La Leonesa, Peugeot Drivers and the New Year... January 19, 2018

       I didn´t burn a tie or anything to celebrate my hump day, we actually went to a little town called La Leonesa to work for a zone activity. It is this super cool little town with really nice people and it really reminded me of Curuzú, the first city I was assigned to in my mission. It was nice to get out and work in the muddy streets, again! There were eight of us all in one area and when it came time to sleep we had only 3 mattresses and eight people. I found out what it was like to go camping, again! Haha!

        It was really fun! It was also funny, so, on the way there it was raining really hard and we get into this car to take us there and the car is a Peugeot Partner, hahaha! “Top Gear” really hit the nail right on the head with the way that they have described Peugeot drivers, hahahaha! The guy that was driving was getting angry with everyone else on the road and honking at them even when they were doing absolutely nothing wrong. He couldn´t keep the car driving in a straight line. They were also right about Peugeots being the worst cars ever made, I have never seen a worse interior on a car in my life, it had green plaid seats with black and white stripes on the bolsters, Hahaha! It was falling apart!

        The entrance to the city of La Leonesa is super awesome. There are like 10-12 statues of Christ and as you progress towards the city you see statues of Jesus as he carries his cross, further and further. Then you see one where he is nailed to the cross and then one where he is up, on the cross and then it shows him in the arms of Mary after the crucifixion. The statues are awesome. It was a nice short trip.

We also got some new washers and dryers for the mission so we will be delivering those to the missionaries. My companion and I received one also, and boy, were we happy!

I got to watch the funeral of President Monson and the broadcast with the new First Presidency, they were both really good. Other than working in the city of La Leonesa, I worked one other time in my area with Elder Peterson, our Zone Leader, but we never got a chance to teach G.  

This song that I have listened to out here on my mission about the Savior, is really how I want to try to be,  I really want to rededicate myself to the work this coming year.

He was just a carpenter by trade

He learned from his father at a very early age
There was something special in the man
There was much more to his life
Than just working with his hands.

And He'd say there's no home I could design
That would match the one you'd find
When you leave this world behind
If you only took the time.

Chorus:
Love your neighbor like your brother
Treat your brother like a friend
Always turn the other cheek
Help the weary and the weak

Make the time for young and old
And as your life unfolds
Each kindness that you've shown
Will be the nails and hammers
As you build your final ladder
In the manner of the carpenter of old.

You could feel compassion in his eyes
But, Only fools that hurt him did not realize
That he was speaking to us all
The righteous and the mighty
The silent and the small.

And He'd say there's no home I could design
That would match the one you'd find
When you leave this world behind
If you'd only take the time.

 Chorus:

Love your neighbor like your brother
Treat your brother like a friend
Always turn the other cheek
Help the weary and the weak
Make the time for young and old
And as your life unfolds
Each kindness that you've shown
Will be the nails and hammers
As you build your final ladder
In the manner of the carpenter of old.

I love you all and miss you!

Chau,

Elder Nate Pendleton