From Buenos Aires April 16, 2012

We had a good week, but not quite as successful as the last one. Leonel will be getting baptized on the 28th now if all goes over well. He relapsed on Wednesday so we have to push back his baptism a week. He´s really working hard to quit smoking, though, and has such a desire to live the Gospel. His progress is incredible in such a short time. Marisa, the mom of Ailen and Yuli, came with us to a Relief Society activity on Saturday. She enjoyed herself a lot and we were hoping to see her in church yesterday, but she didn´t come. Ailen and Yuli came by themselves, though, and are trying to understand and live the Church standards and obey the commandments. Marisa still tells us that she won´t be getting baptized, even though she knows that what we say is true...because there´s truth in every church. I don´t think she understands about the Apostasy or the Restoration. We´re going to try and focus on inviting her to pray about Joseph Smith. Her husband, Victor, still doesn´t have any desire to listen to us, but we always invite him to join us when he´s there.

The weather here is still pretty comfortable, but autumn is beginning to settle in. It´s weird to think of autumn in April, but I´m sure it will be even weirder to experience winter in July. No matter what the weather is like, though, we´re out in the streets working, inviting everyone to come unto Christ.

Things are good between Hermana Schneider and me, but we´re not as close as I´d like us to be. We communicate in very different ways and sometimes it´s so difficult for me to understand her. When times are tough I sometimes wish for a companion with which things just click and we´re best friends, but then I realize that it´s possible that that won´t happen if I don´t work for it. The best friendships are the ones in which there is mutual understanding (or effort to understand) and active loving. I´m trying and praying so hard to know how to listen and understand her better. I want us to be better friends than we are, to have more unity in our companionship. I think if we are more united we´ll have an increased measure of the Spirit and be able to see more success. As difficult as it feels at times, I´m so grateful for this opportunity and for these difficulties. I know they´re helping prepare me for my future and that I´ll be a better wife, teacher, mother, friend, daughter.....I´ll just be better.

I´m so excited for the temple! It´s such a great experience for everyone. I look forward to seeing it when I get back.

You asked for a little tidbit of what my daily life is like. Well, we spend a lot of time, sometimes the entire day, in the street. We walk all day, but if we have an appointment farther away and don´t have time to walk, we take the bus. We contact the people in the bus, too. Sometimes we do an announcement in front of everyone and sometimes we just walk down the aisle and talk to everyone. On Friday we took the bus to Martín Coronado to teach Leonel. Hermana Schneider asked the driver if we could talk to the people and then I was going to do the announcement, but the bus isn´t always all that stable. I got to the front, but the bus went over a bump and I fell into the lap a little girl. I got up as quickly as I could, apologized, and did the announcement with a very red face. I don´t think I´ll ever forget that experience....I don´t think the people in the bus will either, especially the little girl. :)

Anyway, I´m out of time. I hope all is well and that everyone is happy and healthy. You´re in my prayers always. I love you.