Week #9 - "Lote Bigelote" .........Collin's future band name, machetes and the food is improving

Another week in the books. This one was by far the fastest week here in Argentina. If weeks keep passing by like this, my mission will be over in no time. 

This week, I have less to complain about, which is always good. It usually takes me about 2-3 weeks to get used to things. It took me about 3 weeks to get used to my job at Villasport, to get used to University, to get used to the MTC and finally to get used to the mission field. My parents can probably confirm that in the first 3 weeks of all of those things I have listed, I cried a few times.

Highlights of the week:

-Zone conference. 2 zones get together in Mendoza and have a little capacitación (training meeting) with our president, his wife, the Assistants to the president, the mission nurses, etc. The bus we rode on was awesome. It was a double-decker with reclinable and comfortable seats. I forgot my camera but one of the guys from my district sent me pictures of it. Our president is really awesome. Quite laid back to be honest, but is a really spiritual guy at the same time. His wife is awesome too.

 It was nice to talk to the other elders who were new to the missionaries so I could have someone to relate to. Turns out that the problems I was having, other people were having the same problems too. That's usually the case in life. It's very unlikely that you are the only person struggling with that same problem, which is comforting. In our church, we believe that Jesus suffered for every problem that we have suffered, which is very comforting to know as well.

We visited the local camping area last P-Day which was really fun. My companion jumped in the river knee deep. Hopefully my mom will add pictures of that to the blog.

Elder Vargaras.....in the "river" (looks more like a stream to me.)

The last thing I want to mention was a little scenario that we experienced in a neighborhood called "Lote Bigelote." I usually don't like to say the names of neighborhoods because we probably aren't supposed to, but the name of it is so funny that I had to mention it. It's pronounced "Lotay Bigelotay" and I can't say it without laughing for some reason. If I ever have a band in the future, I am naming it Lote Bigelote. Anyways, it is a quite run down neighborhood, but it is awesome because the people there are so humble. We were walking by someone's house and there was a shirtless kid, no older that 8 years old who was swinging a giant machete with one hand over his head at tree branches for firewood. it was one of the most epic things I have ever witnessed. I really wanted to take a video but I didn't want to scare the kid. That's all. 

This week was awesome. We actually ate some really good food, which was nice for a change. The food is not quite as bad here as I thought at first. I ate some gross things my first week.

Thanks for reading everyone.

-Elder Murphy 

Send me stuff here: collin.murphy@myldsmail.net

Collin's companion is Elder Vergaras from Mexico City