My Missionary Adventures in Argentina Elder Nate Pendleton: Road Trip to San Martin and El Colorado...

Hey Everyone,

I wrote to Cole, my cousin that is going on his mission to Modesto, California this week and I told him about what to expect at the MTC, I hope it helps him out. I can´t believe he is in the MTC now! I know he will do a great job as a missionary!

As for stuff that happened this week, we had to take washing machines and dryers to San Martin and El Colorado, two cities about 2 ½ hours from here, in Resistencia. The four of us from the office hopped into the truck, and we got some music going. The other elders chose to listen to Disney music, so when Tarzan came on I felt like I was going on a safari across Africa. I actually was really happy just being out of the city and the office and out on the open road. The Tarzan music was a good touch, though, it made me feel like a world traveler. I had so much fun taking pictures along the way, of bridges and old cars and signs and stuff. The plants along the river we crossed were super cool, too, I felt like I was in the jungle!

Also, to travel in Argentina you have to be really careful because the police and the Gendarmeria (Argentina’s version of the National Guard) are everywhere. They stop you all the time and ask for your documents. On the way back we were signaled by the police to pull over and they asked for the registration and license of the car and for Elder Slade’s license. The one cop had a shotgun in front of us. We couldn´t figure out why they signaled us out of traffic, but they just let us go, Haha!

We got to San Martin and there is a nice LDS church house there but only about 6 people attend church there, it is sad. Back in the day, there were a lot of people that attended church but then a lot of bad things happened and everyone stopped coming. The church just isn´t as strong in the small towns here so there is this giant church building with hardly anyone that goes to it. We then went to El Colorado, which is located right past the border of Chaco into Formosa. We took pictures with the Elders that serve there. The picture with the four of us in the pension (apartment) is the Curuzú Cuatiá survivor group! Haha!

We saw some cool old cars and it was nice to be in a small town again. On the way out of El Colorado, we asked a lady from the Gendarmeria to take our picture in front of the El Colorado sign, she was so nice. Then we went down to a bridge and took some pictures there; there were some cool places to take pictures. The road along the way was beautiful and I truly felt free from the work in the office.

That picture of me in front of that orange car was taken here in Resistencia. I saw it driving around one day and I wanted a picture of it. It looked cool in front of the brick wall, the beat up dog lying on the ground makes the picture even better, Haha!

The Multi-Zones are coming up so we are getting ready for those. I have sat inside and worked in the office all week, so there isn´t much more to say. It has been a pretty normal week. My plants are getting bigger since the last time I showed them to you and my job here in the office is not as hard as it was before.

It has been hot here like always, and it is going to rain soon so we will see what happens, hopefully, we won’t get another flood again! Haha! G. is the only investigator we have right now and he has also come to church 2 or 3 times and so he is progressing. We invited him to be baptized and he said yes and we set a date and everything. I hope he follows through. I have learned a lot on my mission and a lot of it is stuff that I won´t realize I have learned until later in life, but I still have a lot to learn, that is for sure! Love and miss you all!

Chau,

Elder Nate Pendleton

On our way to San Martin and El Colorado...
Cool old truck...