Primavera (Springtime)

My Dear Family,

Thank you for your beautiful emails! I love to hear from you and look forward to your words every week, more than you know.

First, I want to begin by asking a favor or inviting you little artists of mine--whether my brothers, cousins, or kids in the ward--to help me with something. Some of my best friends here in the mission are other missionaries, and in my District (or group of missionaries for Venado Tuerto) there are missionaries from Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, and the United States, like us. Recently there has been a strike for the mail service in Chile, and because of that, none of my Chile friends receive letters from their families or friends. I know that many of you don´t speak spanish, but luckily, that´s not important when it comes to pictures, huh. My friends Elder Vergara, Elder Alvarez, and Sister Reyes don´t receive letters, so maybe for a family night perhaps you could have a cartoon drawing party? Their addresses are the same as mine, the mission home on Blvd. Argentina. I showed them some of your drawings, Brothers of mine, and they were cracking up. I think they would love to have a picture or two from you all.

The second thing I want to say for Mom, just so you know ahead of time because I know you like to plan--when Christmas rolls around and you´d like to send a package, i just want to say that don´t worry about sending anything in a package for me like Peanut Butter or Kit Kats. I am without anything from the States, but that´s okay--I´ll have all the time in the world to eat when I get home! Instead, I am hoping you might be able to send some ties (like for men on Sundays), and maybe some simple necklaces or pictures of Christ from Deseret book. I would love to have something to give to my investigators at their baptisms, ties for the men, necklaces for the women. Everyone here is in awe of Hermana Alicea and I´s  clothing, because the clothing and resources here in Argentina are so limited and nothing has pretty print like my flower dress or a polka dot skirt. The importing and exporting issues with the government limits so many things, including the lovely church resources we have so easily and simply in the US. I have taken so many blessings for granted my whole life! Ties, even if they are from DI, are far nicer than anything there is to buy or offer here. Don´t worry about me for Christmas, letters are awesome (always), but if there´s anything I would love it would be something to give them. Another thing about packages--don´t mark that the contents are worth anything more than 25$, otherwise when they come to Argentina.

I haven´t received a package yet, mom, but I did get letters from you and Rachelle and Casey last week. We have a trip to Rosario this week, and I´ll find out then if I got anything from Sister Holiday. I´m touched that she sent something! And I loved hearing about the Schulthies family with McKenna Miller in New York. It is such a gift to wear this black name tag, and what a joy for them to be able to see her. I love you, Hermana Miller! I can´t wait to talk in Spanish with you in a year!

 My goodness, I love hearing about home. Our ward family is fantastic. All of you good youth, keep strong. Keep preparing for missions. Keep the faith! We have a great work to do as missionaries.

I´ve got to start by telling you that in Argentina, everything is eaten with Mayonaise and bread. Every table, every meal. I don´t know why, still trying to figure it out, especially how all the people here are so skinny when the food is pasta, bread, chocolate, and mayonaise. I want to start telling you a fun fact for every week about this place out of time I´m blessed to serve in.

I don´t have much time today, so I´ll just tell you that God is Good. We had another baptism yesterday, our wonderful, miracle friend Mario. He was a reference from the Elders, they taught him before us, but he moved away to work for a month and returned to live in our ward. He wanted baptism so badly--he was baptized 2 weeks to the day after we met him. He is such a fun loving, goofy guy with an accent so hard to understand. I love it. Our ward has been so supportive of these two baptisms two weeks in a row, helping us invite people to attend, getting the font ready, lessons with members. Hermana Alicea and I are so scared to be split up next transfer, we´ve been seeing such success and such love and support in our little rama. The spanish has been coming miraculously, thank you for your prayers. Members who have known me my whole time here, and Hermana Alicea as well, keep asking us what we´re doing to learn so quickly. God is good, and he delights to bless those that serve him. Any doubt, any desire, you can ask him. I promise! He loves to answer our prayers.

That´s all I have today--milagros, milagros, y mas milagros.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people.
And what a joy it is!

love, forever and always,
Hermana Boren

Yo se que vive mi Señor.