WEEK #26

This has been a really eventful, non-eventful week. Which sounds a little bit contrary but really, I don't know how else to explain it. Elder Sandoval and I have been working a ton here in Del Viso and I think we are going to end up seeing some results if we can keep it up. I think I have been able to meet just about every member here in this Branch in under 2 weeks and so far they all seem super willing to help us which is really what it all depends on. The missionary work is impossible without you Members! But yeah, so far I love it out here in Provincia. It's a lot more quiet and just more peaceful. Even though their are like 50 diseased dogs barking all at once always.

The reason I said non-eventful is because really I can only think about one experience worth sharing with you guys, but I have been able to think about a lot of the small blessings and lessons that I have received here. Well anyway, that experience was yesterday when I was able to go to our stake center and watch the dedication of the temple that is now open in Cordoba, Argentina! haha Everybody thought it was weird that I was from Utah but have never seen a temple dedication before because I think their are like 13 temples in Utah. And now I realize what I missed out on for never going to them, because really, it was so cool to see. President Uchdorf dedicated it and spoke a little bit of Spanish, which was kinda funny to see, but it was just so cool to see how happy everybody was. And really this joy of the people of Cordoba just carried the spirit so strong. I don't know, it's just that something clicked for me that really it has been such a blessing to have lived so close to the temples and I never really took advantage of it as I should have. But really even an hour of temple work is helping other people be with their families in happiness forever. Well anyway, that was about my week, a lot of walking and meeting new people here in Argentina. (I hope next week we will be able to find some bikes so I can send some action fotos) 

WEEK #25

Wow, to tell you the truth, I don't even really remember a lot of this week. It was kind of a blur but transfers have happened and now I am in a whole new area with a whole new companion. Haha and I think it might be a tuff adjustment seeing though I went from Villa Crespo, which is in the middle of the city, to a place called Del Viso. Which is like dirt roads and tiny houses and nasty diseased dogs and stuff. I think it might be a little too dangerous to carry around a camera with me every where but I'll figure out a way to get some pictures for this next week. Oh, and I finally got a Latino companion, which is pretty sick. He is a Peruvian named Elder Sandoval and so far he seems like a stud. So, I'm pretty hyped for this next transfer! Even though it was honestly pretty sad leaving Villa Crespo. It's crazy how many relationships you can build in 4 months being a gringo that couldn't speak their language haha. But really, that ward was so awesome and my converts and just all of it. Ahhh, I'm going to miss it. But at the same time I'm looking forward to building more relationships like that here in my new area. But yeah, hmmm, apart from that I'm really not able to think of anything more that has happened this last week. Probably just because these last few days have been nutz. Well, the mission is the best.
I love all ya'll.

WEEK #24

Wow, this week was a little different but in a good way. We finally found some people to teach and had a little bit more success in this area. I don't know, things finally just started to click, but really I only want to share about one of our investigators right now named Yvonne. Haha yeah when we received the reference for her I really didn't know how to act cause thats definitley not a Spanish name. But anyway, a member called us Friday night saying that she met this German lady that really doesn't speak Spanish all that well (so I have no idea how they met cause this hermana only speaks spanish??) but Yvonne can speak english alright. And that she has been going through some really hard times with a divorce here and got kicked out of her husbands house, doesn't really have a job and she is basically out on her own in a country where she doesnt speak the language. So, we were pretty hyped to teach this lady and we set an appoitment for the next day. And really I realized how much spanish has been drilled into my head more than anything. As she wanted me to say the first prayer in english I was like okay, I haven't done this in the last 5 months but cool, and yeah it kinda came out in a weird spanglish. After, we taught the first lesson of the Restoration and obviously she felt something because she agreed to come to church the next day and we translated more for her there. And we are going to continue teaching her this week. I don't really know where I'm going with this story but I thought it was pretty kool that I was teaching a german lady in english in Argentina. I never would have seen that coming, but more than anything with this experience and a few more this last week I have realized that this gospel really is for everyone. It's someting that I testify of everyday that really the information and testimonies that we have can change lives, and all we have to do is share it.

Well anyway, next week I'm going to be writing on Tuesday because transfers are already here again and I'm 90% sure that I am leaving to a different area which is going to be so weird cause this is still the only area that I know and I have made some really good friends here. But never the less, I am excited to be able to know other parts down here in Buenos Aires. 

Love all ya'll.

WEEK #23

This weeks letter is going to be even a little bit shorter do to the fact that I was in bed sick literally half the week haha Yeah, it wasn't very fun. But, I ended up being stuck in bed from Wednesday until Sunday. But hey, the rest of the week was pretty chill. On by birthday last Monday we went as a zone to a place called the Teatro Colon which, I guess, is world famous, but I don't know cause I have never heard of it before. And anyway, it's a giant old opra house. The building is awesome it's so pretty. Then after we went there, a member took us to a Peruvian resteraunt. I know I am serving in Argentina and stuff, but their is no better food than Peruvian food. haha. It's so good and there are a ton of Peruvians here so I get to enjoy pretty often. Then I think there should be a video of the cake below if it worked but an other hermana thought it was cool to put "Swag Out" on the American flag cake and I agreed so that's what it says. Uhm, apart from that not much happened this week. On Tuesday I got to do divisions with my Zone Leader Elder Santos from Brazil. Hes super chill and I got to hear him speak Portuguese, which was pretty tight cause I could understand a little bit of it. Oh, and one more thing that happened this week, actually yesterday. I was able to make it to church even though I was still just barely getting over the sickness, and when we arrived we noticed that a member brought somebody with him that lives in the same building. So, we went to go talk with him after and see if he liked it and all of that good stuff, and you could just tell that this guy, his name is Luis and he is 28 yrs old, but he has been through a ton. Like, he told us that his mom died this last week, and now he really has no family or friends left and stuff and I was really just like wow, I'm sorry man. haha. I really didn't know what to say about it besides sorry. But anyway, we were able to talk to him a little bit about the gospel and actually set a goal for baptism. So we are going to work with him this week and see how we can help him.

Well, really that is about all that happened this last week. 

Much love to all of ya'll.

 

 

WEEK #22

Hey friends.

 This week has been kool. Haha No really, this week the work was pretty slow in terms of finding and numbers and stuff like that but their has been a lot in terms of working and walking haha. But like always, everyday was a learning experience and their were a few things that happened that are things that I never want to forget because the mission is so sick. I really only have one of these experiences that I want to share this week, because I need to go celebrate my B-day right now somehow. 

 So, we received a call from a member who is from another ward but the son of one of his coworkers is in the hospital in our ward. So, he met us there so that we could give him a blessing. As we entered the big room with all of these extrememly sick people (like I was almost just taken away by how the people looked they were so sick. They were all just pale almost yellow and had tubes entering their body from every direction. I wanted to cry just walking in there) but we finally reached the back of the room where this guys son was (the family are non-members) and I guess the son has been in the hospital for more than 2 months now with some sickness that he caught in their vacation, but it almost seemed he was just brain dead like his eyes were rolled back and it was just really sad. But anyway, we explained the priesthood and how the blessing comes from the power of God all depending on the faith of the people. So, we gave a blessing and everything went great, obviously he didn't stand up and walk in front of us but everyone felt the spirit really strong. After we went out of the room and start talking to the family and just whoever was their visiting people that would be interested but we shared a couple experiences about Christ and the Atonement. And something that this kids dad said really got to me, he said " I still have hope and the faith that everything is possible in Gods will" I couldn't stop thinking about how much faith that really was, to still be faithful even when your teenage son has been in the hospital almost unconscious for more than 2 months. He was definitely the example for me that day. And after some of the people that listened to us asked us if we could give a couple more blessings to the patients there. The feeling of using the priesthood like that was incredible, and it's for experiences like that, that you learn to love the mission. What a blessing. 

Well, anyway, I love all of you.

 

 

WEEK #21

A lot learned this week, even though I think I could have said that every week this week was one of the best weeks of my mission so far. First meeting with my President, then General Conference. It just really couldnt have been much better. The mission is really hard, but everytime I take a step back from everything and look at it from the big picture I just feel something amazing. Especially during conference, it was incredible! Haha I wish I wasnt such a punk before the mish and realized how big of a privilege it really is to be able to listen to the leaders of the church. Haha all the missionaries were literally like flipping out the week before conference it was pretty funny.

Im glad I was able to enjoy the week so much, cause really in terms of numbers it was a tough week. Really tough, seeing though we really dont have a single progressing investigador right now. We are trying to work with a kid from Ecuador named Alejandro, but everytime we set an appointment something happens haha I dont know. But he did come to the conference and he loved it so I hope we will be able to meet with him this week and set a date for baptism! 

Rather than that we are really just in the search for those escojidos, Im not really sure how we are going to find them but I know they are out there waiting. So wish us luck!

 Love ya'll

WEEK #20

Little bit of a slow week in Villa Crespo this last week. Slow in terms of finding and teaching, but as always their were positives too. First off with one of the negatives, our investigator, Erica, that I was all positive with last week, basically told us she wants nothing to do with the church anymore because she is too scared to enter the water for baptism and she wants to work Sundays which is really weird but one of the saddest things ever. Because really I  thought she was so prepared for it, and even she realizes that she needs this gospel and baptism but she still wont do it. I just really hope that the members and missionaries continue to stop by her house in the future cause really she is so awesome, she is just lacking a little bit of faith. I have no doubt she will end up getting baptized one day.

 So after that we really just focused on the ward and members for this week, because we learned that finding through your own efforts such as contacts and stuff like that is nearly impossible, so we really need to get the members involved. But basically we were just looking at the directory and started going from member to member hoping that at least a few of them would have friends that we could visit, and it helps that we have these cards about the new Pascua (Easter) video to hand out too ( if you haven't seen it please watch it right now, it's dope. I don't know what it's called in English exactly but it's "Gracias a que El Vive" in Spanish) but as we watch this with the members and feel the spirit re fuerte, we have been trying to connect it to the missionary work and gave them kind of a commitment to share the video with their friends and to invite them to church or to conference or whatever. So please pray that we will see some success from this! Really the members make the biggest difference. Even you members in Utah (hint hint) help the missionaries haha. 

Oh and we are trying to see how Argentine real estate works, which is kinda exciting. Haha are ceiling is destroyed and is basically just falling off little by little cause the lady above us has flooded her room like 10 times, but it was really kind of funny cause she was flipping out and had no idea what to do. Females are weird. So we decided that we are going to move. So yeah so we have a lot of work to do this week please wish us luck!