Merlo- Week #44

And unto me, a child is born....



Hello Gilmore Clan and Associates,

Well, this week has been more than surprising, so I will start at the beginning. Antonia and Mikaela were both baptized and I had the privilege of baptizing Mikaela. It was great. She was perfect, didn’t get scared, and didn’t fight it, nothing. We did a practice right before, and then we held hands going into the font. As soon as she was in the water she started holding her breath…so I didn’t waste time and went straight into the prayer. She went down, and came up without a problem; we took hands again, and left the font. Really sweet experience. Antonia was then baptized by Elder Arriola, and that is how we ended the transfer meeting our baptism goal. Then came the big day, T-Day, Transfer Meeting. Let’s just say that we knew there were going to be huge changes in the mission, because there are some areas that are not doing to hot…like Merlo…last transfer basically only our area and the zone leaders had a good transfer, so President sent some power players to Merlo. He started to take zone leaders and put them down as district leaders to supervise more closely what is going on in the areas. My old area Castillo had 8 baptisms again…so in four transfers there I had one…and in the last two they have had 16! I found those people!

So, obviously, because I didn’t write yesterday, I have a son in the mission. I am a trainer! I couldn’t believe it. I am the only one of the trainers that went straight from junior companion to senior trainer…I have no experience whatsoever as a senior companion, and now this transfer will probable determine the rest of my mission and to some effect the rest of my companion’s. President came up to me after Transfer Meeting and kind of chuckled and said, “Get it done Elder, I have confidence in your abilities.” So yesterday, I spent all day in Ramos Mejia in the offices, and basically hung out with Elder Sabey all day waiting for my son. It was SWEET, because I haven’t spent time like that with Elder Sabey in a long time. Also, I got to see the coveted transfer board, where President makes the changes…it was like seeing the blueprints of the mission, kind of cool. We showed up at like 11 in the morning, and had like a 40 minute workshop on being a leader and example, and then just goofed around for hours and hours, watched Work and the Glory, until they finally got there at like 5 in the afternoon…aka…P-day gone.

So we knew who the greenies were going to be because they are always in the Estandarte magazine thing the mission has, and so we were doing some guessing before the meeting in the pench, and Elder Mackay and Steele both chose one in secret and then I chose one in secret too…then at the same time we all said the name of the person we thought I would get…1…2…3…Latorre! We all said it at the same time! It was fate, and the rest is history. My boy’s name is Elder Latorre from Chile, and is now my second companion from Chile. He is already 21, and when I told him I am still 19 he asked if I drank a lot of milk as a kid…I said yes…and then he said…”oh, that is why…” I’m not quite sure what he was trying to say with that, but I love him anyway. He is already rocking English! This morning he like whizzed through like 3 modules in thirty minutes…Elder Arriola did like 2 his whole time with me. He is a little wound tight, but I was too when I came because I had no idea what to expect. He is the oldest in his family and the first one to go on a mission, but has been a member all his life. I will send pictures next week, but because today isn’t P-day and we are leaving straight from here to go work, I didn’t bring my camera.

So that is great to hear you guys had a good anniversary. Also, if you are looking for ways to cut spending, I am thinking not going on a Mexico cruise is one way…also that is weird about the Pig Flu…here everyone is worried about Dengue, which is being carried by mosquitoes in Buenos Aires. It is really funny because when I see a mosquito, I can say “dang it” in English, but with a Spanish accent and people are like, “Yeah Elder, watch out for the Dengue!” It is pretty entertaining. So I never have gotten a letter from Chelsie, and the Primary Letters to Sister Larson and stuff was in the Orton letter, but I never sent it again, because I didn’t know the timetable of their move…I don’t know what to do about that. Also, Karen wrote me about Sant and the family so that was nice to hear from her. I know I am bad at writing back, but it seems that P-day keeps getting filled up with stuff. It was zone activity, and then yesterday picking up Elder Latorre, also not next week but the next is Temple P-day…so basically it has gotten busy quick here in the mission.

I am really nervous about this week, because I have no idea what I am doing, and I don’t have a senior companion/shield/excuse to use or help me. Basically, it is a whole new ballgame. I mean, I know I can do it…but I still haven’t done it…so that’s how that is. Well, time is up, and I got to turn my son into a machine! I love him…

Love, Sean