One Year in Argentina...

Hello ALLL!!!

Well, today it smells worse than normal in Puerto... like dead animals. Bleh. Well, what ya gonna do?

- SO! This week I hit my one year mark living in Argentina!! What the!?? Well, I've compiled a little list of things that have gone down in Argentina the past year. 

Here we go... in one year, I have....

- seen lots of leggings and 80's style with floppy ponytails
- eaten lots of good food like milanesas, pizzas, tortillas (not the mexican kind), tortas de verduras, ensalada de papas, asados, canalones, chorizos, ravioles, facturas... etc
- eaten a few weird things... liver, corn meal mush, vizcacha, mundungo...
- Been barked at by many dogs
- Seen the strangest and or ugliest dogs in my life
- Been asked interesting things by children, like: Why are your teeth so big? Why is your hair so blonde? 

Do you know Justin Beiber? (sometimes I say yes to that one, just for kicks) :-)
- Listened to Christmas music. All. Year. Long.
- Watched these people cover their food in mayo...
- lived without a dishwasher, carpet, a dryer, a toaster, an electric stove, hand mixers, and MY DOWN COMFORTER!!!
- improved my Castellano
- worsened my English skills (the last time I had a conversation in English was at Christmas...)
- Seen lots of dogs chillin' on roofs (rooves? no. BAD ENGLISH!)
- Taught hundreds of lessons
- Talked to hundreds, if not thousands of people
- Seen up to 4 people on a scooter, with a mother breast feeding on the back... all without helmets...
- Learned a little Argentine slang
- carried my things in a box or plastic bag like a homeless person 
- almost been hit by cars. A lot. The pedestrians don't really have the right of way here... I have to say I've almost pulled a Gracie Lou Freebush from Miss Congeniality and yelled  "I´M WALKING HERE!!!" in the streets... but I'm a missionary. Quiet dignity. 
- and.... grown to love every silly, crazy, and beautiful thing about the Argentine culture.

- WHO LOVED GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!?? Or "Missionary Superbowl" as I like to call it. Ok, HOMEWORK FOR YA¨LL. I´d LOVE to hear what your favorite talks were and WHY. SO send me a line this week! 

Ok, so on Saturday, we went to the Stake center, and they had a TV set up for the "yankees" (as the Americans are so affectionately called here) and the screen set up in the sacrament room (um hi,... I definitely forgot what that's called. Fail in English, again)....  but we didn't have any satellite feed! NOOO!! So as they were scurrying around trying to fix it, we waited.... somewhat impatiently on my part (the attribute of Christ that is the most difficult for me to master...) and we ended up having to do it via internet. So, we missed the first 30 minutes of conference, with the temple announcements!!! But don't worry, I found out later!! 

AND HELLO, I SAW TYLER MICKLESON IN THE CHOIR!! Corb, give him a shoutout for me, and say he is famous in Mar Del Plata, because I said "HEY! LE CONOZCO!!!" (**hey, I know him!) unintentionally loud. 

I loved President Monson's talk on obedience. Also from Elder Holland... "What we know will always trump what we do not know". I also loved Elder Whitney's talk... more the concept of Watch and Learn. That is a great philosophy of life. And to you future missionaries (especially in my parents' mission prep class) I'm gonna let you in on a secret. No one really knows how to be a good missionary. You just have to try. You watch others, see what works, and try it! As long as you're obedient and trying, the Lord will help you be a good missionary. That is my key to success. 

-Juan Enrique was able to go on Saturday, so that was wonderful! He's such a sweet, old man. He has such a sad life, but I know that the gospel can bring more light and happiness into his life!

-Hey, just to let you all know, I'm in Mar del Plata, not La Plata. La Plata is about 200 miles from here and out of our mission limits. No, I'm not wading in water up to my waist. La Plata is where all of the flooding took place. It rained here last week, but just the annoying misty rain. But the Stakes have been gathering clothes and everything for the people affected by the floods. Our prayers are with them.

o.k. I've been teaching the other Hermanas in the house some English. So far they've told our ZL "you're weird", "nobody loves you!", "Everybody loves you!" and "I want a beer". That last one I DID NOT teach them... but it was pretty hilarious. 
- Shoutouts: Happy Birthday to Josh Welch and Zachary Serna this week! 

And happy birthday to woobie face Ashton!!! Woo! Hope you all have a good day. 

Adrienne, thanks for the email update! 

Y gracias Adriana y familia por la carta! Que alegría que ahora puedo entenderles! Espero que todo este bien! Muchos abrazos! 

And Congrats to TREVOR AND LAUREN! WOO another Dunn wedding! One that I will actually be able to go to! 

And a shoutout to the Smith Family... YOU CAN'T MOVE! BOO I SAY!  I OBJECT! Ok, you can do what you want, but I will miss the Smith family! We've been neighbors since I was ten! I will miss you! 

Everyone. Have a great week. Know there's an Hermana in Argentina that loves you and prays for you. And missionary prayers count for more points. :) I LUFF YOU!

Hna Squire

cydnee.squire@myldsmail.net