Ramos Mejia- Week #61

Lactation and Reckless Chariots

Howdy there,

Well, just to start out, I got Grandma’s package! I made a video to thank her for it, but there is some bad news. If there was a tie in there, it was stolen, I don’t know if we want to tell her that or just let it kind of slip her mind…but other than that it was great! I loved the mango liquorice! How does she find stuff like that? Also, when you go down there fix her computer, she said she can’t read my letters anymore, and it makes her sad. Anyway, I also need to take this time to wish everyone a Happy World Maternal Lactation Week. I don’t know if I have ever talked about this before, but breast-feeding is a whole new ball game down here. In the states it is done privately and politely, but here it is not inappropriate to do it in public. And by public I mean in the street, the store, the bus, or sacrament meeting. It is just another part of life here. If a baby is crying, you can expect shirts to be coming up. It took some getting used to, but after a while it isn’t a distraction, although still unusual. You would think that the mother would be uncomfortable with everyone around. Anyway, I am not trying to write a whole letter about breast-feeding, but I wanted to tell you that it was world maternal lactation week. How do I know? Well, we were going to Capitál for mail, and were driving on 9 de Julio, the most famous street in Argentina (where the obelisk is) that is like 18 lanes wide or something, and hanging on one of the big buildings is a giant poster, covering this 20 story building, of a young mother nurturing her young and wishing everyone a happy W.M.L. week. Oh Argentina, how I will miss you when I leave.

Speaking of leaving Argentina, last night my tio, my second companion back from Castillo days, Elder Shields, hopped on his plane last night. It was really weird…especially because we were in the airport with him! President had us all go to the airport to say goodbye to him. It was way weird…I was on international soil. It was kind of like going back into the world for 30 minutes, and then stepping back into the mission. I took some pictures and a video. Definitely a strange feeling, to see probably my most important companion, that taught me the most, go home. He is the first companion of mine to go home since Elder Torres my first transfer. He went back a week early to start school. He is running BYU track.

So that is cool that Brett and Kyle thought something was actually interesting in my letters. I always find myself just laughing at their stories and imagining them telling me in person. If Kyle liked that quote, check this one out that I got this week from Jamie Melin, who still is a faithful writer even with three children.

“In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike—and they will—you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham’s seed.” –Jeffrey R. Holland -2 Kings 6: 16-17

I wonder if Elder Holland just sits and thinks about how he can just make something sound 10x more intense… He could have just said that we have help and comfort when we are discouraged…but I’m glad he didn’t. Also, Brett, we met when we were 10…or at least I was 10…10 year anniversary of being best friends! BFF! Or in Spanish, MAPS! (mejor amigos para siempre)…or in Tagalog…NGKISHPOPTUM! I assume Kyle will understand that translation.

So, moving on, B-B-BAU-TIS-MO-MO-MO on Saturday! Elias is getting baptized on Saturday, finally! It took some work to get him to commit, but we finally are going to have his service on Saturday, and Bishop will be baptizing him. Germán is completely lost for now. We haven’t seen him since he came to church a few weeks ago. Elvira and Gabriel returned home early from vacation, and both of them went to church in Corrientes. That is like meeting an investigator, them coming to church one time, teaching them one time, and they go to another state to visit some people, but attend the ward building there on vacation. Golden. Also, Brett is right…I am not doing anything, because we kind of just work all day in the office, and somehow we had 8 investigators in church on Sunday. Ok, we go out and work everyday at 4, but still, I rarely ever had more than 5 or 6 when I was out in the field full-time, so the blessings of the Lord are overflowing. We had another one of those crazy stories on Sunday. A woman, Margarita, showed up to church, because she works with a member in capital and he told her to go, so she came…and luckily for us, Hermana Benton was visiting our ward and just latched onto her and made friends with her quickly. So Hermana Benton was with her the whole block, helping her with everything, and we have an appointment with her on Wednesday…so people are just showing up to church on their own…kind of helps.

My patriarchal blessing project was put on hold because we got really busy, but thanks for reminding me, I need to get back on that. My favourite food right now is oreos with milk that I still eat every Thursday…no just kidding, I don’t know if I have a favourite food right now…but I miss toasted PB&J…we don’t have a toaster here…also, just informed we have a toaster here…so I will be filling that need soon. Also, this computer’s default English spell check is English (Ireland) so it keeps spelling things weird…like favourite, instead of favorite, and I think it spelled licorice differently, too. It is getting nice outside, and spring is on the way. I don’t want to be a writer. I want to actually support my children. We are going to the temple today! Have fun at the USC game Dad, if you go. I am wearing my Trojan shorts today. This is the last season I will miss…they better not make it to the NC or I will be fuming mad for having missed it.

So last thing, we ate lunch with the coolest family in the ward on Sunday, the Salas family. They all speak English, and live in a house nicer than most U.S. homes I have seen. The dad is the former stake president that I talked about in the story with Elvira. Anyway, he showed us a video of some Canadian country band called Sons of Maxwell, who sing a song about how United Airlines broke their guitars and wouldn’t give them a refund. It is pretty funny, and disobedient for us to do, so I had to confess that to everyone so they know I am not perfect. It is called “united breaks guitars”. Anyway, that’s all for this week, I think.

Oh how I love my Savior, because He first loved me!

Elder Sean