New Companion

My companion is really nice. She’s from Cordoba, Argentina. My comp goes home in 2 changes... so chances are she will stay here with me. I’m glad, she’s really nice.
We eat most days with a member. Each member has a day of the week. Our branch is small and we meet in a house converted into a chapel. It’s fairly large and looks like a church inside. We have a recent convert who is midget… and in a wheelchair… He’s really funny.
The people here always say... I’m not of this religion when we contact them... I always want to say... we know... that’s why we are talking to you. it’s sad how closed some people are, but we keep trying. My comp was telling me that recently this area was closed because it wasn’t having success... so who knows how long it will be open.

New Area: Carmen, Durazno, Uruguay

Carmen is in the middle of nowhere... the bus dropped us off with all my luggage and we were standing in front of a huge feild... its beautiful but small. We live on the edge of the town so our house looks out to the country...i love it. i can hear the birds and the wind. in melo there were a lot of loud motos and autos but here its almost a rarity. they ride horses more than cars i think... my comp showed me pictures of some cool animals they have here... big snakes, and crocodiles... the crocks were dead when she came across them so they had their heads all smashed in. yummy. we find random carcasses too... it's fun. The people here are very country. they all work in compaña and they all have a very specific way of dress... with bombachos or pants that kinda look like hammer pants... remember those - all small at the bottoms... well it's so they can put their pants in their tall boots. also they have banchos if its cold, and vests and hats that they wear off to one side.

Bathing a Dog

The other is a pic of us bathing the dog of our grandpa...he´s 94 years old and he always takes care of us. Some nights he´d be waiting in his door way for us to pass by and beckon us over to give us muffins or chorizzo or something! i´m really going to miss him. the other day we had fun sticking spoons on our noses and laughing for a while! This morning he helped us go to the bus stop and watch our bags... it started to rain really hard and we just laughed and waited. haha who knows how many years he has left but i´´m glad to have known him. He was recently baptized about a year ago, and has been alone without his wife for about 12. So we always visit, he´s our neighbor and so we pass him about 6 times aday!

A lot of the people in the church haven't been coming recently... i think it's because of the elections here. our whole town is crazy during voting season... it's so strange, they have like carpools with parties driving honking horns and waving... and the whole road is blocked off right... and we needed to get to an apointment so we joined one...haha and one guy said he saw us ride by on TV haha who knows if he was just joking.

The other day my comp said she wanted to get on the bus, so i was like... ok thinking she had someplace she wanted to go, but she didn't so we just started making contacts on the bus... i think we talked to about six people and went a complete route on the bus and basically returned to the same place we got on! it was kinda funny, but i guess what better way to rest your feet and still talk to people! the busses here are so funny and ugly... the door is open and you basically get on and he drives off while you try to find a seat as you bounce around... we are constantly helping older peolple from falling! haha

Lindsay and her companion, la Hermana Banegas from Honduras.

"So this week has been pretty good. We have been working really hard with our investigators that are getting baptized this saturday. A couple of them fell through but we´ve got 4 going strong and this saturday the other missionaries in our area are having baptisms at the same time so i don´t kn0ow how many it will be... but it´s going to be a white saturday! "

Some of the type of food and drink that you would see in Uruguay - See the soda? It's Guarana and the food - rice and chicken with some vegetables? It's hard to tell.

"So we had an FHE with a mom and daugher, the mom is getting baptized on my bday, and we made a cake and shaped it into a bunny! It was a sort of pre celebration of my birthday. ha ha fun fun. "

Lindsays address...

You can send letters and packages to Lindsay at this address:

Hermana Lindsay Carpenter

Mission Uguguay Montevideo

Horacio Quiroga 6350

Montevideo C.P. 11.500

Uruguay

Well we think this is right finally.

Immediate family can write to Lindsay at the same e-mail lindsay.carpenter.um@myldsmail.net

Friends and family can write to her at: urumontemission@gmail.com

You will need to write Hermana Lindsay Carpenter at the top of your

letter, the mission home will then copy the letter and send it to her.

MELO, URUGUAY

Look! A real gaucho!

These are internet images of Melo, Uruguay, where Lindsay is currently serving.

A horse drawn wagon in front of a gas station?

This map shows how close Melo is to Brazil.

Skyline of the town.

Arriving in Uruguay and Meeting the Mission President

Dear Carpenter Family,

Today we went to the airport in Montevideo, Uruguay, to pick up Sister Carpenter and invite her into our mission. She arrived a little tired, but full of excitement and enthusiasm to get to work.

We have spent the day with her getting to know her, and we have recognized that she will be an asset to us here in the mission. With this time that we have had with her she has shown many talents that will be put to use in blessing the lives of many wonderful people.

With the morning comes the day of transfers, where she will meet her trainer and after head off for her first area in order to start ¨ [bringing] to pass the immortality and eternal life of man¨.

We are now sending you a photo that we took with her this afternoon. As you can see, she is extremely excited and ready to start. We are so excited to have your daughter with us and hope that you receive this photo with excitement and pride in all that your daughter has done to prepare herself for the opportunity that she now has to serve the Lord for the next eighteen months.

Love,

The Da Silva´s

Grupo 467A at the CCM in Argentina

Here is Linday in a group shot at the Missionary Training Center in Argentina just before she left. Look for a turquois jacket.

'I think I’m going to be leaving on August 11th... so not much longer. it will be a Tuesday... not this next one, but the next. on Saturday we get to go proselytizing again!! yay! the gripe I think that{s flue... is getting better so we can go out. I’ve got such a fever to get out of here!!! feel the road under my feet and wind in my face... I have been going a little crazy. we say we are all just righteous concentration victims... it’s ok... I think once we get some actual time in the mission we will calm down a bit. we have a good time though in our class rooms. one thing that we do is have English fasts every week and we keep track of how many times each of us messes up and speaks English but when we get 5 or now its three times... we have to do a ‘prenda’, or a consequence... such as singing a song solo... or reciting something while rubbing your belly and patting your head...etc. it’s fun and it makes us learn a lot of Spanish in a day. also going out and actually talking to the people helps us with the Spanish. It’s come to the point now that we don{t really need much more instructing... it’s all just going to come with time and with practice."

CCM Argentina

This is where Lindsay lived while learning Spanish better and learning how to teach the lessons that missionaries give. She was there from Jun 11th to August 11th. In her own words...

"We are just working on teaching lesson one in Spanish and in English. When we teach in English it’s mostly to learn the doctrine and to learn how to teach effectively, but when we teach in Spanish we are trying to get the phrases down and learn how to put the sentences together. I have a great gospel vocab now, but other things are still lacking, but I have noticed its coming easier now and I{m more comfortable to speak with the Latinos here. Every night after class we set up appointments to practice teaching, or get taught ourselves so that means from six thirty am to about 10 pm we are just going, going, going…"

lindsays MTC address

Sister Carpenter

Argentina MTC

Bonpland 2349/55

(C1425 Few) Buenos Aires

Argentina

I'm starting a blog

For some reason I feel the need to start a blog... I'm going to be serving a mission soon, but this seems like a reasonable way for my family to post pictures, letters etc. that I send home.