What's Two Years? (Dec 21)

NOTHING, that´s what! This mission is the best thing that´s ever happened to me, ever! To paraphrase Elder Holland, the mission is CRITICAL, absolutely ESSENTIAL, and worth more than anything in time and eternity for my testimony and personal growth. As a missionary, I am growing in every way possible: spiritually, mentally, in maturity, in how to treat people, language skills, and more! Ha I guess I´m growing physically too.

This week we got training from my Gpa, Elder Christensen, and our zone leaders on how to best teach lesson 2, the Plan de Salvación. This, combined with the training on lesson 1, makes me feel invincible! We know all about teaching these lessons, obviously, but this is tuned to us and our mission and our investigators. Ha these Argentines NEED really simple lessons. That´s probably true throughout the world, but the point is that we have been using these new techniques, and it works. We are combining lesson 2 with Chastity. Because in any given city here, maybe one couple will be married. NOBODY gets married, it´s a real challenge! But I am seeing the lives of Gustavo y Monica, our awesome golden family, just change change change. It´s all in the eyes. You can tell that they have interest, that they are humble, and want to change. The Lord prepares people, and some need more preparation than others! We are getting SO BLESSED right now with a massive teaching pool. Nahuel, great great guy, is getting baptized this saturday and I am stoked! PEOPLE: dont ever judge a missionary harshly for not getting baptisms, or good for getting lots of baptims. We are ALL a team and who takes the credit? Whose strength do we boast in? The Lord. And nobody else.

This week Elder Stuart completed a year, and we burned a shirt! That was fun. We bought a couple pizzas to celebrate. (Argentines aren´t that bad at pizza). Well lesson learned, NOT to buy pizza from the pizzeria called ¨La Napo¨. If you´re ever in Rafael Castillo, go elsewhere! I barfed that stuff up hard all night! The other three didn´t barf, but we did get multiple reports of some weird doo-doos.

Oh yeah Christmas. So happy and stoked! This for sure isnt normal xmas......it´s much better! We have been having real trouble finding someone that´ll accept us for the Noche Buena (Christmas Eve). Our bishop and his fam (who are awesome and like family to us!) are leaving mission boundaries and we cant go with them....BUT, one of the families we are teaching invited us over that night! The Lord provides. Haha we were worried we were gonna get stuck in our pench that night eating cereal. But it´s ok here. Xmas here is like Labor Day back in the states. People check their watches and they´re like ¨Oh yeah, I guess it is christmas time.¨ But I am quite excited, plus we are gonna call fam! I heard there was a birth in the family? Or adoption? WEDDING, that´s it. I´m gonna talk to a new brother. There´s happiness in the air!

¡Ciao! ¨I want to wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart.¨ Best wishes from good old....

Elder Wilcox

Pic: Us burning the shirt! That handsome devil taking the selfie is Elder Donnelly.
Other Pic: un Hermano in the ward had us at his parilla (grill) last p day and fed us! Awesome!