March 29, 2012

Thanks for the letter Dad and thank you all for the package.  I forgot how much I enjoy peanuts.  Rooms a mess right now because I am packing to head out on Monday.  The VISA acceptance paper is in so now it is official.  Elder Macnab is having trouble with his so it is kinda bittersweet. Speaking of sweets tell "Mama Price" thank you for the package.  Really awesome to hear from those Falloners :)

  Had a really cool experience with hosting yesterday.  I was a host for this Elder Hintin.  This poor Elder looked scared to death.  Tears were welling in his eyes and his answers came back as distracted and sad.  I was really feeling for this kid.  Before I dropped him off, I stopped him, stared him in the eye and said, "The Lord is always listening all we have to do is pray."  The Spirit was so strong during that moment.  Hope he is doing well.

    So today our district got called down to the travel office.  We were all really excited and we thought we all had got our Visas.  Turns out they only had the papers for two Elders.  I started walking out the door when one of office workers said, "Hold it, do we have and Elder Thomas?  His VISA just came in."  This such a tremendous blessing from God.  Many Elders going to Argentina have been stuck here for 12 weeks.  Hopefully Elder Macnab gets his tomorrow.  One of the Elders outside the door is talking like Tickle Me Elmo and it is really distracting, ha, ha.

     I am on a separate flight from the other Elders.  Not sure why.  The time here has gone so fast.  Seems like yesterday I was walking out of the van to meet my host.  The coolest thing about the MTC is how much closer a person comes to Christ.  Really hard to do, but so rewarding.  Monday is going to be birth by fire with Spanish for me, but I am confident that the Lord will bless me.  Hope I get a really cool accent from this.

     Tell Emma I love her very much.  I think about her all the time and pray for her often.  High School is a confusing time and things that seemed important aren't worth crap when you get out.  Tell her to B....BE...AGGRESSIVE!  I know she is gonna grow into a legit young Mormon woman.

     To Dad thank so much for the constant push to work hard.  When times are hard here my first instinct is to go to work.  Things will still be hard whether I work or not so might as well get working.  This has definitely been a blessing here.  Sometimes a lesson doesn't go as planned or sometimes you really feel down on yourself, but the trick is pick something up and work.  Can't wait to go apply that in the field.  

    Please tell Amber I have been thinking about her.  Wish I could write her, but I don't have an address.  Tell Bishop Ludlow I said good luck and all the Ward hello.

     I will be calling you in a few days so I am really excited for that.  Ore siempre y satanas no tendra poder sobre ustedes.  God Bless all of you.

Love,

Elder Aaron Thomas

April 2, 2012

Aaron got to call us 3 times that day as he departed for Argentina.  The phone calls were amazing and we all feel comforted to hear his voice. He sounded so mature, ready, subdued and just all around wonderful :)  Here is the letter I got the day he landed in Argentina on April 3, 2012

Elder Thomas and the Mission President with his wife

Hello Mom,
    Things down here are crazy!  Just met my new companion and his name is Elder Haws, very interesting man.  Don't understand a single word anyone is saying but I am super excited to learn.  We have a new investigator that started out as a communist, but now wants to learn about God.
     The people here are really nice.  Wish I knew what they were saying, but oh well, hahaha.  So the mail system here is really expensive so I think maybe we should communicate soley through email.  I am very excited to start getting lost in the work.  Ate this food that is kinda like hot pockets, but it is called emanadas.  Much more delicious and less diarrhea involved.
     The flight down was really cool.  I was able to give a pass along card to an elderly chinese woman who lives in South Carolina and travels to Argentina every five years.  Very excited to see where the next couple of days take me and I am confident that the Lord will bless me for my efforts.
     Say Hello to all the family for me and make sure to make Melis more emotional that needs to be.  God Bless and please pray always and never underestimate the power that a prayer has.

Love,

Elder Aaron Thomas