Week 6 In the Office

Hello greatest family in the world! I love you all. We had a crazy week. Nuts about berries, Animal style week. So busy, so weird. I will try to explain it the best i can.

Estaba pensando a enojarles y escribir solomente en español porque necesito practicar! Cada dia estoy hablando en ingles y estoy perdiendo todo que he aprendido. Que lastima! Entonces, solo quise decir esto y bueno, regresamos a ingles.....

So. Well start with just expereinces. I dont want to go day by day cause i dont remember. 

This week was fun and absolute infierno as well. Its transfer week in the office so everyone is working overtime and stressing. 

We all got to go in the president office and see the tablero or the....board of missionaries and the changes they made. I stay here and will be a DL as well as financiero of the mission. IM excited i already know what im doing basically. I will be with elder Real from Barcelona. He has a barcelona accent. look it up it sounds like he has a lisp, which is part of the accent. He is funny. He whispers in my ear all the time ¨I have a thousand farts¨ i just start laughing cause he knows english well but his accent is a lisp and he is just a funny guy. We will be in the pension far away about 4 miles so we will have our bikes still.

I have been starting to try to do P-90X some more and more. I have been killing my abs and arms more or less. But i was sick and its hard to recover quickly so im taking it easy and trying to eat more everyday. I am now officially bug free. Thank you all for your prayers i feel strengthened. I was worried for a while there. But everything is better and im getting a little better as far as eating. 

This week we had some great lessons. One night we were going around visiting people and it was about 8 30. I said ¨elder i have to go home its too dangerous, its dark and i had a dream im going to die and ohhh i cant do it elder we have to go back to the pension¨ I was just messing around acting like an old campanion i had. But in the midst of joking around and just kind of walking from appointment to apointment we stumbled upon a red porton. I was like hey, lets go visit Luis and set a date! ANd my  comp was like Elder, we have tried for 4 and a half months to set a date, he is catholic and will not listen and will not accept anything. I liiked it. I said you know what elder ok. ok i will do it. Lets go in there and do this right now. My comp was like ok, but just watch! You wont set a date.

I loved the challenge. This guy is 91 years old and has trouble hearing but is very sweet old man. Love jesus very much but just doesnt understand that his catholic baptism was not like that of Jesus Christs baptism. Anyways, we went in and were going to teach. On my way walking in a leaned to my comp and smiled and said dude, i got this dont even say a word, and hes like, ok. lets see this then. We were both very happy and kind of playing around a little the whole night and this ¨challenge¨ was part of the fun. 

I went into that guys house with absolute confidence and i said whatever came to my mind and just threw it out there and shared a scripture in the book of mormon. I dont know what i said or how i said it but i literally felt someone else talking for me. After speaking to him and throwing it all down and testifying, he sat there silent. He then said ¨you know what, you changed my mind¨ i will read this book and pray about it and i will prepare to be baptized. He said he felt something he has never felt before. He is excited to come to church sunday and start preparing. We left that lesson jaw dropped. 

We got back to the pension and just starting talking about what happened. I just told him i dont know what just happened or how i did that but it was amazing and we were pumped. What a lucky opporutunity we have to be instruments in the hands of the lord! We know that we are nothing! But in gods strength we can do all things! 

So that was a cool experience.

We had some other good lessons and successes but that one stood out. 

We had an asado last night. we were watching the guy cook it and he would just feed us like dogs with pieces of meat. It was sooooo good. best meat i have ever had. 

but hey it was good to hear from you all and see those pictures!!!!

any questions? let me know!!!!

CHAO CHAO 

elder westensee

Day 367- "Bug"

So it looks like i have been out a year! wow time flies when your having fun. Its been a good chunk of time and i have learned a lot. Looks like the cabin is coming along nicely. Thats exciting. Tyler is also coming along nicely with his muscles. He needs to help me out. I lost 7 pounds this week and i will tell you why in a sec. But sounds like all is well! Im glad a year has passed but im excited to keep going and im not looking back.

this week was interesting. Last sunday is when it all started. I went to bed saturday night with a stomach ache and didnt sleep well at all. Got up at about 5 30 and just had terrible....it was bad. I didnt throw up though. But then we got up went to church and i was just feeling crappy. We went out at 5 and i was just dying. We were with a youth from our ward as an activity where we had to get so many lessons and pass out book of mormons as a game there were many things to this game. But whoever had the most points won at the end of the night. So were just going around and teaching and finding and im just dragging behine feeling like crud. I make it back to the church and i just am sitting there wanting to die. I get up and run to the bathroom and just throw up 5 times. I felt so much better after. I thought i was better so i stayed and finished the activity that night and felt good.

Monday we got up and it was a normal day. Did office work and all sorts of fun things.....I still had really bad diarrhia. I dont know i coulnt eat very much. But just kept trudging through everyhting.

This whole week i have had stomach aches and diarrhia really bad, worst in my life. I have crapped my pants 3 times this week. Ya ya ya its funny but its uncontrollable! I didnt realize how crazy it could get. And as to this day i still have it really bad. I have lost 7 pounds.

Its not that i am "sick" to where i cant function, but i have bad stomach problems. I can still do things and  function normally but when i got to the bathroom its just straight up water. I have called the nurse and she told me to buy yogurt and gatorade and some pills so i did. But its still really bad. So i think i might have to get an antibiotic cause i have a virus.

Couple of funny moments though- We were leaving the office at 5 o clock and we were both just tired and super drowzy. Were just walking and im like "man im so wiped" we both just thought about the day for like 2 seconds and started laughing cause i went to the bathroom about 7 times. haha. We have been quoting that for a while now.

Also our bathroom doesnt have toilet paper, We keep forgetting and its not easy to just go out and but tp. it takes a lot casue the place to get it is far away so i have been dying just showering after everytime.

Last night we were doing p 90x ab ripper. We started and i thought i was done being sick, ya know. I start doing some ab ripper and 25 seconds in i crapped my pants. Full on legit nasty. Ran to the bathroom laughing and so was my companion. But it sucks at the same time cause there was no toilet paper. So i just got in the shower again. This process happened a few times this week.

Its been rough. I hope i can get better im getting thinner. I can feel it. My pants are a lot looser. I am going to pack it on when i get home. I am determined to lift hard and gain weight. I think about it every day and am starting to exercise in the mornings.

Well, im sorry all i talked about was poo but thats just how it was this week and maybe how its going to be next week. But just appreciate the food over there and the sanitation.

Transfers will be a week from monday so that should be interesting to see. im staying basically but my comp is going.

Our area is doing good. we have a baptism coming up- Octavio. He is 71 and loves the church. He is quitting smoking and is determined to get to his date. we found him just walking on the street and started talking to him. cool experience to teach him. His feet are shaped like bananas. But hes great!

Any questins? love yall

elder westensee

May 24th

Hola Familia. Another week has gone by....well. 5 days. My p day will be saturday now. Well. Its hard to explain. We do our shopping and cleaning and writing family saturday mornings until 1. Then on monday we have p day from 1 to 6. To spend time with our district which is just us and 4 hermanas. But still it should work out ok. I hope everyone is doing ok with health and what not. 

This week was interesting. Monday we just hung out wrote our families in the office and then went to the casa grande down the road, where the asistants live and where the bunkhouse is with 22 beds. We took a nap on the couches for 2 hours then went to grido ice cream. It was good. Then we worked in the office all night until 9. Pretty lame.

Tuesday we went to the office like normal in the morning and then went out to work at 5. We went with elder furlanich so us 3 with a member to a menos activo family. It just so happened that this day was the day her father passed away a year ago so it was very emotional for her. But we shared heleman 5 and had everyone go around and share their testimony about Jesus Christ. it was great. Then we had cake and sprite. Then went home and went to bed.

Wednesday we stayed over night at the casa grande cause we had to stay up until 1 30 to pick people up at the bus terminal. We then went to bed at 2. Got up at 6 to do the tramites work and went all day just working like normal. We went back to the casa grande to saty again. So i was wearing my suit for 3 days straight. I slept in my suit pants causei had no other clothes or toothbrush or anything. It was rad. Then thursday we had zone conference all day with president. I already knew the entire meeting as i helped plan it and the asistents are basically my companions. But still it was good. from 7 am to 5 pm. It was good. It flew by.  We had some good lunch. I met a sister from herriman high school. She graduated in 2013. Hna. maynard. she played basketball and she is cool. But ya it was a good conference. After, we went to the office and i did the bolsas with materials all night for the next day to ship them out. 

Thursday....oh wait, this was the conference day....

Friday we were dead and had racoon eyes from the week so we just worked in the office all night as it was busy. we went to subway this week at least.....Also on friday 8 elders and sisters came to the office to do visa work and so we ate lunch with them....well...they ate my lunch haha but oh well i got subway....but anyways an elder there ,elder rasmussen is still in bariloche. He told me whats going on in my area and also that Sergio, the guy from Australia i found, i dont know if you remember, but he is getting baptized today. I found that out cause elder rasmussen is baptizing him. It sucks kind if cause he was my friend i wanted to be there for his baptism, and we found him, I remember no one was talking to him so i went over and invited him. But man i just feel like crud missing out on that baptism. I taught him the first 3 lessons in english too. But oh well. Its not important who does it as long as its done. Also, i found out german got baptized along with the family of 5!!! Makes me very happy but inside it sucks. I wanted to be there as i worked my butt off to help those people. Im learning some pretty good lessons thats for sure. 

As of right now we dont even have an investigator really .we have no time to go out these days. But its ok im doing fine. I miss the field more than i miss home. I am not a person to sit inside all day by myself and pack bags and sort mail. So for that, i am a little bummed. But im doing ok. Its only another 4 months and i will be out again in my natural habitat. 

But ya. its getting cold here, and just staying busy. I miss you all and love you very much. 

On a side note, theres a ukelele in the casa grande where we stay half the time. I am learning to play that too. I lvoe instruments now i dont know whats going on. I want to learn to play the violin and cello and stuff. Kind of weird desires but i dont know. For now well just stick with the guitar and UKE. 

Love you all....any questions? Have a great week! Im running out of stuff to write. 

Elder Westensee

May 19- HOLA

It was a good week. Very tranquilo which is always good. I am getting a little more used to the office but still would rather be out and about. But oh well. Im getting over it. So this week was full of fun news from home :) IM e xcited for the cabin and a few othjer surprises that were gonna keep on the DL. But im glad everyone is doing good i loved skyping. Just so You all know Saturday will be my preffered day to email. I am not saying every saturday but the majority, yes. So expect for that.

Keegan Call, a good friend of mine is now an AP in the mission in North Carolina. He is a capo. I miss him im sure hes killingit out there, BUt i was happy to hear about him. I hope doug is doing well too. And lindsey. its been a while since i heard from lindsey. but ya.

This week not a whole lot happened. Church was good and things are going. We have some good investigators but had to give them away cause it wasnt our area. i had no idea we were wroking in the other area but now i know and now were not leaving our area. So were kind of looking still for more solid investigators but we have found a few maybes. 

This week we had exchanges on Thursday night and friday. did it with the zone leaders and it was good. we all 4 of us went to Centro, the city with highrises and worked. We stayed in the pension that is 8 stories high so that was fun. The deck outside was sketchy as there was a short railing and a long way to fall so i stayed on the inside more.....but it was fun. I met a recent convert who has tatoos on every part of his body....and apparently he worships satan now....not sure how he got baptized.....but oh well. It was a good exchange.

I really dont remember much from this week......we are seeing changes in the asistencia in the church we had 97 sunday. We hope to get 125 by the end of the transfer. Its fun seeing changes in the work. 

Wow. I really dont know what to say here.....im just going, everything that happens is just normal to me now so i just forget it......haha

I havent been playing the guitar hardly at all cause we have no time. So i think im getting worse. And i havent been able to study so im losing a little of my teaching and confidence in sharing but its ok. I am still settling in in the office  and getting used to it all.  

Later today we are meeting up with the district to hang out finally. so that will be fun. We have us and 4 hermanas. only 1 gringa and my comp who is gringo but still it shouldb e fun. 

love you all. good luck with everything. Stay safe and healthy. Read Heleman 5 9-12. Remember we are saved FROM our sins and not IN them. chao!

Elder Westensee

May 5- Hey Everyone

Hola Familia. This week was nuts about berries. I say that cause i met an hermana who also knows about zupas. Kind of fun to talk about zupas. I miss zupas. I lvoe zupas. I want to go to zupas. Anyways. This week was busy. A little dissapointing but also uplifting.

First off, i am being transferred to Neuquen Centro Limay. I am going to be working in the office. I dont know if i am excited or not. I never wanted to be an office elder. My district will be all sisters. 6 sisters and my comp and i. My companion will be elder Thurman. He is cool i already know him. Very chill and hard worker. Everyone says that all the capos go to the office but well see. I still will have an area but i will only be able to work from 6 to 9 pm every day. I will be doing tramite work and training stuff and financial help as well. My spanish is pretty good so i think thats why i am also going. But im happy and willing to do what the lord needs of me and i have no problem going to Neuquen. I will miss barloche. Que lastima que tengo que dejar MI amigo German. No llego a su bautismo pero va a bautizar sabado...but its ok. I still feel a part of it. German missed his baptism this friday but is going to baptize saturday so i will miss that.

This week was good. Very tranquilo and we didnt work a whole lot in our area. I went on exchanges with the Zone leaders. It was good as always. We had fun. Also we had Elder Vinas of the 70 to talk to us about the atonement. There is a lot more to the atonement than we think. I learned a lot. Makes sense, everything. But more than anything i go off the feelings i get in those meetings it was great. 

Lunes..... P day was dumb. hate to say it but we did cyber and went to the stake center..... and sat there all day. At least i got to talk about zupas....

martes..... the las tdistrict meeting we played games as normal and had some good talks. Im going to miss this district they are great. Then we went and found some new people to teach and set some dates as normal. 

MIercoles. We had choir practice and i dont remember wehat else sorry. Its all getting to be more or less the same...

Jueves we got elders from El bolson to stay with us to attend the meetings with elder vinas. It was a great experience. They are fun elder puente de mexico and elder Moser from califdornia. I talked with moser about sports all night and everything. He knows tons about sports so it was fun. 

viernes...oh today was the vinas meetings. all day we were at the stake center..

sabado. We had the whole stake at the meetings it was good. We also got ther transfer calls. It was fun. 

Sunday....we had anohter meeting with vinas and it was good....lots of the same stuff but good. Then we said by to everyone in the zone and now im here... 

i packed last night and this morning my clothes barely dried in time. I dont know if i c¡told you but i have been washing my clothes in a bucket with soap for 3 months. its cruddy. Then we hang them by the heater to dry. 

I am excited to skype on sunday. im going to send pictures now. I leave today for neuquen the 7 hour travel at 3 pm today. 

love you all thanks for the support. Miss you all. Chao. 

elder Westensee