Dear Family,
Cartas--gracias,
Me siento muy cansado--
¡Trabajaremos!
[Letter--thanks
I feel very tired
let's work]
We've had a somewhat busy week—with a conference of the missionaries
of La Rioja and Catamarca and a Stake Conference for all of Argentina,
broadcast from Salt Lake.
Las reuniones
Comieron la semana,
pero aprendí.
[the meetings
ate the week
but I learned]
I think that I'm better learning in a practical sense how important it
was that the Gospel was restored. I know that the Book of Mormon is
true, and that it evidences that, to quote the Doctrine and Covenants,
'There is a God in Heaven and He does call and inspire men to His holy
work.'
One investigator in Villa Dolores told us how it is hard for him
to believe in God, given his understanding and experience of this and
that, etc. but the conclusion was that we also knew and acknowledged
all the things that to him were doubts and stumblingblocks, but the
difference of personal experience through prayer, and the authorized
ordinances of the the gospel in their correct form, through which the
power of Godliness is manifest, changes the perspective and allows us
to see things with our spiritual eyes a bit more open. I know that it is
only through this church that we can really follow God in His own
path, simply because God established it and guides it today in a real
and direct sense.
Other thoughts from this week included considering what exactly
obedience is—the summary is that it is obedience to the written words
of Christ, guided and made alive by divine guidance through the Holy
Spirit. Consider Nephi's words that the words of Christ will tell us
all things that we should do, and the Holy Ghost will show us all
things that we should do. I know that the Spirit does provide guidance
in all things, according to our faith and desire to listen and to
obey. Obedience to the commandments includes obedience to personal
commandments—specific application as prompted by the Holy Ghost. The
gospel aims to bless us with the gift of the Holy Ghost in this life
so that we may be able to return to live with God. Specific guidance
is required, and also specific personal witness of eternal truths.
Otherwise, this week I did receive the Easter candies and six
envelopes of pen refills! They do fit—thank you very much for sending
me them! It took a while for me to get them because all of my mail
arrives in Cordoba, and then it takes a while to travel the eight
hours or so to La Rioja—usually it comes after a missionary has had to
travel to Cordoba for meetings, etc. which happens about once a month.
I was happy to receive the birthday letter!
Considering differences between Villa Dolores and La Rioja, people do
talk differently here—it's a bit more common to pronounce "rr" more as
"sh," but other than that it's difficult for me to perceive specific
differences. Panaderías are also much less common; I think we had one
every couple blocks in Villa Dolores, but here we have only one
nearby, and they sell two kinds of bread as opposed to about six in my
favourite Villa Dolorensean panadería. Likewise, alfahores are less
common. There are more dirt roads and half-constructed houses, and
also, everybody has a laptop! Every plaza has free Wifi, and is
generally occupied by children playing games on their laptops. There
are also more families in their houses than there seemed to be in
Villa Dolores.
Hope you are well,
Love,
Elder Schlachter
