Hello from esperanza:)

The first thing they tell me is to get on the bike. Um, hello, I´m in my little pencil skirt...so flying down the first dirt road was an adventure. Then I´m told to just leave the bike next to the tree while we go visit someone. I thought this was a joke for sure. Well I soon realized that here in Esperanza I am living the missionary dream. One of the main forms of transportation is bikes, there´s dirt roads, friendly people, an apartment larger than a closet, you can carry more than a Book of Mormon....

I got transferred! I left my beloved Costanera Santa Fe, after almost 6 months. It´s always hard to leave all the people behind, but I wasn´t too surprised with the change. I am now in Esperanza, it´s only an hour away from Santa Fe, but a completely different world. And yes, we do go everywhere on bikes:) It really is tranquila, you don´t have to lock up your bike even. My comp is Hna. Castaneda, from Mexico. She has only been here 3 months, but you would think she has more like a year in the mission. There´s also 2 other hermanas in the rama. The president of the rama was the obispo in Costanera for 2 years, so I had heard all about him before. This place was love at first sight. It has been interesting, as it is the first time I have not arrived in a new area with a whitewash! What luck, to actually have investigadores and someone who has been in the area:)

I will share just a few hilarious things from my days here....

We were having an asado with the Flia. Spies. The meat was on a grill close to the ground, and without anyone noticing a dog went and started eating it. The dad saw, and went running, and grabbed the chunk of meat out of the dogs mouth, and started beating the dog. He then went to rinse the meat off, and put it back on the grill. We once again started eating, when a few minutes later the dog went back and stole the meat again! Again, the dad went running and yelling at the dog, grabbed it out of it´s mouth, rinsed it off, and put it on the cook. The mom said ´well, we will just have to kill the dog now´....and was not joking. We then continued eating. And we ate the meat that the dog had previously chewed on 2 times. Talk about not wasting food. jaja.

During the sacrament a recent convert was passing it for the first time. He is a funny old guy, always started singing songs at the top of his lungs in the most random moments. Well as he was passing the sacrament, there were some people who didn´t want to or couldn´t participate. He insisted that one member take it, and the member kept saying no. With this happening, of course all the members were watching, and he can´t really whisper. He then turned to the president and said ´president, He doesn´t want to take the sacrament!´....and this happened with every person who didn´t take it. jajaja. I hope none of the members were too embarrased....

One night we were going home on the bikes, when a guy came riding up next to us, and said ´why did jesus come¿¨.....what a contact. So we talked as we went down the road...and ended up giving a book of mormon. How random.

We contacted a guy Leandro, as we were looking for a reference that we couldn´t find the house. We invited him to church, and sure enough he showed up sunday, and was waiting outside before anyone else came! It was a miracle to find an investigador like this, who is so willing to learn, and enjoyed the church. Now we just need to put a baptism date.

CONGRATS ON THE GRADUATION DANIEL!!!!

As for the band concert, that is the most hilarious thing....I´m sure it was terrible in the moment, but now gives denny saunders even more reason to hate the andrews family. Oh well. Jacob is the last child. Just hope that the grandkids don´t go to south hills middle....

And good job landon! There´s a santa fe marathon in a few weeks if you want to come....

Mom, there are some people with red hair. Not lots. Here in Esperanza almost all are decendents of germany and switzerland. It´s interesting. 

Well love you all! Have a great week, and happy may! (Happy dia de trabajadores....yep, another holiday here in argentina.

Hermana Andrews

This is me with my new comp! She is the sweetest thing
ever. She actually left on the mission a year ago, and
after one week in the field got hurt and had to go
home...and recently left again.