 11... Invitation

Alright, time for the biggie. Aren't you sooo excited!?!?!

So here goes: first of all, sounds like you guys are having a ton of fun back in the states. The pics were legit so nice. I have the best family on the planet! I asked around, and there are a couple guys that mas o menos knew Hardy (i'm in Rio Grande ahora). Cardwell was the only one who seemed to actually know him. (We met the previous Elder Hardy in Post Falls at Nikki and Kevin's open house. His family has known the Muncey's for many years. He came home from Comodoro about 10 months ago. We had a great time visiting with him about the mission!)

Anyways, got an email from Kess saying that she has two friends coming down to el fin del mundo, so that's pretty dope. She also has a call to serve in Milwakee, so go Wisconsin :D

Anyways, I can't say that I feel too bad for you in your crappy McDonalds because in comparison, it would probs be the nicest building in Tolhuin jaja! (We had to stop at McD's to use the free wifi because I cannot type a letter on my phone and needed to use my laptop!)

As for your preguntas: Yummy stuff... no se facturas de la union is the only thing I can think of... oh I also tried the empanadas de la rotiserria above the pensh, and they're pretty darn good. The dogs are fine, it's kind of a regular thing now :) By the way we have names for em all, some from me, others from other missionaries, here are the names that I came up with: Mooch, Tonto, Champ, Decimus, and that might be it. We've also got Bro, the Black and Yellows (there are four, so when we see them, we say Black and Yellow 4x like Wiz Khalifa lol) and Big Balls (the name fits, I'll tell yah jaja!)

Anyways, Juan (magnifying glass) is way hit and miss, so that sucks, but it's pretty much the story with everyone down here. I've been struggling with that lately. We can't seem to teach more than 3 solid lessons with any one person, because the people are sooooo flakey, but it makes me feel trucho, like a bad herramienta (tool) because were not seeing a lot of crazy success. Everyone else is baptizing, including the trucho missionaries, and we're still struggling out here. But this is the time when I just need to buckle down and keep praying for milagros (miracles). In PME (Preach My Gospel) it says that we should always try to leave our areas better than we've found em, and if I was to transfer out of Tolhuin this week, I would honestly be able to say that I gave my all, and the church is stronger for it. We've already reactivated 5 menos activos, and we've got others that are getting there. It's just the freakin bautismo that's escaping us. I'm not gonna get transferred out of Tolhuin, cause the Lord knows I've got some seriously unfinished business with the corazon de la isla (heart of the island).

As for things of note that happened this week: I finished Jesus the Christ, so that was way sick. I really do love the Savior, and it's a blessing to a part of his team.

Another thing, we were walking this week, and we got stopped by the drunkest man I have ever seen in my entire life. The guy was cherry red, and I was a meter away from him, and the alcohol on his breath burnt my nostrils for the rest of the day. It was hilarious though, because he grabbed my agenda and tried to explain all of these deep concepts to us, then he started crying, and I had to turn away cause I was trying so hard not to laugh. Then the dude gave us bear hugs, lifting us off the ground, and we gave him a book of mormon, and he kissed it, raised it in the air, and touched the ground with his knee. Then he pulled a car over, explained to us how the guy driving was his MEJOR AMIGO. ESTE, ESTE.... ESTE ES MI MEJOR AMIGO CHE. MI MEJOR AMIGO and the dude just had this look on his face like I hate my life jajaja! It was awesome.

We also met Charlie. He's the equivalent of a brown santa clause with black hair. The guy is soooo profound, and his story was sick, but I dont have time to tell it, so you guys can just wonder ;)

Me and Elder Hernandez were having some probs because he was being so muerto, like I needed to push him to do everything, but then we talked, and he's just still struggling with his family probs, so although it's hard, I've just been making a really big effort to let him know that I love him and I'm here to help him if he needs it. LATINO PRIDEFULNESS IS KILLIN' ME GUYS. But we're gonna make it. I love my comp. I love el Señor.

One of our best investigators moved to Ushuaia, so there goes one bautismo lol. I've decided that were gonna focus in on 2 investigators that are the only ones progressing. It's hard because one is lesbian and the other is addicted to smoking, but they actually keep compromisos, plus they're totally awesome people, so were gonna start teaching em 4 or 5 times a week.

The last thing would have to be funny experience we had yesterday. Los Vidal didn't come to church because the Hno was sick, so later, we brought them the Sacrament, and Hno Vidal had totally arranged a table, a couple rows of chairs, and his whole family was in church clothes. It was such a Hno Vidal kind of thing to do, but it was awesome igual jaja!

Anyways, that's pretty much it for now. We're just straight grindin' out here in Tolhuin. There's a talk from Elder Holland where he says, "For the Savior, I need someone who loves me, really loves me. I need someone to preach my gospel, and defend my faith." That really speaks to me, because each time we watch the vid in the pensh, I can hear the Savior saying to me "I need someone who loves me enough to go to Tohluin, and with all the trials and isolation, give their 100% day in, day out bautismos or no." That's the missionary that I was called to be in this part of my mission, so I'm gonna be it, because I really do love el Señor, and HE LIVES. Todas personas merecen la oportunidad venir a Jesucristo y sentir su amor. Hay personas que están preparadas en Tolhuin, y vamos a encontrarlas y BAUTIZARLAS. (Everyone deserves the opportunity to come to Christ and feel his love. There are people who are prepared in Tolhuin and we are going to find them and baptize them!) 

I love the mish, I LOVE MY FAMILY, and I love el Señor. I really do have a testimony that there is more proposito than just this life, and I invite eveyone who reads this post to sit down, and think if they're really doing the important things in life. If the answer is no, I invite you guys to repent and change.

Mom, I LOVE YOU. Make sure the fam knows that I think about em, but not too much. Eat some Red Robin for me. 

LOVE YOU GUYS! 

- Elder Jimenez AGUANTE TOLHUIN, SHANKIES, Y FAMILIA JIMENEZ!!!!!

Tolhuin, Zona Rio Grande - Week 10... When it's Icy... hematoma

Alright, here's the big one. Drumroll... but first I want to respond to the stuff you guys said :P First of all, super cute about Ellie, make those girls know I love em, and make sure to call them by each others names on purpose for me ;) Also, tell Adam that I was totally talking about him yesterday. One of my menos activos is pretty much mister miyagi/master shifu. He owns a dojo, knows a ton of martial arts, and home taught himself Japanese, so I think Adam has to meet this guy haha XD 

Hearing about summer fireworks and driving the coast is making me way trunky, so thanks for that jaja, sounds like you guys are having a summer copado. 

As far as things here in Tolhuin, tranqy no mas (tranquil, nothing more). 

As for specifics, this week I met Presidente Salerno. He's a capo. Not really much more to say... I did ask him to leave me in Tolhuin for 2 more transfers though, and he was all "I'll take note of that" so two thumbs up for that (funny story about thumbs later). Hermana Salerno is also awesome, not afraid to say that she carries a bit more weight, that president carries a bit more weight, and that all of us also carry a bit more weight jaja! And if you don't, you get chastised, so I guess I just have to start pounding facturas ;) Speaking of that, the APs passed by Tohluin this week, cause Goodman's about to die, and he wanted to say his teary goodbyes, and they bought facturas for desayuno and empanadas por almuerzo so that was dope. Blame it on Hermana Salerno jaja! 

We put 2 fechas this week, and 1 of em is wayyy solid. The bautismo is such a chase out here, but I can freakin' smell it were so close. Asi que aguante Tolhuin. 

I slipped a couple times this week, and now I have an hematoma en mi trasero (bruised behind) that hurts like a motha. You can choose if you want to leave that in the blog post or not, I thought it would make Greg Graham laugh, so make sure he at least sees it. 

One more shout out too, I was sitting in the capilla last week, and I totally had the thought "I just wish we had a Bryan Dipo out here". That guy is the epitome of a solid member, and I just freakin' WANT ONE! So tell him that if he wants to move to Tolhuin, he's welcome. He already even almost speaks Castellano. Warn him though that if he does move to Tolhuin, he'll regret it for the rest of his life jaja! 

Anyways, its been raining for days down here, so I think I finally understand what it feels like to have wet bones. My beautiful scriptures are suffering, but it's for a good cause right ;) 

I was so happy earlier this week when I was sitting in bed, just about to go to sleep, EXHAUSTED, when I got a random call from ELDER TIFANNY and Elder Saunders in Calafate :) They were just chillin' (those truchos) and decided to call me. Soooo happy to hear that kid's voice again, and Elder Saunders seems pretty cool too (he's from Herriman and only has 7.5 months in the mish, so we'll probably cross paths eventually). Gahhh, I missed Tifanny so much, it was awesome to just chat with him. 

Capilla esta semana (Church this week) was dope, there was like 20 people including 5 menos activos that are all looking pretty well reactivated right now. Plus, the members have worked out the most obvious of all the problems, so, Dad, it's also a bit like the 60s down here, but the peace, love, and weed part of the 60s (and by weed I mean yerba mate por su puesto XD (And by weed I mean yerba mate of course!)). 

Anyways, that's pretty much it for the week. El Bautismo is elusive, but I really believe that I'm gonna be gettin' in my whites here in Tolhuin. 

Love you guys sooooo much!!! Tell Nikki and Kevin to email me (and by Kevin emailing me I don't mean Nikki saying in her email that Kevin says hi jaja) Mom, you know you're numero uno en mi corazon ;) 

4 months down, eternal life to go, AGUANTE FAMILIA JIMENEZ!!!! 

- Your beloved son, Elder Jimenez :)

a beautiful view of lake fagnano

Me with the asistentes. El gringo (Goodman) started his mission aca en tohluin (here in Tolhuin), and he's gonna die in 2 weeks. Pantoja also served here, so as you can see, I guess they just reserve Tolhuin for los capos jaja!

and... OH YEAH MY LOCO MOCO!!!! We were totally cleaning the pensh, and I found GRAVY. FREAKIN MCCORMICK GRAVY. This was by far the best meal casero that I've had en la patagonia :D

How's your apartment (pensh)? The pics we've seen are only of the kitchen/front door... and what's up with the FLATSCREEN???

Yeah it's wayyy small, we have the room in front with the table, the cooking appliances, and the tv haha, and then there's the tiny bedroom with one bed and one bunkbed, and our closets (wayyy claustrophobic). Then there's the bathroom with the washing machine that we need to move every pday so the cable reaches. The bathroom is also wayyy claustrophobic, and the shower is missing one of the wall panels, so you have to stand in a certain way to block the water from leaving. 

So were pretty much living like chetos out here jaja! (according to the urban dictionary... "Chetos: An Argentine word for "Posh" It can imply a bit of snobbishness when used for that which is unnecessarily extravagant." - so I think he's being sarcastic...) 

As far as the TV, the cable got ripped out (gosh dang it Rogers) but we still use it for music and el districto. Essentially, the people in latin america are wayyyyy smarter with tv use than the gringos. Each tv has a port for a usb, so all the latinos carry pendrives with pics, music, and movies, and you can watch or listen with cualquiera tv. Pretty dope. As far as other reading, I already read the rest of the missionary librabry, menos our search for happiness, and I'm gonna start Predicad Mi Evangelio en Castellano next :) (He told me earlier in the chat that he's on page 720 of Jesus the Christ!)

Another interetsting fact I learned today as I was looking at info on Lake Fagnano... Tolhuin means ‘heart-shaped’ in Selk’nam, the perfect word to describe this town on the shore of Lake Fagnano between the mountain range and the plateau... 

If I ever go visit Tierra del Fuego, I'm staying at the Hosteria Kaiken :) http://www.hosteriakaiken.com/

And... the Selk'nam were one of the last aboriginal groups to be "colonized" by the Spanish in South America... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selknam_people

And here's the thumbs story that I totally forgot to include...

Alright, so we were in Familia Vidal's house for lunch, and I shared the scripture Alma 5:16:

I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

and then essentially Hermano Vidal said that if you can imagine Jesus giving you the dedo (thumbs up), you're A okay. The way he said it was just hilarious, and then he gave us the dedo and he totally winked, and the look on his face just made the cake. The guy is just awesome. We also looked at the pic with Jesus descending from Heaven with all his angels, and one of his hands totally looks like he's about to give us all the dedo, so we were just dying in his house laughing XD  

And at the end of our little chat session...

Alright Mom, this is the worst time of the week, but I've got to go. Seriously Mom, I love you. I pray every night and say thank you for having a mom like you. We've already got 4 months down! That's huge! We'll be huggin' in the airport before you know it ;) I'll be back next week, make sure that the fam knows that I love em, especially dad and abuela, and most importantly YOU <3 Love you Mom :) oh and just got the things about packages, just send em to the office and they'll get em to me. As far as goodies, GRAVY. And whatever else, lol I hope you're laughing right now. Honestly, just to know the envelope was in your hands makes it special for me Mom. I LOVE YOU. - Elder Jimenez

And, last but not least... Alex's message to Jose...
Dad your emails are the freakin' best. I don't have a ton of time, but I do want to respond. You're cien por ciento correcto when it comes to Jesucristo bringing paz in this crazy world. I'm sooo blessed to have parents with their heads screwed on correctly. 

As far as the sports update, KD is such a crowd pleaser, and unless the warriors gave up anyone big, the rest of the NBA can say goodbye to the next couple championships, because the Warriors legit have two MVPs and 3 all stars on the court all at once. Dwayne Wade in a bulls uniform is probably one of the most beautiful images I can imagine, aguante for days man. 

Sucks for Javi (Javier Gomez - out of the olympics after a bike crash), but maybe you can slay Vineman and take his spot haha! Dad, you are seriously a legend in my book. I'm really not that trunky down here, I'll put in 20 more months tranquilo, but when I eventually do come home, I'm gonna give you a huuuuuuuge hug right after I hug Mom and Abuela. 

Love you!!!! 
- Elder Jimenz, su hijo amado 

Oh and by the way, so freakin' glad you're takin' a vacation Dad! I should be the only one in the family that's working as hard as I am, it's unhealthy for the rest of you. Especially with that old heart of yours Dad, make sure to take it easy and eat some cheerios on the vacation. Lol, love you ;)

Tolhuin, Zona Rio Grande - Week 9... Revolutionary Idea

Alright so I had this revolutionary idea to read my journal last night, so I actually know what happened this week. So this carta's gonna be legit. 

So first news, not sure if I told you guys last week, but we were able to convince a less active family to return to the church. The biggest miracle is that one of the sons started working extra Saturday nights to be able to get Sundays off, so that's dope. 

Next news, Elder Hernandez has got some sick videos on his massive flash drive (1 tera) so now every time I need some animo, we watch a vid. I'm gonna download them onto one of my cards so that after the mission you guys can also enjoy them ;) Plus, I want to watch em for the next 2 years, so that too. 

Alright, next, really sick story. One of Elder Wilhelm and my investigators kind of dropped off the face of the earth. So we knocked his door like a million times, and he never answered. So finally this week, we went to his door, and Elder Hernandez said that if he didn't answer then, we weren't going to keep knocking, and although I'm usually way stubborn, I was like yeah alright. 

So we knock the door, and he answers, and lets us in! We start talking, and I see this strange contraption on one of his dumpy little tables. So I take a look at it, and it's this magnifying glass that was attached to a bunch of different pieces of random metal. It was really obvious that it wasn't meant to be used as a magnifying glass, and it looked way hard to handle. So I asked him what it was, and he told me that in order to read the Book of Mormon, he needs to use his dollar store glasses while holding this contraption just right so that the magnifying glass focused on the words. I grabbed his Book of Mormon, and opened it to the page he had marked. Page 100. The guy had read 100 pages of the Book of Mormon although it took a mountain of effort to read a single verse, and that's if he can find time to read. There are a lot of losers down here, but there are also super heroes, and he's one of em. So that was inspiring. 

Later in the week we went to Rio for a zone conf, and we stayed in the pensh of Nelson and his new comp Elder Guzman. We were all talking, and I said the word cosechar (to harvest), and Elder Nelson didn't know what it meant. So I start trying to explain it to him, and I was like "Usted esta cortando el trigo," emmmm "esta trabajando como un granjero," emmm (You are cutting the wheat, hmmm... you are working as a farmer, hmmm) and Elder Hernandez was like "Bro, just say it in English." I totally forgot that we could just speak English (Me and Nelson) So that was dope. 

I already told you about how I got the invite to the wedding the day of the wedding, and it put a lot of trunky on me. All of the Hermanas were oogling over it. I loved the "Man Candy" version that Lamont and Kelly mocked up! You should have sent those out to everyone haha!

After zone conf, we did divisiones (splits) in Austral (Rio) and it was literally the worst experience of my entire life (that's an exagerration). It was close though. The barro (mud) was, I kid you not, over a foot deep, there was biting wind with rain slicing into our faces the whole time, and it literally might have been better to just get a boat and ride it down the streets haha. But I was with a gringo, so that was cool. 

Alright, so our totally dope group of menos activas plus friends that I talked about just keeps gettin' better. I think if we baptize this month, it's gonna be one of them. But they totally had an asado for us, we didn't even ask. Love those guys! I ate a lot of organs, oh and Dad I totally ate morcilla (blood sausage). It's not even that bad!!!! Better with arroz though...Then they totally had us over last night, and we ate torta frita con dulce de leche. I'm gonna get so freakin' fat en Tolhuin haha. Also because I'm helping a girl with her English homework, her parents said they want to make us more asado next week. So I think were gettin' some blessings ahora (: 

Alright, last part, when I got the wedding invite from the mail folder, I also recieved 3 CARTAS FROM ABUELA. Abuela, think of Will Ferrell for a moment. Now put my face on his face. I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOOOOOVE YOU.  The cartas were from May and early June, but they finally got here. Everyone was mad at me, because when they saw letters, they all got really excited, until they noticed that they were all for me. MWAHAHAHA. 

Anyways, Abuela, you had some questions, so here are the answers:

• First off, I have seen a penguin. There was one swimming next to the boat when we crossed over from Chile. 
• Second, it's a walking mission, so I'm pretty much a master at walking on icy hills now. 
• I sleep on a bed sin sabanas, yo uso mi bolsa de dormir en vez de sabanas. That is most definitely spanish. Savanas are sheets for the gringos. (I sleep without sheets and use my sleeping bag instead of sheets.)
• The Argentine food is great. We eat a lot of empanadas, gizo, y pastas. I've also eaten pizza, and my personal favorite, SUPREMA... aka milanesa de pollo. Plus, asado when were lucky. 
• The Argentine accent is way strong, and I've noticed that really I'm speaking castellano en vez de español. You guys are gonna make fun of me at Christmas haha. But yeah, they use vos too, so that really threw me off at first, but now I'm getting used to it. 
• One more thing about food, I'm pretty sure I already told you guys, but the new pres legalized weed (yerba lol) so now were all drinkin' mate. I'm not a huge fan, but mate dulce isn't horrible. We drink a lot of mate cocino con la gente tambien. 
• He also authorized us to use tu y vos outside of lecciones, so I'm goin' native out here. As far as how the castellano is coming, MAS VALE, ME VA SUPER BIEN ABUELA!!!! Tengo la sangre ;) En serio Abuela, estoy tan agradecido ser su nieto. Usted es ejemplo muy grande para mi, y su historia de conversión me dio animo seguir buscando los elegidos, porque se que hay personas como usted aca, y yo quiero dar las bendiciones que yo tengo por usted, a los nietos de ellos. LE AMO MUCHISIMO!!!!  (My Spanish is coming along great! It's in my blood. Seriously, Abuela, I am so greatful you be your grandson! You are a great example to me and your conversion story gives me the desire to keep looking for people who are prepared! I know that they are here! And I want to give the blessings that I have because of you to their grandsons! I love you tons!)

Alright, now that I've said all that, this huge letter is done. I love you guys soooo much. I'm so inspired by all the things you guys are doing. Mom, from what it sounds like, you totally killed the wedding planning. I love you!!!!! 

Never forget that you guys are always somewhere in my mind. Your examples and love give me the animo that I need to seguir adelante. Soy bendecido. Una vez mas LES AMO MAS QUE LA VIDA!!!! 

- EL ÚNICO, Elder Jimenez, el hijo preferido de la madre ;)  
(The ONLY Elder Jimenez, Mom's favorite son!)

Tambien, esta iglesia me pone a ful de trunky cada vez que pasamos. 

Quiero ver si ustedes pueden adivinar por que... (; 

(Also, this church makes me trunky everytime we pass it. 

I want to know if you can figure out why?)

This video isn't very good visually, it's too dark... 

but it is awesome listening to Alex speak!!!

Tolhuin, Zona Rio Grande - Week 8... Happy Fourth of July!

Sorry that this post is so late... between family reunions and the Fourth at the beginning of the week, and Nikki's wedding at the end of the week, I just couldn't get it posted. But the bright side is that today there will be two letters!

This week was dope. Where do I even start? What even happened this week lol... Elder Hernandez got it together this week, and now were straight slayin in Tolhuin. Our numbers climbed back up this week, and miracles are just happening. 

First of all, los Amarilla have started coming to church with all of their children, which is a miracle, LOS BULLONES (menos activo) CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY, WHICH WAS A F.R.E.A.K.I.N. MILAGRO, and we pretty much just had a fiesta en la capilla yesterday. 

Castellano's coming (Spanish is coming). 

Random stories from the week... we found some more good investigators, so the pool of baptize-ables is starting to look more like a lake. We just have got to get these guys progressing. But I'm pretty sure I've got another transfer (6 weeks) in me here in Tolhuin, so we can kind of take our time. We found a menos activa that is literally the funnest person on the planet. She has a ton of friends that are always over at her house, so we get to teach investigators and a menos activo all at once, plus she always makes us chocolatada and has cookies, so that's dope. 

I have a story. We were fasting yesterday, and one of the Hermanas that came down from Rio Grande brought us a cake. So I was pumped out of my mind for this cake, then last hour of church, we find out that the hermana is doing a training, so were with the 6 primary/nursery kids for the hour. Totally against the mission rules, but the women of Tolhuin needed a meeting for Sociodad de Soccoro (Relief Society) for once, so we'll repent later. Anyways, I'm sitting with these hyperactive latino babies, worst hour of my life, and all I can think about is this cake. So we finally finish at church, I sprint back to the pensh, say a less sincere than it should have been prayer, mob over to our crappy little fridge, I get our cake, unwrap it aaaaaaaaaaand... Nuts. Nuts everywhere!!! Then Elder Hernandes es como "Oh, yo tengo algunas galletitas. Usted puede tener unas si usted quiere" ("Oh, I have some cookies. You can have these if you want!") So he hands me one of the crappy little bags of cardboard cookies, and I go and cry silently in the corner while he eats the cake. 

So then later in the night, were at Anna Silvas, and her friend Anival is there, and we tell them about the story. Then we start to teach, and he leaves. Sucks. But then in the middle of the discussion, he comes back WITH A FREAKIN' CAKE. I didn't say a word, I just got up and hugged him almost as sincerely as I would hug you right now, Mom. Tears were shed. Plus he bought me some yerba (weed) (not that yerba) because with the new president de Buenos Aires, we can totally drink mate in the pensh now haha. I tried some of Elder Hs, suuuper amargo, nasty, and the brand Anival bought is nasty too, but Elder H thinks that he prepared it wrong, so I'll give mate one more chance. 

Anyways, there was a bunch more that happened this week, but I'm pretty sure that everyone has already skipped to this part, so just know that I'm doing good, Tolhuin is progressing slowly (I'm gonna unpack the whites today as a show of faith), and yes Mom, I still love you. Soooo pumped for Nikki and Kev, even though she's totally deserting us. But hey, Jimenez is more copado que Muncey anyways, so jaja! 

Love you guys a ton, fourth of July 'merica, enjoy somethin' 'merican for me, and I'll eat a pepa for 'merica. Love you guys with all my heart, see you in 20.5 months, but whos countin haha ;) 

Love you Mom! - Elder Jimenez, el mas copado!!!!!

Baked chicken that we made!

I commented on the fact that the sun was shining... Yeah we had some sun this week :) We also got hailed on last night, so don't go thinking were basking in the warm sand down here haha!

The gate we built for Familia Amarilla's... it actually works - watch the video!