Hello one and all!

So this week is a bit of a rush, Wednesday is our Pday because it's a holiday here in Argentina, so we just have a little bit in the morning to write and stuff, but here are some fun things in the week:

We had exchanges this week and I went to Almagro with Elder Silva! It was so fun! It's right smack in the city, and so there were lot's of huge apartment building and things to walk under. Elder Silva is from Brazil and I have known him for quite some time, and we had a great day. He is helping me with my Portugese, which is pretty similar to Spanish if you didn't know. We had a lesson with a former coworker of a new 70, and she wanted the lesson in English, so I got to do a lesson in my native tongue! Haha it was really great. I guess she and her husband are going to be moving to the USA and they both know English (well, the husband said he could but needed some help to understand) and wanted the lesson to be in English to concentrate more. Elder Silva is still working on his English, but luckily the sister that accompanied us was a teacher at the MTC here in Bs As and knows her fair share of English and was able to help me out. It was such a great (and really long) lesson! The Spirit was definitely there. La pareja es muy creyente... I am trying to figure out the best way to say that in English, hold on.... The couple are firm believers (that took a lot more time than I want to admit, this Spanish thing.) in their religions, but the wife accepted a Book of Mormon and promised to read it. I hope she does and receives her witness that it is true!

Hope you all have a great week! Love you guy and will see you all soon enough!

Elder Hardcastle

 The Trío

I was really loving the contrast between the dark sky and the lights of the temple. Trying to be artsy =)

This one is my favorite

Everyone keeps thinking that Elder Bradbury and I are brothers and get us mixed up

Okay I am so sick of this whole not being able to send pictures deal.

Greeting Friends!

Let's start out with some fun random moments of the week!

-Last Pday we were walking in the mall because my companion was buying new shoes, and what should come on over the speaker? Pumping up the Party, by the one and only Hannah Montana. So that was just a really special moment. 

-My companion Elder Juzga turned 25 this last week! That means that there are 5.5 years of difference between us. I don't think he liked it too much that I kept telling people he was getting really old, but you only turn 25 once in your life.

-This morning I made 4 goals in fútbol, which is more than I have ever made in one day, I think. 

-My nationality of the week is... is.. French!

This was quite an eventful week. We started off Tuesday with an early morning trip to the temple for our zone conference with President Ayre and his wife. They are some good people. It was so great to be in the temple, I miss going every week sooooo muuuuuuch. We got there around five and the temple lights were on and I got some crazy beautiful photos... if only I could send them to you. It is such a beautiful temple, just outside the city. During the conference we talked about fe (faith), esperanza (hope), and caridad (charity), and I really loved it! We were put into groups and my group was asked to talk about charity. I just love charity. If we want to have the pure love of Christ, we need to do the things that Christ did! It's pretty simple, but I still need to work on it=)

This week the trío had exchanges, and Elder Gonzales came over! He is from Mexico and is from my group. I love doing exchanges, I think it is so fun to see other peoples´ form of missionary work. Basically we have been in the same places during our missions, Los Polvorines, Pilar, and now we are both serving in Soldati (but he works in the area outside the villa)! Basically, we are the same, but not. We also bought tacos, but here is the deal: Argentines don't know how to make the best taco, and are deathly afraid of spicy food. And the taco place is expensive. So they were okay but nothing too outstanding.

Also the trío died Friday. =(  It was fun while it lasted. Now we have a mini missionary in the apartment, who is approximately 4feet 11inches tall and pretty much lives right down the street. He actually already finished his mission just a month and a half ago! He is pretty funny. But small. like really small.

We also had a BAPTISM! My first in Soldati. Felicia is really the greatest. I talked about her before, she is the best type of investigator but was working Sundays and couldn't get them off. Through much patience she was finally baptized. It was so great. We have been waiting for this moment since I got here in the area, and is definitely one of the highlights here. She pretty much always feeds us when we go over to her house, which is an added bonus. And we accidentally flooded the church while filling up the baptismal font, but luckily we got it all just about cleaned up before the three hour block got out=) I will send photos of the baptism when I can...

That's about it for this week! BE NICE and I'll see you all soon enough!

Elder Hardcastle

The best things come in three

First things first, HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO MY MOM. She is so great. ¡Te quiero mucho mamá! Vos sos la mejor madre en el mundo. =) It was so fun to see the family last night and talk with them for a little bit.

... The work continues here in the Villa! We worked hard this week and found some pretty great people finally! Saturday night we were planning on looking for four/five-ish investigators before church, and after all our efforts one of them came with us! She is the friend of a less active the wants to start coming back to church,and they both came and really liked it! She even brought her pamphlet that we gave her.

 This last week I was called a Spaniard twice, so you could pretty much say I am a native speaker. =) Just kidding.  I always ask people where they think I am from and 98% of the time they think I'm either from North America or European, but it always is a bit gratifying when the people tell you a Spanish country. Anyways, just in case you want to know that.

For right now, I am in a trio! One of the Elders in the Villa left to start in the offices, and so Elder Juzga and I have taken Elder Millar as one of our own. I was happy because I thought we'd be in a trio for the rest of the transfer, but today Elder Millar got a call and was told that he´ll get a new companion Wednesday. =(  Oh well.

I know that this is short, but I hope you are having the greatest week and that you enjoy your time with your families. Being in the mission I am learning more every day about how much I love my family. I am so grateful that my parents raised me with good standards and teachings, and that I have a jazzy airplane-flying brother and a sassy beautiful twin sister, who everyone is in love with here in Argentina. My family rocks!

See you all soon enough!

Elder Hardcastle

No photos because my adapter is broken=(

Summertime Sadness

Someone in the villa was blasting Summertime Sadness the other day, and I was really feeling it. These last two weeks have been QUITE brisky thank you very much, and I have been having to use the fancy coat and scarf I bought a few weeks back. I don't mind too much. I never knew how great scarves are until now, I love them! And now we can work with a little more style during this time of the year.  =)

So last Tuesday a drunk (high?) guy fell on me. Haha it was so weird. and sad. We were talking with a less active at her kiosco ( I think I have mentioned what a kiosco is before, but many people here run stores from their homes. They´re like the minimarkets at gas stations, but more mini), and this guy came walking down the passage. He walked over to my companion, walked behind me, and then fell down on me. We kind of just kept talking but when we finished I helped him up and he asked if I could walk with him. I said sí and walked with him for a stretch, until he found a friend and we made a quick getaway. 

My companion is district leader, and district leader means EXCHANGES! yeah! this last week I had two. I love exchanges, or divisiones, as we call them here in Argentina. My first one I had with one of our zone leaders, Elder Jensen from Colorado. I got to go to Villa 1-11-14, which is a lot more crazy than good ol' Soldati. I have some good stories to tell about this villa when we get home. I had a great time, and there are a TON of members there, we seriously ran into like 4 in the street. It was a lot of fun, and I like to see the different ways that people do missionary work. Then the very next day we had divines again, this time because my companion had to do a baptismal interview and so I stayed in Soldati with Elder Murat from Chile and had a crazy day. I didn't make the plans and my companion put down a lot of people that I didn't know that he had found the day before, and didn't put the directions! So we kept having to call Elder Juzga to tell us where to go. But it was a great day and busy day and we were always on the go! We also met with a less active and she was so happy because we put in a light bulb in her room. And then she went to church the next day! She is a really lovely lady, so sincere. 

Also, Every Saturday there is an open market that runs through the villa. And when it's over, sometimes the vendors don't want to carry all their merchandise back with them, so they just leave it on the street. I got a new tie now so that is good. =)

I have much more to write but everyone is getting after me because they want to leave and I was stressing out over my Skype call. So more next week!

See you all soon enough!,

Elder Hardcastle=)