Looks like I'm going to have a good birthday...

Hola Familia!

So nothing happened with traslados, I'm still here with Elder Thomas in Reconquista! But we did get a Latino roommate named Elder Dias. So I speak more Spanish than I did before. Yay! :) 

God has really blessed us this week. While our numbers weren't the greatest, we were nevertheless the recipients of two milagros that happened to us.

First off, during planning on Friday, Julio sent us a message. Julio was an antiguo investigator from a couple months ago. The message simple said "how are you?" So as planning ended, we called him up; he wanted us to come over the next day. We were kinda' worried to go over because his mom dislikes us very (VERY) much. But he is 25, so he can make his own choices. He sat us down and explained to us that he knows the Book of Mormon is true ...and he wants to get baptized right away! Like, he actually wanted to get baptized that day. While we secretly wanted to accommodate his wish, we felt it would be wiser to wait just a bit. He has already attended church the required number of times, and has now passed the baptismal interview ...so this coming Saturday, the 14th (yes, my b-day) he will get baptized! :D How cool of a story is that! Such a sweet God-given tender mercy. We really had no part in his conversion, it was all just him and God. :)

Room mates

Part of our Reconquista zone

Another tender mercy was Luis. He has a really bad leg so he can't walk for long distances, and the church is quite far from his house. What we usually do to get him to church is pick him up in a taxi ...but that's clearly not a long-term solution when missionaries come and go.  So, to set him on the right path ("give a man a fish" vs "teach a man to fish") this week we told him that in order to get baptized, he's going to have to find a way to get to church on his own (wow, that was super hard to tell him).  So he made arrangements for his daughter to take him. We visited him Sunday morning just to see if everything was ok -- and it was -- so we said that we would see him in church. But church started, and he wasn't there. And although I had a talk to give that day, I was freaking out for him ...rather than my talk. You see, an investigator can't be baptized until they show a pattern of coming to church. I started my talk, and he still wasn't there.  I finished my talk, still no Luis. Finally, near the end of sacrament meeting, the phone buzzed and it was Luis saying that he was nearly there and that his daughter was bringing him. Elder Thomas and I were quite pleased. We went outside and, goodness, you would not believe the joy I felt to see this man come walking, actually struggling with his cane, to church. I don't think I've ever experienced so much love and joy before. I spent the whole meeting worried, but it was all overcome when I saw him finally arrive. His baptism is currently scheduled for the 14th, so pray for him :)

I just want you to know that I love my mission and I love what I do. I love the people of Argentina. I have never experienced so much joy before. Seeing souls come to Christ makes all the door slams worth it. I'm happy to be serving the Lord as a missionary. Pray for Julio and Luis so everything goes well for them. Love you all! 

Elder Clemons

My fingernail finally fell off.  Looks rather cool!

P.S.  Oh, and family ...write me! And thanks to those of you who do.  Just so you know, I do read every letter you write ...I just don't have time to respond. Sorry.  They give us 1 hour to write our weekly reports and to write all of our letters home.  It's really tough.

P.P.S. Today my finger nail finally came off! :P  I just brushed it gently against my pants, and it ripped halfway off, so with the help of mom's excellent tweezers, I pulled the other half off.  Really cool actually.

I got a Gaucho sombrero, Argentine soccer jacket, and Argentine belt -- of course, I don't wear these things when I'm working ;-)