June 22nd

Dear Family,

How are all of you? So like I said this last email, I got transferred to Cipolletti, a much bigger city than my last area, right next to Neuquén. In 25 de Mayo there were 8,000 people and everybody knew each other. Here it`s a lot different. I caught myself talking out loud about how tall the buildings are or how nice the houses look. There are a few quite tall apartment buildings, the like of which I have never yet in my  mission had, and also a few really tall hotels. Lots of things to do, and a whole lot more cars.

Like I said there is a lot bigger, nicer houses, like whole neighborhoods of such houses, but just across the highway from this neighborhood is a very, very poor neighborhood called the ``tomas`` (the takes) or rather it`s city land that the people are more or less illegially living on. They make their houses out of pallettes and black plastic film to stop the majority of the  wind and water, but they`re very humble homes. We have an investigator in these tomas named Camila. She and her boyfriend live together and they`re really young, like 20ish. She had talked to missionaries before, and she is pretty interested, but still hasn`t come to church.

This week I`ve been trying to memorize a few hymns in spanish. Like this one called Divina Luz (lead-kindly-light). Translated...Directly... (it`s a whole lot prettier in spanish)

Directly Translated:

Divine light with splendor kind

shine in me

dark are the night and the way

my guide be

so far from your pavillion, I am

and to the house of the heights, I go

There were moments

in the which your help

I didn`t suplicate

trusting in my own experience

I didn`t have faith

Now, today I hate that blindness

Give me, God, your free clarity

Guiding, thou, the night is brilliant

and I will cross

the valleys, mountains, rocky places and torrents

with a firm foot

I will see afterwards

the day wake up

Thou will guide back home

Spanish:

Divina Luz, con esplendor benigno, alúmbrame.

Oscuras son la noche y la senda; mi Guía sé.

Muy lejos de Tu pabellón estoy,

y al hogar de las alturas voy.

Momentos hubo en que Tu ayuda no supliqué,

confiando en mi propia experiencia; no tuve fe.

Mas hoy deploro esa ceguedad;

préstame, Dios, Tu grata claridad.

Guiando Tú, la noche resplandece, y cruzaré

los valles, montes, riscos y torrentes con firme pie.

Veré después el día despertar,

y me guia rás de vuelta a mi hogar.

Okay, that`s all the time I have now

(Mom to answer your questions, no those photos are not closer to the south, actually, the northest part of the mission, and sadly I have yet to see any turtles or penguins, BUT we did see a little fox, some vultures, and a hare.)

Love,

Elder Bradley Turek