Additional letter that came with a package...

So, a week ago there was a knock at the door and when I answered it, I found Elder Anderson, who had just returned home from the Mendoza Argentina mission, standing on my porch with a couple of packages for us. It was fun talking to him for a few minutes and hearing how well Bryce is doing and how much he is loving Argentina. The package contained soccer jerseys for two of the biggest teams in Argentina, River and Boca, and some candy and cookies for us to try. I am including a part of his letter where he shares his testimony. I love seeing how he has grown and changed. It might have made this mom cry a little.

Bryce... I guess by now you're probably expecting a mini-sermon or something from me. I don't know. Actually that's the only thing I can think of writing right now, so here it goes: The mission's great! It's hard to believe 6 months have already gone by and it's also hard to believe the progress I've had in the language, my understanding, my desire to serve, and my testimony. All thanks to the Lord, of course. I really want to go give the Bryce of 6-months-ago a good swift kick in the butt and tell him that he's missing out on good stuff like the blessings we receive for reading the scriptures and praying every day. Something I honestly struggled with before the mission. And I'd tell him if I could that there's way better things to do than sit around and play video games all day. Haha. I know it's all thanks to Jesus Christ and his Atonement that I've been able to change. The Atonement is awesome! It's done so much for me. And I've seen it do so much for other people too. It not only cleans us from sin, but it also gives us strength in our trials, something that I can assure you happens a lot on the mission. And it also gives us the power to simply just become better. That's really what the Plan of Salvation is all about! Eternal Progression. And if we're not progressing, we're doing it wrong. We're really going backwards. There's always things we can do and things we can learn about the gospel that will help us progress and help us become more like Christ. Something I've learned on the mission and I'm still trying to apply it.

Well, I'm really not sure what else to say. I love you all! ¡Les quiero mucho! ¡Y chau!
Elder Bingham
(your favorite Argentine serving missionary)

¡Aguante River!

Hahaha hey guys! It seems you got my package! Nice pics! Except I've

got to ask... Amaya. You really have a selfie stick? I didn't even

know that existed. Whatever, I guess. Haha. Glad you guys enjoyed the

package. And sorry I couldn't find any better candy. There is better

candy here actually, I just had a hard time finding it in good sized

bags. But yeah those ARCOR cough drops are pretty great, right? Haha.

At least you got to enjoy alfajores. I really didn't eat them that

much until Elder Inca became my comp, and now I buy them ALL the time.

And there are actually even better alfajores here than those oreo

ones, but they're way more expensive. So you'll have to wait like 17

months for those. Haha. So there ya go. I applaud all of you from

River, by the way. Haha. I'm a little sad that Lauren's from Boca....

haha just kidding.

Pretty average week here in Pocito.

(That was all of the letter that showed up initially, so I wrote back quickly and asked if that really was the whole letter because it was unusually short. This was the response and the rest of the letter.)

Blah! Dang it! Darn ancient computer! I got bad luck and got stuck

with this stupid computer today, and it looks like that happened.

Well, hang on a second. I'll try and finish it pronto.

Where was I at? Sorry. Darn ancient computer chopped off half the email I sent.

So, it's cool that you guys are all working in the open house! I

actually already saw those pictures of the temple on the LDS website,

but it just makes me all the more excited to go there after the

mission! And speaking of photos, Dad, not cool sending the new

Starwars pic. haha just kidding, I enjoyed it. But I do miss Starwars.

So. Average week in Pocito, I guess I said. Kind of slow as far as

numbers go. We had a lot of appointments that fell this week. But on

the other hand, we did have a lot of member participation this week,

which was super great! We had an activity in the branch on saturday

and invited the members to come abrir la boca with us in the plaza de

pocito! We were like Jehovah's witnesses! Haha. It was good though, we

invited a lot of people to come to a capilla abierta that we're having

this saturday, when we're going to have the doors open to the public

and show them what the mormons do! I guess. We got a lot of references

though, which was super great. We'll be contacting them this week.

A small miracle this week: or rather, last p-day. We seem to have

p-day miracles a lot, which is weird, cause it's p-day. So last p-day

we didn't really have a clue what to do, because all of our

appointments fell. So we were thinking of people to visit, and this

investigator family popped into my brain, and Elder Inca's brain too

apparently. So we passed by and found somebody completely different!

The uncle of the investigator, apparently. But without any real effort

on our part, he invited us in, saying that he really wanted to hear

our message, because he was going through a rought spot in the moment.

It was kind of cool to be guided there by the spirit just in the

moment that he needed us.

But I've got to go! I'm kind of short on time now, darn computer.

Have a great week!

Elder Bingham

Combined district meeting! Elder Anderson, the district leader

of this district, went home. obviously. So we did this! It was kind of

fun.

TACOS! Holy crap I missed tacos! Made by a real Mexican too,

Elder Poot! I don't think I've ever tasted better tacos in my life...

They were super dang good.

AND... No transfers.

Hey guys! What a crazy week! First of all, Hailey is going to FREAKING SIBERIA????? What in the world? I was way off. I guessed like 3 months ago that she was going to Argentina. I thought for sure I had received revelation. Haha just kidding.... Only a joke. But seriously! Siberia? Good luck! And Jayson went to Prom! That's weird that we're to that time of year already. But no Mom, he didn't write me. Pics of that would be cool though! Oh and by the way I hope you're feeling better from that race mom. Don't really know how they roped you into running a race AND being a "dashing diva" at the same time, but whatever. That's the race where you all dressed up in pink right? Oh and Dad, I've got to say: I'm glad you enjoyed your fishing trip, but please don't burn the house down cooking fish while I'm gone. Haha. 

So.... Yep. No transfers. Looks like I got lucky. I get to be with Elder Inca for another 6 weeks. I'm not really sure if I was looking forward to a change or not. I was thinking that a change to senior comp would help me a lot, like making me talk to people more. Sometimes I get into the habit that if I've got a comp that speaks really well and already knows the people we're talking to that I don't need to talk as much. Plus I'm just naturally not very sociable. I'm working on that, but Elder Inca's been good about giving me opportunities to try and contact people and to get me to socialize a little more with members and people so that they like me more when he leaves, but I think if I had to lead the area that would help me even more. But, I do enjoy being with Elder Inca. He teaches really well and I'm learning a lot from him. I still think that when he leaves though I'm probably going to be district leader or something. 

And we're having success here! This week we had some great lessons. We found this new investigator family on Monday and basically just set up a new appointment for Wednesday, but on Wednesday we had a really awesome lesson on the Plan of Salvation with them, and the Spirit told me to give them a baptismal date, and I did, and they accepted! Wahoo! And then we did splits on Friday with a couple of the youth from the branch and Elder Inca went and taught them the Restoration too. Their names are Washington (kind of weird Argentine name right?) and Margarita, and they're kind of an older couple. And we're teaching their daughter and her family too. But yeah, I guess you could say things are going well there. 

On another note, Elder Stocks died yesterday. Or maybe I should say that he finished his mission yesterday. That's kind of weird. And Elder Anderson also finished yesterday, so you guys should hopefully be receiving my package sometime this week. He'll fly home on Tuesday, but I'm not sure when he's planning on passing by. 

That's about it! Thanks Mom for sending those family photos by the way. What would also be great is if you guys could send any brief memories you have of like all of my great-grandparents, because I basically never knew any of them except Grandma Bingham and Grandma Pendleton. I'm working on finishing my Mi Familia book as soon as possible. Just things about their character in general or specific memories would be great. 

Thanks ya'll for the letters! Can't wait to hear from you next week!

Elder Bingham

We did service for a member last saturday picking olives! 

Olives are also really gross here by the way.

We also fed a horse. Kind of fun.

We made district t-shirts! It's even got a plaque!

back view of t-shirts

Meetings, interviews, installing new water filters, etc.

Hey guys! Spring break you say? Sounds like you made the most of it. That's probably the kind of spring break I'd prefer anyway. I actually have been to the Provo Beach Resort a few times. Just the surfing, but that was fun. I did it a lot with Alex and Noah. I unfortunately didn't ever go laser tagging or do the ropes course there, but whatever. Sounded like fun. And wahoo Jayson! Way to ask a girl to prom! When is that by the way? And what does it look like? Haha funny story about suits... My suit pants are getting tight. I've gained a little weight it seems. Hopefully I don't gain too much more. And congrats to Beccy and Austin! I hope everything goes smoothly with that. And Also congrats to Brandon! Sounds like it was an exciting week back at home. 

Oh, and speaking of temple dedications and Cordoba and stuff: No, unfortunately we don't get to go to Cordoba for the dedication. But we do get to watch it. We are in that temple district, after all. That'll be in Mayish. And woah! We're getting close to our next Skype too! That's weird! 

Unfortunately here, only a slightly productive week here as far as teaching investigators goes. This week was loaded with a lot of other random stuff. We had district meeting on Tuesday, interviews with President on Wednesday and a branch counsel meeting that night, on Thursday we had weekly planning session and we had to sit in our pension and wait for a matrimonio couple and a couple other missionaries to get to our area to inspect our pension and drop off a new water filter, and then Friday morning we had to sit in our pension and wait for some more people to come to our pension and install the water filter. And then Sunday we had church and zone meeting. This week was kind of loaded. Not that it was really unproductive, we just didn't have time to teach very much. All the meetings and the interview and stuff were really good actually. Kind of too much to tell, because there were so many meetings, but we've got some new ideas we're working on as a zone and in our branch that I think will be really good. We're focusing on getting people to do their family history in these little books we've got called Mi Familia. I've got to work on filling mine up with stories about people in the family and pictures and stuff. It'd be great if you guys sent me photos that I could cut out and paste in there. Haha honestly family history is something I've got to work on more... I've fortunately warmed up to it since I've been here in the mission. But anyway, we've got some new iniciativas! Hopefully some good will come of it. 

As far as investigators go, we're still going pretty good. Our investigator Mario that I told you guys about a couple weeks ago is still going great. We haven't been able to teach him, and for awhile we thought he was hiding from us because he didn't want us to teach him anymore or something, but we finally reestablished contact this week and he's still just as friendly to us and still wants us to come by. So that was a small miracle this week :)

That's about it though! This week should be pretty normal, I hope. And it's already the last week of the transfer... Holy cow. I get this feeling that Elder Inca's leaving next week and I'm going to get assigned district leader. Or train. Or both. (If I train it would be both, because our district is just us and 2 hermanas) We'll see what happens this Sunday. Great hearing from you guys though! Have a great week!

Elder Bingham

The inside of my next agenda (planner). I was kind of bored one day, and this came to my mind. 

Dragon Ball Z is a really big thing here. Haha

Zone pic! Kind of a little off center, and some people got cut out unfortunately. But Elder Ah You (the one I went on the intercambio p-day with last week) is the black guy right next to me in the center, and Elder Anderson (who's bringing that package very soon) is on the very left next to the short Mexican.

Conference!

Hey guys! Nice hearing from you! I had a good week here! Basically just conference, like you guys, but whatever. It was good. And Happy Birthday Jayson! You're like 20 or something right? I'll be honest... you look really old in those photos you sent me. What the freak. With a girl in each arm.... I hope this isn't news to Mom and Dad. Haha. Glad to hear that you enjoyed choir tour, and I was a little surprised to hear that Magleby's shut down. That place has been there for forever... I didn't think it'd ever go away. That's kind of sad. I was kind of wanting to go back to that place after the mission and start talking to all the cooks in spanish. Dang it.

Well yeah.. Good week here! We did get our bikes back fortunately, and so we had a lot more success this week. I guess as far as numbers go. Last week we had like nothing basically, and this week we achieved about the same numbers as last week by like Tuesday. So I guess you can say we did pretty good this week. Not a lot of exciting news as far as investigators go, but we worked hard. There was a lot of bike riding this week too, because since we couldn't visit any of our far away investigators last week, we made up for it this week by going super far like every day. It was fun. Unfortunately I had to re-get-used-to the seat on my bike, so my butt kind of hurt again this week.

And then it was conference! I failed to tell you last week (because I didn't know) that for conference we actually had a room specifically for gringos! We got to watch in English! I was happy for that, because watching the apostles translated into spanish just wouldn't be the same. So yeah, these last few days have just kind of felt like a really long p-day. Really spiritual, but I've got to hang out with a lot of gringos lately. It's been fun. For conference we tried to make it as much like home as possible and bring a bunch of food for snacking on and stuff. I ate a lot of empanadas and attempts at American dessert. (Like muddy-buddies and brownies and stuff) It was awesome. But really though, conference was great. I stayed awake for the whole thing! And I took really good notes. Can't really think of anything specific right now, but it was all really good. A lot of talks on marriage/families I noticed, but I learned a lot, that I'm hoping to apply to the mission.

Today's been kind of weird. I'm kind of doing an intercambio on p-day, which never happens. The zone leaders had to go to Mendoza for some reason today but one of them Elder Ah You (yep) didn't want to because it's his second to last p-day. So Elder Inca went with the other zone leader and I'm hanging out with Elder Ah You today. Should be fun.

That's really about it! Great to hear from you guys! Love ya!

Elder Bingham

Honestly I don't have like any pics this week. So here's a chocolate Easter egg! They make these awesome things around Easter I guess. They've got little candies on the inside. They're pretty good.