Missionary Work is Challenging!

November 23, 2009

Dear Family,

Wow! Another week has gone by so fast and what a crazy week… let me tell ya. Well, last Sunday night one of our investigators got into a fight in the park. The police showed up and he decided to run. They tracked him down to the river. I don’t really know why, but they drew their guns and shot at him. Since it was dark, they didn’t really know if they shot him or not. And so they just declared him missing. On Wednesday night, another one of our investigators, a ten year old boy named Georgie found his body in the river. So it looks like the police killed one of our investigators. Since his mother, his aunt and almost all of his cousins are members, it has been a very difficult week for our ward here in Sarandi. But life goes on. It has opened doors for us here and has kind of helped us with the work. It’s funny how things sometimes work out that way.

Well anyways, I’m kind of upset that my letter still hasn’t arrived with my Christmas list. Anyway, there are some things I would like. Chocolate! Good American chocolate. Top ramen noodles. If possible a two liter bottle of Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper. That might be kind of expensive. And lots of candy and sweet stuff! Oh and my comp loves my English hymn book. So maybe you could go to church distribution, buy him a small hymn book and put his name on it. That would be so awesome. His name is Juan J. Vargas. That’s all and if I need stuff I’ll just buy it here like you said. Thanks so much.

Oh… and we do ride bikes because our mission president has approved it. So, I really need a new bike, no matter what they tell you in the office. I’ll let you know when I find one, how much it’s going to cost me. The exchange rate here is about 20 pesos to 1 American dollar. A half liter of milk is about 27 pesos, so maybe that might help you out.

Okay, anyway, on Friday we had a special meeting with both missions in Uruguay and Elder Bednar spoke to us. Flippin’ awesome! It was a question and answer type meeting and so I raised my hand and asked him a question. I don’t have too much time for the details, but I will write you all about this experience in another letter (if you’ll ever get it). Ha-ha-ha. So we had an awesome reunion with both missions. I’ve included a picture of Elder Tippets and me. His dad is in the stake presidency in Wellsville. I went to school with him and it was awesome to see someone familiar from home. We had a great time together.

Well, we still have two baptisms planned this weekend for Saturday and I’m way excited. I don’t know who is going to perform the ordinances exactly, but I’ll let you know how everything went next week. The work has been great, even though it has rained very hard every day this week and the streets are rivers. Also, the rivers have risen an incredible amount and now there is only one bridge left that is accessible to leave the town.

Anyways, I love you very much and yes Uncle Phil, I have lost a lot of weight. I have only been eating once a day and it’s always lunch because that’s the main meal here. It’s always with members too. Love you all, have a great week and God bless you.

Love Elder John P Sluder

Here is a picture of John and Elder Derek Tippets at the meeting with Elder Bednar. Elder Tippets is serving in the Uruguay Montevideo West mission and graduated with John from Mountain Crest High School.