Hola amigos,

So with the movie 2012 (was that popular in the states? It was huge here) and the earthquakes in Chile, the people here seriously think the world is ending in 2012! I´m not even kidding. The Argentines are way cool, but a little bit overreactive, so after the earthquakes, everybody was asking us if the movie was a prophecy and stuff like that! Haha we just tell them it was a movie. And then tell them they should get baptized. But I didn't feel any temors here, so for now Argentina is safe...for now...
Oh man, so last Saturday we ate lunch with the Kroffs in their house. We had barbecue beef sandwiches with doritos and a Betty Crocker cake (thanks mom). It was marvelously delicious. If you think I couldn't be getting any more trunky, you are wrong. This week we also went to one of the only walmarts in Buenos Aires to buy pillows and bought American donuts. Then to top it off, this morning President Argyle had us over for breakfast with him and and his family and the assistants. We ate pancakes with buttermilk maple syrup and queesh. And we talked in ENGLISH. Then we went outside and played basketball and four square with the argyle boys. It was the most American week of my mission, I´m serious. But it was AWESOME.
Anyway, talking about awesome, we found an awesome family this week. A man stopped us in the street and told us he was baptized in Peru. We went to his house and it is FILLED with family. We've met 5 members of the family (cousins, nephews, grandkids, etc.) that want to be baptized and there are still more we haven´t met. I think they are 9 in total. Anyway, the man and his wife were baptized in Peru, but moved here six years ago. But they stopped going to church. The reason why you wont believe. The wife apparently had a friend who was listening to the missionaries. One day her friend invited her to come meet the missionaries, but she didn't end up going because she was busy. The next day she got a phone call from her friend. Her friend told her that the missionaries had come over and started to teach. Then, in the middle of the lesson, they tied up the whole family with ropes, stole all their money, and ran away! haha either she´s full of bologna or somebody dressed up like the mormon missionaries and sequestered a family. Que loco eh? Anyway, after one lesson with us, she was filling a little better. Haha but it was so funny because when she was telling us this story, she kept saying, ´´now i don't know if you are going to do the exact same thing to us right now, but this is what happened....´´ She was legitimately spooked. But, their awesome, super super humble. The family is called the Aoscati family, if you´d like to do a little prayin for em. I'll keep you updated.
So I've been super busy in the office. I´m learning the ropes pretty well, but this week was super busy getting ready for transfers. Every six weeks there are transfers and I have to get all the stuff ready for the new missionaries (blankets, pillows, etc.). We've also been moving 2 apartments and looking for two new ones. Anyway, its pretty crazy in the office. I honestly never thought I would be working here during my mission, but I obviously love it. I´m also learning a lot about Argentine real estate, contracts, etc. If anybody wants to buy a summer house in BA, just let me know, I'll hook ya up with some of my ´´clients´´ here in the city. haha.
Also, Elder Peterson was added as a member of the office, so we´re now permanently a trio. He´s the helper for now, but will inherit jobs from everyone else to lighten the load. I´ll probably give him the dirty job of inspecting the apartments...haha just kidding. Well, I gotta go play some ping pong in the church. I´ve gotten some dirty challenges from Elder Coria so its about time I showed him who´s really senior companion.
Take it easy and write me letters. Its very relaxing, if you´ve never tried it. Here´s my address in case you don´t have it:

Elder Justin Hales (you have to put Justin because this week another Elder Hales is coming. What a thief)
Argentina Buenos Aires North Mission
Gral Lavalle 1828
1646 San Fernando
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Peace, love, and Jesus

Elder Hales

wow, ever since that encounter with the evangelical, I've been saying phrases like that. Maybe he rubbed off on me a little.