About Argentina

vegetation in El Calafate

Hi, I'm Elder Bartlett, and welcome to our show, Exploring the Patagonia with the Mormons. Here in the most southern tip of the world, with the exception of antarctica, the climate if very similar to that of Southern Utah. It is very dry, dusty, and sandy, lots of small scrub bushes, and the four seasons. The Patagonia is well known for it's excessive amounts of wind, extreme heat, and bitter cold, and overall a place where normally no one would want to live.

Yet, the people here are very abundant and extremely wonderful. They don't have much, but what they do have, they willing give. They are very modest and humble and have a strange sense of humor that I still don't really understand.

El Calafate

Most people, like us, are new here to the Patagonia. They have moved in from further up north and from many surrounding countries such as Chile, Peru, and Paraguay. Many have their own plots of land and build their houses on their own, or they rent like us. We have a wonderful landlandy that takes good care of us when she is here. Right now she is in Cordoba visiting her daughter in College. Our house, also known as a pension in mission lingo, is relatively nice. They only problem is that our door has many holes in it, and bugs just love to walk right in and crawl up my nose while I sleep!

Elder Bartlett & Elder Flores from Chile

It's a great life here, and I am enjoying every minute of it. Even though the people here are very honest and immediately tell us what religion they are and that they don't want to hear anything we have to say before we even introduce ourselves, they are very kind and loving.

This has been Exploring the Patagonia with the Mormons, thanks for tuning in. Until next time, stay golden my friends.

Love, Elder Bartlett

Elder Bartlett at Glacier Perito Moreno

?, Elder Eakle & Elder Bartlett at Glacier Perito Moreno

Far left Elder Bartlett

Mom & Dad

So just so you know, my bag broke, but I mostly fixed it. I somehow ripped a huge hole in the crotch of my jeans, so i'm going to find a less active member that can sew to see what she can do. Also, the in-seem of one of my pants came out, also going to take those to this sister member. I lost my flip-flops in Ushuaia, so I bought some toms! As for music, everyone here just has music on usb/pen-drives, so I bought one and got some music from one of the other missionaries, and today I'm going to buy a speaker that has a usb port. It would be cool if you could talk to Ivan or Jacob and put together a pen-drive with a bunch of LDS music from moromon tab, janice kapp perry (celtic variations), EFY music, anything that is produced by the church, and then send it to me. Elder Eakle's mom hid his pendrive in a pack of gum, so that's an idea.  I gave a blessing in Spanish yesterday, my Spanish was terrible but I think they understood.

Love, Elder Bartlett