Elder Rau's Companion Finally Arrives!

8/25/09
Hola Familia!
It was great to hear from you again this week. Things were pretty normal this week. The offices called me on Sunday to tell me that my new companion is coming this week. So right now, Im in Rosario writing on the computer of the financiero and will meet my new comp in about an hour. I am so excited. My misionero local went home last night and I left early this morning. I spent the morning either sleeping or enjoying the Saviors sermon to the Nephites while I rode in the bus. It was nice. I dont know if Ive told you yet, but the primary mode of transportation here is by bus, and so all of the long distance busses are double-decker and some even recline all the way (the seats I mean). Ill get a picture and send it.
Well, we will be having a baptism this weekend! Two young men will enter into the waters of baptism and make a covenant with their Father that will open the door to His kingdom. Pretty cool huh. Catriel has been investigating for quite a while. He is the brother of that hermana in the Rama (branch) I know thats not very specific, but its the best I can do. We were teaching his brother, but he liked his life the way it was because he didnt realize how many problems he had. Hell come around some day, but as for catriel, hes ready and excited. Me too. The other is named Matas and is a stud! He is friends with some new members in another ward, and has gone to church and seminary with them for about three weeks. We originally had a date for September, but when I asked him how he felt about that, he said well, I just wanna get baptized as soon as possible because you never know when the Lord is gonna comeya gotta be prepared That was Monday, so we moved his baptism up to this weekend. Pretty cool huh. Hes just one of those people that is so prepared that he accepts the gospel at the drop of a hat.
We also started teaching some kids. 3 brothers of 12, 10 and 9 years. They are all way cool and are going to come to church on Sunday. Im kind of nervous because if we have a hard time getting them (investigators in general) to come now, I dont know what they are going to do when they have to take a bus to another church. They are going to close ours and remodel next week, so we have to take a bus about 25 minutes to another church. I guess it will help to separate the wheat from the tares. Other than that, we are still teaching a bunch of unmarried couples that are having difficulty starting the marriage process. We are really going to focus on the temple with them. With that as their goal, baptism will be much easier and they will have a great focus. The other problem is that in the coming months, the BA temple will close for 1 or 2 years because of remodel. Argentina will be without a temple for a while. Depends on when they finish cordoba.
I hope everyone is having fun, especially the Richardsons. I would love to go to DC some day, but well see. I hope I never have to live there. Or anywhere in the east for that matter I think Colorado is as far as I would go
Anyway, I love you all so much and know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ, and that He is our savior.
Elder Rau

La rata y su asesino (the rat and his assisin)

This picture was taken last Wednesday in Nate's area. The bull in the background is famous in the misson.

The atonement and plan of god is perfect! That's what I learned this week.

Today is one of the more enjoyable p-days. Another compareismo stayed upstairs with the zone leaders and we all studied together this morning. We played games that have to do with the church and stuff like that. A gamie similar to that pyramid game that Donny Osmond hosted for a while. It was great. By the way, I still don't have a real comp. It's ok though because my current comp is a stud! (he is an 18 year old from the stake) He has to go home this week because he has a dentist appointment and his feet are full of blisters, but he keeps on working. We actually got everything on the standards this week, except for investigators in the capilla. we needed 3 or 4 more...it was a holiday though...dia del nio... It would be ok if we were teaching single people, but unfortuanately and luckily, we are teaching mostly young families. The really good news is that in the next 9 weeks, we could marry 9 couples, but I think realistically 5 couples will make it. 3 of those 9 are part memeber families.

We are doing pretty good. Last Wednesday was the best. After p-day, we had one of the most spiritual lessons of all time, then that spirit carried over for the rest of the weekend. The wife of that member aked me why death was a consequense of the fall of Adam and Eve. I hadn't really thought about it before. After a little discusion, it hit me. It was one of those times when you learn while you are talking. It was way cool. I have heard so many times that one of the happiest moments in the life of someone is the birth of a child. We learn in 2 Nephi 2:11 that there must be an opposition in all things. If there is a happiest moment, there has to be a saddest moment, right? Even for a prophet, the passing of a loved one is enough to bring him to tears. Luckily, the saddest moment is fixed through the atonement. Basically, the atonement and plan of God is perfect! That's what I learned this week.
The chruch is true. Jesus Christ lives and guides and directs us though his chosen prophet, Thomas Monson. I know that it is ture!
Un Abrazoo! Elder Rau