My Third Companion

We got completely worked over this week. The week was going well, very
well until Wednesday night. We were with an innactive family at about
730 and it started to rain/hail. At 8 we had an appointment with a
lady that i didnt want to miss. The rain stopped for a second and it
seemed it would be a good time to run to the next cita before it
started again. We didnt make it. When you are in the street and it
sounds louder then a stadium full of Boca or River fans coming
straight at you, its nevver good. We were running in the middle of the
street for the darkness and everything else til it got bad. Tin
roofing started to fly everywhere from peoples roofs. Flew int he air
and cut almost every power line with ease. At this point we are about
5 blocks from anyone we know. We are sprinting along side the houses.
Everything is flooded and at this point im not a big fan of walking in
the rain. Samye, you said I have a third companion. I dont think you
know how true it is. I didnt hear a voice or a thing. My comp is
running about 10 feet in front of me and my body stops. I dont know
how but i stopped. A spliot second later i hear a loud crack and a
large tree falls in front of me and breaks through a brick wall. My
comp looked back and couldnt see me so came around the tree and just
saw me dazed for a second. We keep running and a man lets us in his
store for a second. When it all passed we went outside. Every cable
line was cut and most of them were live. Tin roofing and trees are
everywhereand the streets are flooded in a foot of water. This was
definately an experience i wont forget and i definately feel someone,
my third companion, had saved me.

There is still no power in most of our area except acouple streets by
our pench. We made it back that night and were out helping people pull
trees off power lines and off there houses. A man lent us a hatchet
for the next day to use.

Thursday morning we leave in service clothes and walk the streets
looking for help. We fixed the roofing tiles of a member then moved
on. There is a big plaza in our area that we walked by. 75% of the
trees are down. We see a corner house with what seemed 5 grandmas
watching as an eleven year old kid is trying to cut this massive tree.
We offer our help and well long story short my comp fell saving
another dude from killing himself with a chainsaw and broke his
shoulder. The rest of the day was in the hospital which was full of
people. 7 people ended up dying in the storm. No one here has ever
seen a storm that strong.

Since then we have been in the apartment. Tommorow we have an
appointment in the hospital and most likely he will end up going home.
We has 3 months left and my guess is it will take at least 6 weeks to
heal. I might go into a triple, get a mini missionary, or work with
members. Im not a big fan of this past week but at least i am alive.

Apart from the the bad of this week a couple good or interesting
things happened. We found 2 great families, i saw and pet a 200lb
rotweiler(its not a lie either), and i have fixed about every little
thing in my pench i can find. Also funny story. So in Argentina there
are always trucks driving by with microphones selling fruits and
veggies. Well we are walking the other day and see a kid that is
drugged out of his mind. He is riding his bike and announcing fruits
and veggies through his athsma inhaler...Its sad but at the same time
hilarious.

Well its been a long but quick week. At nights there are riots in the
streets yelling. Still no electricity in half my area or water. Oh and
this is for you mom. My patience has gotten alot better i think. I
cook, clean, and do everything else for my comp now. I even have to
dress the kid.(except the garments).

Love, Elder Martino