Oct 1, 2018 - Last Letter!!

Great week! full of fun too. At the start of the week things went pretty normal but for p-day we hung out with Elder Soberanus and Elder Rivas. Elder Soberanus and I go home together and we haven’t seen each other in like a year so it was great to talk about all the mission and share stories. Friday we had a  great baptism for Elizabeth and Yazmin. Out of nowhere President showed up too. Saturday morning we went to the temple with Luis! Elder Riqulme and I had to leave super early and we got super wet on the way. It was so worth it though! Yesterday, church was really great and we had a super good dinner with Jorge. This last week is gonna be sweet. it will include last interview with President, sheaving sheep and some celebrations in Ramos Mejia! love y’all and hope y’all have a good one!!

Elder Maller

Sept 24, 2018

BDAY week was a hit! On Saturday we ate with the familia Capaccio and they made some chicken wraps and a huge cake! The surprise happy birthday video was great too haha. Elder Riuelme and I had such a great week! We saw so many miracles! and Ill tell ya all about them in two weeks! It’s not so much that we are finding people but this week people have been finding us! Its super cool. Its crazy how the Lord prepares people. He does it in so many creative ways haha. Hopefully if all goes well Yazmin and Elizabeth should get baptized this week but will see. This week is gonna be a great one. Yesterday Luis from Parque San Martin called me and said that he is gonna get his endowments this Thursday!! He invited me to come!! I’m super excited I haven’t been to the temple since April 2017! It’ll be a fun day. Glad to hear that you all are doing well I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Maller   

Sept 17, 2018

This week we had one of the best zone conferences that I have ever been to!!! Elder Gomez came and he talked a lot about how we need to ask for references from everyone because it truly makes the work 10 times easier. Elder Riquelme and I got to teach some really great lessons too. For the first time we watched the new first vision video with this family and they loved it. The spirit was really strong during that lesson! For P-day we all met up in Chivilcoy before going to zone conferences and we played a ton of soccer and games. Once we got on the bus there I met up with a ton of old friends that I haven’t seen in ages like Elder Jimenez and the Bragado boys! It was a great bus ride. Elder Rivera gave me some maple syrup extract for my birthday so that was also a plus. The past week flew by and I feel like this one will too. Tonight, Elder Riquelme and I are heading to Chivilcoy for divisions tomorrow so it should be a ton of good times. Love y’all hope you have a great week!

Elder Maller 

Sept 10, 2018

It’s been a great week in Mercedes! We have been able to work more than ever with the members; especially the youth. Each time we get to work with them I think about how much of a lazy kid I was haha. The difference in the work is huge when we involve the members; it’s like everything changes for the investigator. It’s super awesome to see. Yesterday I got to speak in church so I decided to talk about the Sabbath day. I feel like it was the focus of my studies this week. The blessings that we receive from keeping the Sabbath day holy are too big to miss out on!!! This week on Friday we have a big zone conference with Elder Gomez from the seventy. It should be a great one as it will be my last zone conference :(  I cant wait to tell you all about it. I hope you have a great week! love yall!

Elder Maller

Sept 3, 2018

First week in Mercedes was awesome!! Since day one we have been seeing miracles!!! Elder Riquelme is hilarious too, we get along great! The best part of it all is the members will do anything for the missionaries its incredible!! They are constantly offering to help and when they do help they go above and beyond! I hope I can be like them when I’m home. Thankfully the weather has been getting a lot nicer outside too. What’s great too is just about every time you get to a new area you have to kinda rebuild it a little but Mercedes is well organized and we have a list of people that could get baptized this month.  I’m hoping this month will be one of the best. Elder Riquelme and I put some high goals so we are ready to go. The funny story of the week was that on p-day we decided to go to a pizza libre and there we saw on the menu dulce de leche (caramel chocolate sauce). we thought it was some type of desert, so we asked for it but once they brought it out it was just pizza with cheese and dulce de leche on top hahah. Elder Riquelme and I couldn’t stop laughing about it but we ate it anyways and it wasn’t very good but we had a good time. Hope you all have a great week! 

Elder Maller 

Aug 27, 2018

Transfers came in this week!!! I’m out! These transfers were super different this time, but Saturday I got a call to go to Mercedes. I’ll be in my last transfer with Elder Riquelme, I don’t know that much about him but he is pretty new to the mission and he is from Chile! I’m super pumped to go to Mercedes!!! I remember president asking me in an interview where id like to finish and I told him Mercedes! It has one of the best wards in the whole mission! We leave today, so yesterday I got to say a couple of goodbyes. This week we also had a miracle baptism. It would take a long email to explain it all but it involved a lot of biking, a ton of phone calls and really good pizza! It was a great baptism! Elder Nash and I learned a ton of stuff this transfer and we are both pretty bumbed that I’m gone. We are gonna be really good buds after the mission though and I’m super excited for him. Him and Elder McConkie will be training this transfer. they both are gonna have a ton of fun. Glad to hear all is great back home! have a great week!

Elder Maller 

Aug 21, 2018

This week was such a good one. every day there was something crazy that happened so I thought I would go through each day. 

·         Monday night we ate an asado with noelia and franco.

·         Tuesday I had one of my last interviews with President Resek. Nothing to special happened but he wants us to do basketball classes for all the kids in Bragado. That night we played ball and this time almost fifty people came out. I only got in once and I didn’t play that great but the Bragado crowd was hyped. A lot of people know who we are now. 

·         Wednesday Elder McConkie (descendant of Bruce R McConkie) and I did some divisions. We killed it that day. We walked over by the school to hang out with the local kids and that turned into us signing up to teach English at the school. Hopefully this week will be going back cause those classes have like 40+ kids at them; will see.  

·         Thursday on p-day we went by the lagoon and we had a fun time slinging rocks into the lagoona from this abandon tower.

·         Friday Elder Nash and I found seven new investigators.  

·         Saturday Elder Nash and I found another seven new investigators. We also visited this guy named Raul. We found him about two weeks ago and each day he would smoke 40 cigarettes. The last time we saw him he was only smoking 8 a day!! He should get baptized in September!

·         Sunday we had five people in church and finished the week off with 30 lessons! 23 new investigators and we got 14 baptismal dates!  The work in Bragado is going insane, it’s so awesome! I’m loving it right now. I’m glad to hear about all the family fun back home keep enjoying the summer!   

Elder Maller

Aug 13, 2018

Elder Nash and I had a really cool week. We have this investigator that really likes basketball and him and his friends really wanted to play with us so we decided to go by the city basketball club and when we met up there, this team from Bragado was practicing. After shooting around a bit they invited us to play a game against their team and Elder Nash and I ended up destroying this team. I didn’t get it, but every shot we took was going in. At one point the coaches pulled Elder Nash and I off to the side and they started asking us a ton of these questions because they wanted to pick us up on their team haha. They said to come to another practice with the team and that on Saturday we could play against this other team in General Viamonte. Elder Nash and I were super tempted, so we called president that night and talked about it and he was super tempted too but he gave us permission to just keep going to the practices to make friends and stuff. This week though we have been running into a bunch of kids though that saw us there playing it was super cool haha; one of them even invited us into one of his birthday party’s. The work in Bragado is going super well, we’re super close to seeing a lot of baptisms too, but everyone is just missing like one small thing to get baptized, its a little frustrating but Elder Nash and I have been super blessed this transfer. This week should be great we have interviews with president tomorrow and I think will do divisions too. glad everyone is doing great back home keep it up!

Elder Maller 

Aug 6, 2018

This week was a bunch of fun. On Monday we had to take a double decker bus to Ramos for zone conferences. On the way I met up with a ton of old buds like Elder Abrams and Elder Jackson. We stayed the night and ate a million empanadas with all the Chivilcoy missionaries. zone conferences were good. like always President gave a great message. This week we ate lunch with the familia Alverez. They are super gaucho (cowboy) so they gave us some fresh nutria to eat which is like a mix between an otter and a rat. it was super weird but good at the same time hahah. I also snagged a pic with some pet armadillos they have. That day was super fun then after I went on divisions with the great nephew of Bruce R McConkie (Elder McConkie) we had another great day there. For church the members have helped us out a ton. Randomly, Bro Domine brought his grand children to church for us and a bunch of other members have been inviting their friends and going by people that we have been teaching. I think that’s the best thing you could do for a missionary. For fast and testimony meeting a lot of members came and the spirit was super strong there. it was so cool. I hope you all had a great fast and testimony meeting. Recently Elder Nash and I found a family that reminds me of ours like 10 years ago they are super young and they’re so down to get baptized. We’re are just trying to get them married rn. hope y’all have a great week!

Elder Maller

July 16, 2018

Transfers! bye bye Arco Iris and hello Bragado! We got the calls Saturday and I’m getting shipped far out to Bragado. It’s a little branch out in the middle of nowhere! I’m super excited for it though. My whole mission has been in the city, so it’ll be a nice change. I’ll be one of the counselors to the branch presidency too, so that will be interesting. Tomorrow I gotta go all the way to liners to take a big bus that will take almost 8 hours to get out there, so I think I’m gonna try to buy some melatonin or maybe a colouring book haha. It will be sweet though cause ill be traveling out there will one of my good Idaho friend Elder Burk! Road trip! My comp will be Elder Nash, he is from Utah, I’ve met him a few times and he seems like a great missionary! Were gonna do great I’m super excited. This week we had a baptism, I also went all the way out to Lobos and Elder Holmes and I had a killer day. For pday we spent most of our time traveling back home. Not much else happened though I’ve started saying some good byes and I really hope I can come back to this ward some day, its one of the best in the mish! I hope y’all are doing great!

Elder Maller 

July 10, 2018

Yesterday there was a huge holiday and we weren’t able to write home. This week we got a lot of stuff done. Elder Ruiz and I got asked to do some special divisions this week with a few elders and it was a lot of fun. We were able to find a ton of new people to teach. We found so many people in the craziest of ways and we had some really awesome lessons but at the end of the week no one showed up at church. We got a ton of more divisions this week so we should be able to find a ton more new people. Today I’ll be heading out to Lobos, which is a 3 hour train ride, to work with Elder Holmes. It might be really cold out there but he is a great missionary and we will have a great time! Other than that this week was a good ole work week; I’m happy with it. This is the last week of transfers so that could mean that I’ll be leaving the zone of Marcos Paz, its crazy to think that I have been here so long, ever since the end of September I got to Ferrari with Elder Ruiz. I hope you all have a great week. 

Elder Maller  

July 2, 2018

This week went by with a lot of flashes. In mission terms, the word flash means when you get shipped out to a different area before transfers. What happens is president or the AP’s call you and tell you to pack your bags cause in less than an hour a taxi is gonna come and pick you up. Normally you go all alone in the taxi too which is super weird but so the other elders that were living with us got flashed out. Elder Hidalgo and Elder Chamberlian are long gone. It’s pretty crazy too because transfers are in two weeks and so now Elder Ruiz and I have the best area in the mish by ourselves. It’s gonna be super sick. This week Argentina beat Nigeria in the world cup but also lost against France and that was the craziest I have ever seen the streets here haha out of nowhere your walking down the street and people come running out of their house either screaming and beating each other up or also screaming and kissing each other hahah. Elder Ruiz and I got invited into this one house during the game against France and that was super crazy just lots of drugs and crazy people haha. Thankfully now that their out its a lot more easier to teach people. So far the work has slowed down a bit, we arn’t sure why but we are stickin with it. I hope your guys week was cool too love you all. 

Elder Maller   

June 18, 2018

This week Argentina played in the world cup and it was pretty dead in the streets. It was funny because even in the street you could hear the game and know what was going on because every single house had the game on. In the end president didn’t give us permission to watch it but it was all good cause we had a baptism that day. Santiago got baptized by Leo our ward mission leader. It was a great baptism and a little funny to because Leo pulled an Alma by baptizing himself hahahah. We filled up the water a little too high by accident so when Leo went to go dunk him Leo went under haha, it was funny but also a spiritual baptism. The grandpa of Santiago was a member and he recently died. He was a great member in the ward of Arco Iris and many members here remember him being a great disciple, so when Santiago came to church for the first time the ward did a great job of welcoming him and helping him fit in. The youth especially are great here, way better missionaries than I was when I was back home. lol the mission is going great still, I’m still super happy but I feel like an old man here in this mish. I got interviews with prez this week so that will be sweet, other than that life is all good. I love y’all and I hop you have a great week!!! chau chau

Elder Maller

June 11, 2018

First week of transfers passed by flying like it normally does. Tuesday we said bye to Elder Jackson and he has been with us in Arco Iris for about 6 months now so he was pretty happy to leave but we were all pretty sad to say goodbye to that guy. We had a ton of fun together. Thankfully Elder Ruiz and I are still together so its chill. That night we did the welcome calls to the zone and everyone seems pretty excited to get working. For p-day I learned how to cook an asado and its super easy haha, but really expensive; there goes all my money for the month, lol. On Friday we had our leadership council and president gave us the chance to debate about whether or not we should be allowed to watch the world cup with investigators. That was probably the most heated I have seen a leadership council get hahaha. So I’m not too sure still if we will watch it yet or not, will see. On Saturday Elder Ruiz got really sick so we had a sick day I’m not sure if it was because of the asado or not haha. On Sunday we had stake conference and it was my seconded in the zone of Marcos Paz! I have been here forever lol. It was a great one though! Present Resek came and during his talk he called me up to recite the missionary purpose in front of the stake so that was pretty cool. The talks were actually really good and the stake president talked a bunch about missionary work and the importance of being a missionary it was super good. This week we got zone conference so we should be eating at Carmens again! its gonna be a good one! I hope y’all have a great week!!

Elder Maller  

June 4, 2018

This week was a loooong week of rain and cold none the less, Elder Ruiz and I had a fun time. To start on, we did a ton of divisions this week and on Wednesday Elder Sultan and I did some divisions so we had a fun reunion. On Thursday for pday we went to Merlo and I bought a Deportivo Merlo shirt after hitting a year serving in the town of Merlo! I cant believe it. On Friday we did divisions with the AP’s and I went with Elder Neto from Brazil. That kid is super cool he is a convert too. I also learned a few things in Portuguese that day too. Saturday we had a double baptism planned out although the baptism got cancelled because the water got cut off :(((((( that was a hard day haha cause that was the second time a double baptism fell through for us but its all good. This Sunday we have stake conference and I’m pretty sure President Resek will speak. For transfers Elder Ruiz and I stay together for another transfer!!!  That means I’ll have 6 months in the area! No complaints though, this is the best area I’ve ever been to the members are super cool and the work is going great. Hope y’all are doing great!!

Elder Maller

May 28, 2018

This week was great. On Tuesday Elder Ruiz and I got asked to do divisions with a random area in the mission so I went with Elder Tanner from Utah, (not my old comp) this Elder Tanner is a great missionary and we ate a ton of food hahah I haven’t met a missionary that can eat more than him he is a beast. On p-day we went to Navarro to eat an asado with this really good soccer player that used to play on the Colorado team in the MLS league, he loves the missionaries and he has this huge futbol field and he always lets us play on it for free. Friday was 25 de mayo and so the ward had a big party. The tradition is to play soccer all day and to eat locro which is a weird pig soup. and they put all the parts of the pig into it even the eyes!!!! Thankfully I didn’t find an eye or anything in my bowl. but right after we had permission to play soccer the rest of the afternoon with all the youth. We made a team of missionaries and we got our butt kicked every time. We would barley last 2 min haha, it was a ton of fun though. The weekend was great we had a bunch of people and at church and we are looking for a double baptism this weekend!!! Santiago and Ludmila it’s gonna be sweet I’ll be sure to send photos! I love y’all and keep it going! 

Elder Maller

May 21, 2018

This week was super great, we had a bunch of funny stuff happen to us, I cant even remember it all. We have been super busy too but its been a lot of fun. Saturday we had a baptism. Elder Ruiz and I are still going strong. Yesterday President Resek called a random leadership council, so right after church we went over to Ramos to talk about a bunch of mission stuff.  Then after we got to do Elder Ruiz’s skype call and his family is great! This week we’ll probably be just as crazy and I will probably forget all of it this time next week haha. I really cant remember anything but life is good I hope you guys are pumped for summer break, finish strong on all your tests though! it ain’t over yet! I love you all a ton!

Elder Maller

May 7, 2018

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM

I hope the birthday was great. I was scared that I was gonna forget so I wrote it down in my agenda! This week nothing to crazy happened; like the tornado last week. We had zone conference, everyone in the pench got sick from eating this chicken except me.  We had some really good divisions and the coolest thing is these super cool kids that we found last eek are getting baptised this Saturday!! It was a pretty cool miracle, I just know now that any reference from a member could mean a new member! The work is on fire right now in the mission. I don’t think I mentioned but last month we baptized 104 investigators! Because of that President Resek wanted to throw another celebration in Ramos Mejia this pday! I’ll be sure to send photos. There also has been rumors that Elder Holland will be coming to talk to the mission sometime soon!! In about a week or so he will be down here to talk to the YSA people so we could be hearing from him as well pretty soon!  That’s pretty much it for this week I can’t believe that I skype next week so ill see you then!

Elder Maller

April 30, 2018

The week whirled by as we had a small tornado touch down not that far from us on Saturday night! At church yesterday all the power was out and it was still raining a ton so we just took the sacrament and we left to go help out the ward. There was a ton of houses that lost their roofs and some even just got picked up and tossed. A lot of people got flooded too. It’s crazy cause there is so much garbage ever where too right now! It’s awesome though cause we get to do a bunch of service now! The night of the tornado was pretty freaky though cause the roof leaked a ton but its all chill now. We actually found a ton of new investigator on Sunday because of the chance we had to serve. We also had a baptism on Saturday. If you remember I think a few emails back I talked about us teaching Viviana. She speaks English cause she lived in New York for 20 years but she hasn’t missed a day of church yet (including yesterday) so she is super awesome and super converted. The very day we told her that she can’t drink coffee she stopped the same day!! and she would drink a coffee every morning!!! she is super cool. thanks for all the prayers love ya a ton!  

Elder Maller