Carta Semanal

Date: Wed, 28 May 2008

Well we had the zone conference this past Thursday. It was held in Corrientes Capital. We left our pensión at 3:00 am and arrived there at 8:00 am. Pres. Shakespeare couldn't make it to the conference because there was some sort of a riot on the bridge between Resistencia, Chaco and Corrientes Capital. With Pres. not there the assistants were in charge of the whole conf. After the conference finished we went to Walmart and it was almost like being in the states. I didn't find a cord for my camera so I'll be working on that one for a while. I did however find a jar of peanut butter that was a little expensive for peanut butter but you gotta do what you gotta do. It was only $13 pesos (4 dollars and that was just creamy, crunchy was more) On Saturday we had a ward activity where the elders quorum pres. cooked a soup dish called locro. It has all sorts of things in it like cow stomach, cow nerves, cow something, and some good pieces of actual meat. I have pictures that I'll eventually send of the soup and how they cooked it. The pot was about the same size as me. On Sunday my comp and I gave talks in sacrament meeting. Everyone said they enjoyed them a lot. The work is kinda slow here in Goya. There aren't many people that want to listen to us. I don't know what happened but I didn't receive many emails this time around.....like 2 or 3. I hope that everything is going well. I need to add one more thing. Happy Birthday Dad! ¡Felíz Cumpleaños Papá! I love you all and I'll talk to you next week. ¡Chau!

Con amor,
Élder Hunsaker

P.S. What's the situation on the package with the parents that were coming down here?

Beautiful pictures of new area

Wed, 21 May 2008 19:15:39

Okay so zone conference is this Friday. We will be traveling in a van from here the Corrientes Capital for the Conference. That is where the walmart is. I will be buying a cord at walmart for my camera. I was sick this past weekend with some sort of cold. It could have been allergies so please don't send pills father. I did divisions in another area yesterday. I found a family that is more sarcastic than our family. Bella vista is the other area. It is really pretty there. My branch is a really good one. The president is smart and wants to help us. We have quite a few priesthood holders but not enough for a barrio. I can't really think of anything to say because I didn't do very much while I was sick without a voice. I put my chip in my comp's camera so this is the ender of my message. I'll hopefully have more to write next week. Love you all.

Con amor,
Élder Hunsaker

A sweet photo of some kid

Sunset in Bella Vista

Elder Castro and I during divisions

My zone

President Pintos of the Goya District

"Proud to be a Missionary"

Some kid fishing

Sunset during transfer trip

Tacos with Elder Martinez

The view from the Colectivo

Transfer trip

Information about Carpinchos and Goya, Corrientes

Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) or as they are called in Uruguay, carpincho. Capybaras are found throughout much of South America and into Central America (Panama). Semi-aquatic, capybara frequent marshlands, feeding on grasses and aquatic plants. They live in social groups with a dominant male.

Capybaras are the world’s largest rodent, reaching up to 4 feet in length and up to 2 feet tall, weighing from 75 - 140 pounds. Looking a lot like giant guinea pigs, they are covered in sparse-looking brown fur. When startled, capybaras move into the cover of dense vegetation and can submerge for up to five minutes.

Carpinchos are hunted and eaten, their flesh is said to taste somewhat like pork. Capybara leather is used to make wallets, gloves, and other items. Their natural enemies are jaguar and caiman.

Goya is a city in the south-east of the province of Corrientes in the Argentine Mesopotamia. It has about 87,000 inhabitants as of the 2001 census [INDEC].

The city lies on the left-hand (eastern) shore of the Paraná River, opposite Reconquista, Santa Fe, 222 kilometres south from the provincial capital (Corrientes) and 715 kilometres north-northwest from Buenos Aires.

Goya hosts the annual National Festival of the Surubí, which includes a fishing contest. The surubí is a popular large catfish of the Paraná.

Origin of its name

The city of Goya does not have foundation act and, in agreement with the oral tradition, its name comes from a visionary and enterprising woman, nicknamed Doña Goya, who settled in the proximities of the present "costanera" (coast area), with a business of general goods, in the decade of 1790. It is said that this lady made exquisite cheeses, with the milk of cows fed with reedbeds and coconuts. Whoever made the stop at this zone, bought and spread their qualities by all the ports of Parana, popularizing the name of its manufacturer of such way, that already in 1801, this "place" was identified like "Goya Port". (Jose M. Cabrer).

Swallows

Every November 24 thousands of migratory swallows arrive at Goya, coming from San Juan Capistrano, California, from where they leave on October 23 and cross around 11,000 kilometres following the Pacific coast. When arriving to Goya, the swallows (golondrinas) are received with a series of festivals at the Monument to the swallows located in the San Martín Square, one of the places preferred by these small birds to nest. The return to Capistrano of the first swallow initiates around February 18, to arrive to California on March 19 every year. This particular event encouraged the communal heads of Goya and San Juan de Capistrano, to sign a declaration of brotherhood between the two cities.

Mothers Day chat was fun

Date: Wed, 14 May 2008

Okay so the conference call was really fun. I enjoyed hearing from everyone but Steve. We should do it again sometime. I won't be sending photos for a little bit because I lost my cord to my camera and I'll be buying a cord in walmart when we have zone conference. There isn't anything new here. I went to a store that makes a bunch of stuff out of Carpincho skin. I'm thinking of getting the scripture covers made out of that. We spent the day here in Goya centro playing football with a bunch of latinos. It was funny watching one latino throw the ball forward after he had been running with it for a while. Oh ya, we have a member here that washes our clothes. It is so nice here. I hope that all is well with everyone. Love you all. I might have more to write next week. Chau

Con amor,
Elder Hunsaker

Transferred to Goya, Corrientes

Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 14:29:50

I am no longer in Santa Clara. I will be in Goya, Corrientes. Corrientes is just south of Misiones. I am excited to see a little bit of new terrain. I heard that there are carpinchos in Corrientes. Carpinchos are the over sized rodents like in the movie, Princess Bride. I really want to see one. Hopefully I can find the right card so I can call home. I hope my new comp wants to call home on Saturday. I'm leaving Santa Clara with plenty of families for the next companion of Elder Martinez. I get to ride in a colectivo for 7 1/2 hours. Down here they have Mother's Day in Cctober instead of May. I don't know when they have Independence Day here. My Spanish has really improved being a companion with Elder Martinez. My vocabulary has expanded tons. My next companion is Elder Patton from Boca Raton, Florida. Corrientes Capital has a Wal-mart that I can visit when we have zone conference. This past week we spoke with a less active member that doesn't go because she was offended by someone. We told here that she needs to pray to our Father in heaven and explain her situation like she explained it to us. We told her that when she does that Heavenly Father will let her know where she needs to be every Sunday. The majority of the time we know what our Heavenly Father wants but we are to stubborn/prideful to submit ourselves to His will. Heavenly Father wants us in church every week and He wants us to follow his guidelines for life. I know that He knows us personally and that we can confide in Him all our thoughts and plans. He will answer and He does. I love having the opportunity to have such a close relationship with our Father in heaven. I'll let you all know what my new area is like when I know.

Love you all. Chau

Elder Hunsaker

p.s. Photos next week