July 27th

Dear Family,
So much has happened in one week. We’ll see how much I can get down in one letter.
First of all, I met a Brother that served the mission with cousin Jared in Buenos Aires North. Brother Gerry (“Herry”), now bishop Gerry in the Ward that shares the chapel with us, asked me, “Did you have a relative that served in Buenos Aires North? A Jared Reynolds” When I told him we’re cousins, he replied: “you look alike, especially in your smile. Jared was my Zone Leader. He was a good missionary and very well organized.” He spoke very highly of Jared, and was happy to have a little catch-up on his life. Bishop Gerry also said he thought he had Jared on Facebook—oh the wonders of Internet.
So I got transferred. I’m in Cuadro National, not Cordon National, which is a small little village on the outskirts of San Rafeal, the second largest city in Mendoza. Cuadro is just to the east of San Rafeal.
Transfers were really crazy. I had to be in the offices at 7:00 in the Morning, which meant I had to catch a bus at 5:20 in the morning. I ended up going solo, because my companion was going to San Martin to pick up his companion, not to Mendoza. To make the situation even more unique: it snowed. It’s been about 3 years since it snowed like that in Mendoza. There wasn’t a lot, less than an inch, but in Mendoza, that is a lot. The City isn’t constructed for snow. Most of the sidewalks are paved with tiles, which become like a giant ice-skating rink when covered with a light snow.
When I arrived in Mendoza it was still pitch black, and in the dark I slipped and slided my way from the bus terminal to the Bus stop where I needed to take the Bus to the offices. The bus I needed to take passed right as I got to the bus stop, and I didn’t realize it was my bus until it was too late. I was running late, so the next bus that stopped I asked the driver: “do you pass the Hospital Español?” because I knew that was close to the offices. He answered: “we pass behind it.” I boarded.
I wasn’t sure what “behind it” meant, or if I would be able to find the offices, but I figured at least I could get closer to the offices, and then maybe hail a taxi for the last little bit. As I sat down in the Bus I offered a silent prayer, “Father, please help me get to the offices on time. I’m not really sure where I am. Please help me.” The bus seemed to be going in the right area, closer to the offices, so I was happy, I only didn’t know where to get off. We came to a stop light, and as we were waiting the bus driver called out: “who was the person who wanted to go to the Hospital Español?” I raised my hand, “Get off here.” He said as he opened the door. “¡Muchas Gracias!” I said as I descended the stairs. From where I got off I could see the street I needed to get to, and I felt so grateful that the Lord had made it all work out so that the Bus Driver remembered that out of all of the passengers, there was one who needed to get off at the Hospital. The bus turned for another street, and if he hadn’t told me where to get off, I easily could have gotten lost.
I got to the offices where I went with the Newly arrived Missionaries to the Civil Register, “registro civil”, to get my name-change document cleared and finish my visa work. It all went very smoothly, and we finished by 10:30, the fastest Elder Swainston from the offices had ever seen it happen.
After that the office Elders dropped me off at the Bus Terminal to take a Bus to San Rafeal. Once again, all alone. I found a few other Elders in the Terminal who helped me buy my ticket, but then they had to go, so I was left all alone in the terminal waiting an hour and a half for my bus.
I was hungry, but had very little money and didn’t dare leave my bags to go buy something, so I just waited.
The bus came and I boarded. I sat down next to a young Gentleman, and after a little while we began to talk. I asked him about his work, and he told me he owned a Cellular Telephone shop. He asked me about my mission, and I explained a little about the mission and the church, and about our belief in a living prophet. He was interested, but said he wasn’t ready to change his religion. His girlfriend lives in Cuadro Nacional, and he said: “I’m sure we’ll see each other.” His name was Martìn.
After a three hour bus ride I arrived in San Rafael. I walked up and down the terminal looking for Elders—not one. So I waited. Now not only was I hungry, but I had to go to the bathroom, but I couldn’t leave my bags, so I just waited.
I called the elders from a phone booth, and they said they were on there way. So again I just waited. I talked with another man waiting at the terminal, and he began to tell me about his health problems, and all the doctors who have been trying to “help” him, but have prescribed medicine that hasn’t worked. He wasn’t interested in hearing about the gospel, but I think he felt better having someone to vent all his problems to, and I felt happy to have been able to help him.
Finally the Zone Leaders came with my new companion, Elder Carrasco, an Elder from California, who spoke English and Spanish before the mission, and also was a Lexus auto mechanic. He’s really awesome. He’s very quiet, but very loving, and very good with people.
Cuadro Nacional is very small, and right now we don’t have any really progressing investigators, we’re going to be focusing a lot in finding new investigators this week.
Church is back to normal, which will help us. The Swine Flu has reached it’s climax and is going down.
It’s been a good transfer so far. It will be a very hard-working transfer, but a rewarding one too I hope.
I love you Family,
Sincerely,
Elder Reynolds